Halogen GU10 lamp caps have been a staple in British households for decades, being one of the most recognisable light bulbs out there.
However, the LED revolution of recent times has introduced us to GU10 LED lamps, which offer the same classic design but with increased efficiency.
In this article, we will explain why it is time to make the switch over to LED GU10 bulbs and brighten your home in style!
Pre-existing problems with GU10 lamp caps
Alan Tulla, the technical editor at Lux, took a look at GU10 lamps over three years ago, and found they were lacking in some departments.He stated that none of the lamps available had a clearly distinct edge and many didn’t have a smooth gradation of light from the centre to the outside.
Another problem was variety: all the lamps had very similar beam widths, which appeared wider than the figures quoted on the packaging.
Another negative feature for many GU10 lamps was the power rating which was often minuscule; for instance, the ‘Compton’ has a power rating of 0.41.
This is compared to the higher end of the spectrum - the Verbatim GU10 which has a power rating of 0.96.
Although light output is usually measured in watts, the power rating is important. A low power rating means that the light has to draw more current. For electricians, this is a hassle, as they must resize fuses in larger domestic houses in order to compensate for the poor power factor.
The times have changed: improvements made to GU10 lamps
Lux conducted testing on the new ‘breed’ of LED GU10 lamp caps at the Lighting Association laboratories in Telford.Alan Tulla notes that the lamps they tested were under regulations stating that the lumens quoted on the packaging must be contained within a 90-degree beam.
However, not all the manufacturers did this, which led to some confusion: Sparks will discuss only the GU10 lamps that followed these guidelines.
Tulla was deeply impressed by Integral LEDs GU10 lamp offering, which he gave a four out of five-star rating. He stated that: This is another GU10 with a high colour rendering index, CRI, of 98. It really does make a difference in domestic and hotel locations. The beam is broadly circular and has a soft edge. It’s a nice looking lamp. Sparks sells a wide range of Integral LED and Megaman GU10 LEDs.
The 6W Classic PAR16 from Integral LED comes in at an incredible £4.20 (including VAT), which is great value for money.
This non-dimmable LED lamp incorporates a stylish engineered lens with an affordable GU10 lamp cap.
This lamp from the ‘Classic’ range offers directional light with a beam angle that closely mirrors that of familiar halogen lamps.
It also boasts the energy-saving and long-life benefits of LED lighting. The CRI rating is above 80, offering a high quality colour rendering.
A wide range of Integral LED GU10 bulbs can be found on our site here. Megaman offers a similar quality of GU10 LEDs, with great energy ratings, high CRI’s and low costs.
What’s more, the 4.5W GU10 LED Spotlight is priced exactly the same as Integral LED’s Classic PAR16 at £4.20 (including VAT).
It is the ideal LED spotlight for retrofit applications such as showrooms, reception areas, meeting rooms, offices, lounges and kitchens.
The two products mentioned above have another similarity as well as price.
They both hold an impressive A+ energy rating and a low wattage consumption rate.
This makes them very eco-efficient and demonstrates how GU10 lamps have progressed for the better in recent years.
Why you should make the switch to GU10 LED bulbs
The future of the GU10s clearly lies with the GU10 LED bulb. These lights are up to 90% more efficient than standard halogen GU10 bulbs, so a 5W bulb can provide up to 50W of light output.The lifespan can give you up to 50,000 hours of usage, and to put into perspective, at 4 hours use per day, this could equate to thirty years of use!
There are also plenty of dimmable versions on the market including the aforementioned PAR16 from Integral LED.
These bulbs are available in warm white or cool white colour temperatures, and a broad variety of colours - they are ideal for accent or display lighting.
So what are you waiting for? Ditch your wasteful halogen GU10 lamps (if you didn’t do this yet) and replace then with the stylish, eco-friendly LED lamps today.
