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Matthew Gonzales photo
Spain, Madrid
1 Level
760 Review
56 Karma

Review on Fixture Daylight Integrated Cabinet Electric by Matthew Gonzales

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Reliable, decent light output, best used where the light is not in sight

I bought these lights to replace two old 24" 17w T8 fluorescent lights in my home office (each mounted on adjacent bookshelves and emitting light reflected from the ceiling) as I had the last fluorescent and I decided to switch to LED. They were packaged in a small box barely big enough for two lights and accessories, while that box was housed in a much larger box but with no padding. I was a little worried about possible damage from jumping around like that, but they arrived in perfect condition and work great. They seem pretty reliable and of decent quality for the price. I took some photos of the attached instruction manual with the specs, the specs sticker on the bottom of the light, the included accessories and side by side. Comparison of the new LED lamp with the old T8 fluorescent lamp. The accessories are as described except I only received one of the two end caps (sorry I don't have both as I don't use them consistently). Although I'm not using it at the moment, the 12" patch cord (for in-line use) is good, but I think it would be more useful if it was longer. Plastic drywall inserts were included for the screws, which is handy (not listed in the product description). I installed one of the new LED lights next to an old 24" 17w T8 fluorescent lamp. I was disappointed to see that the light output of the LED light isn't much better. than from a fluorescent lamp (and this fluorescent lamp is many years old). This surprises me as the LED light consumes 24W compared to 17W for the fluorescent lamp. And the main reason I chose this light was the light output (advertised as 2680 lumens, which should be significantly brighter (theoretically more than double) than fluorescent), color rendering index (CRI) and color temperature (6000K). For example, the fluorescent bulbs I have don't list lumen ratings, but they say they provide the equivalent lumen output of a typical 75-watt incandescent bulb, which is about 1100 lumens (and that's under a frosted diffuser). Additionally, the specs for the included LED light instruction manual (see photos) state a brightness of 2480 lumens, not the 2680 lumens quoted above. I've also been looking for a CRI in the 80-90 range or better, which is hard to find. This was the only list of many I looked at that advertised a CRI above 90 (everyone else was between 80 and 85). But the specs in the included manual list a minimum CRI of 83, not the advertised 90. So I've deducted a star for the lower than expected lumen output and the specs are lower than stated above. I like the whiter 6000K light compared to the 4200K yellow fluorescent light. I don't recommend installing them where you can look directly into the light unless you have frosted diffuser mounts; I looked at one of them from a few meters away and saw stars in their eyes for quite a while (all those little LED chips); Oh. While I wasn't expecting that much of an improvement in light output, it's still a bit brighter than I had (although my electricity bill will go up a bit) and I like the whiter light. So it looks like I'll need an extra lamp for detailed drawings and minor repairs. As for durability, only time will tell; but they seem to be well made. I still think it's good value for money.

Pros
  • compared to the usual single or double row lamp beads.
Cons
  • Unsure