5-watt PAR16/HR16 LED COB Flood Bulb, 2700K Warm White, Dimmable, 90° Beam Spread, 50-watt Equivalent, 500 lumens, CRI 80+, Short Neck, AC 120V, E26 Medium Base, 2.2” Length

10/16/18 - GOOLSUN 5-watt PAR16/HR16 LED COB Flood Bulb, 2700K Warm White, Dimmable, 90° Beam Spread, 50-watt Equivalent, 500 lumens, CRI 80+, Short Neck, AC 120V, E26 Medium Base, 2.2” Length, Purchased 9/27/18.I had never heard of Goolsun prior to my purchase. I found a recommendation for this LED bulb from a review of a similar LED bulb that I was considering. That factors that sold me on this LED bulb, over the other were the stated life expectancy, and the Color Rendering Index (CRI).This LED bulb has an estimate life-expectancy of 50,000 hrs. My light is on 24/7, so hopefully I'll get 5 yrs from it. Most other LED bulbs of this type have a shorter, 15,000-hour life expectancy. Who knows how long either will last, but that's the trade-off. For the higher price, LED bulbs are supposed to have a longer life than incandescent bulbs.This was also one of few bulbs that provided a Color Rendering Index (CRI). Most descriptions avoid this important characteristic of LED bulbs. Simply put, the CRI indicates how true color appears under the bulb, i.e., the measure by which light, emitted by the LED bulb, influences the accuracy or distortion of color. CRI is measured on a theoretical scale of 1 to 100, with 100 representing the most accurate color as it appears under the sun. The CRI of this LED is 80+. From what I've read, 80 is the lowest, reasonably acceptable rating; below 80, people will begin to see colors distortions (a purple dress appears blue, a pink blouse appears red, etc.) . Personally, I'm unable to see any color distortion, at all, with this LED. Color is definitely not skewed as it is with light that has a green, blue or pink cast.I bought this bulb to replace an incandescent, 50-watt spotlight. My 50-watt bulb blew out and I was using a 35-watt incandescent, temporarily. Well, the 35-watt blew out within a couple of weeks of use. I'm rather glad of that because the 35-watt was too dim. This 2700k is much brighter, surely equivalent to my previous 50-watt incandescent spotlight.From past purchases, I know that 2700k (k=Kelvin) is comparable to old G E incandescent bulbs. G E sold Standard bulbs that were clear and Soft White bulbs that were white. I used to prefer Standard bulbs for use with lamps with shades & covers and Soft White bulbs for lamps without covers like ceiling lamps, overhead desk lamps and basement lighting. I think the 2700k rating is good compromise between Standard and Soft White bulbs. Some indicate 3000k are comparable to a Soft White. After purchasing a half dozen of them, I disagree. For me, 3000k LEDs have a green cast and provide for an inaccurate color rendition. I should also mention that color rendition can be an individual phenomenon. For example, where one might see a purple dress as blue, others may see it properly, as purple.The separation between the 90-degree lighted area and unlighted area is much more distinctive with this LED bulb than incandescent bulbs. Incandescent light "bounces"; quite a bit more than LEDs, filling in shadows. This produces a more gradual transition between the lighted and unlighted areas. LED light bounces much less, making shadows a bit stronger. The end result is a distinct separation between the lighted and unlighted areas. So, a 30- or 40-watt equivalent LED bulb might be good choice to use in bed, when I want to read and my husband wants to sleep. (I'm not particularly fond of teeny-weeny book lights. They always seemed to be lost when I needed them. With an overhead lamp on the headboard, it's there when & where I need it.)The base of this LED bulb is E26, so it fits standard U.S., incandescent, light bulb sockets, not the slim sockets for something like chandelier bulbs.As far as the dimming capability, my lamp does not dim, so I cannot speak to the dimming aspects of this LED bulb. In order to take advantage of any LED bulb's dimming capabilities, the light fixture must have that capability. In other words, an LED bulb with dimming capabilities will not dim when used in a non-dimming fixture.My only regret with this purchase occurred immediately after I first switched on the LED. I was immediately pleased with the light it emitted and I regretted buying a single LED bulb instead of the group of 4.If you found my review beneficial, please tell me by clicking on "Helpful," below.I don't review every item I purchase, but when I do write a review, I try to take the time to make it helpful to consumers like myself. All of my reviews are my independent assessments, based on actual use of the product. Therefore, I try to provide insight that only a user can provide by pointing out characteristics that I found particularly beneficial and detrimental. Additionally, I may provide information that I discovered while researching an item. So, I would like to know if my reviews are worth the time I invest in them.Thank you for taking the time to read my review.

Decent bulb. It's being used in a bathroom and holding up well in damp conditions. The color is a little more on the yellow side than I expected which is only reason for the 4 versus 5 stars. Overall - a good value for the money. The bulb is in a recess fixture and because the bulb is much shorter than other PAR 16 bulbs - it doesn't throw as much light as I wanted. So if you have a shallow fixture - this could be a great bulb. The light given is fairly wide so it's good for overhead lighting applications.

The Summary (including some of the mfgr's 'advantages' bullets) -Form factor (i.e., COB) : Very nice.Instant On: Yep!Flicker: None.Warm White: Maybe. Still seems a little cooler than 'Warm White'... see my notes below.Dimmable: Somewhat, but still not there.First the Good:These bulbs come on instantly, as advertised, and are, physically, a great replacementfor my previous halogens. I get no flicker, at all, with these bulbs. At least nonethat I am able to discern.Next, the So So:I'm not confident these are 2700K. The fact is, however, that I don't have a means ofmeasuring their temperature... so, I don't really know what they would measure. I justdon't get the same feel from these lights as the halogens, especially when dimmed. Ofcourse, they only dim to about 30-40% of max (not <5%, like the halogens), so it's hardto make a direct comparison in that way. In fact, that may be why I don't get the sametemperature feeling from them as the halogens.On the plus side, however, they aren't the garish white of some other Warm White LEDsthat I have tried. Color-wise, I guess these are better than merely 'acceptable'.(how's that for wishy-washy?)The Bad:Yes these bulbs dim. However, I don't think their dimming properties rise to thelevel advertised:"Fully dimmable and compatible with regular triac dimmers(dimmers for incandescentand halogen lamps)."I am using the Lightolier Compose dimmers. These are Triac dimmers. It is because oftheir failure to fulfill that promise, that I rate these bulbs with 2-stars.And, yes, I have been having a lot of trouble finding LEDs in various form factors thatdim as well as halogens, or regular incandescent bulbs. However, I have found some, Iam happy to say. For instance, I have 10 sconce lights on a 1000W Compose dimmer. Ihave been running 75W incandescent bulbs in those for the last 10 years. When they're on,I'm looking at an electrical load of .75KWH (!) So, I was very pleased to find someregular A19 form factor LEDs that dimmed <almost> as well. Now I don't mind having theseon, full blast. It's refreshing. Why the same manufacturer's PAR16s don't behave aswell as their A19s, is beyond me.But these PAR16s? Well, as I mentioned, they do not dim below, say, 30% (withouta proper light meter, I can only make general approximations). They come on, at thatlevel, on the way up (i.e., 0% -> 30% is the first step), and turn off, at that level,on the way down (i.e. 30% -> 0%). I don't know whether the dimming behavior between30% -> 90% (or, whatever the max is) is linear, or not. I don't really care. The badbehavior at the bottom ruins it for me. For this room, they need to be able to do 5%.Their inability to do that is unacceptable, when they are supposed to be, "Fully dimmableand compatible..."Dimming deficiencies aside, I have to keep them. I am just so tired of the heat that is generated by the 6 50W halogen downlights that I am using in my small (14'x14') home theater. The heat gain in the room, when they are on, is significant. Plus, if you go upstairs when they're on, there is a hotspot on the floor, corresponding to each of them.So, maybe when their 50,000 hours are up, we will have perfected LED dimming with Triac-based dimmers, and I'll swap them out.- s.west

The bulbs work fine, and these do produce a warm-looking glow. They do flicker when dimmed way down. But my issue is that LED bulbs still don't seem like a great replacement for halogen if you want that sparkle. My ceiling fixtures are directed at our fireplace and mantel, and while everything is well-lit, there just isn't that definition and sparkle that you get with halogen bulbs. Everything just looks kind of flat. So I guess these are fine for general illumination, but not the best if you are trying to really highlight artwork or some kind of accessories. I've tried them out for over a year, in frustration over the short life of halogen, but I'm going back.

These work great! They're dimmable, nearly half the cost of a halogen flood, and the 90-degree spread is perfect for the rooms I'm using them in. They do NOT last 17 years AS ADVERTISED. At best these will last you ONE year. Some of mine only lasted 9 months, less than any halogen I've ever used. However, they're cheaper than halogen and it's difficult to find floods with these specs.