GE Reveal incandescents

Did anyone use (or still use) the incandescent GE Reveal bulbs? If so, any recommendations for an LED equivalent?

I just (re)discovered the small desk lamp I used for studying in the library back in my Uni days in this time capsule of my college condo.
It's an art-deco style touch lamp. Black metal shade, so no glare whatsoever.

But I'm really attracted to the light output of that GE Reveal bulb. Despite the blue tint to the bulb glass, the light output has a beautiful warm colour to it. Not yellow at all. It's more of a pink. Of course, it gets warmer the more you dim it. It's heavenly.

TPA said:

Did anyone use (or still use) the incandescent GE Reveal bulbs?

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I did, and Im sad I can no longer buy them.

I now use Tapo Bulbs. With an app on my phone that lets me adjust the color temperature to a warmth I like.

I didn't use Reveal incandescents, but it seems to me that it has been challenging for manufacturers to make an LED with the same characteristics. It seems like the best, affordable LEDs are just selectable color temperature with CRI in the low 90s.

I have some Philips Ultra Definition, which have a CRI of 95, but you can only buy either warm (2700K) or daylight (5K). They make a point of the color staying warm as they dim. Glass bulb and filament LEDS inside.

I also have some Costco Feit with 5 position color temperature and claimed CRI of 90+. These are plastic, although I see they have changed to a glass envelope now.

These are fine to me, but probably won't be anything like an incandescent. Did Reveal say anything about what made them special?

TPA said:

Did anyone use (or still use) the incandescent GE Reveal bulbs? If so, any recommendations for an LED equivalent?

I just (re)discovered the small desk lamp I used for studying in the library back in my Uni days in this time capsule of my college condo.
It's an art-deco style touch lamp. Black metal shade, so no glare whatsoever.

But I'm really attracted to the light output of that GE Reveal bulb. Despite the blue tint to the bulb glass, the light output has a beautiful warm colour to it. Not yellow at all. It's more of a pink. Of course, it gets warmer the more you dim it. It's heavenly.

Click to expand...

I liked the output from those bulbs also. I believe they use neodymium glass to produce an optical notch filter centered around the yellow-orange wavelengths.

I've been using Great Eagle brand A19 size LED bulbs.

(15W output,says equal to a 100W incan bulb.)


I have a mix of 2700K and 3000K bulbs in my apartment.

I use a mixture of LED bulbs. For my cheapies, it's the Feit (Costco) bulbs with 5-selectable CCTs. For the better stuff it's Philips Hue (older) or these Govee bulbs as they go down to 1600K.

I asked ChatGPT which theatrical gels it would use to replicate the Reveal look and this is what it came up with, assuming a 2700K/3000K LED bulb:

• LEE 003 Lavender Tint
  This is probably the best first try. It should gently cut the yellow cast without making the desk visibly purple.
• Rosco 351 Lavender Mist
  Slightly more assertive “clean white with lavender bias.” This may be closer if the LED you choose is very warm or too yellow.
• Rosco 4915 CalColor 15 Lavender
  More color-pop, less yellow. It may be gorgeous, but it may also start to feel more “filtered” than the original Reveal bulb.
• LEE/Rosco 052 Light Lavender
  Likely too strong for normal use, but worth having as a reference point.

TPA said:

I use a mixture of LED bulbs. For my cheapies, it's the Feit (Costco) bulbs with 5-selectable CCTs. For the better stuff it's Philips Hue (older) or these Govee bulbs as they go down to 1600K.

I asked ChatGPT which theatrical gels it would use to replicate the Reveal look and this is what it came up with, assuming a 2700K/3000K LED bulb:

• LEE 003 Lavender Tint
  This is probably the best first try. It should gently cut the yellow cast without making the desk visibly purple.
• Rosco 351 Lavender Mist
  Slightly more assertive “clean white with lavender bias.” This may be closer if the LED you choose is very warm or too yellow.
• Rosco 4915 CalColor 15 Lavender
  More color-pop, less yellow. It may be gorgeous, but it may also start to feel more “filtered” than the original Reveal bulb.
• LEE/Rosco 052 Light Lavender
  Likely too strong for normal use, but worth having as a reference point.

Click to expand...

OK, I've got to dig out my Rosco swatch book now.

I thought I was the only one who still held onto the books from Rosco and Lee. I still have both in my desk drawer here.

At one time every light in my house had some form of gel on it. Usually of the minusgreen varieties, although some "Fatherless" amber in some areas.

TPA said:

I thought I was the only one who still held onto the books from Rosco and Lee. I still have both in my desk drawer here.

At one time every light in my house had some form of gel on it. Usually of the minusgreen varieties, although some "Fatherless" amber in some areas.

Click to expand...

Mine are pretty old but still in good shape. I like the fact that the Roscolux swatch book that's currently sitting about a foot away from this keyboard shows the filter curves in nanometers for each sample. It's a nice color-to-wavelength reference book.

I knew I should've kept that swatch book. I moved a lot and lost it.

I remember my dad use GE Reveal HD+ LED bulbs for our bathrooms. Not sure what he's using now.