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Are Clear Light Bulbs Brighter Than Frosted?

When selecting light bulbs for your fixtures, you’ve got a lot of things to consider – lumens, color temperature, design, and so on.

You also need to decide whether you want clear bulbs or frosted ones.

But this isn’t just a decision about the look of the bulb – it matters whether one is brighter than the other.

So are clear bulbs brighter?

A clear light bulb will produce the same amount of light as a frosted light bulb of the same wattage, but the clear bulb will appear brighter because the light is all one-directional. Frosted bulbs diffuse the light more, so it seems softer and less harsh.

Let me make things a little clearer by explaining:

  • The differences between frosted and clear light bulbs
  • When you would use each light
  • The best bulbs to choose for chandeliers

Differences Between Frosted And Clear Light Bulb

frosted vs clear bulb

Let’s start by explaining the difference between clear and frosted bulbs, sometimes also called diffused.

Clear bulbs are easy to understand – they have a transparent shell which means you can see the LEDs inside the bulb that generate the light.

Frosted bulbs have a coating on that shell, so you can’t see the LEDs inside. Instead, the coating looks like a solid white color.

The result is that when the light is powered on, the whole of that frosted surface lights up instead of being just a protective shell for the LEDs inside.

The coating is essentially refracting the light in different directions. However, it’s not fully reflecting it – otherwise, the light would stay inside the bulb.

But it forces it to change direction so that the light is much more evenly spread across the bulb’s surface.

This means that frosted bulbs produce the same amount of light, but you don’t get the same brightness as a result – the light is much softer.

Clear bulbs are much brighter, but you can’t look at them directly without hurting your eyes. They also cast much harsher shadows.

With a frosted bulb, you can look at the light without straining yourself, and its shadows are gentler.

Do Clear Bulbs Give Warmer Color?

There is a difference between ‘softer’ light and the color of light. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that either clear or frosted bulbs give a warmer color.

Light color is measured in Kelvins and ranges from warm white (generally 2000K to 3000K) to cool white (4000K-6500K). The warmer whites look yellow, while the cooler whites look blue.

There is a mild difference, as a frosted bulb will impact the color of the light slightly but not to a great extent.

The color of the frosting should be closely matched to the light produced inside the bulb.

So the light you ultimately see is very similar to that produced by the bulb.

If you’ve bought a 3000K frosted bulb and a 3000K clear bulb, you likely won’t notice much of a difference in the color of the light at all – the frosted surface shouldn’t have too much of an impact.

Where Should Frosted And Clear Bulbs Be Used?

hand holding frosted LED bulb

You are, of course, free to use frosted or clear light bulbs wherever you choose in your home.

But there are recommendations on the most suitable locations for both.

You should use a frosted bulb for any fixture where the bulb is at eye level or below and is not protected by shade.

If you use a clear bulb somewhere that is typically in your eye line, you will always strain your eyes.

Frosted bulbs also work better in rooms where you want a more relaxed light – so the living room or dining room are good examples.

They can be suitable for the bedroom, but it can make it harder to wake up fully in the morning.

This is why it can be good to mix your light fixtures – use frosted bulbs in your bedside lamps, and clear bulbs in your main pendant lights for the ceiling.

You’ll definitely want to use clear bulbs anywhere you need to see with clarity – so the kitchen, your garage workshop, or anywhere where there may be a lot of hazards.

You don’t want softer light to strain your eyes when working with sharp tools.

Frosted bulbs also make a good choice in a nursery, as they can be softer on younger eyes – especially babies who may spend a lot of time laying on their back and looking up at the light fixtures.

Should I Pick Frosted Or Clear Bulbs For Chandeliers?

chandelier with frosted bulbs

Generally, you should always try to buy frosted bulbs for your chandeliers.

The reason is that chandeliers usually have the bulbs exposed rather than being hidden behind a shade, and they typically hang below eye level when you’re standing up.

After all, a chandelier is designed to be an attractive light fixture – so why would you install bulbs that made it harder to look at?

Choosing frosted bulbs means you benefit from the illumination without the harsh brightness that would spoil your view of the ornate chandelier design.

You can choose clear bulbs if you prefer but go for a lower wattage so that the bulbs aren’t too bright.

Some people like to use modern bulbs with a retro design, where the filament looks more archaic. These work well in chandeliers but ensure the brightness isn’t too high.

Final Words

Clear bulbs appear brighter than frosted bulbs just because of how the light is refracted around the room.

Neither bulb is ‘better’ because it is situational. Clear bulbs have their uses, as do frosted ones.

What matters is making sure you choose the correct bulb for your fixture while also considering the wattage and the kelvin rating to get the perfect brightness and color of light for your room.

Do you use more frosted or clear bulbs in your home?

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