How Can We Help?

Suggested Color Temperature for Residential Lighting

Is there a big difference between ordering the bulbs from you all and buying bulbs from Home Depot or Lowes? 

Also, Can you tell me what kelvin temp I would need for (recessed lighting in the kitchen, living room ceiling fan, entryway chandelier, and bedrooms)?

While there are many great LED products available on the market, our products have been designed to offer a higher CRI and better color consistency than much of what you will find available at Lowes or Home Depot.

The CRI listed within our product pages represents how similar the light is in quality to that of natural sunlight. While some LED products offer a CRI of 80, products such as our CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulb offers flicker-free functionality and a CRI of 95+.

For living rooms and bedrooms, we generally recommend the 2700K option, whereas, for kitchens and dining areas, we would alternatively recommend the 3000K option. For recessed lighting, you might be interested in our 3000K Ultra High 95 CRI E26 BR30 LED Bulb for Home & Residential products.

For more information regarding the right options for each space, I have provided a helpful blog post from our website below which might prove to be useful for your planning purposes.

Which LED Light Color Temperature Should I Choose?: https://www.waveformlighting.com/home-residential/which-led-light-color-temperature-should-i-choose

Household Bulbs for House Plants

I'm trying to find a regular household-type bulb that would be great for daily use and house plants. I'd like to use adjustable arm table lamps, or pendants to light single plants or a small display and match temp to all other bulbs in the home. I'll change all if necessary. 

Based on the details provided, there are a few different products that we might recommend depending on the preferred color temperature output.

For starters, we might recommend the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulb product. Though these are not dimmable, they offer flicker-free performance and a high CRI. Further, the Ultra High 95 CRI A19 5W LED Filament Bulb for Home & Residential products could look quite nice on a shelf display among plants.

We have attached a blog post link below from our website regarding color temperature selection, which might be helpful for your planning purposes.

Which LED Light Color Temperature Should I Choose?: https://www.waveformlighting.com/home-residential/which-led-light-color-temperature-should-i-choose

As our A19 bulbs will offer a very similar quality of light output, the right option might be better defined by the purpose of the space. For example, while we might recommend a 4000K option for a home office space, we would alternatively suggest a 3200K for a reading area.

I read the blog but didn't see anything about plants. Maybe I should rephrase my question. Which of your A19 bulbs has the correct spectrum and other properties to grow healthy houseplants? These plants are typical tropical varieties composed of mostly foliage, not flowering. Most prefer bright to medium indirect light. Some small 6" ish pots on a tabletop and some large floor plants. I just want to use a variety of attractive lamps that accept regular bulbs.

Though our High CRI A19 bulbs have not been specifically designed for horticulture as some of our other products have been (such as the PhotonTube™ T5HO LED Grow Light Tube for Horticulture product), I am happy to confirm that they offer an extremely similar full spectrum light output to those of our horticulture-focused products.

Regarding the right color temperature for your installation, you might find benefit in either the 4000K or 6500K options of the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulb.

While the 4000K provides an output that simulates late-season light, the 6500K option will offer light that is very similar to natural daylight and simulates the light which occurs in early-season growth periods. For an in-depth analysis of the technical benefits that our full spectrum lighting has on plant growth, we have attached a terrific blog post from our website below.

Blog post link: https://www.waveformlighting.com/horticulture

LED Linear Lighting for Bright Reading

I am 99 and my wife is 89. Our eyesight is not like it was. I find that task lighting is not good. We have a high ceiling den with a soft and decorative light string. Thinking linear LED in the soffit to project on the tray ceiling would provide good defused bright reading. 

If you could determine what color temperature you were interested in for your installation, we would be more than happy to provide a few product recommendations.

If a guide for color temperatures proves to be useful, we have provided a link to a blog post from our website below.

Which LED Light Color Temperature Should I Choose?: https://www.waveformlighting.com/home-residential/which-led-light-color-temperature-should-i-choose

For more information on getting started with the LED Strip Lights products, I have attached a second blog post from our website below.

LED Strip Lights: Everything you need to know before you buy: https://www.waveformlighting.com/led-strip-lights

Lighting Recommendation for Dark Apartment

I am in desperate need of lighting advice for a small, dark apartment with only one window light source per room - one in the bedroom and one in the living room. I intend to replace all light bulbs with as bright a light source as possible - including in floor & table lamps. I suffer from SAD and want to simulate as much natural light as possible. With having to be cooped up so much of the time due to the pandemic, this need has become critical. I don't know how to determine wattage but am willing to go for the brightest. 

Based on the details provided, we might recommend either the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulbs, or the CENTRIC HOME™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulbs.

As these products are extremely similar, and offer the same 95 CRI light quality and wattage, the primary difference can be found in the color temperatures available.

For selecting the right color temperature for your spaces, the below blog post from our website might prove to be useful: Which LED Light Color Temperature Should I Choose?

Full Spectrum and Flicker-free LED Strips for a Dark One-Bedroom Apartment

I want to put hidden lights all around the ceiling of a dark one-bedroom apartment. I like a full-spectrum LED. Please help me understand and choose the right product. 

We believe that a great first step would be utilizing our standard bulbs in the lighting fixtures in your space.

Based on the details that you provided, we believe that replacing the existing light bulbs could make a large difference at a significantly lower cost than the LED strip light products. As such, we have provided some product links below.

Due to the stated preference for lighting which is similar to direct sunlight, we recommend the 5600K color temperature option of the FilmGrade™ Flicker-Free A19 LED Bulb. 

​This product can be easily installed into standard lighting fixtures, has a 3-year warranty, and offers full spectrum lighting that will appear visually identical to that of natural sunlight.

Product link: https://store.waveformlighting.com/collections/a19-bulbs/products/filmgrade-flicker-free-a19-led-bulb?variant=16011563991142

T5 Linear Light Fixture to Replicate Sunlight for an Apartment Space

I have recently moved into an apartment that has plenty of daylight but no direct sunlight. I wonder if the NorthLux 95 linear strips, placed along the floor molding behind my couch and beaming upward would replicate sunlight? 

Based on the details provided, it sounds like the NorthLux™ 95 CRI T5 LED Linear Light Fixtures could be a great way to illuminate your space!

These products are very easy to install, require no additional accessories or power supplies, and are well-suited for washing a wall in light. Further, multiple units of this product can be daisy-chained together for convenient powering.

Dimmable Power Supply Compatible with Centric Home LED Strip Lights

I'm building a light fixture for my dining room, which is roughly 10' x 10' x 15' high (it's an open space). I've calculated that I need 1,673 lumens and that 3' of your CENTRIC HOME™ LED Strip Lights for Home & Residential will provide that. What dimmable power supply do I need (assuming I use a Lutron or Leviton wall dimmer)? 

You are correct that the 3-foot section will provide approximately 1650 lumens, which should be sufficient for your needs. Do keep in mind, however, that depending on the design of your fixture, you may want a bit more brightness depending on the orientation of the LED strip lights as well as the fixture.

​As far as connecting the LED strip lights to a dimmer switch, you will want to use our TRIAC dimmable power supply product. we've included the product link below for your reference.

​https://store.waveformlighting.com/products/triac-dimmable-power-supply-for-led-strip?variant=27978821435494

Additionally, our layout map for the product may be helpful in understanding how the product can be wired to your dimmer circuit: 

https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps/3001_1A

Can you specify one or two specific Leviton or Lutron wall dimmer switches that are compatible with my order? 

We've tested a wide range of Lutron and Leviton wall dimmers for compatibility. Some of the most popular include the Lutron DVCL-153 series, which we have linked to below:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Diva-LED-Dimmer-Switch-for-Dimmable-LED-Halogen-and-Incandescent-Bulbs-Single-Pole-or-3-Way-White-6-Pack-DVCL-153PR-6-WH/301353737

For further reference, you may want to review our list of tested dimmers, which can be found below:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/files/DC_3093.pdf

RGB LED Strip Light Solutions for Residential Lighting

I am interested in your RGB strip lighting solutions for a new home I am building. If I understand correctly, your 24V ColorSpace RGB may be a good solution for me. However I am a bit confused about a few aspects: This light strip only does one color at a time, correct? And if I connect multiple light strips together, they will all show the same color at the same time, correct? Can the strip also produce white light? If so, at what Kelvin and CRI? How many lumens/feet does this strip produce in various colors? Besides the power supply, what accessories are required for this strip light? Is a DMX controller required to control the color settings? I could not find the associated accessories on your website. Can you please show them to me?

First off, our RGB LED strips are not individually addressable. This means that the entire strip will emit one color at a time.

​Secondly, the LED strip is capable of emitting white light, but the color rendering and color temperature value precision would be inferior to a standard white LED. We would perhaps recommend our 5-in-1 LED strip as an alternative:

​The 5-in-1 LED strip light emits approximately 180 lumens per color (warm white / daylight) and has a 95 CRI rating, in addition to full RGB control. The product can be used with a DMX controller or a third-party 5-channel controller such as the one linked below:

​https://www.amazon.com/GLEDOPTO-Controller-Compatible-SmartThings-Lightify/dp/B07R32CS17

Each 16.4 ft reel should be connected to an individual power supply. The power supply is linked below:

BR30 LED Bulbs for Residential Installations

I am very impressed with your products and I'm looking to see if buying from you would be a viable option. We are renovating our whole house and need lights for every room. We have 4" and 5" recessed lights. The kitchen, dining, and master bed and bath have 15 ft ceilings. 

Our BR30 lamps sound like a great option. The BR30 lamps have a 3.75" diameter, so they should be a nice fit for both the 4" and 5" ceiling fixtures that you have.

​We would also recommend installing enough bulbs to achieve sufficient brightness levels for your space. You may find our lumen estimation calculator helpful in determining the lumen needs:

​https://www.waveformlighting.com/lumen-calculator

​Finally, in choosing color temperature, the 3000K is the most popular and recommended option for residential installations. Higher color temperatures (4000K and above) can be useful for art and photo studios where daylight calibrated light is useful.

​Please see below for the 3000K product link:

​

LED Lights with Motion Sensor Integration for Staircase Lighting

I'm looking for help with the product and layout (motion sensor at the top and bottom). I would like to run up one side, cross over (remodeling staircase) up the other handrail, and snake thru the wall to the adjacent room with the power supply. 

We currently do not have any motion-activated products, but we do offer a range of 95 CRI LED strip lights that should be a great fit for your staircase installation. Please see below for the product link:

Additionally, we have some configuration illustrations which may help determine which components should be installed. I suspect that our Layout Map 3001-1B may be a close match to the installation you have in mind. Please see below for the link:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps/3001_1B

LED Light Bulbs Equivalent to Natural Sun/Daylight

Could you please recommend which bulbs should I purchase to have bright sun/day light? My apartment is very dark, and the buildings around block natural sunlight. I need to have the light turned on during the day and would like to have an equivalent of natural sun/daylight. 

Please see below for our CENTRIC DAYLIGHT A19 LED bulb. These lamps can be used in any standard screw-in lamp socket and will provide you with bright daylight color for your space.

We would also recommend using our lumen estimation calculator to determine how much light you will need to ensure proper brightness:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/lumen-calculator

Do you have bulbs that have no blue light or flickering?

I am in the process of designing a new home. My goal is to keep blue light and flickering as close to 0 as possible. Do you have bulbs that would satisfy this request?

In the interim, the first product that comes to mind is our 2700K CENTRIC HOME™ LED Strip Lights for Home & Residential product, which is flicker-free when paired with one of our flicker-free power supplies.

Alternatively, we also offer the Lux24™ Circadian LED Bulb product which might be of interest, however, this product is unfortunately not flicker-free.

If it proves to be useful, we also have a great article on our website that discussed blue light in depth:

Blue Light, Melatonin, and Circadian Rhythms: https://www.waveformlighting.com/human-centric/blue-light-melatonin-and-circadian-rhythms

I am designing a home from scratch and would like to have lights that have no blue light or flickering throughout the home. 

As mentioned in the blog post, blue light can be found within most light sources, including full-spectrum lighting. However, special bulbs such as our Lux24™ Circadian LED Bulb are designed to include as little blue light as possible. Unfortunately, this product is not designed to be flicker-free.

While we are proud to offer many full spectrum lighting products that are designed to be flicker-free, the Lux24 is unique in the extremely low level of blue light emitted. As such, we may not be able to provide any other products that could be ideal for your home design, as well as the specifications mentioned.

LED Strip Lights for Living Room Installation

I'm trying to buy "CENTRIC HOME™ LED Strip Lights for Home & Residential". I'm planning to use "Aluminum Channel for LED Flex Strip - 5 PACK" Can this be set up by someone like me? And what other products do I need to purchase?

The CENTRIC HOME™ LED Strip Lights for Home & Residential product is available in both 12V and 24V. As such, it will be important to select a compatible 12V or 24V power supply, such as our FilmGrade™ DC Power Supply for LED Strip.

​It might also be valuable to know that the LED strip lights have a maximum combined length that can be powered, which varies depending on the voltage selected. For the 12V product, the maximum combined length is 16.4 ft (5 meters). For the 24V product, the maximum combined length is 32.8 ft (10 meters).

If you would like to dim the lights, you can utilize the FilmGrade™ Flicker-Free LED Dimmer product, which can be connected between the LED strip lights and the power supply.

To connect the LED strip light segments, you can combine both the Female DC Barrel Jack Plug Adapter as well as the LED Strip to the Wire product.

I have attached a link below that illustrates the configuration I have described in greater detail:

LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3002_2B: https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps/3002_2B?px=-5007.5&py=-4686.5&pw=1511&ph=1221&s=0.125

Flicker Characteristics of A19 LED Filament Bulb

I am interested in the Ultra High 95 CRI A19 5W LED Filament Bulb for Home & Residential. I would prefer using one of your flicker-free bulbs but they cannot be dimmed. What are the flicker characteristics of this bulb? 

Our A19 filament bulbs have a measured flicker of approximately 20% at 120 Hz. This is in line with incandescent bulbs. (Our photometric reports are here). Unless you have special circumstances that require an even lower level of flicker, we do not believe that the level of flicker exhibited by this bulb would be problematic for most residential applications.

​We completely understand the need for simultaneously achieving dimmability and flicker-free output, and do hope we are able to address this market need in the near future!

What is meant by "enclosed fixture"? And why is this an issue?

You note that the CENTRIC HOME™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulb is not suitable for use in an enclosure. Can you explain more about what you mean by an "enclosure" and why this is an issue? Is it a heat issue? I have a circular fixture with a 1/4" opening between the top and bottom plates and the center glass piece. Would this be OK?

Some of our products, including the CENTRIC HOME™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulb, contain electrical hardware within the base of the bulbs which is heat sensitive. As such, these products are known to encounter issues when they have been installed within fixtures that do not allow for moderate airflow. 

For instance, a ceiling fixture that is completely enclosed by the glass would not allow for the heat generated by the bulb to dissipate, whereas a wall sconce with an opening would more easily allow for sufficient heat dissipation.

Based on the description provided of the light fixture, you may not encounter heat issues as the fixture appears to allow for moderate airflow. ​

Full Spectrum BR30 Bulbs for SAD and Home Lighting

I am looking to replace our whole home can lights with full spectrum bulbs to combat SAD and boost the health of my family. We live in Oregon and have limited sunlight exposure. I am trying to decide between your Ultra High 95 CRI E26 BR30 LED Bulb in 3,000K and your Full Spectrum E26 BR30 LED Bulb in 4,000K. Are they both suitable for whole-home use? Are they both full spectrum and beneficial for light therapy/heliotherapy? 

Since both items come from the same product family, which can be noted by the shared part numbers, the full spectrum features and performance will be identical across the two items. As such, both products would be suitable for home use. The only differentiator between the two can be found in the color temperature options available.

Generally speaking, the intended purposes of different spaces or rooms can help to define the proper color temperature selection. For example, general-purpose areas might benefit from the warmer 3000K color point, whereas kitchens and work spaces might benefit from the slightly cooler 4000K option.

Our website features some excellent blog posts which I have linked to below, which could prove to be useful in your selection:

Blue Light, Melatonin, and Circadian Rhythms: https://www.waveformlighting.com/human-centric/blue-light-melatonin-and-circadian-rhythms

Everything You Need to Know About Full Spectrum Lighting: https://www.waveformlighting.com/human-centric/everything-you-need-to-know-about-full-spectrum-lighting

We are also happy to offer a 30-day return policy if the selected items don’t work well for the space. Simply let us know which items you would like to return, and we will issue a free return label. 

Could you clarify, if the effectiveness of light therapy is the same between 3,000K and 4,000K? Or is one more effective than the other? After reading this blog post, I see “light therapy” is listed for 4,000K but not for 3,000 K. 

While both color temperature options of this product feature the same high CRI and therefore would share extremely similar health benefits, the 3000K color temperature would likely be more beneficial than the 4000K.

We have two great articles on our website that go into further detail regarding the health benefits of certain color temperatures, which could be valuable in your decision-making process.

Are LED Lights Safe? Are They Harmful to Your Health?:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/human-centric/are-led-lights-safe-are-they-harmful-to-your-health

Blue Light, Melatonin, and Circadian Rhythms:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/human-centric/blue-light-melatonin-and-circadian-rhythms

Recommended LED Light for SAD in a Basement Apartment Installation

I would like to get something for the basement apartment that is best for mental health during the dark winter in VT. I'm sorry, but I'm finding your website totally overwhelming with all the information. Could you just recommend something? Also, I was looking at the Centric series LED bulbs, but the two I saw said they were only 10W each. That seems really dim, especially for a dark basement apartment. 

Based on the details that were provided, there are a few products that we might recommend depending on the intended use of the space.

For use within general-purpose areas of the apartment, we might recommend the 3000K FilmGrade™ Flicker-Free A19 LED Bulb or the 4000K CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulb.

For work areas, or artwork creation areas, we might recommend the 5000K option of the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulb.

Each of these product options will offer the same high CRI, which measures how similar the light spectrum output of the bulbs is to natural sunlight. These products also feature a low flicker-rate. Products with a high flicker rate, such as fluorescent lights, can cause additional eye fatigue.

​However, in the event that these bulbs are not bright enough, or wind up being not to your preference, we are happy to offer a 30 day return policy. Simply let us know which products you would like to return, and we will issue a free return label.

Recommended LED Lights for Building a Tower Floor Lamps

Building tower lamps pseudo shoji style with lighted section 34" high behind a 5.5" sheet of acrylic on all four sides. Either white or a remotely adjustable color would be kind of cool. Could you recommend your products I should look at? 

It's a bit difficult to provide exact recommendations given the unique nature of your lamps, but it does sound like our high CRI LED strips could work very well for you. The LED strips are offered in a wide range of color temperatures, all of which offer 95 CRI or higher, providing excellent color quality both highlighting the Shoji material as well as illuminating the surrounding area.

Unfortunately, we don't have any solutions for remotely controlled color temperature, though that is certainly something we would like to see implemented in the near future!

If the floor lamps are for residential and home use, we would generally recommend our 2700K and 3000K options, which I have linked to below:

For commercial or office spaces, you may want to consider a higher color temperature such as 4000K or 5000K:

LED Panel Lights for Home Office Lighting

The space my wife and I use as a home office was originally designed as a sun porch. There's a single, small fixture in the middle of the room that provides very poor lighting to our desks. I was thinking of installing a surface mount LED panel (because the ceilings are relatively low) over each desk, but it's difficult to find LED panel lighting with >80 CRI. I'm looking for something that mounts close to the ceiling, is dimmable, and relatively long (to provide even lighting across a desk).

We unfortunately do not have any LED panel lights, and the requirement for dimmability makes this quite challenging based on the offerings we currently have available.

If you're willing to forego dimmability as a requirement, our T8 LED lamps housed in an appropriate ceiling fixture, or our T5 linear fixtures, could potentially be viable solutions for you. Both are available with 95 CRI and provide excellent light quality that should work well for a home office.

​I've included product links for these products below:

High CRI 93 LED Lighting for Residential

I am interested in bulbs with at least a 93 CRI. I see that you sell them. I would like to know what would be the best bulb for my family. The new bulbs sold in stores that are supposedly 60 Watts are not bright enough. What would be recommended and why is that your choice? 

Our 95+ CRI lamps sound like a great fit for you and your family. Our most popular option for residential installations is our CENTRIC HOME A19 lamps, which are available in a 60 watt equivalent brightness. The 2700K and 3000K color options are both excellent options for home use.

Below is the product page for the CENTRIC HOME A19 bulbs:

For more information concerning color temperature, please see our article below:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/home-residential/choosing-between-2700k-and-3000k

The new bulbs sold in stores that are supposedly 60 Watts are not bright enough. I see you recommended your Centric Home A19 bulbs. Does this seem brighter than the 60 W bulbs I could buy at the store and if so, is that due to the CRI? Why is that your choice to recommend? How many bulbs come in 1 pack?  

The 95 CRI bulbs will most likely provide the same amount of perceived brightness as an 80 CRI bulb that also emits the same amount of brightness (i.e. 60 watts). However, because the CRI is higher, a lower amount of brightness may be sufficient for task-oriented activities, as the improved color clarity may counteract the need for additional brightness.

​We unfortunately do not have any higher brightness bulbs so this would our best recommendation. Generally, we recommend increasing the number of lamps, rather than the brightness of any individual bulb, as this can help reduce glare and improve the light distribution in a space.

The 1-pack refers to 1 bulb.

​We would perhaps recommend testing and taking advantage of our free returns policy. If for whatever reason you find that the LED bulbs are not going to work for your project, we would be more than happy to pay for return shipping and offer a full refund. 

LED Lighting Suggestion for Small Townhome of 1200 sq ft

Could you suggest a type of LED lighting for a small townhome ~ 1200 sq ft? I have 9 led lights in my downstairs and the room takes a pink/peach hue. I have white walls and want everything crisp, but cannot find a good brand or light.

Our high CRI LED lights should be a great fit for your home.

The first step in determining your lighting needs would be to understand the amount of brightness and the number of lights needed. Based on the square footage provided, we ran some quick calculations using our lumen estimation calculator (https://www.waveformlighting.com/lumen-calculator) which suggests approximately 26,000 lumens as your target brightness level.

​We would further recommend a 3000K color temperature which will provide your residential space with a comfortable but crisp white, light.

Will it damage the Centric Home Flicker-Free A19 bulbs using a dimmable power supply?

I bought a few Centric Home A19 bulbs from you. I was looking for a power supply for these bulbs, and I bought a few dimmable ones that can go 5%, 30% & 100% on light intensity. Will that damage my bulbs?

The CENTRIC HOME™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulbs from your order is unfortunately not compatible with dimmer products.

However, we do offer other products which are compatible with dimmers, such as the Full Spectrum E26 BR30 LED Bulbs.

Are there any known health hazards using red phosphors in the bulbs?

I am outfitting my home with waveform-led bulbs. I was wondering if your bulbs give off UV rays to the occupants. Are there any known health hazards with using red phosphors in the bulbs? I am buying PN 4011.40, PN 4002.30 PN 4011.30 I am hoping that all your lights have reduced blue spectrum and are safer than the typical LEDs at hardware stores. I know that your lights carry the CE rating but are not UL listing. 

Our bulbs do not emit any UV rays, and all emitted electromagnetic waves are longer than 430 nanometers.​There are no known health hazards with red phosphor wavelengths as their peak wavelengths are at 630 nanometers or longer.

These photometric properties apply to all of the PN 4011 and 4002 product lines. For reduced blue light output, we would generally recommend high CRI and low color temperature lamps as they will generally offer the best mix of wavelengths to reduce blue light exposure.

Do you supply recessed integrated LED CRI 95 Lights?

I will be getting 5-6 recessed ceiling lights installed in about 10 days. Kitchen being remodeled for accessibility due to vision impairment I am looking for quality recessed integrated LED CRI 95. Do they exist? Or only as bulbs? I am also looking to have the tone to be adjustable. I prefer warm when not doing a task. 

Unfortunately, we currently do not offer any integrated LED light products which match the description provided.

Do you have any A19 E26 bulbs suitable for enclosed ceiling light fixtures?

I was wondering if you have any lightbulbs suitable for enclosed ceiling light fixtures for home use -A19 E26. 

I am happy to confirm that we offer A19 filament bulb products, which are able to be used within enclosed lighting fixtures. I have attached links to the products below, for your convenience.

Ultra High 95 CRI A19 5W LED Filament Bulb for Home & Residential:

Lux24™ Circadian LED Bulb - 2400K 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Filament Bulb:

Would full-spectrum light help night worker?

My brother is in NY for a month but he has a job 7 time zones away, which means he has to start work at 2 AM (his job ends at 10:30AM). So he goes to sleep at 6 PM. I was wondering whether a full spectrum bulb in the early hours would help his biological clock. In other words, would it create a daylight-like morning for him as he works the few hours before daylight.

Our lamps are indeed designed to mimic the natural daylight spectrum, and therefore our products would be a great fit for your application. While we aren't able to make any medical claims as far as your brother's biological clock and circadian rhythms, our lamps will indeed provide a lighting environment similar to morning sunshine (especially our 4000K color temperature).

Do you have a Flicker-free Dimmable Bulb Compatible with an Enclosed Fixture?

I live in an apartment with enclosed fixtures and am trying to find High CRI dimmable flicker-free bulbs that will last a semi-reasonable time in an enclosed fixture.

Unfortunately, our dimmable LED bulbs are not compatible with enclosed lighting fixtures due to the requirements for heat dissipation and airflow.

However, if the lighting fixtures are not fully-enclosed, we would be happy to recommend our Full Spectrum E26 BR30 LED Bulbs. These products feature a high CRI and are dimmable. That being said, this product is not flicker-free.

What about the filament bulbs? I know it's not flicker-free (I have some of the BR30s from my old apartment already, but these are def fully enclosed)

Yes. We can confirm that A19 filament bulbs are suitable for use in enclosed fixtures and damp locations.

Do you have E14 Lamps?

Due to decreasing availability of incandescent light bulbs your product is truly interesting. However, at least in my corner of Europe, most bedroom lamps need bulbs with E14 screws. Is there something like that available? Or maybe some convertor or smth?

Unfortunately, we do not offer any E14 lamps, but you may be able to find some adaptors in any third-party retailers like Amazon.

Dimmable 3000K (>90) CRI 3000K Strip Lights with Triac Dimmer Switches for an Open Staircase Installation

I wish to put Strip Lights on an open staircase under each tread. I need help in determining the correct method to instruct the fabricators to install wires and what combination of power supplies/dimmers to use. I have 17 treads, each will have 48" of illumination - for a total of 21M. 

I intend to have each tread individually drop wires to the basement so that I can wire them all independently (would you recommend this?). I would like to do white, dimmable strip lights with high (>90) CRI, and so I’m looking at the centric home, 3000K strip lights. What’s the best way to do this? The Triac Dimmer switches indicate 150W only – so how would I use multiple power supplies (each at ~120W) with a single dimmer?

Our CENTRIC HOME LED strip lights sound like a great fit for your staircase installation. The 3000K and 95 CRI colors will be sure to add some excellent lighting to your space while highlighting your staircase.

There are several ways the proposed installation can be accomplished. The constraint, however, will be in the power capacity limitations of our TRIAC dimmable power supplies, which are 120 watts and 96 watts, for the 12-volt and 24-volt versions, respectively. Converting that into the number of stair treads, it looks like each power supply will have enough power to cover approximately 4 stair treads (5.5 watts x 4 ft x 4 stair treads = 88 watts).

As such, you will likely need 4 or more separate LED strip runs to be able to cover the entire staircase, with each run being powered by its own TRIAC dimmable power supply. The good news is that the 4 TRIAC dimmable power supplies can be connected to a single dimmer switch so that all of the LED strip runs can be dimmed in unison. For a connectivity diagram, please see our layout diagram below:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps/3001_1C?px=-2395&py=-2315.5&pw=1790&ph=1631&s=0.1

Additionally, in connecting the separate 48" sections between the stair treads, we do offer a variety of connectors that you may find helpful. Please see below for a similar diagram but with separate LED strip segments being rejoined using our various accessories:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps/3001_1B?px=-2395&py=-2315.5&pw=1790&ph=1631&s=0.1

It's mentioned that I can use a single Triac Dimmer to control 4 dimmable power supplies. However the dimmer indicates only ~100W for LED - and each of the power supplies would be ~100W x 4 =400W total.

Your calculation and interpretation there is correct. If the dimmer manufacturer recommends only a minimum of 100 watts, we certainly would not recommend exceeding that level.

We have generally seen that many dimmers support up to 600 watts, with a list of supported dimmers located here:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/files/DC_3093.pdf

We have found that dimmer manufacturers have been providing two different wattage levels for incandescent / halogen and LED / CFL systems. We are not sure what their reasoning for this is, as we believe that our dimmable LED power supplies behave similarly to dimmable incandescent loads and therefore should not be significantly different.

​To ensure safe operation, however, we would recommend following the guidance of the dimmer manufacturers as they may have their reasons for the maximum ratings.

Lightbulbs mimic the natural lighting in two regions: the Mediterranean and the British Isles.

I'm looking for lightbulbs that mimic the natural lighting in two regions: the Mediterranean and the British Isles.

Unfortunately, we don't have any bulbs that mimic a particular geographic region, but we do offer a CENTRIC DAYLIGHT A19 lamp that will work in standard light bulb sockets. The bulb offers three different color temperatures of 4000K, 5000K, and 6500K which should work well for your needs.

​Please see below and let us know if we can assist with anything else!

Will your Full Spectrum E26 BR30 LED Bulb fit in the 4" cans?

I have 4" cans ready to be installed, and I want to purchase your Full Spectrum E26 BR30 LED Bulb 4011.50. Will the bulbs fit in the 4" cans?

Our BR30 lamps have a diameter of 3.75 inches at their widest point.​Since you have 4-inch can lights, you should not have any issues. The one thing to check for, however, may be any baffles or other accessories that may obstruct the lamp if they do not allow for an opening of 3.75 inches or wider.

Do you have a 2700K version of the BR30 LED Bulb?

Your product page mentions the 2700K version of the BR30 LED Bulb, but I can't select 2700K in the Color Temperature dropdown. Do you know when the 2700K BR30 LED Bulb will be available again for purchase?

Unfortunately, we no longer offer the 2700K color temperature for our BR30 LED bulbs.

That being said, depending on your installation we might suggest our 2700K CENTRIC HOME™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free A19 10W LED Bulb as an alternative. 

Here's the list of 2700K products that we currently offer:

https://www.waveformlighting.com/color-temperature/2700K

Difference in R12 values of NorthLux 5000 bulbs and the Absolute Series 5000 strip

I was interested in purchasing a high CRI solution for a studio and noticed that there is a really big difference in R12 values between the NorthLux 5000 bulbs and the Absolute Series 5000 strip. Why is there such a big difference and what wavelength does R12 correspond to?

Depending on the underlying technology used, the R12 value can vary quite significantly.

​The R12 value corresponds to wavelengths centered at approximately 460 nm. The reason our 95 CRI products (such as our NorthLux lamps) have a lower R12 value is that they utilize a blue diode as its light engine, which creates some distortion at or around the peak blue wavelength around 450-460 nm. On the other hand, our ABSOLUTE SERIES LEDs use a violet diode as its light engine, which does not create as much distortion in the blue wavelength range as it has a peak violet wavelength of approximately 420 nm.

​We generally do not find that R12 is as critical of a color metric as R9 is, but for a color-critical studio application, the added color rendering benefit may be of interest to you.

For further reference, we would recommend the following resources:

Are there any issues with UV light from using the violet Diode?

Based on a strict definition of "UV" being wavelengths less than 400 nm, our ABSOLUTE SERIES LEDs do not contain any UV.​From a purely technical perspective, however, the violet wavelengths do contain a higher amount of energy, and may present a slightly higher risk. Depending on how sensitive the artwork pieces and materials are, you may want to keep that in mind.

Are E26 Light Bulbs Interchangeable?

I have a fixture that came with a 14 watt E26 standard Medium base CFL bulb. Can I replace these with dimmable LED bulbs?

Based on the description provided, we believe that the following bulbs may work in your fixture, as both are dimmable and have a power consumption under 14 watts.

1. Ultra High 95 CRI E26 A19 5W LED Filament Bulb for Home & Residential

2. Ultra High 95 CRI E26 BR30 LED Bulb for Home & Residential

Is there a way to waterproof the 365 nm strips?

I'm interested in your 365nm strips - any idea if there's a way to waterproof those? Or would putting them into some kind of plastic sleeve block the UV produced?

Unfortunately, we are unable to assist with waterproofing. The intended usage as described is beyond the scope of what we do, as we do not offer waterproof enclosures.

We discourage the use of our products in any installations where they may come into contact with water, including submersion. Doing so introduces safety hazards, and any contact that this product has with moisture will void the warranty.

As a final note, it has been our experience that plastic sleeves do indeed block the UV being produced by the realUV™ LED strip lights.

Do you have a BR30 or PAR30 bulb that has lower blue light?

I'm looking for a BR30 or PAR30 bulb that has lower blue light. The 2700K seems to fit the bill, but I don't see it on your website anymore. Are you planning to sell more of these in 2700K?

Unfortunately, we do not have any 2700K BR30 bulbs at this time, and do not currently have plans to manufacture them.

In the event that your space would specifically benefit from the 2700K color temperature, the Ultra High 95 CRI E26 A19 5W LED Filament Bulb for Home & Residential may be an option.

However, if you require the narrower focused light output of the BR30 bulbs, we do offer the Ultra High 95 CRI E26 BR30 LED Bulb for Home & Residential in 3000K, which is a bit cooler, but similar to the 2700K color temperature specified

Does the plastic diffuser cover cut down or mitigate the 365 nm strip LED output?

I'm interested in using your 365nm strip and am wondering if the plastic diffuser cover cuts down or mitigates the LED output. I'm using this in resin curing for headlight restoration purposes. 

The plastic diffuser is likely to absorb the peak wavelengths of the 365 nm LED strip light, so for maximum efficacy, we would recommend removing the diffuser cover if at all possible.

Can I use an E26 BR30 bulb in a recessed ceiling fixture (no covering)?

Can these bulbs be used in a typical recessed ceiling fixture? There is no cover, so the bulbs will not be fully enclosed. I really want to change the lighting and feeling down here in the basement and I'm hoping these full-spectrum lights will help.

We can confirm that the BR30 E26 LED bulbs generally fit into recessed ceiling light fixtures, so long as the fixture is designed to accommodate the E26 base.

Please note that these lights do require airflow for proper heat dissipation. So long as these bulbs are not being covered by an enclosure, they should not experience overheating.

Work light for textiles application used to view texture and detail, neutral to daylight color, and good for indoor use and in a desk lamp.

Can you recommend a work light that will be good for indoor use and in a desk lamp, preferably from neutral to daylight color? I am working with textiles, so not only is color important but being able to view texture and detail.

Is there a bulb you think would work? Or is there a range in color/wattage/bulb type coated or clear that I might have success with?

We would recommend our 5000K or 6500K NorthLux 95 CRI E26 A19 LED Bulb for Art & Studio products could be great options for your desk light, so long as your light fixture can accept A19 bulbs with the E26 base.

The 5000K color temperature would be closer to the 4000K mentioned, while offering a neutral daylight color point. Alternatively, the 6500K color temperature has a light output that is similar to full daylight.

Do you have waterproof and high ambient operating environment capacity LED products used in the sauna?

I need waterproof and high ambient operating environment capacity to be used in the sauna.

Unfortunately we do not have any LED products that can withstand the thermal and moisture requirements for a sauna application.

Healthier lighting for dark apartments

I live in an apartment which has no natural light. I want some healthier lighting as we approach winter to brighten up my living area during the daytime. Which product would your recommend?

We're sorry to hear that you apartment doesn't get much natural light! Those winter months, especially at the northern latitudes, can definitely get dark and gloomy.

We designed our CENTRIC SERIES™ LED bulbs with a focus on full spectrum (high CRI) and flicker-free light output. We offer the CENTRIC SERIES in both the DAYLIGHT as well as HOME options, which correspond to the daytime color temperatures of 4000K, 5000K and 6500K, and popular nighttime color temperatures of 2700K and 3000K.

Since you're looking for supplemental lighting during the day, we would recommend our CENTRIC DAYLIGHT series bulbs. 5000K is our most popular as it offers a nice balance between morning sunshine (4000K) and blue sky (6500K). All of our CENTRIC SERIES LED bulbs are completely flicker-free.

If you need to determine the number of bulbs you need for a bright enough space, we recommend checking out our lumen estimation calculator. By plugging in the dimensions of your room, you will receive a general recommendation on the number of bulbs you need.

LED strip layout for cove lighting

I have a room with dimensions 15' x 15' and vaulted ceilings that go to 17'. I would like to line the perimeter of the room with LED strip lights. There is a "cove" space for lighting and I will utilize this space to install the LED strips. What layout and parts would you recommend for a dimmable setup?

Our LED strip lights sound like a great fit for an indirect lighting application. Assuming room dimensions of 15' x 15' and that you want to install LED strip lighting along the entire perimeter, this would require a total of 60 feet of LED strip lighting.

Each 16.4 reel of LED strip lights requires a separate TRIAC dimmable power supply. To cover 60 feet, you will likely want to use 4 reels and 4 power supplies. Each power supply can be connected to the same wall-dimmer as shown below:

Finally, inputting room dimensions and ceiling height into our calculator below, we can confirm that the 60 feet of LED strip will provide more than sufficient levels of brightness for all activities.

Reason for enclosed fixture ratings

What is the reason your A19 bulbs can not be used in enclosed fixtures? Why am I able to use a 60W incandescent bulb, but not your bulbs which are only rated at 10W?

Our 10W A19 lamps may not be used in an enclosed fixture. The reason is that enclosed fixtures do not provide sufficient free airflow to keep the bulbs cool, and may lead to premature failure.

Although LED bulbs emit less heat than incandescent bulbs, they are much more sensitive to heat due to the internal electronics in the LED bulb. An incandescent bulb is essentially made just of glass and a wire element coil (filament). Therefore, although a 60W incandescent bulb may work fine in an enclosed fixture and emit lots of heat, a 10W LED bulb emitting only a fraction of the heat may still be detrimental to the LED bulb because its components are much more sensitive to heat.

How many lumens do I need for my space?

Check out our Lumen Estimation Calculator

Brightness, of course, is one of the most fundamental and important aspects of an LED bulb. All of our LED bulbs are listed in lumens as well as a wattage equivalence number. It is difficult to provide any absolute answers when it comes to recommended lumens number for a given space, but you may want to consider the following three guidelines:

800 lumens = 60 watt IncandescentEvery 800 lumens gives you approximately the same amount of light as a 60W incandescent bulb. If, for example, you're trying to reproduce the brightness of 4 incandescent bulbs, make sure you have approximately 3200 lumens (4 x 800 lumens).

450 lumens = 1-ft T8 Fluorescent4-ft T8 fluorescent lamps emit approximately 3000 lumens. However, because it emits light in all directions, much of it is "lost" in the fixture. When replacing T8 fluorescent lamps with an LED solution such as LED strip lights, we recommend budgeting 450 lumens per foot as a direct replacement. For example, a 2-lamp 4-ft T8 fixture would require approximately 3600 lumens (8 x 450 lumens).

1000-3000 lumens per 100 Square FeetIf you're lighting up a new space or don't have a reference point to compare with incandescent or fluorescent lamps, you can also estimate your lighting needs by square footage. For every 100 square feet, 1000 lumens is sufficient for low-light level areas such as living rooms and lounge areas, while task-oriented spaces may require up to 3000 lumens or more.

Check out our Lumen Estimation Calculator for an interactive way to calculate the number of lumens or lamps needed for your space.

Finally, keep in mind that we offer a free returns & exchanges program. We encourage customers to test out our LED strip lights prior to installing them to make sure the brightness and color meet or exceed their expectations. As long as the LED strips are in their original condition (e.g. segments uncut, adhesive liner not removed), we will gladly accept returns and exchanges of LED strip lights. See our full return & refunds policy here.

A19 bulbs in semi-enclosed fixtures

The product page for the CENTRIC HOME™ A19 bulbs says they are not suitable for enclosed fixtures. Would they be OK to use in semi-enclosed fixtures? For example, I have some floor lamps with cone-shaped lampshades that surround the bulb. How about desk lamps with similar cone-shaped lampshades?

The 10 watt A19 lamps are not, as you correctly mention, not suitable for use in enclosed fixtures. Our definition of enclosed fixtures is defined as any fixture that completely seals off air flow from the ambient environment. The most commonly seen enclosed fixtures are those in residential ceiling fixtures, where a glass housing completely encloses the fixture base.

On the other hand, table and desk lamps that are partially enclosed will not present any issues with the enclosed fixture rating. Because these fixtures allow for sufficient free air flow, there are no concerns with respect to thermal damage and premature failure.

Which is safer - DC 12 volts or 24 volts?

Do 12 volt LED strip light systems also have lower shock risk than 24 volt? I have heard that "it's not voltage that kills, it's current" - in which case the 12 volt LED strips would appear more dangerous given that it has twice the amperage.

Generally, we believe that "shock risk" increases as the voltage increases. At a very basic level, this suggests that 12 volt LED systems would have the lowest possibility of causing an electric shock, while 24 volt would be slightly higher but still relatively low, and 120 volt line voltage would be much higher in terms of the possibility of causing an electric shock.

Shock risk, however, is not the same as the potential to cause bodily harm or injury. The zap from static electricity that you feel on a dry winter day, for example, has a very high voltage of tens of thousands of volts, but does not cause any harm due to the inherently low amount of energy (as you mention, it lacks the "current which kills").

The primary reason lower voltage systems have a lower shock risk, is simply due to the fact that low voltage systems generally lack the voltage potential to overcome the high electrical resistance in our human skin. Therefore, a 12 volt system, even one with a higher amperage rating, is seen as generally lower risk because the 12 volts is usually insufficient to penetrate skin and other objects.

Low voltage systems do have a lower risk, but that is not to say they are risk-free. Please use caution and consult with an electrician when installing any LED systems you are not familiar with.

How do I know how many bulbs I need for my space?

One of the most fundamental questions before embarking on a residential or studio lighting project is knowing how much light is enough? We've all had experiences where it's just too dim to see properly, so under-estimating the amount of light needed is an obvious concern. Installing too much light, on the other hand, can also be problematic, as this can lead to uncomfortably bright spaces and unnecessary expense.

One resource we offer at Waveform Lighting is the Lumen Estimation Calculator. This calculator will ask some basic questions about your space, such as the physical dimensions as well as the brightness needs (e.g. residential space or an art studio, or something in between?)

Based on these inputs, the calculator will provide an estimated "lumens" recommendation. This is the total amount of brightness that would be appropriate for a particular space, given the details inputted. From there, various lighting options can be explored, given the total amount of brightness required.

Mounting lights onto a window with no incoming light

I currently have a window that does not have any natural light, because it faces a wall just 1 inch away. I'm hoping to simulate natural light with one of your lighting options. What do you suggest?

Our full spectrum lighting options sound like a great solution for your situation.

In general, our 4000K or 5000K products with 95 CRI will provide you with the best simulation of natural daylight. Our CENTRIC DAYLIGHT A19 bulbs fit into standard screw-base sockets and maybe a great, straightforward option for you.

Depending on the dimensions and mounting options of your window, our T5 integrated linear fixtures may also be worth considering.

The T5 integrated linear fixture sounds great.  The inside dimension of the window is 70 inches wide and 46 inches tall.  Do you think a single 2-ft fixture will be sufficient? 

Based on these dimensions, up to three 2-ft T5 light fixtures could be used to evenly fill the space.

These 2-ft T5 light fixtures can also be daisy-chained together, which means they can all connect to a single power outlet.

Since the window faces the outside, there is some condensation on the window glass. Do you think condensation would be an issue?

Based on the information available to us, it is difficult to say with any certainty whether or not condensation would still be an issue for these fixture mounting solutions.

It may be worth investigating for the presence of moisture on or near your window, in order to have a better idea of the safety hazards which might be present. If, for example, visible water droplets are present, that would certainly be a situation where condensation would indeed be a safety concern.

Putting LED strip lights on the backs of shelves in a three section book case

I am putting lights on the backs of shelves in a three section book case. There are a total of 4 shelves on each section and a section in the middle with one shelf to light. The tape light I choose is 3000 K. The shelves each are all 30 inches with the exception of the one in the middle being 40 inches. Total length of lighting needed is 24 ft. There is about 18 in of jumpers needed between the shelves.

Would you recommend two 12 volt power supplies in 2 parallel 16 ft runs, or one 24 volt power supply in one 24 ft run wired in series?

Generally speaking, our LED strip lights are limited to 16.4 ft per run due to power supply and/or maximum run length constraints. For your installation of 24 ft, you will likely want to install two separate LED runs​, while ensuring that neither run exceeds 16.4 ft.​

Below is a link to one of our layout diagrams which you may find useful in determining the configuration and components needed for this setup:​https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps/3001_1B

‹   Knowledge Base Home