When it comes to efficient and cost effective lighting, most people prefer the option of LED lights in their homes over the conventional CFL lights. Though the initial investment in the case of LED lights is high, they are more durable and come with a variety of features such as adjustable color and brightness. Depending upon the type of area that requires lighting, there are different options in lighting fixtures. One of the types of lighting is T8 light bulbs. T8 bulb are available in both LED as well as CFL. The question is which of the two is better? Take a look below and find out

Efficiency

When it comes to efficiency, LED T8 bulbs use 22 Watts of power whereas CFL T8 use between 28-32 Watts. This means LED T8 bulbs are nearly 30% more efficient than CFL T8 fixtures.

Directional Light Source

At times, we may require a directional light source for illuminating certain aspects of the interior of an office or home. LED T8 bulbs emit light in a 110 degree while CFL bulbs emit light all over. Directionality can be achieved only in the case of LED T8 bulbs. In order to make the light from CFL T8 bulbs directional, you would have to make use of reflectors.

How Light Is Produced

CFL lamps use heat to generate light. This means that the temperature of CFL T8 bulbs are quite high whereas LED T8 bulbs use energy to produce lights and there is much less heating. This is one of the reasons why LED T8 bulbs are so popular among property owners.

Duration Of Light

Once a CFL T8 bulb is dead, it can no longer give out light. The maximum duration of a CFL T8 bulb is at an average of 14,400 hours or roughly 60% of its output. When it comes to LED T8 bulbs, they have a life of 50,000 hour or 70% of its light output. A CFL T8 would have to be replaced at least 3 times to keep up with the light output offered by LED T8 bulbs.

Mercury

LED T8 bulbs have no mercury or glass components making it much safer than CFL T8 bulbs. This allows LED T8 bulbs to be more effectively recycled since there is no toxic mercury waste.

UV Radiation

One of the biggest advantages offered by LED T8 bulbs is that they do not emit UV radiation unlike CFL T8 bulbs. UV radiation can affect colors in fabric and signage and also cause fatigue and strain to the eyes.