Energizer LED Capsule Bulb G9 4.2W Clear Dimmable - Daylight 6500K

A G9 capsule is the small two pin lamp that pushes straight into its socket rather than twisting or locking, and this one runs on 4.2 watts for 470 lumens. Its colour temperature is 6500K, the coolest white commonly sold, which reads as a crisp blue-white rather than anything creamy. The pack quotes that 470 lumen figure as measured in a sphere, which matters on a capsule: the LED chips are arranged around the faces of the small clear body, so light leaves it in most directions instead of being thrown forward in one beam. The energy rating is E.

G9 sockets turn up in places where a bulb has to be nearly invisible: wall lights with small shades, under cabinet fittings, cooker hoods, desk lamps and the multi arm pendants that hold five or six capsules at once. The all round output suits every one of those, because a capsule tucked inside a shade needs to fill the shade rather than point at the ceiling. Daylight at 6500K is a working light, at home over a kitchen worktop, a hobby bench or a dressing table where colours need reading accurately, and it will feel stark in a sitting room where 2700K would suit better.

It is dimmable, and the pack carries the dimmable icon. Pair it with a trailing edge LED dimmer and check that dimmer's minimum load: at 4.2 watts, even several of these on one circuit can sit below the load an older halogen dimmer needs to run smoothly. The pack prints a 15 year lifespan and rates the lamp as a 40 watt replacement. Each box holds one lamp and the minimum order is 12, sold in multiples of 12, which is enough to relamp a whole multi arm fitting and keep spares. It sits alongside our wider range of LED bulbs in B15, GU10 and E27 fittings.

Will this fit my existing G9 fitting?

It fits any holder marked G9. Take the old lamp out and look at the base: two stiff wire pins bent into loops, pushed straight in, means G9. A pin that twists and locks or a four pin base is a different lamp.

How bright is 470 lumens next to the halogen capsule I am taking out?

The pack rates it as a replacement for a 40 watt halogen capsule, so expect a similar amount of light from a fraction of the wattage. Lumens, not watts, are what you compare when moving from halogen to LED.

What does 6500K daylight actually look like?

Crisp and blue-white, close to overcast daylight, with no yellow in it. It keeps colours honest for cooking, sewing or paperwork, but it will look cold beside warm white lamps, so try not to mix the two in one room.

Can I dim it, and what sort of dimmer do I need?

Yes, this one is dimmable. Use a trailing edge dimmer rated for LED loads and check its minimum wattage, because a few 4.2 watt lamps together can fall under what an older halogen dimmer needs to run without flicker.

How many bulbs do I receive?

Each box contains one bulb. The minimum order on this listing is 12 boxes, sold in multiples of 12, so a single order covers a multi arm fitting and leaves you spares.

Does it light up instantly?

Yes. There is no warm up period as there is with compact fluorescent lamps, so it reaches full brightness the moment the switch is flicked, which suits cupboards and cooker hoods.