Historically, many light fittings and shades had a little sticker somewhere on them which said '40 max' or '60w max' so that you knew not to exceed that wattage when choosing a light bulb.
But with so many low energy options available, what does that sticker really mean now?
Normally, the reason for saying ‘max 60w’ was that a brighter light bulb would have been 100w. As well as giving more light, a 100w bulb would have been much hotter and more likely to damage a shade or fitting from heat problems.
Therefore, if your shade is made of fabric or paper, an increased amount of light on a regular basis could potentially cause the shade to fade – much the same as any material left in direct sunlight. We would therefore recommend an LED bulb which gives light output similar to an old incadescent 60w bulb, for example:
(candle, golf ball and other lamp caps also available)
However, if your shade or fitting is more open, made of materials which won’t fade or warp (such as glass or metal) then a brighter low energy bulb may be suitable as they will generate more light, but won’t generate as much heat.
Therefore, for example you could use:
(other bulb shapes, lamp caps and brighter alternatives also available).
Find all your replacement low energy bulbs easily with our replacement bulb finder.
