G9 LED bulbs: the savings are real, but not where they sell it to you
G9 LEDs that match a 40W halogen cost more and are bigger; cheap ones don't always deliver the lumens they promise. The savings exist, but not where they sell them.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
G9 LEDs don't always match 40W halogens, and the ones that come close cost more
Swapping a 40-watt G9 halogen for its LED equivalent seems like the most obvious saving in the world: from 40 watts down to 4 or 9. The problem shows up when you switch it on. Several home tests by participants in the thread agree that many G9 LEDs on the market don't deliver the light they promise, and the ones that come close cost more than anyone wants to pay for a light bulb. The inescapable conclusion: the savings exist, but not where they sell it to you.
How many lumens replace a 40W G9
The benchmark is a 40-watt halogen, which puts out around 500 lumens. That's where the confusion begins. A 2-watt, 90-lumen G9 LED —the kind sold in big chains— gives "noticeably much less light" than the halogen it's meant to replace, according to one participant's experience. A 5-watt model with 64 LED elements, tested by its buyer in a multi-arm lamp, only matches a 30-watt bulb, not a 40-watt one. And the 7-watt ones with a claimed 220 lumens do convince the people who use them, though they suspect they deliver more than the label says.
The pattern repeats: the smaller the capsule, the less light. And G9s are small by necessity. A 550-lumen, 6-watt bulb does exist, but it measures 6 centimeters and sticks out of many lamp shades. The technical solution —more LEDs in less space— runs into the physics of the socket.
The price of the bulb that actually works
Here's the economic trap. G9 LEDs that genuinely replace a 40-watt halogen range from 5 euros per unit for a name brand to 12 euros for a pair at big-box stores. By comparison, a G9 halogen costs between 50 cents and 3 euros, depending on the hardware store. The payback calculation stretches over years, and for a bulb used two hours a day the return is debatable.
Some have done the math and backed off: after years testing halogens, CFLs and LEDs, one user maintains that the real saving is no more than a couple of euros a month, and that bulbs break sooner than they should. It's not an isolated stance. The purchase of an incandescent bulb for 1.75 euros versus the 3 euros asked for a similar halogen sums up the mood.
Buying G9 LEDs from China: the risk-price calculation
The cheap route exists. Orders of 10 bulbs for 16 euros, or a single one for 1.5 euros with more than 40 days of waiting. The experience of those who have bought hundreds of units on Asian platforms is reasonably good: one fails on arrival and is replaced without a return, a package gets lost and is reshipped. The problem isn't logistics, it's labeling.
The lumen figures claimed by unbranded sellers face no oversight whatsoever. One bulb advertises 350 lumens and doesn't deliver even 10%. Another claims 220 and delivers more. The absence of certification turns every purchase into a lottery, and the buyer has no one to complain to. The domestic alternative, with 24- or 48-hour shipping, costs a bit more but removes the uncertainty.
Tonalidad, flicker and size: what doesn't show on the box
Three details decide whether the bulb convinces. First, tonalidad: the "warm white" of catalog listings isn't always warm, and mixing a cool one among warm ones stands out. Second, flicker: many cheap LEDs rectify the current poorly and switch on and off at 50 hertz; pointing your phone's camera at the bulb gives it away. Third, size: the LED is bigger than the halogen and shows in small shades.
On top of that comes the dimmer problem. In lamps with pogre turn-on or standby in the switch, the LED's low resistance lets enough current through to make it flicker. Only dimmable versions avoid the effect.
What to do with the G9s at home
The prevailing recommendation is the small test. Buy one or two units, compare them against the halogen in the specific lamp, and decide afterwards. For multi-arm lamps, where the combined output compensates, the 5-watt LED works. For a single light point, it falls short.
One question remains unanswered: according to one participant, no major brand makes a G9 LED above 400 lumens in a compact size. Anyone who wants that level of light has to choose between a halogen that uses eight times more power or an LED that sticks out of the shade. Given that outlook, the forecast is that G9s will remain the last corner of the house to make the switch.
Swapping a 40-watt G9 halogen for its LED equivalent seems like the most obvious saving in the world: from 40 watts down to 4 or 9. The problem shows up when you switch it on. Several home tests by participants in the thread agree that many G9 LEDs on the market don't deliver the light they promise, and the ones that come close cost more than anyone wants to pay for a light bulb. The inescapable conclusion: the savings exist, but not where they sell it to you.
How many lumens replace a 40W G9
The benchmark is a 40-watt halogen, which puts out around 500 lumens. That's where the confusion begins. A 2-watt, 90-lumen G9 LED —the kind sold in big chains— gives "noticeably much less light" than the halogen it's meant to replace, according to one participant's experience. A 5-watt model with 64 LED elements, tested by its buyer in a multi-arm lamp, only matches a 30-watt bulb, not a 40-watt one. And the 7-watt ones with a claimed 220 lumens do convince the people who use them, though they suspect they deliver more than the label says.
The pattern repeats: the smaller the capsule, the less light. And G9s are small by necessity. A 550-lumen, 6-watt bulb does exist, but it measures 6 centimeters and sticks out of many lamp shades. The technical solution —more LEDs in less space— runs into the physics of the socket.
The price of the bulb that actually works
Here's the economic trap. G9 LEDs that genuinely replace a 40-watt halogen range from 5 euros per unit for a name brand to 12 euros for a pair at big-box stores. By comparison, a G9 halogen costs between 50 cents and 3 euros, depending on the hardware store. The payback calculation stretches over years, and for a bulb used two hours a day the return is debatable.
Some have done the math and backed off: after years testing halogens, CFLs and LEDs, one user maintains that the real saving is no more than a couple of euros a month, and that bulbs break sooner than they should. It's not an isolated stance. The purchase of an incandescent bulb for 1.75 euros versus the 3 euros asked for a similar halogen sums up the mood.
Buying G9 LEDs from China: the risk-price calculation
The cheap route exists. Orders of 10 bulbs for 16 euros, or a single one for 1.5 euros with more than 40 days of waiting. The experience of those who have bought hundreds of units on Asian platforms is reasonably good: one fails on arrival and is replaced without a return, a package gets lost and is reshipped. The problem isn't logistics, it's labeling.
The lumen figures claimed by unbranded sellers face no oversight whatsoever. One bulb advertises 350 lumens and doesn't deliver even 10%. Another claims 220 and delivers more. The absence of certification turns every purchase into a lottery, and the buyer has no one to complain to. The domestic alternative, with 24- or 48-hour shipping, costs a bit more but removes the uncertainty.
Tonalidad, flicker and size: what doesn't show on the box
Three details decide whether the bulb convinces. First, tonalidad: the "warm white" of catalog listings isn't always warm, and mixing a cool one among warm ones stands out. Second, flicker: many cheap LEDs rectify the current poorly and switch on and off at 50 hertz; pointing your phone's camera at the bulb gives it away. Third, size: the LED is bigger than the halogen and shows in small shades.
On top of that comes the dimmer problem. In lamps with pogre turn-on or standby in the switch, the LED's low resistance lets enough current through to make it flicker. Only dimmable versions avoid the effect.
What to do with the G9s at home
The prevailing recommendation is the small test. Buy one or two units, compare them against the halogen in the specific lamp, and decide afterwards. For multi-arm lamps, where the combined output compensates, the 5-watt LED works. For a single light point, it falls short.
One question remains unanswered: according to one participant, no major brand makes a G9 LED above 400 lumens in a compact size. Anyone who wants that level of light has to choose between a halogen that uses eight times more power or an LED that sticks out of the shade. Given that outlook, the forecast is that G9s will remain the last corner of the house to make the switch.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (46 replies).
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