Amazon MR16 LEDs?

[DarkNova]

I'm looking at buying some MR16 LED bulbs and have found many different models but few reviews. One place with reviews is Amazon, but I'm not sure how technical some of the reviewers really are. It seems very likely that some of the manufacturers misstate the lumens output of the bulbs. Has anyone had any personal experience with any of these bulbs?

http://www.amazon.com/LED-MR16-Spotlight-3-8W-Lumen/dp/B004IHQHJY/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
http://www.amazon.com/LED-MR16-Spotlight-12V-Lumen/dp/B0051SRKVI/ref=pd_sim_hi_3
http://www.amazon.com/MR16-LED-Light-white-1230WW/dp/B002L22SLE/ref=pd_sim_hi_3

Or are there any other bulbs you can recommend or point to reviews somewhere else?

 

[LEDninja]

You seem to be looking at the cheap end. You gets hat you pay for.

Link #1 uses 5mm LEDs. They usually dim to 1/2 brightness within 6 months and useless in a year.

Link #2 is 7000°K colour temperature. Similar to that of the bulk of LED flashlights. Which means too blue for most household uses.

Link #3 is your best bet. Though at that price I am not sure they use genuine Cree LEDs. (Good MR16s are ~$20 each) The picture is no help. That generic case is used by a lot of different light bulb manufacturers.

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Something you should be careful about is the beam angle of the bulbs. MR16 do not produce a lot of light so manufacturers tend to narrow the beam for a higher intensity spot. This reduces the area covered by the bulb. You need to decide whether you need a spot or flood light before deciding on the actual bulb.

If you can afford it go with the
Lighting Science Definity MR16 - 25 Degree - 2700K - LED Bulb (DFN 16 W27 NFL) for spot or
Lighting Science Definity MR16 - 40 Degree - 2700K - LED Bulb (DFN 16 W27 FL) for flood
They have a Lighting facts label which means all the numbers are actual, not dreamed up by some Chinese company's marketing department.
They are ETL tested for safety.
Made in the USA.
They are Energy Star Qualified. Check with your utility if you qualify for a rebate.
$19.99 at EarthLEd.

If you need more light
Philips AmbientLED 10-Watt (35W) LED MR16 Light Bulb. This one is fan cooled. (vibration alert)
$24.97 at Home Depot.

 

[DarkNova]

Thanks for sharing those Lighting Science ones. They definitely look interesting. I don't mind paying more if I'm confident I'm getting better quality. It appears like they have quite a bit of data behind them -- I just wish there were more reviews online. The EarthLED ones also look interesting.

 

[DarkNova]

If you know of other high-quality bulbs (even if they cost more), please share, I'd be glad to look at them!

 

[wws944]

I did a small review of the 10 watt Philips in this thread: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?312061-Philips-10-watt-AmbientLED-MR-16. I am pretty happy with them so far. They easily replace the 50 watt MR-16s at max brightness. Color is a little whiter than the halogens, and a nice thing (in my wall washer application) is that they don't project some of the strange artifacts outside the main beam that the halogens do. Disadvantage is that they don't dim as low, or at the same rate as the halogens. They are also a little noisy, from a RFI (e.g., AM radio) point of view, whereas the Philips A19 LED bulbs that I have purchased have been very clean.

In their EnduraLED line, basically the same lamp as the Home Depot AmbientLED, they offer a selection of color temps.