Is it time to buy a GeoBulb Lamp?

This is a truly great question and we think about it often. I tend to think of it in financial terms first. If you work through the numbers of purchasing low price, high quality 13 Watt CFLs in bulk they come in at around $77.00 each for five years continuous use, including replacements. This assumes a bulb cost of $1.50 each and 12 cents a kilowatt for electricity. We like Philips for quality. A common 60 Watt incandescent uses over $280.00 in electricity plus perhaps 50 replacements. If you would like to check our math click here.

An important difference about the GeoBulb-3

The Department of Energy (DOE) has decided to make "total lumens" an important measurement for bulbs to be tested by and we agree. This way bulbs can be compared side by side for light output and watts consumed. Our lumen tests were performed by a DOE approved lab, Luminaire Test Laboratory (LTL). The total lumens for a well known brand 60 watt incandescent bulb (see 60 watt bulb test report), we tested is higher than the Cool White GeoBulb -3. However the GeoBulb is about 25% brighter (at 427 lumens verses 337 lumens), than the incandescent we tested in the 0-90 degree quadrant, (See Zonal Lumen Summary chart, 0-90) which is basically the light off the top of the bulb. We made the decision to narrow the beam to achieve a higher level of performance compared to incandescent bulbs which point much of their light toward the base which is wasted in many cases. For this reason an excellent application for the GeoBulb-3 is in ceiling cans and tracklighting. There is a wide variety of incandescent bulbs available and some of them will have a higher lumen output then the one we tested.

A GeoBulb IS a good choice if

  1. You value the added beauty of a round globe.
  2. You currently recycle every bit of cardboard that you find and you want to invest in a solution.
  3. Your electric rates are above $.12 or you believe electric rates will be going up in the future.
  4. You enjoy legacy type products that don't need to be replaced in the foreseeable future.
  5. You have a light bulb that is always "on" or is very difficult to reach.
  6. The light output and color of a Geobulb is to your liking.
  7. You generate alternative energy and realize it is best to save energy in the first place rather than develop a bigger system.
  8. You pay someone to change light bulbs and when you include the labor expense the GeoBulb is usually the clear financial winner.

A GeoBulb is NOT a good deal if

  1. They are in a place where it might get stolen.
  2. Your electricity rates are well below $.12 a kilowatt

CFLs are NOT a good deal if

  1. They are turned on and off often which generally causes them to burn out sooner than later. This can happen with incandescent bulbs also.
  2. You don't enjoy looking at a weird color or the pig tail shape at night .
  3. The thought of mercury in the bulb makes you cringe.
  4. You hate changing bulbs even though it might be a year or more before you have to.
  5. You pay more than $.12 a kilowatt so LED lamps start making economic sense. (A GeoBulb cost less to run when your kilowatt rate is about $.25 . Residents of New York, Connecticut and Hawaii are good candidates for the GeoBulb because of their high electrical costs.)
  6. You are sick and tired of waiting for the light to come on.
  7. CFLs with round globes are often more expensive than a GeoBulb because of their high initial costs.

CFLs ARE a good deal if

You need lots of light (800 Lumens or higher per bulb) for the type of work you do. There is no more cost effective way to do this than a CFL at this time.

We are doing our best to bring the price of the GeoBulb down and if you choose to purchase one we greatly appreciate it.

Bob Crane