Review on ALZO Joyous Light® 45W CFL Bulbs, Full Spectrum, 5500K, 2800 Lumens, 120V, Pack of 4 by Wendell Mitchell

I post a lot of photos on the internet so I'm a bit of a snob. I'm so tired of the yellow light from our regular lamps, plus I sell art and antiques from my basement. First make sure they fit your fixture as they will not fit in most or protrude as they are longer than most. Even 27W samples will probably be too long for most. The light color is very white-blue. Even significantly bluer than my photo bulbs, which are only 5800K. They make colors pop and have a more realistic flavor. So some like them and some don't. I bet it will work 4 or 5 to 1. Is it more like real neon light that some people refer to as "harsh" or "too bright"? In fact, how should your light work? I use them in my basement anyway because it's huge and concrete. It illuminates my subjects and gives them true color. They're also an upgrade from the unsightly, low-wattage yellow light from my regular 26-watt CFL bulbs. I even take photos with these lights when one of my other 5500k flashlights burns out. I prefer the purer white light. If they last 5 years then it's a good deal and worth it, but I hope they last longer. I've had them upside down for 3 1/2 years now. And none of them burned out. It says in the fine print that turning around shortens life expectancy, but not now! I set them a date to see how long we could last, but I've found that average use of CFLs lasts around 5 years on average in my experience. A LOT depends on the current flow in your home. Some electrical surges can kill CFLs very quickly. If your headlights restart frequently or flicker or just burn out very quickly. Either you have severe power fluctuations or old cables, or you have short sockets (something is wrong). I used to have a shop selling cords from the 30's or maybe older and some of my outlets would burn out for months to a year while others stayed intact the whole 5 years I was there. I also think that built-in lighting that heats up quickly kills it particularly quickly, but then again it could be a specific outlet or lighting wiring. This is all due to my observation and use of CFLs since 2001 which is my personal opinion as I am not an electrician but use my keen observation skills to identify the most obvious problems. They're better than LEDs if you can find them anywhere that size. I have some great spotlights that I just installed (October 2014) that are rated at 38w and 23w but produce the equivalent of a regular 120w tungsten bulb. And I think it's closer to 130 watts. They are amazing.