Types of LED Light Bulbs—What’s Right for Your Space?

When faced with a wall of LED light bulbs, it's nice to have some sense of what you're looking at. In today’s market, there are so many types of LED light bulbs. Their variety in style and features is unparalleled when compared to other types of light bulbs. They offer energy efficiency, longevity, and low heat and UV output. We’re shining a light on LEDs to help you make the right choice, or choices, for your needs and personal style. 

1. Standard LED

These general-purpose lights are best thought of as the replacement for an incandescent bulb. When it comes to incandescent vs. LED, these bulbs are the poster children for LEDs. 

They come in the traditional A-shape, also known as arbitrary and standard, which makes them a one-for-one swap. True to their name, standard bulbs feature the traditional screw base. If your bulb has any other base, it isn’t a standard bulb.

Features

Despite their boring name, the standard LED is available with many of the common features including:

• Warm, soft, neutral, and cool light 

• Color changing light

• Dimmable 

• Full spectrum/grow light

• Smart light

These bulbs disperse light at a wide angle, making them perfect for general household use.

Best For: Reading lamps and pendant lighting, semi-flush and flush-mount

2. Recessed or Can LED

Recessed or can LED bulbs add overall lighting to a space. These bulbs fit into a recessed or can fixture mounted in the ceiling or an exterior flood light and can be flat or rounded at the top but the shape varies widely. They cast the light downward like a spotlight. These lights are available with a screw base, twist lock, or retrofit. 

Features

The can LED is fairly utilitarian in that it doesn’t have as many uses as some of the other bulbs. The common features available in can lights are:

• Warm, soft, neutral, and cool light 

• Colored lights

• Dimmable 

• Full spectrum/grow light

• Smart light

• Dawn to dusk sensors (floodlights)

Best For: Recessed ceiling lighting and floodlights

3. Track LED

Track LED lighting is a great way to highlight features of your decor and direct light where it’s needed. It casts a direct light onto your subject matter with a narrow field. Track lighting comes in a variety of base types. The most common are twist and lock base, BI pin, and integrated track fixtures. 

Features

The track light is, well, one-tracked. This style comes with limited features including:

• Lumen choice

• Warm, neutral, cool, or daylight color tone

• Dimmable

Best For: Task lighting and spotlighting art

4. Tube LED

As commercial lighting pulls away from fluorescent lights, tube LED lights take center stage. These lights offer better quality lighting, use less energy, and require changing less frequently, about once every 50,000 hours. 

Features

These bulbs primarily come with dual-ended bi-pin, single-pin, and bayonet bases. 

Tube lightning comes in:

• Varying lengths

• Cool, neutral, and warm tones

• Lumen output options

• Full spectrum/grow light

Best For: Work lighting, overhead lighting, and high ceilings in a garage or workshop

5. LED Panel

Once thought to be only for industrial and office use, the LED panel light is quickly gaining popularity for its versatility. A series of thin diodes nest behind an opaque sheet. You can have one made in any shape, but it is commercially available in square, rectangular, and round panels. It casts diffuse light without focus. 

You cannot change a bulb in a panel. Instead, they operate as a single, integrated lighting option. LED panels come in portable solar and battery-operated, hardwired, USB-C, solar-powered, and plug-in.

Features

You can pick up LED panels with all these available features:

• Color changing

• Lumen and temperature options

• Dimmable

• Remote control operated

• Smart

• Indoor/Outdoor

• Decorative

Best For: Feature lighting, hallways, and high ceilings

6. SMD/ Strip Lighting

SMD, or surface-mounted device, LED lighting is less a bulb and more a fixture. The bulbs are integrated and are typically low output, and increasing the lumens decreases their lifespan. 

They can be mounted anywhere and in any shape. Add nighttime lighting to your stairs and hallway by running strips along the floor. Backlight a mirror or wall art, or mount them under your cabinets for counter lighting. 

Some models are portable and mounted by an adhesive strip. You can plug it in via USB-C or standard plug-in. Other models are battery-operated with a button battery, AAA battery, or rechargeable via solar or USB.

Features

SMD lights are available with all the features, including:

• Smart/mobile device controlled

• Color changing

• Dimmable

• Warm, neutral, and cool tones

• Adjustable length (cuttable)

• Remote controlled

• Indoor/Outdoor

• Sound syncing

Best For: Under cabinets, along floor baseboards, inside PUP tents, and areas where low light is optimal 

7. Decorative LED Bulbs

Decorative LED bulbs are exactly that, decorative. Bulbs like candelabra, filament, and globe bulbs are all decorative bulbs. Use them in various types of lighting, like chandeliers, wall sconces, decorative fixtures, and accent lighting.  

Features

Decorative lights can come in all base types, from miniature screws to single-contact bayonets.

Decorative bulbs are available with these features:

• Smart/mobile device controlled

• Color changing

• Dimmable

• Warm, neutral, and cool tones

• Remote controlled

• Indoor/Outdoor

Best For: Decorative light fixtures

8. Specialty LED Bulbs

Specialty LED bulbs serve a single purpose. They are appliance bulbs, ring lamps, and integrated bulb fixtures. You can get tinted amber bulbs, antiqued-style glass with faceted detail, ceramic LED heat lamps, and anything in between that serves a single purpose.

Specialty lights can come in all base types, from standard screw to G9 pin base or R7 118mm base. By their nature, specialty lights are available with almost every feature. You can find color-changing, Smart, remote-controlled, portable, solar, indoor, and outdoor.

Best For: Appliances and other specific, single-purpose lights like ring lights

Things To Consider When Choosing LED Bulbs

You have so many options when it comes to LED light bulbs. Before you buy out the whole store, there are a few general LED light bulb considerations to take into account.

Not All LEDs Are Created Equal

The best types of LED bulbs are ENERGY STAR certified. They meet strict energy efficiency guidelines when compared to incandescent bulbs:

• Use up to 90% less energy

• Last 15 times longer

• Produce 70-90% less heat

ENERGY STAR offers rebates in some areas for switching to ENERGY SAVING options.

Fixture Types Matter

Not all fixtures can accept LED bulbs or utilize their features. Some hardwired fixtures require retrofitting or new fixtures altogether. An electrician near you can make recommendations and tackle any retrofitting or installation safely.

The type of base can also make a difference when it comes to narrowing down your choices. The inside of your socket or manufacturer’s label will tell you the size that fits.

Lumens vs. Watts

LED light bulbs don’t focus on watts; they use lumens. Watts focus on energy output, but lumens measure visible light energy. A third measurement, Kelvin (K), tells you the color temperature, or how warm yellow or cool blue a light is. 

One lumen is the equivalent of the light cast from one candle or 1,000K. Daylight is around 600-850 lumens and 6,500K. A bulb can be 6,500K, which is a cool daylight blue tone and not as bright as daylight if the lumens are low. Choose high lumens for brightness and high Kelvin for cool tone light. 

Brighten Your Space With LED Light Bulbs

LED lighting offers energy savings and longevity. It can bring a warm glow, bright daylight, or neutral lighting to your space. There are as many versatile bulb options as you have decor and style choices. Create the look and ambiance you want with LED bulbs.