Ceiling lights help set the mood in your bathroom.
The right lighting may transform your bathroom into a relaxing oasis, while the wrong lighting may leave you struggling to perform basic grooming needs. To effectively light your bathroom for both general ambiance and focused tasks, combine layers of light from multiple fixtures and sources. Start at the top, with bathroom ceiling lightbulbs that brighten the room, mimic the look of natural sunlight, and provide overall ambient lighting.
Match Bulbs to Fixtures
Not all bulbs are designed to fit every fixture. Before buying bulbs for your bathroom ceiling, check existing fixtures to determine the maximum rated wattage, then choose bulbs within the wattage range. If you have hanging lights, pendants or ceiling fans in your bathroom, check for bulbs specifically designed for these fixtures. For dimmable fixtures, stick to bulbs specifically designed for dimming. If you've purchased dimmable bulbs and you hear an annoying buzzing from your fixtures, look for bulbs with a lower wattage to eliminate buzzing, suggests This Old House.
Choose Colors Wisely
This Old House recommends crisp white lighting in the bathroom because of its ability to accurately render skin tones. While halogen bulbs are best for this function, incandescent, compact fluorescent and other bulbs also can achieve the desired color range. To compare colors, check the packaging on your lightbulb for Kelvin ratings, which measure color. Low Kelvins generally result in yellow lighting, while high Kelvins in the 5,500 to 6,000 range are associated with blue light. For crisp, white light, stick to bulbs with a 3,500 to 4,100 Kelvin rating. In addition to Kelvins, check the Color Rendering Index to see how well the light renders color. The higher the CRI, the more likely the bulb accurately renders colors. Pegasus Lighting suggests going with a CRI of 85 or greater in the bathroom for best results.
Understand Watts and Lumens
Buyers accustomed to buying bulbs based on wattage may find themselves confused with new CFL and LED bulbs, which are rated in lumens rather than watts. A 450-lumen bulb is roughly equivalent to a 40-watt bulb, while 800 lumens is similar to 60 watts, according to Consumer Reports. A bulb rated at 1,100 lumens is similar to a 75-watt bulb, while 1,600 lumens is equivalent to 100 watts. When choosing floodlight bulbs, multiply watts by 10 to find the approximate number of lumens required.
Consider Lifespan
Choosing bulbs with a long lifespan can reduce maintenance and cut costs over time. Halogen bulbs last from 750 to 1,250 hours, while high-end halogen units can last 2,000 to 2,500 hours, according to The Family Handyman. Incandescent bulbs burn out after around 1,200 hours, while CFLs endure for up to 10,000 hours, according to Eartheasy. Light-emitting diodes offer the longest lifespan of any standard lightbulb, and can keep your bathroom bright for up to 50,000 hours.
Weigh Energy Consumption
The familiar incandescent lightbulb generates much more heat than light, making it inefficient. In fact, it takes about 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity to light a room using incandescent bulbs for 50,000 hours, according to Eartheasy. While halogen bulbs are slightly more efficient, they generate even more heat than incandescent bulbs, making them a poor choice if you're concerned about efficiency and costs. CFLs offer improved efficiency, and require about 700 kWh per 50,000 hours of operation. For the ultimate in efficiency for your bathroom ceiling fixtures, consider LEDs, which consume just 300 to 500 kWh per 50,000 hours of operation.
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