Halogen vs LED lights – who wins?

LED lights vs halogen lights

Halogen spotlights are extremely popular as a form of recessed ceiling lighting in thousands of businesses. Halogen bulbs give off an effective, natural light and are easily available and cheap to purchase. However, as businesses become increasingly aware of the benefits of energy saving and cost-cutting, there are many questions around whether LED is a better alternative for both homes and offices. Here we look at the main advantages and disadvantages of both types of lighting:

VISUAL EFFECT

Halogen bulbs are popular for good reason – they give off a warm and natural light, which is efficient for both homes and office spaces. The light is instant and effective, however, once a few bulbs have gone out, the spaces soon darken and dim, until bulbs are replaced.

The undeniable advantage of LED lights is their purity of colour. LED lights emit a pure light, therefore the effect is purer and more striking as a result.

LED lights also come with another added feature, and that is that you can alter the effect of the light at the touch of the button. Many models can be used with a dimmer switch so that you can alter the brightness of the lights to suit your taste and preference.

COST & ENERGY EFFICIENCY

There is no denying it – LED lights are more expensive than halogen bulbs, however, although the initial outlay may be high, the return on investment is worth the spend. LED lights use approximately one tenth of the energy compared to halogens, so if you have many lights in your office space, this could be a huge saving in the long run!

The reason that LED lights are more energy efficient is because 95% of the energy they contain is converted into light with only 5% wasted as heat. Halogen spotlights are only 30% efficient with 70% of the energy used to power it given off in the form of heat.

LEDs will generally last you about 10 times longer than a halogen bulb, making them a good investment for the future.

SAFETY

It is highly likely that you have a number of halogen spotlight bulbs around your home of office, which regularly need replacing – and have you ever noticed just how hot the bulbs get when you try to replace them?

LED lamps run much cooler, and do not get hot to the touch, therefore can be less of a burn hazard to employees, as well as minimising the deterioration to light fittings, shades and decoration which can occur with hot bulbs.

There is also some good evidence to suggest that LED products attract fewer insects, meaning less maintenance and cleaning in your office.