CFLs with warm tone?

[Heathcliff]

I have been replacing incandescent bulbs with CFLs as they burn out. Just wondering if anyone has a particular recommendation for a CFL with a nice warm tone. I am aware of the color temperature rating and look for it - not all bulbs have it on their packaging - and always get the "soft white" kind. However, I find that particularly in the higher wattages (the ones that emulate a 100W incandescent) the CFLs still have a "cooler" hue than the incandescents they replaced. For lamps I'd rather have a warmer hue. -- H

[Paul Oman]

just a very crazy idea, but I wonder if you couldn't spray paint a CFL bulb with a cream colored paint to get it to give off that warm, golden glow of an incandescent bulb? I have 'painted' CFL bulbs that were too bright for a night light type application. Just spinin' my wheels here.... paul

[Zoot]

You could, but it probably would not be very bright and they would run hotter. Mine burn out at about the same rate as incandescent bulbs do, I would not want to shorten their life even more (last ten times longer my arse, haha. Seven year warranty? Whatta joke...).

[ransley]

Consumer Reports and Popular Mechanics did comparison tests, I use HDs Invision soft whites they are the cheapest and similar to incandesant in color, PM rated them best in color, CR rated them for life run which is ongoing. I pay 1$ for a 9w cfl at HD. Here my utility co subsidises the 9 and 14w at this time of year.

[Pete C.]

Try looking for "warm white" for something a bit closer to incandescent.

3200K is nominal incandescent color temp, and the higher the number the cooler/whiter/bluer the light becomes. Also note that the human eye does auto white balance and as long as all the lights in a room are the same color temperature your eyes will adjust nicely. It is the differences in color temperature of adjacent light sources that you really notice.

[TKM]

A transparent spray paint or theatrical filter of the right tint would work, but it's an inefficient solution as a lot of light from the lamp has to be absorbed to change the color. Keep looking for "warm" CFLs. I've found that they do vary by manufacturer.

TKM

[Don Klipstein]

Past about 19 or 23 watts or so, they usually do have a slightly harsher purplish-pinkish tone.

One exception I have found is a Feit 23 watt one - pleasantly incandescentlike and warm in color. It also appears to me slightly on the dim side for a 23 watt spiral.

Now for some general trends, besides wattage:

1. Ones with nice color and a color temp. rating have a color temp. rating of 2700 K. However, a 2700 K rating does not guarantee incandescent-like color.
2. My experience is that Sylvania ones are on the pinkish-purplish side.
3. Look for a less miniaturized size and tubing diameter for the wattage. More-miniaturized sizes in my experience generally have stronger mercury spectral features - and generally a harsher color.

- Don Klipstein ( [e-mail])

[Heathcliff]

Thanks, I picked some Feits and they are a little better than the ones I had (which were N:vision). The N:vision ones will go into the attic or basement or someplace. -- H