E-Luminate

Matching the cap to your fitting: B22, E14 and E27

The first thing to check is the cap, the part that connects the bulb to the lampholder. Our E-Luminate range covers the three caps you will meet most often at home. B22 is the bayonet cap, a push-and-twist fitting common on older ceiling pendants. E14 is the small Edison screw, used on most candle bulbs and many smaller shades. E27 is the larger Edison screw, found on bigger pendants, floor lamps and some table lamps. If you are unsure, take the old bulb with you or read the cap code printed near the base of the fitting.

Bulb shapes: GLS, candle and reflector

Shape decides both the look and where the light goes. The GLS bulb is the classic rounded household shape, a sensible choice for general room light behind a shade. Candle bulbs have a tapered profile that suits wall lights and chandeliers where the bulb is partly on show. Reflector lamps in our range include R50, R63 and R80, which throw a more directional beam and work well in spotlights and downlight-style fittings where you want light aimed rather than spread.

Warm white or daylight: choosing your Kelvin

Colour temperature is measured in Kelvin. Our E-Luminate bulbs come in 2700K warm white and 6500K daylight. Warm white at 2700K gives a soft, cosy tone that suits living rooms, bedrooms and dining spaces. Daylight at 6500K is a crisp, cooler light that helps with tasks, so it tends to work in kitchens, utility rooms, garages and home offices. Pick one tone per room so the light reads evenly rather than mixing warm and cool in the same space. If you are switching from old incandescent bulbs, 2700K is the closest match to the familiar yellow-toned glow.

Reading the wattage and lumens

LED bulbs draw far less power than the old filament types, so the wattage on the box is low. Our range spans roughly 3W to 8.5W, with the higher figures giving more light. The 470-lumen candle bulbs sit around the 40W-equivalent mark, while the 8.5W GLS bulbs reach a 60W-equivalent feel. The number worth checking is the lumen figure, which tells you the actual brightness: lower-output candle bulbs sit around 250 to 470 lumens for accent and decorative use, and the brighter GLS and reflector lamps run higher for general room light.

Dimmable versus non-dimmable, and twin packs

Check whether a bulb is dimmable before you fit it. Our range includes both, with a dimmable candle option alongside the non-dimmable bulbs. A non-dimmable LED is fine on a standard switch, but it should not go on a dimmer circuit. If you have a dimmer, choose a bulb marked dimmable and pair it with a compatible LED dimmer. Most of the range is supplied as twin packs, which is handy for matched pairs in wall lights, for doing a fitting with two or more lampholders in one go, or simply for keeping a spare in the cupboard.