Are LEDs the Future of Lighting?

​Over the past twenty years, there have been major leaps in lighting technology.  Companies began developing new and more efficient ways to light your world.  The compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) that came out of factories around the country seemed as though they would last forever, but it wasn’t long before a better, brighter technology knocked CFLs off of their pedestal.  Enter: the light emitting diode, or LED.  Is this new technology going to dethrone the CFL?  Check out these pros and cons of LED lighting to see if the switch is right for you.

Pros:

• LEDs use up to 70% less energy than CFL bulbs, which could mean a dramatic decrease in electricity usage for your home or business.
• Where CFLs provide a bright, white glow, LED bulbs come in almost every color of the rainbow, including the warm yellow glow that you used to get from incandescent bulbs.
• LEDs can last up to 75,000 hours.  That’s more than seven times the amount of time offered by CFLs, and 38 times longer than most incandescent bulbs.

Cons:

• While they may last seven times as long, they’ll cost you about five times as much as CFLs.
• Going for one of the cheaper LED models could cost you more in the long run: cheaper LEDs can start flickering and change color over time.
• LED lights are extremely finicky.  Temperature and humidity can affect the life and color of your LED dramatically, so they may not be right for outdoor lighting.

Whether or not the pros outweigh the cons, LEDs are obviously the future.  If you can remember, CFLs had many of these same problems when they first appeared on the market, and some still do.  Given some time, LED technology will begin to produce the brighter, longer lasting, safer bulb that we all want and need.

Whatever your decision on lighting may be, chances are you’ve got a cover for your bulb.  Whether it’s a globe or a plastic cover, Brisk Lighting can help you with replacements, new parts, or even making a specialty cover for that fixture that broke years ago.  Be sure to visit our product page to view our lighting options, and we’ll do everything we can to get your room back to that healthy glow.