Thanks to the growing popularity of LED light bulbs, more and more people are now using them instead of incandescent bulbs, which consume a lot of energy. A common question that customers who are installing the LED light bulb for the first time ask is — is it okay to use an LED that has a higher wattage equivalent than my fixture allows? For example, an LED light bulb with a 100 watt output with a light fitting that says maximum 60 watts?
In short, the answer is “yes.” It is okay to use an LED light bulb that has a higher wattage equivalent than what your fixture permits, as long as the LED bulb that you are using consumes less wattage than your fixture.
Now, let’s look at the answer in detail.
An LED light bulb with a label “40-watt LED equivalent” doesn’t mean that this bulb uses 60 watt. What it really means is that the bulb emits the same level of light emitted by a 40-watt incandescent bulb.
Incandescent bulbs release a lot of heat when they are used. But that’s not the case with LED light bulbs. So, you can safely use an LED that has a higher wattage equivalent than your fixture allows. For example, if a socket states “not to exceed 40-watt” but you want to use a 60-watt equivalent LED light bulb, you can do so without any problem.
When buying LED light bulbs for your home, make sure you check their CRI rating. This particular rating, measured on a scale of 0-100, tells you about the quality of light emitted by an LED light. We always recommend customers to go for LED light bulbs with a CRI rating of 90 and above, since these bulbs emit the most-balanced light.