Brighten Up Your Living Space With the Best Light Bulbs for Bathrooms (2024)

• Our Picks

• What to Look For

• FAQ

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The GE LED Reveal Light Bulb offers you everything you could want in bathroom lighting. It brings you clear, white light that emulates natural daylight, and has a CRI score of 90 or more for great color contrast without any yellow overtones. Everything under the light should look true to its colors, as it would under natural light, which makes this bulb ideal for beauty and grooming activities.

With 650 lumens, the bulb is plenty bright. Plus, it’s dimmable, so if you have adimmer switch installed, you can always lower the brightness at night, or set the mood for a relaxing bath. However, the dimmable feature is not always as smooth as it could be. But, aside from offering you excellent light, the bulb also delivers an energy-efficient design which makes it one of our favorites. The bulb relies on only 9 watts to provide the equivalent of 60 watts of power, and has an estimated lifespan of up to 13 years.

All in all, it's a great, long-lasting option for your bathroom and features a timeless shape that's sure to be very stylish and attractive in one of your most commonly-used spaces. This particular bulb comes in a pack of two.

_{Bulb Type: LED | Brightness: 650 lumens | Wattage: 9 watts | Light Color: Pure white}

Brighten up your bathroom with these affordable EcoSmart A19 Non-Dimmable LEDs. Each bulb matches a 60-watt incandescent bulb's light output, but only uses 9.5 watts of energy, similar to our Best Overall pick. These budget light bulbs additionally produce 840 lumens of light. In comparison, they're stronger than our top bulbs brightness-wise, but if you're looking for a bright, clean source of light in the bathroom, the cool daylight color could be just right. However, if you like a bit of warmth, you won't find that in this option and should search for other light bulbs.

The average lifespan for these EcoSmart bulbs is 11,000 hours, which is a bit less than half the life expectancy for other LED bulbs. Still, it's hard to beat the affordability of this multiple-pack of EcoSmart LED bulbs. Overall, this bulb produces a crisp light that is excellent for any task where both color and clarity are important.

_{Bulb Type: LED | Brightness: 840 lumens | Wattage: 9.5 watts | Light Color: Daylight}

If you prefer a sophisticated look for your lighting, consider the Tala Porcelain II bulb. This unique light bulb for bathrooms is made of mouth-blown porcelain and has a brass alloy base that screws into standard E26 light fixtures. The matte glass orb of this bulb could look especially stunning for bathroom vanity lights—but it can also be used in pendant lights or other lighting fixtures. Each bulb emits 540 lumens of light while using just 6 watts of energy, which is less lumens and less energy compared to our Best Overall and Best Budget picks. That's the equivalent of a 40-watt incandescent bulb.

It’s not all looks when it comes to this light bulb splurge. In addition to looking great, the Tala Porcelain II has an average lifespan of up to 30,000 hours of use, making these LED bulbs long-lasting and eye-catching. Notably, the company also plants 10 trees for every 200 bulbs sold, making your energy-efficient light bulb a very eco-friendly option as well.

Now, this bulb only comes in a pack of one, and costs the same as some multi-packs, so it's certainly a splurge. However, it's worth it for someone who is prioritizing appearance, ambiance, and efficiency.

_{Bulb Type: LED | Brightness: 540 lumens | Wattage: 6 watts | Light Color: Warm white}

Light bulbs for vanities are typically round and shaped like a globe, and referred to as G25 bulbs. If you’re in the market for a light bulb for the bathroom that casts unobstructed light and has a decorative appearance, check out these Philips G25 Halogen bulbs.The three-pack of vanity bulbs provides bright, clear light for all bathroom activities like shaving or applying makeup. Each light bulb emits 550 lumens, using 40 watts of energy—similar to our Best Splurge pick. While not as energy-efficient or long-lasting as an LED bulb, these halogen bulbs are dimmable and ultimately omit a soft white glow. They provide excellent performance too, and serve you for just under three years.

Another nice feature of these bulbs is the lack of any product or brand information stamped on the face of the bulb. This preserves the decorative look, and makes them the most suitable for a vanity, or even another stylish fixture in your home.

_{Bulb Type: Halogen | Brightness: 550 lumens | Wattage: 40 watts | Light Color: Soft white}

The Feit G25 Daylight LED bulb is a great option if you want the distinctive globe shape of many bathroom bulbs, but the energy efficiency and excellent color contrasts of an LED bulb. Ideal for bathroom vanity light fixtures or open fixtures where the bulb is on display, this clear glass G25 LED bulb is equivalent to a 60-watt bulb, but uses just 5.5 watts of energy. These bulbs last a long time—just over 13 years, depending on hours-per-day usage.

The bright, pure white light produced by this LED bulb is just right for applying makeup, or checking colors in an outfit. However, these light bulbs offer 500 lumens of brightness, which is less than many other options on our list and on the market. Like many other LED bulbs, though, this Feit option has a CRI rating of 90+, which means color contrasts are easy to see and appear more vivid. It’s also dimmable and compatible for enclosed fixtures, as well.

_{Bulb Type: LED | Brightness: 500 lumens | Wattage: 5.5 watts | Light Color: Daylight}

A smart light bulb is an easy way to adjust the lighting and ambiance of any room in your home, including the bathroom. This 60-watt-equivalent version from Kasa makes it easy to tune the color spectrum from a softer warm light—great for bubble baths—to a cool, bright light that is ideal for applying makeup, shaving, or other aspects of your morning routine.

You need a good Wi-Fi connection for this light bulb to consistently work via app controls, and the app setup is an extra step at the start. However, the Kasa Smart Light Bulb stands out for its easy-to-use app and the fact that it requires no hub—which is great for smart home newbies and advanced tech-lovers alike. The bulb also works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Home voice commands, and emits as high as 800 lumens, which is about equivalent to our Best Budget pick.

_{Bulb Type: LED | Brightness: 800 lumens | Wattage: 10 watts | Light Color: Soft white}

These LED bulbs from Feit Electric are a great option for dimmable bathroom light bulbs. At full power, they offer 800 lumens and are on par with a 60-watt light bulb, while only using 8.8 watts of energy. The daylight bulbs have a CRI of 90+, ensuring that colors appear both realistic and vibrant, and when used with a dimmer switch, these bulbs have full-range dimming capabilities while producing even light distribution. Plus, there's no annoying flickering or audible buzzing.

In addition, these bulbs are RoHS compliant and 100 percent mercury-free. They also comply with Title 20 of the California Energy Commission. However, there's writing on these light bulbs, which means they may not be the best option for decorative lighting. On the plus side, you can expect years of reliable use, as the average life is 25,000 hours of use or about 22 years.

_{Bulb Type: LED | Brightness: 800 lumens | Wattage: 8.8 watts | Light Color: Varies}

Final Verdict

The GE Reveal LED Light Bulb wins our top spot for the best light bulb for bathrooms. This long-lasting bulb is the next best thing to being outdoors, providing great natural-like light, contrast, and color. It also features a simple, timeless design. If you're after style and don't mind spending more, consider the Tala Porcelain II LED Bulb. It has a globe shape that's particularly fitting for a vanity, and is an eco-friendly option—though, the pack only includes one bulb.

FAQ

• What watt light bulb should you get for a bathroom?

  Bathroom lighting should be bright and clean enough so you can do things like shave and apply makeup with precision, but not so bright that it is unflattering.

  In terms of watts, Larry Campbell, a licensed master electrician and member ofThe Spruce's Home Improvement Review Board, recommends either 60-watt incandescent bulbs (you can find equivalent products) or 12-watt LED bulbs. If your bathroom is large or you prefer it brighter, you can use 75-watt-equivalent bulbs.You can opt for dimmable lighting, if you want to adjust the light during different times of the day and night.
  

• What color light bulb should you get for a bathroom?

  What color light bulb you should get for a bathroom comes down to personal preference. Some prefer cool white light that gives the bathroom a bright and well-lit appearance, but it isn't the most flattering option. Others prefer warm, yellow or orange-tinged lighting that is more flattering, but may not be suitable for activities such as applying makeup.

  Including multiple light fixtures that allow you to adjust and layer light can be a solution. You may combine general lighting in a cool white tone with dimmable bulbs for DIY manicures or beard trimming. You may add wall sconces with soft, warm bulbs you can brighten for skincare or dim for bubble baths and a super relaxing ambiance.

  As for the color temperature, Campbell notes that 3000 Kelvin is a very suitable option for bathroom lighting, but adds that "if you work in-office and are trying to see how you will look under similar lighting as the office, 4000 Kelvin to 5000 Kelvin would be best."
  

• What kind of light bulbs go in a vanity?

  "Vanity lighting is great for putting on your makeup or removing it," says Campbell. "The bulbs here should closely match the color scale of your work environment so that your makeup doesn't look three shades off."

  To illuminate a vanity, opt for a decorative globe-shaped G25 light bulb. While some people continue to use incandescent light for its flattering effect, it makes more sense to opt for energy-efficient LED bulbs that are better for the planet and your wallet over time.