At Home Depot, I researched the newest LED bulbs and prices. Phillips Ambient LED 17/75-watt-equivalent is retailing for $39.97. I’ve shopped LED bulbs for the last three years and the only new feature available for the higher cost is dimmable LEDs. While doing Easy Home Improvements to Increase Equity in my home, I purchased 20 LED bulbs of different styles on EBay for around $130 from Hong Kong and China. Below I review the most common LED bulbs sold on EBay from Hong Kong and China.
Prices and Common LED Bulb Styles Available on EBay
My first order of LED’s was for 10pcs E27 7W LED WhiteWarm Light Super Bright for $49.55 with $2.90 shipping/ Cost $5.25 each. These replaced 13w CFL’s in the majority of my fixtures. The 7W LED’s provided a softer, but slightly dimmer light. In singular fixtures this would not be ample working light, but in our den fixture that uses four bulbs it looks really nice and gives off good light. These LED’s are designed to shine from the top, so they are not great in some types of fixtures. Here are the facts on these bulbs.
Condition -Brand new & high quality CE ROSH 3C
Wattage -7W
Lumens -650 lumens
LED color -Warm: 2800-3500±5% / White:5500-7000K
LED Tpye -Super Bright 5050 SMD LED
Efficiency -80% energy saving
Lifetime – 60,000 hours (theory value); Longer service life compared with traditional incandescent bulb. To ensure the using life of the bulb do not leave the bulb running for more than 16 hours)
Using -With an 180°optic angle, use for surface mounted luminaries that have a opaque lamp shade may reach its best effect. (e.g. a ceiling lamp)
Guarantee -2 Years Warranty
My Second order of LED’s was for 5pcs E27 60 LEDS 10W LED Corn Light Bulb $37.99 free shipping/ Cost $7.60 each. I’ve researched corn bulbs on EBay before and wasn’t sure about the look or the lighting effect. Now that they are in use, they are my favorite LED bulbs. They are considerably brighter than the 7W LED’s and provide a larger area of light as the whole bulb glows like an incandescent bulb. These LED’s are heavier and seem well made. Here is the details of these LED’s
• E27 60 LEDS 10W LED Corn Light Bulb x 5pcs
• LED quantity: 60 pcs 5050 Leds
• Power: 10W
• Light color: Cool White / Warm White
• Luminous flux: 900-1000LM
• Lifespan: > 30,000 hours
The third set of LED’s I bought was 3pcs 3.5W Phillips dimmable candelabra base 150Lumens. These three LED’s were bought for a ceiling fan that is always on. Having purchased several dimmable CFL’s and other type bulbs that either didn’t last or didn’t work and one that broke the controller in the remote of the fan, I was extremely happy to find dimmable LED candelabra base bulbs that work and provide good light. Although not as bright as the 3 75watt bulbs replaced the LED bulbs remain cool during use which is nice in summer and hopefully LED’s last their expected 20 years running life. I bought these LED’s on clearance at Home Depot for $15 each. (Too much)
Shipping and Packaging of EBay LED Light Bulbs
Both orders were delivered surprisingly fast with low shipping cost. The corn bulbs were packaged in separate boxes in bubble wrap and boxed, where as the 7w LED’s were all placed together in a large bubble package, but arrived in good condition. One of the 7W LED’s had a top popped off, but I popped it back on and it was fine.
Overall Performance of LED Bulbs from EBay
With the average cost of LED’s on EBay being under $8 compared to $40 at most stores and fast shipping, there is no reason to pay 5 times the amount for LED’s when China and Hong Kong sells equivalent products for less. The Brightness and color of the LED’s vary from one to the next, but are close to the watts they’re designed to replace. The LED’s from Hong Kong and China look and feel well made. I have one LED in a light fixture outside on a covered porch that’s done fine for five months. I also have three LED’s in smaller closed bathroom fixtures that were a little tighter than I expected, but fit okay.
I hope this gives you insight into buying and performance expectations of LED bulbs sold on EBay. As I mention in my articles, “Where to Buy Cheap Fish Food and Algae Wafers in Bulk on EBay and Merial Frontline Plus” and “Bayer Advantage Flea Control Kits for Dogs and Cats for Sale on EBay” you need to verify the sellers rank and reviews as well as price. I have taken pictures above to compare the size difference between LED and CFL bulbs and the the brightness of the different LED’s in two rooms.
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