There's a long and heated debate about the use of incandescent light bulbs. We've debunked the myth that incandescent bulbs were banned in the US, but the reality is that efficiency standards have changed the way consumers shop for lighting.
And with changing efficiency standards come changes in product availability.
Regardless of your stance on the political side of this issue, we still need light in our homes, offices, schools, gyms, airports –– you get the idea. So, we get regular questions about where to buy incandescent light bulbs or what the best options are for converting to LED.
We're interested in making lighting easy for our customers, so we've put together a list of the most common places you might find an incandescent bulb along with links for where you can buy either the incandescent product or a compatible LED upgrade.
If you'd like to jump straight to a specific room, use one of these links:
- Table lamp, floor lamp, or desk lamp light bulbs
- Bathroom vanity light bulbs
- Recessed can light bulbs
- Ceiling fixture light bulbs
- Wall sconce light bulbs
- Chandelier light bulbs
- Pendant light bulbs
- Spot light or track fixture light bulbs
- Ceiling fan light bulbs
Table lamp, floor lamp, or desk lamp light bulbs
Most lamps use a standard light bulb (A19 shape) with a standard screw-in base (E26, medium, or "Edison" base). Note that there are some exceptions with different sockets or specialty bulb shapes on certain desk lamps.
Standard Light Bulb (A19)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: A19 (2 3/8" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26)
- Wattage: 25W to 100W
- Finish: Frosted or Clear
What are you looking for?
Bathroom vanity light bulbs
Most bathroom vanity fixtures use a standard light bulb (A19 shape) or a round globe light bulb (G25 shape) with a standard screw-in base (E26, or "Edison" base). Note that there are some exceptions with different sockets or specialty bulb shapes. You can also find linear fluorescent bulbs in some bathroom vanities or mirrors.
Standard Light Bulb (A19)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: A19 (2 3/8" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26)
- Wattage: 25W to 100W
- Finish: Frosted or Clear
What are you looking for?
Globe Light Bulb (G25)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: G25 (3 1/8" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26)
- Wattage: 25W to 60W
- Finish: Frosted or Clear
What are you looking for?
Recessed can light bulbs
Most recessed cans use a type of reflector light bulb (R20 or BR30). These give a soft, even distribution of light in your room. The type of light bulb you use will depend on the size of the recessed can –– four inch or six inch are the most common sizes.
4" Recessed Can Bulb (R20)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: R20 (2 1/2" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26)
- Wattage: 30W to 45W
What are you looking for?
6" Recessed Can Bulb (BR30)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: BR30 (3 3/4" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26)
- Wattage: 45W to 75W
What are you looking for?
There are also halogen light bulbs that provide a more focused beam of light, depending on the look you're going for or how high the ceiling is. These are generally PAR20, PAR30, or PAR38 bulbs.
Ceiling fixture light bulbs
Most ceiling fixtures use a standard light bulb (A19 shape) with a standard screw-in base (E26, or "Edison" base). A typical ceiling fixture will have more than one light bulb, though, so be sure to open the fixture to see what's there before you look for a replacement.
If the bulb you pull out of your fixture doesn't look like the picture below, you may want to try this reference page to find the option you're looking for.
Standard Light Bulb (A19)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: A19 (2 3/8" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26)
- Wattage: 25W to 100W
- Finish: Frosted or Clear
What are you looking for?
Wall sconce light bulbs
Most wall sconces use a standard light bulb (A19 shape) or a torpedo shaped light bulb (B10 or B11 shape) with a standard screw-in base (E26, or "Edison" base). If you have a torpedo bulb, be sure to check the base. If it's smaller than a standard light bulb, you probably have a candelabra (E12) base.
Occasionally, you'll find plug-in CFL bulbs in these fixtures, too, so this is another good time to open the fixture to be sure of what you're replacing.
Standard Light Bulb (A19)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: A19 (2 3/8" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26)
- Wattage: 25W to 100W
- Finish: Frosted or Clear
What are you looking for?
Torpedo Light Bulb (B10 or B11)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: B10 (1 1/4" diameter) or B11 (1 3/8" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26) or Candelabra (E12)
- Wattage: 25W to 60W
- Finish: Frosted or Clear
What are you looking for?
Chandelier light bulbs
Chandeliers typically use a torpedo or flame shape light bulb (B10, B11, CA8, CA10, or F15 shape) with a candelabra base (E12 base). Here, again, you may find a medium (E26) base, so pay close attention to thesis of the base before ordering product.
Chandelier Light Bulbs
Technical Jargon:
- Shapes:
B10 (1 1/4" diameter)
B11 (1 3/8" diameter)
CA8 (1" diameter)
CA10 (1 1/4" diameter)
F15 (1 7/8" diameter) - Base: Medium (E26) or Candelabra (E12)
- Wattage: 15W to 60W
- Finish: Frosted or Clear
What are you looking for?
Pendant light bulbs
Most pendants use a standard light bulb (A19 shape) with a standard screw-in base. In some cases, you'll also find plug-in compact fluorescent or quartz light bulbs.
Standard Light Bulb (A19)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: A19 (2 3/8" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26)
- Wattage: 25W to 100W
- Finish: Frosted or Clear
What are you looking for?
Spot light or track fixture light bulbs
Track lighting fixtures generally use a type of reflector light bulb (MR16, PAR20, PAR30, or PAR38). These typically give a more focused beam of light which can vary based on the "beam angle." When selecting track lighting, a smaller beam angle means a more narrow, focused beam of light.
Common Track Light Bulb (PAR30)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: PAR30 (3 3/4" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26)
- Wattage: 39W to 60W
What are you looking for?
Ceiling fan light bulbs
Most ceiling fans use a light bulb that looks like a small version of the "standard" size. this is an A15 size and either uses a medium (E26) or candelabra (E12) size socket.
Ceiling Fan Light Bulb (A15)
Technical Jargon:
- Shape: A15 (1 7/8" diameter)
- Base: Medium (E26) or Candelabra (E12)
- Wattage: 15W to 60W
- Finish: Frosted or Clear
What are you looking for?
If you're looking for a hard-to-find light bulb or an option you don't see above, look for a part number stamped somewhere on the top or side of the bulb and give our product finder a try.
