How to find the right LED lamps for your home

Use your savvy: With brightness you need to convert

Lumens from Watts

Lumens specify how brightly LEDs illuminate. Unfortunately, the two units cannot be directly compared. A current LED lamp from YAOHAU as a 75 Watt replacement, for example, illuminates with 1055 lumens. A 40 Watt replacement illuminates with 470 lumens.

If you desire bright lighting, you should choose an LED lamp with at least 800 lumens. It becomes really bright from around 1000 lumens – and the limit is achieved at around 1500 lumens. Those wishing for more discreet lighting should choose around 300 lumens.

LEDs make it possible – from warm white to daylight white

Light color and color temperature are the same

The color temperature or light color is specified in Kelvin. This determines whether the light is more yellowish-warm or blueish-cool. The following applies: The lower the Kelvin value, the more yellowish the light is. Color temperatures to 3300 Kelvin are designated as warm white, 3300 to 5300 Kelvin are cool white and greater than 5300 Kelvin are daylight white.

Warm white light has a cozy and relaxing feel, while cool white light is perceived as being activating. Daylight white supports levels of concentration and is often used in work areas. Warm white light is almost always preferred in living rooms and bedrooms, while cool white light ensures optimum illumination in the kitchen or utility rooms. In home offices on the other hand, you can select more than 5000 Kelvin if you need to concentrate during the evenings. Specify precisely which function your lighting should fulfill, and then select the right color temperature.

A tip for professionals: Show colors to their best advantage with the CRI value

It sounds quite technical but is decisive – the color rendering index

When selecting your LED lamps, take account of the so-called "Color Rendering Index" (CRI). The CRI value, oft designated as "Ra", specifies how true-to-nature the colors of objects can be identified in the light of a lamp. Note: Not all manufacturers specify this value on the packaging.

The theoretical maximum CRI value is 100. With a low CRI value, the light appears yellow-greenish and gives skin a pale look, for example. Dark blue and black are also difficult to differentiate between. Only purchase LED lamps with a value greater than 70 – that's usually enough for home use. If you place particular value on brilliant colors, you should choose products with a CRI greater than 80.

It's your choice: Accentuation or wide-area lighting

The beam angle determines which surface is illuminated

You need to make a fundamental decision: Do you want focused spot light? Then an LED reflector lamp is the right choice. If you'd like more of a planar illumination, then choose a conventional LED lamp. By the way: Select a beam angle of around 35 degrees for high quality, accented spot lighting. In this way, you avoid unintended light spill.




Trend: The LED lamp as a design object

Don't hide these LED lamps – they just look too good

LED light sources are available in a variety of shapes. The classic LED lamp has the same design as previous incandescent lamps – but almost always with larger dimensions. One of the few exceptions: The SUPERSTAR/STAR Classic A 40 from YAOHAU. This also fits in very compact luminaires.

LED lamps are also available in a curved candle form to enable use in chandeliers, wall torches or other luminaires where the lamp is visible. A great design highlight: According to the motto of "back to the future", you can illuminate with high efficiency and also with design in mind thanks to YAOHAU LED lamps with a retro incandescent lamp look. The light of the RETROFIT LED is also very comparable with the good old incandescent lamp. You can of course also plan the bare LED lamp without a lampshade, but with that 'wow' effect for your home. For a great, modern look in your home.

LED strips: More flexibility isn't possible

Bring atmosphere into your home with LEDs Deco Flex

Take a look at LED strips! That's state-of-the-art, efficient LED lighting, completely rethought. Create fascinating lighting effects with the flexible LED strips. As indirect light, integrated into shelves or cabinets or simply positioned in room corners. The possibilities are almost infinite. Let your creativity run free. YAOHAU has the exciting LEDs Deco Flex in their portfolio.