7 Of The Best Color Light Bulbs
Introduction
The article is about the best color light bulbs you can buy.
In general the range from warm white to bright daylight is enough for us. Though sometimes you feel the need for color. Maybe you are having a party or want to use a green light in your landscaping. In this case you will need to get away from the staid world of plain white lighting and enter the exciting world of color.
So, that said, there are a few ways to get color lighting into you home and garden. In the older, pre-LED times you could just use a colored light bulb. However LEDs naturally produce colored light. Manufacturers have to work hard to combine or change it to white. So it makes more sense for them to simply produce the color you want. Or you could buy a smart bulb and have all colors. I have included all these option in the review of the best color light bulbs.
Also, if you are interested we have lots of other light bulb related articles here.
Our selections for the best color light bulbs are based on a number of criteria:
- Online reviews from a number of light bulb retailers
- Price, we are always looking for the best value
- Energy Star qualified, whether the bulbs has met strict energy efficiency criteria set by the EPA
- Lifetime and length of warranty, as these provide a measure of quality
- Dimmable, having a bulb that can be used with a dimmer switch makes it more versatile
Utilitech 25 Watt
Firstly I can’t decide whether the stated lifetime of 5,000 hours is overt honestly or low quality. However considering that you are not going to have a green light bulb on all the time then 4.5 years of use should be OK. On the positive side this bulb only costs $3.
To point out these bulbs is UL rated and suitable for damp location installation. But can’t be used with dimmers. Furthermore they have excellent online reviews.
Utilitech, who are a Lowes store brand, also make bulbs in red, pink and blue.
Fact sheet
- Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
- Price: Around $3 a bulb if bought individually
- Wattage: 25 watt equivalent / 2 watts actual
- Lumens: 200
- Light Range: Green, Red, Pink and Blue.
- Lifetime: Rated to last 5,000 hour (4.5 years based on 3 hours per day use)
- Warranty: 2 years
- Dimmable: No
- Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor and outdoor
Energetic 25 Watt
Founded in 2001 Energetic has distribution and service centers throughout the United States. Also it has its own factory in China.
While this bulb is a little expensive at $7 it is rated to last 18,000 hours and has a 2 year warranty. Furthermore it has very positive online reviews. Additionally Energetic make these bulbs in red, yellow, green, blue and pink. So if you are looking for a longer lasting bulbs this could be an option for you.
Fact sheet
- Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
- Price: Around $7 a bulb if bought individually
- Wattage: 25 watt equivalent / 3 watts actual
- Lumens: 40
- Light Range: Bright Orange, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue and Pink
- Lifetime: Rated to last 18,000 hour (16 years based on 3 hours per day use)
- Warranty: 2 years
- Dimmable: No
- Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor use only
Feit Electric 25 Watt Clear
Feit are a family owned and operated company based in Los Angeles, California. According to their website they keep a stock of over 100,000,000 bulbs. So as to reduce order waiting time.
Firstly I want to point out what a good looking bulb this is. Due to the vintage style filament and clear glass. While I am calling this light blue, Feit describes it as a black light making objects glow. Also comes in green, red, pink, purple and yellow.
So if you are looking for a low light bulb for a party, dorm room or home bar then this is one to consider.
Fact sheet
- Rating: 5 stars out of 5
- Price: Around $4.25 a bulb if bought in a 6-pack
- Wattage: 25 watt equivalent / 4.5 watts actual
- Lumens: 90
- Light Range: Blue, Red, Green
- Lifetime: Rated to last 20,000 hour (18 years based on 3 hours per day use)
- Warranty: 1 year
- Dimmable: Yes
- Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor use only
Sunlite 60Watt/20Watt LED
Sunlite are one of the leading lighting manufacturers in the United States operating since 1980. Further, their company headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
Firstly Sunlite claims this is a 60 watt replacement. However it only gives out 55 lumens. With the red version providing 33 lumens and the purple 83. So more like 20 watts. Though this has not stopped online reviewers giving it excellent ratings. So maybe I should not be so hard on my fellow New Yorkers.
In brief this is a good looking colored glass bulb, providing a low amount of light. Further it is rated to last 15,000 hours and has a 2 year warranty. Finally it comes in blue, green, red and purple. All for $6.50.
Fact sheet
- Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5
- Price: Around $6.50 a bulb if bought in a 2-pack
- Wattage: 60 watt equivalent / 4.5 watts actual
- Lumens: 55
- Light Range: Blue, Green, Red and Purple
- Lifetime: Rated to last 15,000 hour (13 years based on 3 hours per day use)
- Warranty: 2 years
- Dimmable: Yes
- Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor use only
Westinghouse 100 Watt PAR38
So far we have been looking at standard pear-shaped bulbs. But what about if you want a green flood light. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered on our best color light bulbs list, with this one from Westerhouse.
Westinghouse Lighting is a family-owned business that was started in 1946 who have their headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Though this bulb is expensive at $13 it does come with a 5 year warranty and 25,000 rated lifetime.
On this occasion I was not able to find out the light output. Westerhouse’s bulb spec says “not tested specifically for lumen output”. However it is a 100 watt replacement and reviews have commented on how bright it is. So don’t expect mood lighting.
Finally they are available in green, red and blue and can be used outdoors.
Fact sheet
- Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
- Price: Around $13 a bulb if bought individually
- Wattage: 100 watt equivalent / 15 watts actual
- Lumens: Not given. 1,300 to 1,400 estimated.
- Light Range: Green, Red, Blue
- Lifetime: Rated to last 25,000 hour (22 years based on 3 hours per day use)
- Warranty: 5 years
- Dimmable: No
- Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor and outdoor
Smart – Geeni Prism Plus
So what about if you can’t choose what color you want? Well why not buy a bulb that gives you them all. Such as a smart bulb like this one from Geeni.
Geeni are part of parent company Merkury Innovations, who have been involved in manufacturing t electronic accessory and tech for the last 20 years.
Firstly the bulbs have built in Wi-Fi and comes with their own Geeni app (iOS, Android). Thus you don’t need a hub to control them. Further they are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana. So they can be controlled by voice.
Also, via the app, you can put your light bulb on a schedule, change brightness, and turn them on/off. Finally you can choose from millions of colors or set the temperature of white light.
To point out, like most smart bulbs the Wi-Fi only works with the 2.4 GHz band. So you might need to tinker with your router if it only produces 5G.
Fact sheet
- Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
- Price: Around $15.50 a bulb if bought individually
- Wattage: 60 watt equivalent / 9 watts actual
- Lumens: 800
- Light Range: Choose from millions of colors
- Lifetime: Rated to last 25,000 hour (22 years based on 3 hours per day use)
- Warranty: 1 year
- Dimmable: Yes via app
- Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor use only
Smart – Energizer Multi-Color
While most smart bulbs cost $20 plus this one from Energizer is a wallet-friendly $12. Energizer are known more for their batteries than their bulbs. However I have always found their batteries reliable. So hopefully their bulbs are too.
Like most smart bulbs there is a manufacturer app. In this case the app allows you to turn your lights on and off, group them together and schedule them. Furthermore you can tune the white color or use any multi-color option.
Finally it allows voice control via Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. With no hub required.
Fact sheet
- Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
- Price: Around $12 a bulb if bought individually
- Wattage: 60 watt equivalent / 11.5 watts actual
- Lumens: 800
- Light Range: White or a range of colors
- Lifetime: Rated to last 20,000 hour (18 years based on 3 hours per day use)
- Warranty: 1 year
- Dimmable: Yes
- Indoor/Outdoor: Indoor