ᐅ Looking for Exterior Up/Down Lights – Purchase Recommendations Requested

hampshire schrieb:

A quick tip for those searching to understand the relevant values

• Color temperature – measured in Kelvin – Higher values above 4000 represent light similar to midday sun (towards blue). Lower values below 3000 resemble evening sunlight (towards orange).
• Example: You have installed 2 LED spotlights in a room ceiling. Both provide the same amount of light –

However, it feels different in reality. 4000 Kelvin is already quite cool; I once tried it in the bathroom, and it didn’t feel comfortable at all – it seemed very cold. 2700 Kelvin is like a regular 60W incandescent bulb, and 3000 Kelvin, in my opinion, is nicely warm white without appearing yellow. It’s best to try it out beforehand rather than fitting everything with expensive LEDs and then not liking the color temperature.

Best regards,
Sabine

Curly schrieb:

That sounds different from reality.

Apparently a misunderstanding. 4000K is actually quite cool. Midday sunlight in summer is also quite cool (5500-7000 depending on cloud cover). But since it is a warm light source and CRI is essentially the standard for color-accurate light, colors appear different than with "equally cool" light. The perception is different. That’s why a high CRI is so pleasant.
Your observation that a standard 60W incandescent bulb has about 2700K is correct. Incandescent bulbs have warm light—the glow is rather orangeish. As a warm light source, an incandescent bulb has such a high color accuracy that people didn’t have to worry about it before. Again, this highlights the importance of CRI.
Anyone comparing LEDs will notice that LEDs with the same color temperature can emit noticeably different light—one may appear "warmer" with a high CRI, the other "cooler," as it presents a narrower color spectrum that looks less natural.

Curly schrieb:

It’s best to try it out beforehand before fitting everything with expensive LEDs and later not liking the light color.

A safe piece of advice.

hampshire schrieb:

Anyone who compares LEDs will notice that LEDs with the same color temperature can still produce noticeably different light -

Furthermore, they age differently and the light changes over time.
This is also a reason for using replaceable light bulbs. It’s not only about the total failure.

We bought the ETime from the large online retailer for just under 30 euros and are very satisfied.

For durability, I would also always prefer glass covers on the outside when exposed to UV sunlight instead of the often used polycarbonate versions; polycarbonate needs to be protected against UV light by appropriate stabilizers. Otherwise, it yellows and becomes brittle (which, according to customer reviews, has happened with the Philips bollard lights, for example).

Is UV protection for polycarbonate really possible for the "advertised" 20,000 to 50,000 operating hours?

hampshire schrieb:

If you compare LEDs, you’ll notice that LEDs with the same color temperature can emit quite different light – one may appear "warmer" with a high CRI, while another looks "cooler" because it has a narrower color spectrum that looks less natural.

I have already had LED bulbs with a greenish tint (3000K), which really looked artificial. That’s when you truly appreciate how well a simple incandescent bulb shines.
Now we have Philips Master LED bulbs with 3000K and a CRI of 97, which I can really recommend. They make white furniture look nicely bright without appearing yellowish.

Best regards,
Sabine