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Best LED candelabra light bulb

Which LED candelabra light bulb is best?

There’s no greater light fixture than the chandelier. Whether your chandelier is elaborate or elegant, it will still be the most commanding fixture of the room it’s displayed in. The only downside is just how difficult it can be to replace the light bulbs of most chandeliers, which is why selecting a long-lasting LED candelabra light bulb should be one of your main concerns.

The best LED candelabra light bulb pack is the Hudson Lighting 6-Pack Dimmable Indoor/Outdoor Bulbs. This branded six-pack of light bulbs is known for their high quality, but on the off-chance there are any issues with your light bulbs, a 2-year warranty and excellent customer service will see those problems quickly replaced.

What to know before you buy an LED candelabra light bulb

Socket or base

All light bulbs are built to be attached to specific sizes of sockets or bases with the four most common sizes being E12, E17, E26 and E39. Each number corresponds to the diameter in millimeters. Nearly all LED candelabra light bulbs are built to fit in E12 sockets, though there are a rare few chandeliers or candelabras that use the E26 size. To put that in perspective, a standard screw-in light bulb is built to fit sockets of E26 sizes.

Wattage and lumens

The wattage of your LED candelabra light bulb relates to how much power your light bulb will consume when on and functioning. LED light bulbs are built to use less power to achieve the same level of brightness as an incandescent light bulb. If you’re shopping for an LED light bulb to replace an old incandescent one, make sure you’re looking to match the lumens, the numerical representation of a light bulb’s brightness, instead of the wattage.

What to look for in a quality LED candelabra light bulb

Finish

LED candelabra light bulbs can have one of three finishes: clear, tinted or frosted.

Clear: As it sounds, clear LED candelabra light bulbs do not affect the glass. You can see right through them and observe the components while they work, though you probably shouldn’t for the health of your eyes.

Tinted: Tinted LED candelabra light bulbs exist between the clear and the fully frosted light bulb options. You can still mostly see into the bulb but the various tints give their respective light bulb different colors that the internal white light shines through to create.

Frosted: Frosted LED candelabra light bulbs coat the glass in various strengths of finish. They’re best suited to shaded chandeliers and light fixtures, as the frosting can prevent odd patterns from forming against the shader that an unfrosted light bulb can cause.

How much you can expect to spend on an LED candelabra light bulb

LED candelabra light bulbs vary in price depending on both the quality of the individual light bulbs and how many come in a pack. Individual light bulbs tend to be valued between $5-$10. For multipacks, inexpensive light bulbs tend to run between $15-$20 with mid-range light bulb packs typically costing $20-$30.

LED candelabra light bulb FAQ

If my chandelier is on a dimmer switch can I still use dimmable LED candelabra light bulbs?

A. You can, but be aware that the lower-wattage LED bulbs might have a few issues when working with dimmer switches designed for high-wattage incandescent light bulbs. The most typical issues are LED light bulbs flickering or not fully dimming when dimmed by a traditional dimmer switch. Most of the newest LED candelabra light bulbs shouldn’t have these problems, but if you do run across these issues, you can likely solve them by switching to a low-wattage LED dimmer switch.

What do all of the terms mean on an LED candelabra light bulb package?

A. The most important terms to look for on an LED candelabra light bulb package are the color-rendering index, the color and lumens. The CRI tells you how well the given light bulb will bring the colors of your room to life. You’ll want at least an 80 CRI rating. The color will explain if the light is warm or cool with higher numbers, meaning warmer lights. Finally, lumens give a numerical value of the brightness of a given light bulb.

What's the best LED candelabra light bulb to buy?

Top LED candelabra light bulb

Hudson Lighting 6-Pack Dimmable Indoor/Outdoor Bulbs

What you need to know: These 5W LED candelabra light bulbs get the top recommendation thanks to their superior construction and 2-year warranty.

What you’ll love: 5Ws are more than enough for these bulbs to provide ample lighting and the dimmability is perfect for late nights.

What you should consider: These bulbs are fairly expensive compared to others, and some bulbs may arrive broken or already burned out.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Top LED candelabra light bulb for the money

Simba Lighting Candelabra Torpedo Clear Light Bulbs

What you need to know: This pack of 12 LED candelabra light bulbs are very affordable while providing more value for the money than they have a right to.

What you’ll love: Fits most light bulb sockets and the 60W strength provides brilliant white light.

What you should consider: The low-to-medium durability of these LED candelabra light bulbs is one of the few dark spots.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

AmazonBasics 60W Equivalent, E12 Candelabra Light Bulbs

What you need to know: An excellent, energy saving six-pack LED candelabra light bulb option from Amazon.

What you’ll love: These LED candelabra light bulbs last practically forever with a lifespan of over 15,000 hours.

What you should consider: The price per bulb is rather high and dimming can cause flickering instead of actual dimming.

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon


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Jordan Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

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