LED vs halogen: which to choose and why

Halogen lamps have all but left the market, so the real question is what to replace them with and what you actually gain. In short: LED uses 5–10 times less electricity, lasts tens of times longer and stays cool.

How LED differs from halogen

Property	Halogen	LED
Power for ~800 lm	60 W	7–9 W
Lifespan	~2,000 h	25,000–50,000 h
Heat	very hot	warm
Instant full brightness	yes	yes

How much does LED actually save?

For the same light output LED uses roughly 75–85 % less electricity. In a typical home that is tens of euros a year. Full calculation: LED energy saving.

Which LED matches my halogen lamp?

Compare lumens, not watts. Rule of thumb: old lamp watts × 10 ≈ lumens. See lumens and watts.

Bases: finding the right replacement

• Ceiling light GU10 — the most common spotlight base (230 V), a direct swap.
• E27 and E14 — standard household bases, also a direct swap.
• GU5.3 / MR16 — low-voltage 12 V: check the transformer, it may not work with a small LED load.

Colour temperature and colour rendering

Halogen gave warm light around 2700 K with excellent colour rendering. To keep that feel after switching, choose LED at 2700–3000 K with CRI 90+. See how to choose colour temperature.

Does halogen still make sense?

Almost never. Halogen only wins on purchase price and loses on running cost and lifespan within the first year. The one real argument is an old dimmer that will not work with LED — and even that is solved with a dimmable lamp or a new dimmer.

Related products

• Ceiling light GU10
• Ceiling light LED 12W