Customer Reviews

Pharox II

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I had high hopes for this bulb because of the price and some reviews. I was very disappointed.

1. I don't know how they can say this is a 40W equivalent. Even a 25W incandescent bulb looked brighter when I compared the two side by side in the same style lamps.

2. The incandescent bulb had a significantly better color output. The LED bulb had a bit of a greenish cast to it and the light distribution was not as good. See the photo I uploaded.

3. These are very expensive bulbs. For the price, I expected much better.

4. The metal part of the bulb does get pretty warm.

5. At least these are better than the cheap-o ones at Walmart, but at a much higher cost.

See the photos I uploaded.

Ok being a early adopter of this stuff I bought one of the 4w bulbs and 13 of the 6w bulbs about a year ago just when they came out after all the good reviews and hype. I figured these would be a life time investment and save me the cost of the bulb over time. Wrong!

Since then the frosting on the 4w bulb turned clear and now it does noting but through rainbows out around the edge of the light and the color looks off, just looks silly, next two of the 6w bulbs have started to buzz. I called the company to warrantee them since they where only 6 months old and got the run around telling me there are only certain dimmers they are compatible with. Funny I never saw that on any package or in there advertisement in fact you have to call the company to get that list it is not even on there web site. So basically I get the feeling they are not going to warrantee them and I got screwed. They have to know the globe not staying frosted is a problem and the buzzing is a issue since they knew right away on the phone how to stone wall me as soon as I said the word buzz.

Anyhow love the bulb the brightness is good had high hopes for this bulb but they are just not lasting so I wouldn't buy them again.

We bought two of these bulbs to try when they first came out. We promptly smoked one of them by trying to run it with an inverter providing a modified sine wave output. Don't try that! The company replaced that one for us, and the two have been in heavy duty use in a bathroom light fixture ever since. They're every bit as bright as a 40 watt bulb (measured by a light meter), and are cool to the touch. And they even have a bit of a "fade" when you turn them off, which is kind of fun. I'm about to order a couple more for lamps where we have CFLs.

Unlike the previous reviewer I was fairly impressed with this bulb. I'd say it was/is about a 40w replacement & I used it to replace a 25w fluorescent (not quite as strong but fine for my purposes).

I can read in bed with it, it doesn't feel particularly hot, I can't speak to it's longevity since I just bought it.

I like LED's and hope to see the price on them continue to drop.

Yeah, $40 is alot, I agree. If you can afford it though you'll save in the long run.

We have been checking out LED bulbs for several years now. One thing becomes "clear" the more you look into LED's, and that is nothing is as it seems from others description. One persons "opinion of what looks like a 40 watt bulb may look like a 25 watt (or less) to you. Do not buy LED bulbs thinking everything comes in nice neat packages and are as they they seem, this indeed is a grey area. Read all you can on multiple web pages and and then you have to be willing to take a few chances.

This bulb looks like it is about a 25 watt bulb. In fact most LED bulbs as a general rule seem "to me" to have about 50% of the brightness they claim. There are exceptions, but this rule of thumb has kept me from being to disappointed. That and realizing it is "just a light bulb" not a new car! Some people take the small stuff in life way to hard.

That being said, I have found this bulb to work well and give of a light looking to me to be about 25 watts. I like the energy savings, because we are paying more than $0.50 a KWH where we live, making these bulbs an even smaller investment to try out. We did find that outside (back steps, to take the dog in and out) in the cold it does start "flashing on and off." This happens at about -10 or colder. But other than that it works fine.

I bought the iPharox Incandescent LED replacement bulb about a month ago from Kuuala for $48.96. So far this is the best LED replacement bulb I have come across thus far. I have tried others and failed. But the Pharox provides the same amount of light and renders the same color from that of your traditional energy hogging warm white incandescent bulb. I have replaced all of my lamps with the pharox as well as all accenting lights (these are great for that), and lights that are pointing down and can't really tell the difference.

Some people may be comparing the lumen output and may think that due to the difference between the incandescent and the LED that it would not be as bright. The problem is that it is difficult to compare LED's this way because incandescents shoot light 360 degrees and therefore the light output seems more but it is actually rating light that is not effective. When comparing the effectiveness of the light it is good to compare the lumens/watt output. Pharox is at an efficacy of 60 (lumens/watt) where a traditional bulb would be around 50. I suggest you try one and see for yourself.

I am throughly pleased with the bulb and my efforts to search for an alternative have slowed almost to a stop. Given the lifespan of this bulb, I wont have to change them ever again... what a great investment :)

Furthermore, my energy costs have been reduced (after changing about 15 of these around the house)albeit a small amount. However it's hard to tell at this time because the cold has come and the heating costs have gone up and at the same time it's only been a month. I will monitor the energy savings further and update the post.

I bought a few of those several month ago, and I am thrilled about them. The light-output is very much comparable to a standard bulb (40W), and it works well for reading lights and other table lamps. The price also seems to be going down! I guess it is just a matter of time until LED Bulbs replace the regular household bulbs. I will purchase more of these soon and give them to all my friends for Christmas. This is a gift that will keep on giving.