The difference between LED and halogen in flashlights – what should you choose?
Whether it’s time for an overnight trip or you’re preparing your emergency supplies, a good flashlight is something you should always have – whether for active use or stored away in a cupboard.
But what is actually the right light for your needs? We’ve created a guide for those who are unsure whether to choose LED or halogen bulbs for their flashlight.
Development of light bulbs
When halogen bulbs were introduced, they were an upgrade from older incandescent bulbs. Halogen bulbs provided more light and were not at risk of blackening the glass. Now LED lights are becoming more common and have largely replaced halogen bulbs. Here are the biggest differences to help you decide what best suits your needs.
Lifespan
One major difference between the two types is their lifespan.Here, LED bulbs outperform halogen bulbs by a wide margin!
While halogen bulbs have a lifespan of around 2,000 hours, an LED bulb can last for 15,000 hours. In other words, it’s the clear winner if you need your flashlight for longer periods.
This alone makes the choice easy for you if you know what you’ll be using it for.
Color options
However, if you’re not as concerned about the bulb lasting a long time, there are other advantages of halogen bulbs to consider.
Halogen bulbs are known for giving off a softer, yellower light. In other words, the light from a halogen bulb can be more comfortable to look at than the light from an LED bulb. That said, it’s now possible to find LED bulbs with a wider range of color options than before. While LED light has traditionally been associated with cold, white light, you can now find bulbs that imitate the yellow light of traditional bulbs.
Halogen bulbs are also less bright than LED bulbs.This means that although it may be more comfortable on the eyes, an LED bulb will provide better illumination than a halogen bulb.
Energy efficiency
One of the biggest improvements over halogen is energy consumption. This becomes clear when we compare wattage.
An old-fashioned halogen bulb requires significantly more energy than an LED bulb. This means that an LED bulb will shine brighter and last longer while using significantly less energy, making it more environmentally friendly.
Where an old-fashioned incandescent bulb could produce less than 15 lumens per watt, a halogen bulb can produce around 30 percent more than this. Compared with an LED bulb’s 100 lumens per watt, LED is the clear winner. You can get LED lamps with up to 300 lumens per watt, but 100 is usually more than enough.
The higher the lumen output of a flashlight, the brighter it shines. If you need a flashlight for camping or other activities in the dark, a lumen output of between 200 and 1,000 is a good choice.Everything below that provides weaker light suitable for less demanding activities, while anything above that is strictly speaking unnecessary unless you work with lighting professionally.
See our selection of LED and halogen flashlights here
Price range
If price is the most important factor for you when looking for a flashlight, the halogen bulb comes out on top. A halogen flashlight will be significantly cheaper than a flashlight with an LED bulb. This is because it is less expensive to manufacture.
See more affordable options for emergency use here
What matters most to you?
If you're about to go out and buy a flashlight, you need to think about what your needs are. If you want a flashlight that lasts a long time and shines brightly, a flashlight with an LED bulb is the best choice. It requires less energy, has a considerably longer lifespan, and may eventually also be available in other colors if you'd prefer a soft, yellow glow.
The biggest advantage of a halogen bulb is its price. If you need a small flashlight to rummage around the basement with, a halogen bulb might be right for you.
If you're heading out on a trip and want a flashlight you won't need to replace anytime soon, a flashlight with an LED bulb is the clear winner.
Where are you headed? Find everything you need for your trip at game-on.no
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