PAR20 LED Light Bulbs

PAR20 LED Color Temperature

LED PAR20 bulbs are a direct replacement for halogen bulbs. While halogen bulbs are only available in the 3000 Kelvin range, LEDs give you more flexibility to choose how warm or cool a light to use in your displays. Color temperature is measured in Kelvin. This tells you how warm or cool the light output of the bulb will be. Higher Kelvin temperatures appear brighter but also more stark and blue in comparison. Lower Kelvin temperatures are warmer, closer to the light output from a halogen or incandescent. A 3000 Kelvin bulb is the closest direct replacement for halogen if you want to keep the look of your original PAR20s, but use a longer lasting bulb that uses less electricity and gives off less heat. For display lighting or track lighting, higher temperatures may be used, but we recommend sticking to the lower Kelvin bulbs for recessed lighting or ambient lighting.

High CRI Bulbs

CRI (color rendering index) is a quantitative measure of how accurately a light bulb displays colors compared to the midday sun. When comparing light bulbs, if one has a CRI of 80 and the other has a CRI of 90, you know the second bulb will show more saturated colors than the first. Incandescent and halogen bulbs have a CRI of 100 and while LEDs can't match that yet, a CRI of 90 or 93 is still considered excellent especially when paired with the other benefits of LED over other technologies. Retail displays, jewelry counters, art installations, and museums will certainly want to use PAR20 LED bulbs with a high CRI, while the average homeowner may not notice enough difference in recessed lighting, pendant lighting, or curio cabinets.

Options When Buying PAR20 LEDs

At 1000Bulbs.com you have a variety of color temperatures, brands, and beam angles to choose from. Narrow spot bulbs will have a beam angle 15 degrees or smaller. You can find 25 degree beam angle bulbs under narrow flood. The flood bulbs have a beam angle in the high 30s or 40s, and wide flood bulbs have a beam angle greater than 50. Some of the PAR20 bulbs are dimmable with LED compatible dimmers listed on the dimmer compatibility PDF on each product page. We also offer Energy Star rated products, which can help your home or business qualify for rebates or LEED certification.

Need some help finding the right product for your installation? Give one of our lighting experts a call. We'll be happy to walk you through all of your options.