The advantages of LED lights – Why choose LED lighting?

Learn why LED (Light Emitting Diode) has so many advantages in comparison to traditional light bulbs and the benefits they will bring to your home & the environment

We are constantly looking at ways to reduce our carbon foot print and to be more environmentally friendly, after all it is something we are all responsible for. In general, we have improved massively by recycling to reduce waste, but people tend to be unaware of different ways that we can help to reduce our carbon footprint. Changing to LED lighting is a great way to do just this, as it is much more environmentally friendly in comparison to other types of bulb. That’s why we are here to outline the advantages of using LED’s lights, and explain why you should switch to LED today!

LED’s offer longer life span

Due to the way that LED’s generate light, as well as their low heat levels and energy efficiency allow LED’s to outlast other bulbs by thousands of hours. The reason for this is because the filament on a light bulb tends to weaken overtime, which causes the bulbs to burn out, but this doesn’t happen with LED’s. Instead, they gradually decrease their light production levels by “lumen depreciation” which is a much slower process and allows the bulb to last much longer. This will result in huge savings on maintenance and replacement costs because of the long LED lifespan.

You can see the comparison between different types of bulbs below.

Energy & Eco Efficient

LED’s are the most energy efficient bulb. 80-90% of the energy in an LED is converted into light, in comparison to incandescent bulbs where only 20% of the energy is converted into light and a whopping 80% is turned into heat! LED’s also use lower amounts of electricity, approximately 60% less than traditional bulbs in our experience, meaning you will save a huge amount on energy costs. So even though initially LED’s are slightly more expensive than other bulbs, in the long run you will definitely find that they are a worthwhile investment. LED bulbs are also 100% recyclable, so using LED’s can help to reduce your carbon footprint by a third.

Less Lights Required with LED

Compared with other types of bulb, LED’s have a better quality of light because they emit light for only 180 degrees and in one direction, whereas other bulbs emit light for 360 degrees in all different directions! This means light is wasted by reflecting off surfaces and ultimately this wastes energy and will cost you more. But because LED bulbs are directional, you require less of them to achieve the same amount of brightness given off by other bulbs such as incandescent and fluorescent.

Health Benefits of LED Lighting

Not only are LED’s better for the environment, but they are better for people too! From recent developments, LED lights can now mimic natural outdoor light, and this results in a healthier and more regular circadian rhythm. Another health benefit is reduction in stress levels, because its proven that spending a day outdoors makes you feel much better, so mimicking this outdoor light has been associated with reduced levels of stress and anxiety in indoor environments, making people feel happier.  

They are also proven to help with headaches and migraines, as other types of light bulbs flicker which can be the cause, but LED bulbs don’t so you can say goodbye to those horrible re-occurring migraines! 

Research also shows that having LED’s installed into a school or work environment increases productivity and stimulates learning performance, meaning there are many benefits of LED lighting in offices and schools alike.

Improved Safety with LED bulbs

A huge safety risk associated with light bulbs is the amount of heat they emit. With most traditional bulbs, a huge amount of heat is released which means there is an increased risk of burning yourself. However, LED’s release virtually no IR or UV emissions and very little heat is produced. This means they are safe to touch and much safer to have around children, or for use in storage facilities as they will not damage stored materials. Furthermore, LED’s can operate on low-voltage electrical systems because they consume less power, these systems are commonly safer.

LED’s operate well in cold climates

The cold does not affect the performance of an LED light, in fact it improves it! With many other types of bulb, cold climates mean that more voltage is required in order to start the bulbs, but this isn’t the case with an LED. This makes them perfect for use outside or in fridge and freezers as they will startup even in subzero weather.

They illuminate instantly

Most bulbs, especially other types of energy saving bulbs take a few minutes or more to reach their maximum brightness. This can be very annoying, especially if you desire light straight away to carry out tasks at hand. Whereas LED bulbs emit their full brightness almost instantly!

LED lights give you more control 

You can have more control over your lighting if you opt for LED bulbs, this is because they are very compatible with control systems that will allow you to operate the bulb by any percentage of their rated power, so you have the freedom to dim your lights as much as you desire. Plus, dimming the light will improve their total lifespan, because as the power is reduced, they get even more efficient. Here at Lighting Style, we have a full range of LED lights that can be dimmed, you can check these out by clicking here.

CRI (Color Rendering Index)

LED bulbs have very high CRI ratings. This means that they have the ability to show the actual colour of objects, so you can illuminate an area and all of the colours would appear the same as they would in natural light.

Switch them on and off as much as you desire!

LED lights are unaffected by rapid recycling, this means you can switch the lights on and off as much as you’d like, and it will not affect the durability of the light. That’s great news for parents with younger children who have habits of flicking with the light switches.

Design Flexibility

Because LED bulbs are so small means that manufactures can get very creative with their designs, as they can be made into virtually any shape. The LED bulbs can be installed into bunches to make a more traditional type of bulb, used singularly for small light devices or installed into a sequence one behind another, the possibilities are endless! Take a look at our Wofi Bonney Floor Lamp as an example, such a unique and stylish design.

Are you convinced yet?

I hope this helped you to understand why LED’s are quickly becoming the first choice for many! If you need anymore information then please email us at admin@lighting-style.co.uk or call us on 01535 288307 and one of our friendly members of the team will be happy to help you!