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LED Or Bulb Flashlights What To Choose

Must read information about: LED Or Bulb Flashlights What To Choose
There are many flashlights on the market today, and those for household use fall into two general categories: those with light produced either by LED´s or by incandescent bulbs. Which type should you choose? LED´s have only made their way into flashlights at the consumer retail level in the last several years, and are accordingly more expensive. Incandescent bulbs light up what might be called “normal” everyday flashlights. There could be about 10 in any given house across the U.S. – including the car and garage tool kits (This is not an official figure). When one falls behind the dresser, many people will just go buy another. That next flashlight is likely to be an LED.

A Little LED History

LED´s, while patented way back in 1961, were at first only able to emit a low-level red light. They were first put to commercial use in calculators and the like. Remember the tiny red tubes of light that formed the numbers on an old calculator? Now you find LED´s in traffic lights. Soon they will become affordable enough to replace the bulbs in all the lamps at home, where a lower electricity bill will make up for the higher initial cost. Flashlights, however, have already reached and surpassed the tipping point, and the costs are equalizing.

About Incandescent Bulbs

Incandescent bulbs are everywhere because they have been in use for such a long time (patented in 1903) and have become very cheap to make in an infinite variety of sizes, styles and colors. Should you toss them all out in favor of the LED, the relative newcomer to the flashlight scene? It really depends on the use – think of what you need the flashlight for, how often and in what situations you will be using it.

Incandescent (aka Normal) Flashlights – Pros and Cons

There are negative points of the incandescent bulb flashlight which separate it from the more modern LED versions. The incandescent bulbs are more easily breakable and the flashlights are often heavier to grip and carry. In addition, they often require costly batteries and can go out suddenly without warning. The advantage to having one of these traditional flashlights is that they are often easier to come by.

LED Flashlights – Pros and Cons

The only (slight) downside to the LED flashlight is the initial cost, but pricing has almost evened out except on the very low end. On top of this, LED flashlights will save more money in the long run due to the energy efficiency. A definite advantage of the LED flashlight is the light-weight but sturdy construction and the dimmer feature. LED´s survive when dropped to the floor and they will dim when the batteries are low, but won´t suddenly fail. Many LED´s allow the user to adjust the level of light when less is needed, to save power.

When considering your next flashlight, it is most certainly wiser to opt for an LED flashlight. There are a large number of designs available and many manufacturers are competing with each other to make the most bright, efficient and trendy product.