Not bright enough to be glare like the replacement bulbs but bright enough for the kitchen. I personally hate fluorescent lights but all my ceiling lights in my apartment have them so that's it. They seem to last quite a long time, I've lived here for 3 years and this is the first time I've changed them but I not sure about the brand etc of the previous ones so can't tell these will be the same. Easy to install, so it's beautiful. They also don't flicker like long neon lights, which would drive me insane.