How Do LED Lights Work?

So how do LED lights work? The term LED stands for light-emitting diode. In an LED light, electricity from a power supply causes a small semiconductor (the diode) to produce light. This LED process is more efficient than the glowing filament that illuminates an incandescent light, so LED lights can help you save on energy costs. A house with LED lights can enjoy the same amount of illumination as one with only incandescent lights but use less energy for lighting.

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Choosing LED lights also means you won’t have to purchase replacements as often as you will if you use incandescent lights. The diode has a much longer lifespan than the filament of an incandescent bulb. Some LEDs can last up to 13 years with three hours of daily use. While LEDs can lose brightness over time, they typically won’t burn out like a traditional bulb. The design of an LED allows a heat sink to collect generated heat, preventing it from damaging the light and reducing its life. The heat sink also makes an LED much cooler than a comparable incandescent light.

Tip

LEDs produce directional light, which can be a particularly useful feature for lighting such as flood lights, recessed downlights and desk lights.

LEDs are free of mercury, which makes disposal easier.

Types of LED Lighting

There are many different types of LED lighting. Often, LEDs look like traditional bulbs and often you can replace lights in lamps, ceiling lights and more with LEDs. The types of light bulbs you need often depend on the fixtures, so you simply need to choose the types of LED light bulbs that fit. You can also choose types of LED lights that create a decorative appeal.TipBulbs will typically have a letter designating the shape of the bulb followed by a number indicating size. A larger number generally means a larger bulb.

General Purpose Light Bulbs

These types of LED light bulbs offer the benefit of working with standard fixtures like lamps and ceiling lights. However, they’re often more functional than decorative.

A-Style or A-Line

A-style LED light bulbs are designed with the traditional pear or teardrop shape. A-19 is the most common. A-style bulbs are suitable for many types of lamps and ceiling lights.

Reflector and Bulged Reflector

With an R, BR or PAR designation, these reflector and bulged reflector shapes of LEDs often work for indoor track lights and recessed lights or for some types of outdoor flood lights. A reflective coating on the inside of the bulb offers the benefit of more directed light.

Globe

The design of globe lights gives them one of the more decorative looks among general purpose bulbs. Globe bulbs fit many types of hanging lights, pendant lights and vanity lights. These will often have a G designation. You may also find this design — particularly the clear type of bulb — works well with more decorative lights, like those in pendant lights.

Decorative Light Bulbs

Decorative types of LED lighting add design elements and can create a look from classic to modern. However, they may require more specialized fixtures than general purpose bulbs.

Candle or Flame

This shape suggests a candle flame. You’ll often see these bulbs in chandeliers. They may have B or C designations.

Edison

Edison LEDs offer a vintage design with one or more strings of diodes that replicate the look of the filaments in a traditional bulb. They’ll often have an ST designation.

Spot and Flood Light Bulbs

Spot and flood light bulbs are two types of LED lighting that are good for specific uses. Each has different advantages and disadvantages. You’ll see them with PAR, MR and BR designations.

• A spot light casts a narrow beam. It creates strong illumination for a small area. Indoors you might use spot lights to highlight artwork or décor items on a shelf. Outdoors you might use them to illuminate elements of your landscape such as a tree or shrub.
• Flood lights offer the benefit of casting a wider beam and lighting a larger area. However, the illumination provided by a flood light will be less intense than that of a spot light. Indoor LED flood lights are good for ambient light. Outdoors, they can improve security and safety.

Specialty Light Bulbs

Specialty LED light bulbs can include bulbs for:

• Appliances
• Nightlights
• Home light fixtures that require specialized bulb shapes
• Landscape lights
• Commercial light fixtures

Since specialty LED bulbs can cover a wide range of sizes, shapes, configurations and base types, it’s a good idea to have the bulb you want to replace handy so you can find the right LED replacement.

Tube Light Bulbs

LED tube lights are usually purely functional and act as replacements for fluorescent tube lights, such as those used in garages or basements. You may see them with a T designation.

Holiday Light Bulbs

Holiday LED lighting can range from brightly colored LED string lights to interior and exterior holiday decorations:

• Halloween string lights
• Halloween lighted decorations
• Christmas string lights
• Outdoor Christmas decorations
• Lighted Hanukkah decorations

Many lighted indoor Christmas decorations also use LED lights.

Other Types of Lights

In addition to bulbs, you can find lighting fixtures with integrated LED lights.

• LED Light Strips: Also known as tape lights, these decorative light kits include a band of material that holds a row of LEDs. These lights can typically change colors.
• Commercial LED Strip Lights: These are commercial/industrial LED tube lights designed to mimic the look of fluorescent fixtures.
• Outdoor LED String Lights: These LEDs add a festive touch to outdoor gatherings.
• LED Landscape Lighting: This type of outdoor lighting beautifies your outdoor spaces and illuminates walkways.

Many LED lights for homes are designed with integrated LEDs:

• LED vanity lights
• LED flush mount lights
• LED pendant lights
• LED track lights
• LED outdoor security and flood lights

Tip

LED under cabinet tape lights can make a modern, eye-catching addition to your kitchen.

Types of LED Light Bases

When shopping for LED lights for home use, you’ll see that different types of LED light bulbs have different base designs. Understanding the base types will help you find the best LED lights for any fixture. You’ll see screw-in bases and bases that use different arrangements of pins for connections on LEDs. Types of light bulb bases include:

Medium-Base or E26 LEDs

Medium-base or E26 LEDs are general purpose LED lights for home use. They have the same type of screw-in base that you’d see on a standard incandescent bulb.

Candelabra-Base or E12 LEDs

You’ll often see candelabra bases on bulbs designed for decorative lighting. The screw-in bases are smaller than those on general purpose bulbs. This compact design often makes these the best LED lights for many types of chandeliers, pendant lights, sconces and other décor lighting.

G5.3 LEDs

G5.3 bulbs have plug-in pin connections and are common among those LED types of lights that fit small indoor spot lights or flood lights.

Tip

Like bulb shapes, base types are designated with letters and numbers. An E designation indicates a screw-type fitting. A number after the letter designation indicates the diameter of the base, with a larger number for a larger base. G-type bases use two pins for connections. The number indicates the space between the pins.

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Caution

Make sure the bulbs you choose are suitable for the planned use, location and fixture.

LED Light Features

Full-Spectrum LEDs

Full-spectrum LEDs can adjust across color temperatures and can also produce a range of colored light such as red, green, purple and blue.

Smart LED Bulbs or Smart-Compatible LEDs

Smart or smart-compatible LEDs typically have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity to allow you to control them from a mobile device or with connectivity to a smart home hub. Available functions include the ability to change colors or color temperatures, adjust brightness or even set a schedule to adjust the light automatically. Some are compatible with voice control.

Dimmable LEDs

Dimmable LEDs let you adjust the brightness of the light they cast when controlled by the appropriate dimmer switch. If you’re going to use LED lights for home living spaces with dimmer switches, make sure the bulbs are dimmable.

Three-Way LEDs

Three-way LED bulbs replace bulbs in three-way lamps. A three-way LED is one of the more common types of LED lighting for reading lamps or desk lamps because it offers three levels of brightness with less energy consumption than incandescent three-way bulbs.

Dusk-to-Dawn LEDs

Dusk-to-dawn LEDs have a built-in sensor that can turn the light on or off depending on the surrounding level of light. Since you don’t need to remember to turn off the lights during the day, these are some of the best LED lights for home exteriors when you want to maintain constant lighting at night. You can find outdoor flood lights with a dusk-to-dawn feature and built-in LEDs, as well as dusk-to-dawn flood lights designed to work with LED bulbs.

Motion Detection

Motion detection uses built-in sensors to turn lights on when the sensors detect movement. This can be one of the best LED light types if you don’t want to have your landscape lit throughout the night but still want a measure of security. You’ll most often see this feature in motion-sensor LED flood light fixtures.

How to Choose the Best LED light for Your Needs

The wide variety of types of LED lights means you have a lot of options when you’re upgrading a house with LED lights. Here are some tips to help you make the right choices when shopping.

• Make sure the bulb base fits your fixture. If you’re replacing incandescent bulbs, match the base of your new LEDs to that of the existing bulbs.
• Pay attention to lumens to make sure the LED gives you the right level of light. Again, if you’re replacing incandescent bulbs, use the wattage equivalence information on the LED packaging to maintain your existing level of light.
• Consider the mood you want the light to create. A lower color temperature will create a comfortable, cozy feel for a family room or bedroom. Mid- to high-range color temperatures create good light for general purposes as well as for working in a kitchen and shaving or applying makeup in a bathroom. High color temperatures look more like natural light and can create an energetic feel.
• Look for an ENERGY STAR® certified LED. This type of LED lighting must meet specific standards for color, brightness and light distribution so you can have more confidence in how the bulb will perform and know what to expect from the light it produces. These bulbs also have requirements around how manufacturers compare LEDs to traditional bulbs, making it easier to find the right replacements.
• Get the functionality you need. For example, if you’re replacing a blub that’s on a dimmer system, you must use a dimmable LED. Outdoor lights with dusk-to-dawn features can make illuminating your landscape convenient, while motion-sensing lights can help improve security and safety.
• Look for convenience features like a tunable color temperature and smart compatibility.

Lighting a House With LED Lights

Lighting your house with different types of LED lights can help you save energy and save money from lower energy usage and less frequent bulb changes. You can find different types of LED light bulbs that make it easy to replace just about any existing bulb with a more efficient LED option.

Shop Lowe’s to find LEDs for any room, outdoor space or application. As you shop, pay attention to

• Lumen ratings for brightness
• Wattage equivalence listings to match brightness to your existing lights
• Color temperature for light that creates the feel you want, from cozy amber to the more energizing blue tone of daylight LEDs  

If you have questions about finding the best LED light for a particular use, talk to an associate at your local Lowe’s. They’ll help you find a light that gives you the right illumination, sets the right mood and has the features you need.

Frequently Asked Questions on LED Light Bulbs

If you need some quick information on choosing the right LEDs for your home, the answers to these common questions can help.

What Are the Best LED Lights for Ceilings?

For living spaces like a bedroom or family room, you might want to plan for LED ceiling lights that give you about 10 to 20 lumens per square foot. Areas like kitchens and bathrooms will need up to four times as much light, so around 80 lumens per square foot. Likewise, LEDs with lower color temperatures are suited for living spaces while those with higher color temperatures are better for kitchens, bathrooms and home offices. These are very general tips and, of course, personal preference will be your ultimate guide.

Which Wattage of LED Bulb Is Best?

If you’re replacing a 60-watt incandescent, an 8-1/2- to 9-watt LED with about 800 lumens will give you about the same amount of light. For a 75-watt replacement, look for a 10-1/2-watt LED with approximately 1,100 lumens. For a 100-Watt incandescent, replace it with a 12-1/2-watt LED with about 1,600 lumens. Pay attention to wattage equivalence and lumens on the LED packaging and the general recommendations above — 10 to 20 lumens per square foot for living spaces and up to 80 or 100 lumens per square foot for working areas.

Is a 9-Watt LED Bright Enough for a Room?

A 9-watt LED will typically generate around 800 lumens and is roughly equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent. You’ll often need more light for a living space. For example, for a 10-foot-by-10-foot bedroom, you’d want at least 1,000 lumens.

What LED Light Is Best for Outdoors?

Outdoor-rated LED lights with motion sensors and dusk-to-dawn sensors are the best LEDs for outdoor use, depending on your needs. Motion-sensing LEDs turn on when there’s movement and turn off after several minutes of no movement, making them a good choice if you want more security but don’t want lights on all night. Dusk-to-dawn LEDs will keep your landscape lit all night and you won’t need to remember to turn them off in the morning.

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Complete Guide to Choosing the Best LED Lights for Your Home or Office

Why Choose LED Lights Over Traditional Bulbs

LED lights, sometimes called energy-efficient bulbs or modern light fixtures, are now the top choice for homeowners and businesses. They last significantly longer than incandescent bulbs and use far less electricity — up to 80% less. Switching to LED lighting means brighter, cleaner light while keeping your energy bills lower and reducing your environmental impact. It’s an easy upgrade that saves money year after year.

Types of LED Lighting for Every Space

LED Light Bulbs for Everyday Use

Use LED bulbs to replace old incandescent or CFL bulbs in table lamps, ceiling fixtures, and wall sconces. Many modern LED bulbs are dimmable, making them perfect for bedrooms, living rooms, or dining spaces where you want adjustable brightness. LED light bulbs come in various shapes and color temperatures, so you can match them to any fixture or mood.

LED Strip Lights for Ambience

Flexible LED strip lights, also known as LED tape lights, are a stylish way to add accent lighting anywhere. Install them under kitchen cabinets, behind TVs, along shelves, or under beds for a subtle, modern glow. Many LED strips come with remote controls or smart features, so you can adjust colors and brightness to suit your room’s vibe and decor.

LED Ceiling and Panel Lights

For kitchens, offices, workshops, or retail spaces, LED ceiling lights and panel fixtures deliver bright, even illumination. These lights are great for areas where you need clear, shadow-free lighting for tasks or work. Slim LED panel lights are energy-efficient, easy to install, and can modernize any room with a clean, contemporary look.

Tips for Buying the Right LED Fixtures

Before buying LED lights, check the lumens — more lumens mean brighter light. Compare energy ratings and choose certified, energy-saving bulbs to get the best performance and efficiency. Pay attention to color temperature: warm white is great for living areas and bedrooms, while daylight or cool white works best for kitchens and offices. Always buy from trusted brands to ensure quality and long-lasting brightness.

Common Questions About LED Lights

Many people wonder if they can use LED bulbs in old light fixtures — the answer is yes! Most LED bulbs are made to fit standard sockets. If you want dimmable LED lights, check that your dimmer switch is compatible with LEDs. One of the biggest benefits is lifespan — a quality LED bulb can last up to 25,000 hours or more, saving you the hassle and cost of frequent replacements.

Ready to Upgrade Your Lighting

Switching to LED lights is one of the simplest ways to save energy and refresh your living or working spaces. Whether you’re adding strip lights for ambience, upgrading bulbs in your lamps, or installing new ceiling panels, LED lighting is bright, efficient, and built to last. Choose the right LED solutions and enjoy a modern, well-lit home or office for years to come.

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