Review: Philips AmbientLED Bulb

During the winter months here in Washington, the lights are on more than they are off. It's just dreary and blah during Winter. I don't think I'll ever get used to it! You never realize how much you need sunlight until you barely see it.

CFL's can save money - well, for some folks - but the light they give off isn't always the brightest. Incandescent light bulbs give off better light, but they use a lot more energy. Either or, you've got a good side and a bad side!

Philips must know what it's like to live in Washington state, because they recently created the world's first LED replacement for a 60 watt incandescent bulb - and the first to earn an Energy Star qualification. Meet the Philips AmbientLED 12.5 watt light bulb:


It looks a little funny at first - but so do those CFL bulbs, right? Like the CFL's, it uses a LOT less energy than old school light bulbs. The Philips AmbientLED bulb lasts 25 times longer and uses 80% less energy than the 60W incandescent it was designed to replace!

I was given a Philips AmbientLED bulb to try out in our home and see what I thought. I immediately decided to put it in our dreariest room - our bedroom. The lighting situation in there is less than ideal - it's rather depressing. I figured if there was a room I'd see a difference in immediately, this would be it.


(Please excuse the dust, I thought it was clean. Geesh. lol) Holy moly mack-a-toly, I was SHOCKED when we put that bulb in the difference in the lighting - it was BRIGHT. It was WARM. It was INCREDIBLE. I can't even begin to tell you the difference in writing, but it was AMAZING. One light bulb was brighter than the three we had in the room before!

I had my socks knocked off by a lightbulb. LOL!!! Seriously, the room we had avoided because it was the one that felt most like a dungeon has become the room we're happiest to be in. Instead of lingering in the living room in the evenings, we head into the bedroom to read and relax.

The only downside I can see is that the Philips AmbientLED bulb is only sold at Home Depot currently, and it does retail for $24.97. Yes, for one bulb. Here's the thing - these bulbs are meant to last 25 years. They don't go KABOOM like the old school bulbs do, and these Philips AmbientLED bulbs have a six year warranty on them. Have you ever seen a light bulb with a warranty on it? Yeah, me either. You don't see them with that EnergyStar qualification either.

If you crave light in your home, I recommend picking up one of the Philips AmbientLED bulbs for yourself and giving it a try in your home. You'll probably find yourself wanting to replace every single light bulb, too.

I received a sample of this product in order to try it out in my own home and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own.