B22 (BC) LED Golf Bulb 4.9W 470lm Non-Dimmable - Warm White 3000K

A golf ball bulb is the small round one, shorter and narrower than a standard household lamp, and this version puts an LED behind an opal head. The cap is B22, the push and twist bayonet fitting used on most British pendants, table lamps and ceiling roses. It draws 4.9W and returns 470 lumens, which the retail pack rates as the equal of a 40W conventional bulb. The colour temperature is 3000K warm white, a soft light with a faint yellow warmth to it, and the pack prints a colour rendering index above 80.

Golf lamps earn their place where a full size bulb looks heavy or simply will not fit: bedside lamps, small pendants, multi arm ceiling lights and wall lights with short shades. The 240 degree beam angle spreads light sideways and behind the lamp as well as forwards, so a shade fills evenly and a cluster of several bulbs reads as one pool of light rather than a row of bright points. Warm white at 3000K sits comfortably alongside older filament bulbs, so you can change one lamp in a room without the ceiling looking mismatched.

There is no dimming here: the specification lists the lamp as non dimmable, so pair it with a plain on off switch rather than a dimmer circuit. It is rated IP20, for dry indoor use, and carries energy class F on the 2019/2015 label, drawing 5kWh per 1000 hours. The pack states a 10 year, 10,000 hour lamp life and more than 10,000 switching cycles, which matters on a landing or hall light that goes on and off many times a day. Each listing is a single bulb, ordered in multiples of five, and the same 3000K warm white output is also on our shelves in B15 small bayonet golf and candle bulbs, with cool white and daylight versions if you want a crisper light.

Which light fittings take a B22 cap?

B22 is the bayonet cap with two side pins that you push in and twist a quarter turn. It is the common British pendant and table lamp fitting. Check the old bulb: if it has pins rather than a screw thread, this one fits.

Will it be as bright as the 40W bulb I am replacing?

The pack rates 470 lumens as the equal of a 40W conventional golf bulb, so a like for like swap should read the same in the room. Lumens, not watts, are the figure to compare when you change from filament to LED.

Can I use it on a dimmer switch?

No. The specification lists this lamp as non dimmable, so it is meant for a plain on and off switch. Non dimmable LEDs put on a dimmer circuit can flicker, buzz or fail early, so choose a dimmable lamp if you need one.

How wide does the light spread?

The beam angle is 240 degrees, which is close to all round rather than directional. That suits open shades, glass fittings and multi arm lights where you want the whole shade lit rather than a single downward beam.

What does 3000K warm white actually look like?

It is a soft, slightly yellow white, warmer than the 4000K cool white you often see in kitchens and much warmer than 6500K daylight. It suits living rooms and bedrooms and reads close to an old filament bulb.

How long should one last?

The pack prints a 10 year, 10,000 hour lamp life and more than 10,000 on and off switching cycles, so it copes with a hall or landing light that gets switched several times an hour.