B22 (BC) LED Golf Bulb 4.9W 470lm - Daylight 6500K, 2 Pack

This is a golf ball lamp, the small round bulb that sits behind a shade or a glass shade without filling it the way a full size GLS bulb does. It takes a B22 bayonet cap, the two pin push and twist fitting found on a great many British light fittings, so it drops straight into a pendant, a wall light or a multi arm fitting that already holds a bayonet bulb. It draws 4.9W and puts out 470 lumens, an output the pack rates against a 40W conventional bulb, and the light it gives is 6500K daylight. Each box holds two bulbs with a frosted white finish.

Daylight at 6500K is a crisp blue white rather than the yellow of a traditional filament lamp. It reads as clean and awake, which suits a kitchen, a utility room, a garage, a landing or a desk where you want to see detail and judge colour properly rather than sit in a warm glow. It is the wrong choice for a bedside light or a sitting room where you want the evening to feel soft, so if the rest of the house runs warm white, keep these for the working corners. Where the bulbs are on show in an open fitting, the golf shape keeps the lit part small and tidy and the frosting spreads the light evenly.

There is no dimming here. This lamp is not dimmable, so put it on an ordinary on and off switch and keep your dimmer circuits for lamps rated for them, since a non dimmable LED on a dimmer can flicker, buzz or fail early. The pack prints a 10 year lamp life and an F energy rating. One box contains two bulbs, and the minimum order is six boxes sold in multiples of six, which works out at twelve bulbs. We also list golf and candle lamps on the smaller B15 small bayonet cap, and the same 470lm output in warm white 3000K and cool white 4000K.

How do I know my fitting takes a B22 cap?

Pull the old bulb out and look at the base. A B22 has two small pins on the sides of a smooth metal cap and locks in with a push and a quarter turn. If the base has a screw thread instead, you need an E27 or E14 lamp rather than this one.

What does 6500K daylight actually look like in the room?

It is a cool blue white, close to the light of an overcast midday sky, and noticeably whiter than the 2700K to 3000K warm white most homes use. Mixing it in the same room as warm white bulbs is very obvious, so it works best where every lamp is daylight.

Can I run this on a dimmer switch?

No. This lamp is not dimmable, so it needs a plain on and off switch. Wiring a non dimmable LED to a dimmer circuit commonly causes flicker, buzzing or early failure, and it will not give you smooth control at low settings.

Will a golf bulb work where a normal GLS bulb currently sits?

Electrically yes, as long as the cap is B22. A golf ball bulb is smaller and rounder than a GLS, so it will look neater in a small shade but may sit lower in a large one and leave the fitting looking a little empty.

Does this lamp carry an IP rating?

The manufacturer does not state an IP rating for this lamp and none is printed on the pack, so we list none. Treat it as an ordinary indoor lamp for the sort of fitting it replaces.

How many bulbs do I actually receive?

One box holds two bulbs. The minimum order on this listing is six boxes in multiples of six, so a minimum order brings you twelve bulbs in total, which is useful if a fitting takes several at once.