I’m reviewing a Compact Fluorescent Lamp or CFL today. This is the first CFL that Green Gear has reviewed in its 1 1/2 year history. That sort of surprises me. I’ve had CFLs for quite some time, almost every lamp in my home is a CFL. I guess CFLs seems so obvious. They’re cheap, available everywhere, and almost a no-brainer for people looking for new light bulbs. But, with that said, It’s important that I finally review one of the most popular green products out there.
The other day I was at Home Depot picking up a toilet flapper and thought I’d grab some CFLs. I nabbed the lowest wattage setting i could find and ended up picking up a 40w eqiuv (9 watt actual) 4-Pack made by n:Vision. It cost me $5.98. The price really couldn’t be better for non-dimming light bulbs. I remember paying astronomical amounts of money for CFLs when the first came out, so I’m happy that they’re cheaper.
The green savings here is of course the variable savings made possible by the CLF using 1/4th the energy of an incandescent lamp. Lighting while not a majority of your electric bill each month certainly is a big player so you could see a significant savings if you replaced your current bulbs with CFLs in the lamps you use most often.
I’ve had no issues with the n:Vision, they don’t flicker when turned on, they stay relatively cool to the touch and seem to be built well. Just as a note these aren’t dimmable, though that do make ones that are. Also, because these are CFLs they need to be disposed of in a proper manner, my local home depot recycles them for us so I suspect yours does too.
Here is the Video Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Gears for Variable Eco Benefit, Value, Design Quality, and Being Ready for Mass Purchase
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Dave,
I appreciate your input. I did not say CFLs were better than LEDs, nor did I deny that LEDs use far less energy or generate worse light. CFLs DO contain a small amount of mercury, most people know this and I’ve mentioned it on green gear. LEDs are also very expensive right now and not ready for mass adoption. But, CFLs are inexpensive, available everywhere, and use less energy than standard bulbs. In that respect they are green.
To be cliche, there are many shades of green and products that run the spectrum from terrible and not worth it, to fantastic and ready for adoption.
Thank you for your comment.
I have had two N:vision bulbs wear out in 2 years. I marked the bulbs with the installation date. One was an R40 flood, and another was a round bulb for the vanity. I’m not sure if this is coincidence but I’m annoyed.
When contacting n:vision for warranty, they expect you to have the original receipt! Another useless warranty.