This Ecosmart LED bulb uses only 10.5 watts but has the same brightness as a 65 watt incandescent bulb. Yeah, I know, you've heard too many promises in the past about LED bulbs that either are way too dim or that emit a light that is so cool it's almost blue in color. I probably wouldn't have purchased this bulb if I hadn't seen a it demo'd alongside a 65 watt incandescent of the same type. The color of the light looked identical to the incandescent and the light was just as bright. Both bulbs had dimmers and this LED is fully dimmable. I have a couple of CFL dimmable bulbs made by other manufacturers in our home that only dim to about 20% of the normal light of the bulbs, but this LED dims just like an incandescent, and it uses about 85% less energy.
This 6" LED Bulb is a down light, designed for use in ceiling-recessed housings and it fits most 6" wide cans. It comes with it's own built-in innards (you know, the recessed housing that you see inside the can, below the bulb) and it's own trim. Both are white.I purchased two of these Ecosmart bulbs. After installing them, I immediately got a third one for my kitchen. It took me all of 6 minutes to install the first two and that includes dragging the ladder out of the garage. All I had to do to remove the inside and outside trim that was in there from before, was to remove the two little spring thingies that hold the old one in (they're up inside the housing and easy to remove). The old trim stuff pulled out easily. There was one little wing nut up on the side that held in a silver colored plate that I removed. Then I was able to pull down the socket that the bulb screws into and remove the little plate by squeezing two little metal clips right above the socket. It was really easy. There are three little "flip clips" on sides of the new Ecosmart light. They were turned to the side in the package so I just turned them out so they were facing outward. These are what holds the light and the trim in the recessed housing up in the ceiling. Then, I just screwed the bulb into the socket and pushed the whole bulb and housing thing up into the recessed can. It stayed up there without any problem at all. The trim is attached and looks perfect. In fact it looks better than the recessed housing that was in there before. And no tools were required for any of the installation. Oh yeah, you're supposed to turn off the power before you do any of this but I forgot.
This might sound more complicated than it really was. I've never done more than replace a light bulb in one of these recessed lights and I already told you how quickly these installed. We already had a dimmer on the first two lights, so I didn't have to install a dimmer switch. You have to make sure your dimmer is made for LED lights. The one we had for the CFL's works perfectly. I probably won't use a dimmer on the one in the kitchen. I bought this brand because it's the first one that I've found that has the brightness of an incandescent 65 watt bulb and the warm color of the light. It's also a light that's on lots of hours each day so it'll be nice not to have to replace it. Other things I like about it is that it's supposed to last 35,000 hours. That means I could leave it burning continuously for almost 4 years without ever turning it off. Or I could use it 4 hours a day for about 24 years. I'll let you know in 24 years if the bulb is still lit.
LED bulbs have come a long way in the last year or so. If you've given up on them ever being bright enough, or warm enough in color, like I almost had, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by this one.
We've been using these bulbs for over a year and a haf and are very happy with them. We have one in the kitchen above the sink that's on for at least 5 hours per day and still looks as bright as ever.
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Have the best contractor and he recommended these. Have them throughout our home. Not cheap, but cost pennies to operate and we have them on a dimmable switch. They look nice, they are large (have some smaller ones in other areas of the kitchen) and emit a lot of light. Highly recommend and the price is better vs the big box stores, but definitely recommend comparison shopping. Came quickly when ordered calculate how much you spend on time/gas picking them up yourself for me it's almost always better to get them shipped to you.
Best Deals for QTY 12 / Cree Cr6 Ecosmart LED 6 " Recessed Light 9.5w 35,000 Hours
I have tried many LED bulbs and several of this design and this Ecosmart 2700K is my favorite. I bought mine from Home Depot.
By the way, Lowe's also has a similar unit under its "Utilitech Pro" line, but as of now it's a little more expensive and not as energy efficient (lower lumens per watt). It does give off 700 lumens of light rather than 575 though, so its a little brighter. It's a good unit but not as good as the Ecosmart in my opinion.
Positives of the Ecosmart:
* Only 9.5 watts with a relatively high lumens/watt
* Instant on at full brightness
* Great light quality with a 90 CRI
* No toxic mercury (Hg)
* Easy to install
* Indoor/outdoor
* Dimmable
Negatives:
* Price? Though electricity savings can more than make up for this.
Other:
* If you need a lot of light, there are other options available that are much brighter. I also have a unit that is about 1100 lumens and a little whiter... however, the 575 lumens of high quality light that this unit gives off is probably better for most uses.
* There also seems to be a CR6-800L model that is not as widely available but seems very similar but is brighter at 800 lumens and even more efficient (higher lumens/watt). If you need a little more light, then you might want to check into that model, though I am disappointed that it currently is harder to get and about $20-$25 more expensive.
Honest reviews on QTY 12 / Cree Cr6 Ecosmart LED 6 " Recessed Light 9.5w 35,000 Hours
I like these LEDs. I bought a 12 pack that were used as part of a remodeling project. The color is comparable to a warm incandescent bulb. The LEDs are very bright & dimmable. But make sure you use a low voltage switch if you plan on dimming these.
The build quality is top notch. Cree is known for their LEDs... I trust these will last many years.
These are energy star certified. My local power company has rebates for LEDs. I was able to get $15 dollars off each bulb. Check your local power company for any LED rebates.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for QTY 12 / Cree Cr6 Ecosmart LED 6 " Recessed Light 9.5w 35,000 Hours
At 9.5 watts these bulbs look great, have an excellent color similar to incandescent. In each room with 8 recessed lights, the installation of these bulbs reduced the wattage from 520 watts to 76 watts. Worth every penny of the price. They are cool in operation and very easy to install. Cree makes the highest quality LED lights.
