Halogen Bulbs
A halogen light bulb is an electric light that falls into the incandescent lamps family, which are typically made of an airtight enclosure (usually heat resistant glass) containing a tungsten filament and a mixture of inert and halogen gases.
Our curated range of halogen bulbs features various types of halogen bulbs, including candle, linear and capsule bulbs, car headlight bulbs, dichroic bulbs and reflector bulbs. We have products from several industry-leading brands, including Osram, Orbitec, Sylvania, Philips, GE and RS PRO.
How do halogen bulbs work?
When an electrical current flows through the tungsten filament in a bulb, it burns so hot that it produces white light. Halogen bulbs work purely because the mixture of gasses inside the glass protects the filament, preventing it from burning out as quickly as it would if this process was conducted outside of the air-tight enclosure. As the traditional GLS incandescent bulbs are being phased out, halogen light bulbs are the closest equivalent available that produces a similar light output.
Advantages
- Halogen bulbs are the cheapest energy saving bulb, though not the most energy efficient.
- Halogens reach full brightness as soon as they are switched on.
- Halogen bulbs are dimmable if used with suitable switches, unlike some LED and CFL lighting.
- Halogen bulbs generally have a high CRI (colour rendering index) score, making them ideal for colour-critical applications.
Disadvantages
- Care must be taken when changing or handling halogen bulbs. If any grease or grime from fingertips makes contact with the glass it can leave a residue. The deposits can cause uneven heating while the bulb is in use, shortening the life expectancy.
- Halogen bulbs have a much shorter life expectancy compared to other energy saving bulbs. In typical conditions, the life expectancy of a halogen would be around 2,000 hours. With LED bulbs you would expect to see 25,000 hours and CFLs around 10,000.
- Higher wattages being phased out.
What are halogen bulbs used for?
Halogen bulbs are used across a wide variety of applications and industries, including car headlight bulbs, work cabinet lights, and indoor/outdoor flood lighting. Halogen lamp bulbs come in a variety of bases with both bayonet cap and Edison screw fixture options available. Lamps are also available in different wattages, shapes, and luminosities.