E27 (ES) LED Golf Bulb 4.9W 470lm Non-Dimmable - Daylight 6500K

A golf ball bulb is the small round lamp that sits between a candle and a full size GLS, and this one takes the larger E27 screw cap rather than the smaller E14. It draws 4.9W and gives 470 lumens at 6,500K, which the pack calls daylight and rates as the equal of a 40W conventional bulb. The glass is opal white rather than clear, so the light spreads off the dome instead of showing the diodes inside as bright points. The pack gives the bulb as 45mm across and 80mm long, and it runs on ordinary 220 to 240V mains.

6,500K is the coolest of the common white tones, closer to overcast midday light than to the yellow of a filament lamp. It suits the places where you want to see properly: a utility room, a garage, a workbench, a stairwell, a shed or a task lamp over a desk. It is a working light rather than a cosy one, so if this bulb goes into a sitting room fitting beside warm white lamps, the difference between them will be plain. Multi lamp fittings and small shades take the round golf shape happily, being shorter than a standard GLS.

There is no dimming: the specification gives the bulb as non dimmable, so put it on a plain on and off switch and keep dimmer circuits for lamps rated for them. The pack prints a 10 year lamp life at 10,000 hours and more than 10,000 on and off switching cycles, useful on a landing or cupboard light that gets flicked all day. The energy label rates it class F at 5kWh per 1,000 hours. Each box holds one bulb, and the minimum order is five, sold in multiples of five. It sits alongside our other LED golf and candle bulbs, including B15 (SBC) versions in warm white 3000K, cool white 4000K and daylight 6500K.

Will this fit my lamp or ceiling fitting?

It takes an E27 screw cap, the larger of the two common screw sizes. Unscrew your old bulb and check the thread measures about 27mm across; if it is the smaller E14, this one will not fit.

What old bulb does 470 lumens replace?

The pack rates it as the equal of a 40W conventional bulb, so it is a straight swap for an old 40W golf ball in a bedside lamp, a wall light or a multi arm fitting.

What does 6500K daylight actually look like?

It is a crisp white with no yellow in it, much like light from an overcast sky. Good for seeing detail and colour accurately, and noticeably cooler than the 2700K or 3000K bulbs used in living rooms.

Can I use it with a dimmer switch?

No. The specification gives this bulb as non dimmable, so it needs a plain on and off switch. Fitting a non dimmable lamp to a dimmer can cause flicker, buzzing and a shortened life.

How long should it last, and does frequent switching harm it?

The pack prints a 10 year life based on 10,000 hours, together with more than 10,000 on and off switching cycles, so it copes with a light that is used in short bursts.

How many do I have to buy?

Each box holds one bulb and the minimum order is five, sold in multiples of five, which suits kitting out a multi lamp fitting and keeping a spare or two by.