Continuing on the Home Depot EcoSmart LED line, we have the 8W PAR20 and 15W PAR30 LED bulbs. Using between 20-25% of the power of incandescent bulbs, the PAR20 and PAR30 floodlight LED bulbs are designed for indoor or outdoor use, are dimmable, and have a 3000K bright white color temperature. In this review, we’ll be taking a side-by-side look at how the PAR20 and PAR30 LED bulbs perform!
Key Specifications
- Brightness: 350/729 lumens
- Dimmable: Yes
- Power: 120V 0.075A/0.166A 8.6W/15W
- Color Temperature: 3000K
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Weight: 5.91 oz. / 15.84 oz.
- Warranty: 5 years
- MSRP: $21.97/$39.97
Pricing & Ordering
Online pricing for the PAR20 LED bulb is $21.97 and $39.97 for the PAR30, which were the same as my local store.
The bulbs are available at all Home Depot locations in the United States, although local prices may vary.
The Bulb
The bulb shape is an aluminum heat sink designed to dissipate heat from the driver circuit and LED inside, which gives the bulbs a modern look.
Light from the single LED is directed through an optic, producing a smooth and tight beam of light.
Dimming
One of the advantages of this LED bulb is that it can be dimmed, so we tested the EcoSmart LED bulb in a Lutron dimmable fixture, next to 45W and 60W incandescent bulbs. On the lowest setting, the incandescent bulbs were barely lit, while the LED bulb was much brighter.
Only at about halfway up in brightness does the incandescent bulb catch up to the LED bulb. As expected, color from the LED bulb is consistent regardless of dimming, unlike incandescent bulbs, which turn orange.
The LED bulb is definitely superior to incandescent when dimmed because of color consistency and higher efficiency.
Performance
Our testing location for both the PAR20 and the PAR30 was a PAR30 recessed lighting fixture, replacing a 26W CFL that replaced the original 45W PAR30 incandescent bulb.
The hotspot from the PAR30 is noticeably brighter than the PAR20’s, and we actually found the PAR30 LED bulb to be a little too bright for this application. The PAR20 was just right, and for half the wattage, also makes economic sense.
There is one annoyance with the PAR30 bulb though – a two second start-up delay. Unlike the A19 and PAR20 bulbs which turn on instantly, this could potentially be deal-breaker for the PAR30, as we certainly found it to be irritating.
The color temperature of both LED bulbs is cooler than the incandescent bulbs and closer to pure white.
Conclusion
Between the LED bulbs, the PAR20 emerges as the better choice from both a subjective and financial standpoint. The PAR30 bulb uses almost twice the energy, and also has a start-up delay. Although the inside of the can may be visible, we didn’t have any problems using the PAR20 bulb in a PAR30 fixture and ended up replacing another PAR30 with an EcoSmart PAR20 LED bulb with good results!
| Pros | Cons |
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| Overall | |
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A worthy investment for frequently used lighting fixtures. |
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