I get the appeal of LEDs, especially for energy savings, but I still find myself reaching for halogens in a few spots. There’s just something about the way they render colors—especially in art spaces or reading nooks—that LEDs haven’t quite nailed for me yet. Have you tried any of those newer “full spectrum” LEDs? I’m curious if they actually bridge that gap or if it’s just marketing hype. Also, I’ve noticed some LEDs still don’t dim as low as I’d like, even with compatible dimmers... maybe I’m just picky, but sometimes that last bit of ambiance matters.
Also, I’ve noticed some LEDs still don’t dim as low as I’d like, even with compatible dimmers... maybe I’m just picky, but sometimes that last bit of ambiance matters.
- Same here—tried a bunch of “dimmable” LEDs and none go as low as my old halogens. It’s like they just cut off instead of giving that soft glow.
- Full spectrum LEDs: tested two brands for my home office. Color rendering was better, but still not quite the same warmth. Blues and reds looked good, but skin tones felt a bit off.
- For budget reasons, I swapped out about 80% of bulbs to LED. Kept halogens in reading corners and over the dining table for exactly the reasons you mentioned.
- If you’re picky about ambiance (which I totally get), mixing types seems to be the only real workaround right now.
I’ve run into the same thing with LEDs and dimming—there’s just something about that last bit of halogen glow that LEDs can’t quite replicate. I’ve tried a few “warm dim” options, but even those tend to drop off abruptly instead of fading out smoothly. In my own place, I ended up keeping halogens in the living room for movie nights and swapping to LEDs everywhere else. It’s not ideal, but honestly, the mood lighting matters more to me than shaving a few extra watts in those spaces. Sometimes the tech just isn’t there yet, no matter what the packaging promises.
