So I’m looking to upgrade my bathroom fixtures G25 bulbs to LEDs in 4000K as it matches other rooms like the laundry in the house. (Tbh not entirely set on keeping the fixture but replacing it is another set of issues with dual sinks / electrical box location / etc). Problem is I’m having difficulty finding 60w equivalent 90+ CRI filament bulbs at 4000K especially ones that are reasonably priced and of decent quality.
I know Satco makes a bulb, however, sourcing it has been difficult. Anyone have related recommendations?
Are you sure you need 60-watt equivalents? That’s a ton of light. You might want to use 40-watt equivalent. 60-watt equivalent G25 bulbs output around 500 lumens, so that’s about 4000 lumens.
Also, you may want to give 3000K or 3500K a try before you go up to 4000K. Color temperatures that cool don’t typically look good in residential settings, even in bathrooms. For starters, the wood and gold on your light fixtures have warm tones, and now you’re going to throw much cooler light than your current 2700K at them. There is no rule that you need to match the CCT of completely unrelated rooms in your house (I use a mixture of 2700K and 3000K for most of my lighting myself, with my bathrooms being 3000K).
To be blunt, getting hit in the face with ~4000 lumens of 4000K light in a bathroom in my own house would probably just piss me off, but we all have our own taste. It is worth pointing out that you’re likely struggling to find the bulbs you want because there’s not much demand for that configuration.
Personally, I’d try the 3000K (frosted filament bulbs) and 3500K (clear filament bulbs with white filaments) bulbs that you can get at Home Depot and see how you like those.
@Jordy
Thanks for mentioning the 60w thing. It got me to double-check and find that the incandescent bulbs in there now are indeed 40-watt bulbs. I do kind of wish our bathroom had overhead lighting as that vanity is the only source of light which does already kind of smack you in the face. Plus it doesn’t light the shower well.
4000k seems like a good compromise because it’s not a traditional yellow without being too cold like 5000K. I use 3000K for general overhead lighting like the family room, hallways, and bedrooms.
I haven’t yet seen 3500K at Home Depot but maybe that’s because I’m in California. We pretty much only have Feit or Ecosmart available in 2700, 3000, or 5000K atm. Other stores such as Lowe’s have all GE in 2700 or 5000K. Not many choices.
Jordy said: @Reagan
That would be great! I definitely try to get high CRI as much as possible.
Good luck with your bathroom!
Yeah, another benefit I don’t fully understand how it works, but they supposedly use violets instead of the bad blue spectrum within the LED themselves. Phillips has a similar new filament line also although it is only currently available within the US in either 2700K or 5000K bulbs.
@Reagan
Man, I hate when I find a bulb that looks really nice and it’s not available in the color temperature I want! I get that frustration lol. Honestly, I’m just happy to see someone look for a globe retrofit and not just jam A-shaped bulbs in everything lol.
I think the best quality LEDs that I’ve used personally are Soraa Vivid MR16 retrofits and the one Elco Koto recessed trim I have above my kitchen sink. I’ve never tried them, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about Waveform Lighting’s products.
@Jordy
In my case I suppose the ultimate improvement would be a modern vanity fixture or even a double vanity fixture with recessed lighting in the ceiling near or above the shower, but having to deal with all that involves is not really worth the hassle (Having to repaint, trap through insulation, put proper vapor protections in place is really off-putting)
Actually, if you think about it, it’s funny gold has been making a comeback in fixtures anyways lol.
Our house was built in the early 90s with gold hardware everywhere, which we’ve been slowly replacing.
@Reagan
I actually like having a vanity light and recessed lighting above the counter. I like the effect of the brightly lit counter, but you need a vanity light that’s also bright to prevent the harsh shadows and how depressing this will make you look in the mirror lol. My mom’s bathroom in her house has this (a vanity light + a pair of MR16 recessed lights above the counter). In my place, I don’t have recessed lights above the counter, but I had some added to the main parts of the bathrooms and the showers.
And yeah, you’re right about gold. I’m not typically a big fan of it either, but I find myself slowly coming around to it, or at least I’m no longer in the simple ‘silver is always better’ mindset. I’ve definitely seen some gold hardware that I’ve really liked.
In my own place, I’ve gone for a fair amount of black or very dark bronze (practically black) fixtures. The house is very white, so silver tends to get a bit lost in all the white, while black provides a nice contrast. I just had a pair of these put in my living room and I love them: https://www.lumens.com/willow-chandelier-by-alora-mood-AMO2222309.html. The place was built in 1972 (it was my grandparent’s house that I’m renting from my mom now, so I’m happy to spend my own money upgrading a house I’ll eventually inherit and can currently rent for an insanely low price; I could never afford this place otherwise lol).
