B15 (SBC) LED Golf Bulb 4.9W 470lm Non-Dimmable - Daylight 6500K

This is a golf ball bulb: the small round shape that suits fittings where a full sized lamp looks too big. It draws 4.9W and gives 470 lumens, which the pack rates as the equivalent of a conventional 40W bulb, and it runs at 6,500K, the coolest of the white tones and the one the pack calls daylight. The cap is B15, the small bayonet fitting with two pins on a narrow metal barrel rather than a screw thread. Energy rating is F, and the label quotes 5kWh per 1,000 hours of use.

B15 turns up on smaller domestic fittings: bedside and table lamps, wall lights, and the multi arm chandeliers and pendant clusters built around small candle or golf lamps. Take the old bulb out first and look at the base, because two pins on a narrow barrel means B15 while a wider barrel means B22, and the two do not interchange. The 6,500K tone is a separate decision. Daylight reads crisp and slightly blue rather than yellow, so it suits a desk or hobby lamp, a garage light or a utility area where you want to see clearly, and it will feel noticeably cooler than the warm white most rooms are lit with.

The beam is 240 degrees, so light spreads around the bulb rather than pointing one way, which suits open shades and glass fittings. It is not dimmable, so keep it off dimmer circuits, where a non dimmable LED can flicker or fail early. The pack prints a 10 year lamp life at 10,000 hours and more than 10,000 on and off switching cycles, so a hall or landing switch in constant use is no problem. Each unit is a single bulb, with a minimum order of 10 in multiples of 10. We also stock this golf bulb in warm white 3000K.

How do I tell whether my light fitting takes a B15 cap?

Take the old bulb out and look at the base. B15 has two small pins on the side of a narrow metal barrel, and it pushes in and twists a quarter turn. A wider barrel of the same type is B22 and will not fit.

Is 470 lumens enough to replace an old 40W bulb?

Yes. The pack rates this bulb as the equivalent of a conventional 40W lamp, so in a table lamp or a multi arm fitting you should get a comparable amount of light from 4.9W.

Can I use it with a dimmer switch?

No. The specification lists it as non dimmable, so it needs a plain on and off circuit. Fitted to a dimmer it may flicker, hum or fail well before the stated life.

What does 6,500K daylight look like once it is lit?

It is a crisp, slightly blue white rather than a yellow glow, which helps with close work and colour matching. For a relaxing living room or bedroom, warm white at 3000K is the softer choice.

Will switching it on and off a lot wear it out?

The pack prints more than 10,000 switching cycles alongside the 10 year, 10,000 hour lamp life, so a frequently used hall, landing or cupboard light is well within what it is built for.

How many bulbs do I receive?

One bulb per unit. The minimum order on this listing is 10 units, sold in multiples of 10, so the smallest purchase is 10 individually boxed bulbs.