2023
Guide to light sources
Find out everything you need to know when choosing a light source for your new designer lamps. In collaboration with lighting expert Peter Manscher from Muuto, we have created a short and easy-to-understand guide for those who want the perfect light for their home.
Choosing the right light source for your new designer lamp is important and can be difficult in a world of unfamiliar terms and jargon.
We have created a short and easy-to-understand guide to make sure you choose the right light source for your new favourite lamp.
Below you can learn more about the things you need to be aware of when choosing a light source. You can also learn more about what to look out for when buying a lamp with integrated LEDs.
The guide is made in collaboration with lighting expert Peter Manscher, from our partner Muuto, who has more than 15 years of experience in developing lights and lamps. Peter has previously worked for Danish Lightyears and has been involved in the development of the popular series Caravaggio and Orient .
Here you can watch Peter Manscher himself talk about what to look out for when choosing a light source.
Quality of light
Colour temperature
When choosing the light temperature of your light bulb, it is important to pay attention to Kelvin degrees. Kelvin degrees determine how warm or cold a light the bulb produces.
As a starting point, most customers use 2700 Kelvin light bulbs for the home. This is categorised as warm white light and is used by most people in pendant lights, floor lamps and dining table lamps.
If you need a whiter light, for example in the office, you can choose a 3000 Kelvin bulb, which gives off a whiter and more refreshing light.
Andlight recommends:
2700 Kelvin (Warm white light): Living room, dining table, hallway, kitchen, bathroom
3000 Kelvin (White light): Offices with limited light and bathrooms
Colour consistency
The quality of the LED light is determined by a so-called CRI or Colour Rendering Index, which describes the ability of the light to reproduce colours correctly.
CRI is measured on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being perfect colour consistency.
Colour reproduction is very important for the quality of your lighting. Working under light with a bluish or reddish tinge can be distracting.
Of course, it's always preferable for the bulb to have a high CRI score and when you have a designer lamp, it's a shame to compromise on the quality of light.
At Andlight, we only sell bulbs with a CRI of 80 or higher. Therefore, you are always guaranteed bulbs of the highest quality if you buy your bulb from us.
Andlight recommends:
Always use a bulb with CRI 80 or higher. It is especially recommended to use high CRI bulbs in your table lamps and floor lamps.
The lifespan of an LED bulb is of course crucial when choosing a bulb for your new designer lamp. Here, price and quality are naturally linked. Below you can see what you need to be aware of when considering lifespan.
Replaceable LED bulbs
If you have a lamp with a socket, you will need a replaceable LED bulb. The lifetime of these is usually noted on the product. A lifetime is expressed in switch-on hours and describes how long the bulb will last for the stated specifications. This does not mean that your bulb will die, but that the bulb may lose power after the specified hours have elapsed.
An LED light source will typically have a lifetime of somewhere between 10,000-30,000 active hours. After that, it is possible that the bulb will lose intensity, but it will usually last much longer than the specified time.
Built-in LED light sources
Integrated LED light sources are becoming more and more popular to produce, as the technology finally allows the lamp to last for many years without having to replace the light source.
The same rules apply here as for LED bulbs. The light source has an expected lifetime and after this lifetime is used up, the light source still works. However, it will slowly lose some intensity over time.
An LED light source will typically have a lifetime somewhere between 10,000-30,000 active hours.
Langt de fleste af vores produkter med indbygget LED, har en levetid på 30.000 timer. This corresponds to approximately 3.5 years of uninterrupted use. After this, the intensity of the lamp will decrease and it will eventually become less powerful. However, most of our manufacturers offer paid replacement of the LED light source if the warranty has expired.
Andlight recommends:
You can safely buy lamps with integrated LEDs, as LED technology is now so advanced that the module will last for many years and, in the worst case scenario, lose intensity over time.
Some of the retailers that make lamps with integrated LEDs also offer paid repair and replacement services if the warranty has expired.
Intensity
Lumen
Lumen describes the amount of light produced by the light source and how far the light is projected. This intensity is measured in lumens.
LED bulbs have a higher efficiency than the old halogen bulbs. This means that LED bulbs can achieve higher intensity with a lower wattage. You can therefore no longer choose the intensity of the bulb simply by looking at the wattage.
So you need to choose the intensity based on the amount of lumens. It can be difficult to translate the old system to the new one, so we have made a clear table that shows how many lumens you should use.
Andlight recommends:
400-500 lumens = Desk lamps, wall lights and floor lamps
700-900 Lumen = Dining table pendants, ceiling lights, spotlights
If you have a dimmable lamp, you can choose a powerful bulb. This will give you the option of both dim and bright light.
Want to learn even more about light and integrated LEDs? Below you can watch our lighting expert explain how an integrated light source works.
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