It is a common fact that fluorescent light bulbs conserve a considerable amount of energy in comparison to incandescent light bulbs. Until a few years ago, these types of bulbs were limited to the long tubes you traditionally see in commercial and industrial applications. Then the CFL was invented allowing these highly energy efficient light sources be used in lieu of incandescents in conventional situations.

Unfortunately, the popularity of the CFL didn’t really take off as quickly as the energy providers had hoped. Fluorescent lighting tends to be a harsher light and may be fine for those large warehouses and office buildings. When it comes to a home, however, these harsh lighting conditions are undesirable to use in the home, where warmer and softer lighting conditions are more welcoming. In addition, when CFLs first came out, they were quite a bit more expensive then traditional light bulbs.

All of this has changed over the years as the technology of the CFL has improved dramatically. I personally have been on a constant search for that perfect incandescent replacement to lower my energy usage and also gain longer life of my light bulbs. Still yet, every time I drop by the store to find a new CFL that claims to have the same “Soft White” color temperature that incandescents are known for, I am disappointed by it’s strong yellow and green tint that it emits into the rooms of my house.

About a week ago, I noticed that the GE brand was selling a new kind of CFL that claimed to be a “Daylight” color temperature (6500K versus 3000K). I rushed home and screwed it into my torche lamp to only be stunned by the ultra-bright blue “daylight” glow of the lamp. There is no doubt this was the daylight temperature they were shooting for, but what I don’t realize (and likely others) that is actually not what you want in your room at night or when you need light. From outside, it appeared as though I was performing surgery or conducting science experiments from the amount of output it produced.

My search continues to find the best CFL out there that provides me with the light that I am looking for. With that, I have decided to inform my readers with the information and research I come up with. Please note, however, that I am not conducting any of these tests with the utmost accuracy and that my observations are simply that.

I read in Consumer Reports that Wal-Mart has the largest selection of CFLs. I purchased two brands today: GE, and Sylvania. These are the largest brand name choices in the CFL category. I will probably test the off-brands at a later date and post my findings.

I was not able to find two packs that contained the same number of bulbs between the two brands. The GE I purchased came with 3 bulbs, and the Sylvania came with 2.

I provided a chart below that contains all the relevant details of these two bulbs. My brief observations are as follows. The GE is cheaper than the Sylvania (which is probably due to the 3-pack versus the 2-pack), however, sometimes you get what you pay for. The first thing you may notice when comparing the two packages, is that the Sylvania lasts for 11 years, where the GE only lasts for 6 years. If you read the fine print, you will see that is not an even comparison. GE is making that claim of using the bulbs for 4 hours a day, whereas Sylvania is making that claim when using the bulb for only 3 hours a day. When you make the adjustment for the GE bulb, it turns out to be just shy of 11 years as well. Another way to compare is the number of hours that each last, which is printed on the box as well.

The Sylvania bulb was the one that I tested first. After the initial warm up time (which only occurs when the bulb is cold) I immediately was thrilled by the kind of light it was producing. It had a very warm yet bright white light, just like an incandescent.

As for the GE, I was not as impressed. It looked the same as all the other CFLs that I have purchased in the past. Not nearly as bright, yellowish green tint, and took a long time (over a minute) to warm-up. Another nice feature of the Sylvania is it’s ability to instantly turn on, without having to wait for a flicker start-up that fluorescents are accustomed to.

Finally, I also like the Sylvania bulb’s design better than the GE. It was a little bit smaller, the spirals were more compact, and a nice base.

Here are the specs:

GE Sylvania

Product Name

Energy Smart General Purpose

Micro-mini

Color Temperature

Soft White (3000K)

Soft White (3000K)

Lumens

1600

1640

Replacement Wattage

100

100

Actual Wattage

23

23

Life (hours)

10000

12000

Pack Count

3

2

Pack Price (Walmart)

$8.24

$8.44

Price Per Bulb

$2.75

$4.22