Can I replace a 60 watt incandescent light bulb with a fluorescent or LED bulb that puts out more light than the incandescent?

Light output is measured in lumens, and yes, you can find a fluorescent bulb in lumen output equal to or greater than an incandescent 75 or 100 watt bulb.And it won’t be anywhere near 60 watts, so you are safe.

The rates on the old fixtures are there mostly because of the heat related to the light output. Using LED’s takes the heat out of the equation totally. Just to give you an idea, in my shop in Bakklandet, (the buildings are really old there… from the 1700’s and they were retrofitted with electricity, but not nearly enough for modern day use) the fuse kept blowing until we swapped out all the bulbs for LEDs. Brighter light, pulling less power.

As @cazzie mentions it’s the heat that would be a concern. The watts rating tells you how much power the fixture can handle. If you are replacing an incandescent bulb with an LED bulb you can get a lot more light out the replacement way before you exceed the original’s wattage.

@cazzie covers the hows and whys.

I’ll add, “Yes, I do it all the time.”

There was a similar question not too long ago, but I can’t find it.

I have changed several 60 watt incandescent lights with LEDs that produce as much light as a 100 watt incandescent lamps but use only about 13 watts each. However, I would not recommend using florescent bulbs. Though they use less wattage for equivalent lumens, about half failed after a few months. I have only had one LED lamp fail. A problem with both types is that they are too large to fit many incandescent fixtures.

Not only that, the florescent bulbs are being phased out due to health problems they are causing. Led’s are the wave of the future.

Everything old is new again:

New ‘light recycling’ incandescent bulbs could outperform energy-efficient LEDs

Researchers develop an incandescent light bulb powered partially by its own heat

Quick answer. Yes.

Don’t get fluorescent in my opinion, get the LED. Fluorescent can be very tiring on the eyes.

The LED’s are very bright if you get the whiter colors like 3,000–5,000. If you want it to be more yellow similar to your old bulb, but just a little brighter look at around 2500–2750.

If you need a lightweight bulb, and can’t find one to fit your base, and like daylight, very bright whiter light, look for 4,000–5,000. I don’t know where you have shopped already for bulbs, but if you have tried Lowes and Home Depot and places like Target, another very good place to try is Batteries Plus. They have a very good selection of bulbs, and usually their sales staff is very knowledgable. It’s a franchise so sometimes you’re talking to the owner.

Fluorescent can be very tiring on the eyes

The old CFL bulbs flickered. But I haven’t bought one in ten years that has the problem. And I am very sensitive to it.

But I probably will never buy another CFL because LEDs are now reasonably priced. I saw 3-packs at Home Depot yesterday for $10.

@jaykay Someone told me that fluorescent still has movement, it’s just so small we don’t perceive it, meaning it’s not obvious, but it still is enough that some people “feel” the effects on their eyes. I have no idea if that is bogus or not. I don’t know if there is any science behind their statement or just old wives tales.

If you have a Menard’s, I’ve found that they have the best selection of light bulbs of the Big Box Stores, and usually the best price, too. Lighting seems to be their “thing”.

I asked a similar Q a few months back, and I did go with brighter (but still cooler) CFL bulbs. No problems at all.

That was the question I looked for, @Yetanotheruser!

Thanks, everyone! Sorry for the dupe…I’ve gotten out of the habit of searching first. BAD ex-manager!

I would dearly love to use bright white LEDs at my desk, but as I say, they’re so heavy they tip my adjustable arm ‘architect style’ task lamps over. I’ll have a look at Batteries Plus to see if they have a solution, since we don’t have Menard’s.

The earlier questions was not an easy question to find, @augustlan. I looked.

Consider a new lamp if you’re not too attached to yours and you can’t find a bulb you like. You can find lamps very cheap in places like Lowe’s and Office Depot.

Or simply weight the lamp base.

I pretty much need this kind of lamp (large desk + huge monitor + laptop = need for adjustable light source). I do like the idea of weighting the base, but wonder how to do so attractively. I don’t want to have a brick sitting on it, haha.

I bought my aunt a lamp that has an electrical outlet on the base like many hotels have. I love being able to plug things in right where I work. Maybe your lamp already has that? Anyway, the newer lamps might be slim and have small led bulbs in them already.

Mine does have the plug in the base, and I do love it! I charge my phone there…so handy. The lamp is less than a year old.

I have to get me one of those lamps.

I bet you find a bulb that works.

If you don’t move the base a lot, you could use velcro adhesive strips to attach it to the desk.

Barring that, attach the lamp to something heavy that you find attractive. A decorative box filled with something heavy? Or a decorative mirror or tray that you can place heavy stuff on? The inside bottom of a bowl that you fill with marbles, pebbles or your loose change?

I had a large red glass bowl with black base on my coffee table that looked great filled with pennies.

Some good ideas, there. Thanks!

@JLeslie This is the one I have, and it’s on clearance for 17 bucks right now! Not the best quality in the world, but doable.

That does have a small base.

Sadly, the world is a little darker today.