Measurement results:

As can be seen from the table, none of the tested lamps have the same power as declared. The actual power is 21-96%. One lamp’s real power is almost five times less than the “Chinese” one!

Chinese stores often do not indicate many lamp parameters. Luminous flux (the main parameter of any light source), for example, is indicated for only three lamps, and for all three the measured luminous flux is significantly lower than declared.

Most sellers do not indicate the color rendering index (a parameter that determines the “quality of light” and the correct perception of the color of objects). Others write CRI>80 - and this is a blatant lie; manufacturers take advantage of the fact that buyers cannot check this. So, for EnwYe and BuyBay lamps, sellers indicated CRI(Ra)>80, but in fact this parameter is a terrible 68 and 66, respectively. According to our measurements, 8 out of 13 lamps have low color rendering indices, which is why they are undesirable for use in residential premises.

Sellers also do not write anything about light pulsation, but for five lamps it is 100%. Such light is harmful to health, and the only place for such lamps is in the trash can.

All Chinese sellers indicate the color temperature only approximately (they write Warm Light or 2,700-3,500K).

All lamps, except one, cannot work with switches that have an indicator: they either blink or light dimly when the “light” is off.

12 out of 13 tested lamps do not meet the parameters stated by sellers. I won disputes on Aliexpress for all these lamps and partially returned the money spent on them.

I can't call any of the tested lamps good.

We could end here, but I’ll tell you what’s wrong with each specific lamp in order to finally understand what the Chinese are “selling” to us.

1. Heetech E27 9W 3000K 220V (Lampada LED E27 E14 LED Lamp 220v Ball Bulb LED Light bulb 3W 5W 7W 9W 12W 15W 18W Lampara Bombilla Ampoule spotlight SMD 5730) - 82 rubles.

The lamp was sent without packaging.

Exactly the same lamps are now sold in Auchan for 62 rubles, but they are definitely not worth buying: 3.8 W instead of the promised 9 W, very low color rendering index CRI(Ra) = 63, pulsation 19% (invisible to the eye, but that’s all is quite large) and only 255 lm - this is the equivalent of a 30-watt incandescent lamp, and not 60-watt, as one might assume from the declared power of 9 W.

2. EnwYe E27 5W WARM 220V (EnwYe 10pcs LED lamp E27 E14 IC 3W 5W 7W 9W 12W 15W 220V LED Lights Led Bulb bulb light lighting high brighness Silver metal) - 104 rubles.

3.6 W instead of the promised 5 W and only 226 lm (equivalent to 25 W). CRI is very low - 68, but there is no ripple.

3. MING&BEN Real Power 3W ( LED Bulb Lamps E27 220V-240V Light Bulb Smart IC Real Power 3W 5W 7W 9W 12W 15W High Brightness Lampada LED Bombillas) - 59 rubles.

The lamp was sent without packaging.

100% ripple puts an end to this lamp, although in other respects everything is not bad - high CRI 82, really honest power of 2.9 W with the declared 3 W. This lamp produces only 112 lm of light (this is the equivalent of a 15 W incandescent lamp).

4. Enjoy E14 10W Silver metal - 152 rubles.

The lamp was sent in a soft mesh.

The ripple is 99%, so the lamp cannot be used. 9 W with a declared power of 10 W (for the Chinese, an almost ideal result), CRI = 74 (suitable only for lighting utility rooms), 517 lm (equivalent to a 55 W incandescent lamp).

5. i think R50 7W WARM (R39 R50 R63 R80 LED Light E14 E27 LED Lamp 3W 5W 7W 9W ac 220V 230V 12W 15W 20W R80 R95 R125 Led Bulbs Warm Cold White SpotLight) - 114 rubles.

The lamp was sent without packaging.

The power is 2.3 W instead of the promised 7 W (they cheated exactly three times), respectively, and the luminous flux is only 152 lm (for the R50 this is the equivalent of 25 W). CRI=75, ripple 20%. In general, it's rubbish.

6. ATS 9W Dimmable GU10 COB (1X Free shipping LED Bulb 110V-220V 9W 12W 15W Dimmable GU10 COB LED lamp light led Spotlight White/Warm white led lighting) - 153 rubles.

The lamp was sent in a universal box designed for different types of spot lamps.

3.7 W instead of the promised 9 W and 173 lm instead of the promised 550 lm (exactly a third). Low CRI 72, high ripple - 51%. I didn’t even check the dimming - it makes no sense.

7. Gitex Filament E14 8W - 70 rubles.

The lamp was sent in a universal box designed for different filament lamps.

Here the lie is right in the title. The fact is that filaments more powerful than 1.5 W do not exist. There are four of them in the lamp, so 8 W cannot be achieved. But the reality turned out to be even sadder - the power of this lamp is only 2.5, and not 8 W. And it gives a shameful luminous flux - 217 lm, which is at most 25 W equivalent. CRI is 80, but this is simply because there are no low CRI filaments. But there was no need to talk about all this, since the light pulsation of the lamp is 100%, and it cannot be used.

8. Buybay E14 7W Warm (Patent LED bulb E27 lamp e14 led corn bulb SMD5736 3w 4w 5w 7w 10w 12w G9 corn light AC90-260V SMD 5730 GU10 spotlight B22 light) - 138 rubles.

5.9 W at the promised 7 W, 559 lm (60 W equivalent) at the promised 700 lm and complete absence of ripple. Very good for a Chinese lamp, if not for the CRI - it’s only 66. This is not enough even for utility rooms, but not at all suitable for residential premises. I note that for 140 rubles in regular stores you can buy a high-quality lamp without pulsation, with a high CRI and a guarantee.

9. Foxanon E14 5W Warm 3-level dimmer - 180 rubles.

This lamp has a dimming function without a dimmer - when turned off for a short time, it changes brightness, setting it cyclically to 100, 50 and 25%. But this is of little use, since the quality of light from the lamp is no good - pulsation 100%, CRI 68, power 4.3 W with a declared 5 W and a luminous flux of 308 lm (equivalent to 30 W) with a declared 558 lm. This lamp cannot be used.

10. MUMENG G9 3.5W - 102 rubles.

The lamp was sent in a universal box for G4/G9 lamps.

The lamp power of 3.1 W almost corresponds to the declared one - 3.5 W. Luminous flux 271 lm (equivalent to a 25 W incandescent lamp). There is no pulsation. CRI=74. If it weren't for the low CRI, this lamp could be called good. This is the only lamp of all for which I did not open a dispute - the seller did not indicate the CRI, but in other respects it corresponds to the declared one. But I don’t recommend buying it - it’s better to pay a little extra and buy a lamp with CRI>80.

11. Goodland Ceramic G9 5W Dimmable (NEW Ceramic G9 LED Bulb 5W 7W G9 LED Lamp Dimmable 220V 240V G9 Corn Light High Power Energy Saving Chandelier Lampadas) - 113 rubles.

The lamp was sent in a box indicating the brand.

2.6 W instead of the promised 5 W, 155 lm (equivalent to 15 W, and 100% ripple - this is a good reason to throw this lamp in the trash, despite the high CRI - 81 - and the possibility of dimming.

12. YNL G4 6W 12V Warm COB (YNL G4 LED Lamp AC DC 12V Mini Lampada LED Bulb G4 1505 COB Chip Light 360 Beam Angle Lights Replace 30W Halogen G4 Spotlight) - 52 rubles.

The lamp was sent in a white box.

The power is 1.5 W with the stated 6 W (they lied exactly four times), the luminous flux is only 95 lm (this is at most the equivalent of 10 W), the CRI is high - 81. The ripple is 75%, but the lamp is 12-volt and can be used with a constant source voltage - then there will be no pulsation.

13. Goodland G4 COB 6W 12V Dimmable - 120 rubles.

The lamp was sent in a box indicating the brand.

The power is even less than the previous one - 1.3 W with a stated 6 W, but the luminous flux is greater - 159 lm (this is the equivalent of 15 W). CRI is high - 82, ripple is very low - 3%. This is a good lamp with high-quality light, but the power, inflated by the seller five times (!), spoils the whole picture. However, if you know that the lamp power is 1.3 W, and count on it as an analogue of a 15-watt incandescent lamp, it is quite possible to buy it. However, now the seller does not have it in stock.

These thirteen lamps were not chosen by me, but by my readers, whom I asked to send links to known good lamps. As you can see, there are no good ones among them.

I don’t know why it turns out that Russian stores sell a lot of good LED lamps made in China, but all the lamps ordered from Chinese online stores turn out to be bad. However, this is a fact - out of 36 Chinese lamps tested in the lamptest.ru project, only one had good parameters, but it cost one and a half times more than a similar one in Russia and only worked for six months. A burnt-out lamp purchased in a regular store can be replaced under warranty, which usually ranges from 2 to 5 years, but a Chinese lamp had to be thrown away.

I'm afraid that you won't be able to find good lamps on Aliexpress and other Chinese online stores or they will cost significantly more than similar lamps sold in regular stores.

LED lamps are replacing other light sources. The possibilities of LEDs (LED - Light-Emitting Diode, light-emitting diode), which promise the properties of semiconductor materials predicted by physicists, have not yet been exhausted. Engineers manage to obtain samples of ever better quality and bring them to the mass consumer.

Lamps from China

China is the main supplier of LED lamps to the Russian market. The advantages include their low cost. The downside is unreliability. The Chinese are not always willing to give away top quality goods for free. China's policy is to sell an inexpensive product and console the buyer: if it breaks, buy another one, it's inexpensive.

Before paying attention to the manufacturer, it is still better to give preference to well-known brands, for example Gauss, Philips.

A Chinese LED lamp should, of course, not be chosen based on its packaging. It's best to start with mid-priced products. The cheapest ones are obviously of very modest quality. But among mid-priced lamps you can find some real finds. This is a feature of the Chinese market and production.

There are a great many enterprises operating in China, constantly competing with each other. This time. The semiconductor industry is still developing, and leading suppliers are supplying the market with experimental batches of devices, which, naturally, are sold cheaper than proven and established ones. That's two. Therefore, buying a good Chinese light bulb is a kind of lottery for the buyer.

Before purchasing, pay attention to signs of low-quality products:

• flickering visible on the phone camera indicates a low-quality driver;
• the quality of the cooling system, the radiator should be made not just of plastic, but at least of high-quality composite materials, preferably metal (aluminum is an ideal option).

If you order from Aliexpress, then ask the seller to shoot a video. If you see such defects in the video, then do not buy or be prepared for a short service life. A good lamp has a massive radiator with fins, lights up quickly but smoothly, and shines without flickering and without changing brightness.

Diagram of a Chinese LED lamp

A low- and medium-power LED operates at a direct current of about 10-30 mA at a voltage of about 2.5-3 V. Therefore, in high-quality 220 V lamps there are several of them and they are powered by a pulse voltage converter with PWM regulation.

The converter is made in the form of a specialized microcircuit called a driver. (Actually speaking, this is nothing more than a pulsed one, not a linear one.) The drivers provide an optimal power supply for the LEDs, such that the LED lasts a long time and burns brightly. But this was done only in European and American lamps, for the most part inaccessible to the mass Russian consumer, and even if available, they are too expensive.

Diagram of a Chinese Corn-type LED lamp using SMD 5730 LEDs

Chinese manufacturers often assemble LED lamps using a simplified design. It's done like this. All LEDs are connected in series and connected to a rectifier bridge with a filter of one electrolytic capacitor. Since the resulting circuit, as a rule, operates at a voltage lower than 220 V, the remaining voltage is suppressed using an additional non-polar capacitor, usually a film one, at the input of the bridge. This uses the fact that the resistance of the capacitor is reactive in nature, and almost no heat is generated across it.

The described scheme is rather imperfect. Firstly, when the mains voltage fluctuates, the brightness of the lamp will change greatly, and secondly, with increased voltage, the service life will be significantly reduced. At lower voltage, the brightness will decrease unacceptably. Tiring flickering will be observed during operation, due to the fact that the filter capacitor after the bridge has insufficient capacitance. (A capacitor of the required capacity simply will not fit into the base of a Chinese LED lamp.)

Refinement and repair of Chinese LED lamps

Refinement by craftsmen usually consists of increasing the capacity of the ballast capacitor to increase the current passing through the LEDs. This helps, but it’s not a smart solution, because the first good voltage surge will damage one of the LEDs, causing the whole series group to go out.

Sometimes they try to use zener diodes, but a primitive parallel-type stabilizer is ineffective for such a load.

The video clip describes another type of modification: increasing the capacity of the filter capacitor in a Chinese LED corn lamp, which is being done to reduce the level of flicker.

The video does not say anything about the need to observe polarity when connecting the filter capacitor. If it is not followed, the capacitor will burst very effectively and start smoking.

What to do if the light bulb fails? Repairing a Chinese LED lamp consists of the following sequence of actions.

1. Carefully open its base, which contains the power supply circuit for the lamp.
2. A burnt-out LED is determined by checking each of them from a constant voltage source of 3-5 V through a resistance of 500-820 Ohms. It is necessary to take into account that if the polarity is not observed, the LED will not light up, so first you need to get used to it by changing the probe probes.
3. They find a faulty LED - the one that does not light up - and close it with a jumper or resolder it (observing the polarity!) from another faulty Chinese light bulb.

Chinese LED lamps for cars

In cars, LED lamps are used in parking lights, fog lights, running lights, as well as for low and high beams. Side lights with LEDs are good light sources, economical and bright, just right for evening and night parking on the side of the road. For headlights, they produce bulbs with an h4 socket, which use powerful LEDs with an average current consumption of up to 3 A (this is the driver supply current). To illuminate interior elements, they use not lamps, but LEDs.

The rear part has a large cooling radiator, and sometimes even a fan to enhance airflow. LED headlight bulbs are economical, but have worse optical characteristics than halogen ones. This is explained by the fact that it uses three LEDs and the source is not a point source, as is the case with halogen ones. The increased scattering of LED headlights occurs according to the laws of geometric optics and does not depend on any “intrigues” of manufacturers or service station workers during technical inspection.

Results

To summarize, we can say that it makes sense to buy high-quality Chinese LED lamps. By avoiding poor quality products, you will not need knowledge about modifications and repairs. Remember, when purchasing, you need to make sure that the lamps do not flicker and that the radiator is made of high-quality materials. The somewhat unpresentable appearance of the light bulbs should not be confusing - they are handmade in China.

Which LED lamp manufacturer is better?

In the era of total saving of resources and electricity, every person has heard a lot about energy-saving technologies. This technology is represented in two directions: fluorescent lighting and LED. But despite the apparent popularity of fluorescent-based lamps, it is already clear that the future belongs to LED lamps. Let's take a closer look at this technology, step by step analyze the advantages and disadvantages and make a small rating of manufacturers of LED lamps for the home in order to determine the variety of new products.

Pros and cons of LED lamps.

The main factor that puts LED technology in first place is the problem of recycling fluorescent lamps and mercury vapor. Therefore, many brands pay special attention to the production of LED lamps and are developing this promising technology. Let's take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of this lighting.

Advantages

• Excellent savings. Even the lowest power lamp can perfectly illuminate any room. On average the ratio is 10 W to 100 W.
• Does not have a harmful effect on eye tissue. If your work involves constant eye strain, LED is the first choice.
• When the lamp is operating, minimal heat is generated.
• Lighting fixture components are more environmentally friendly when recycled.
• Huge service life by modern standards for this type of product. Some manufacturers claim 10 years of service life.
• Light weight and resistant to mechanical shocks.

Flaws

• Of course, the main drawback at the moment is the price. But knowing the market mechanisms, this will not last long. As soon as the technology enters mass consumption, the price will fall.
• Another drawback relates only partially to the disadvantages of technology, but most likely to production problems. Many dubious manufacturers, trying to save money, release in advance a low-quality product that has problems with performance. The only solution is to choose the right brand when purchasing a product. What to look for when choosing LED lamps.

Our life directly depends on light. Therefore, every person will sooner or later purchase an LED lamp in a store. Let's look at what you need to pay attention to when choosing LED lighting.

• Manufacturer. This is the basis when purchasing any product. Only the best manufacturers of LED lamps for the home are able to save the average buyer from the problems and provide a guarantee that the actual technical characteristics correspond to the declared ones.
• Number of LEDs in the lamp. They do not burn out, but despite this, over time and years of service, they can fade. Therefore, the more of them there are in the lamp, the longer and brighter its operation will be.
• Power. This parameter has remained virtually unchanged, and to understand how suitable the purchase is for you, you need to divide the “cotton wool” of a regular incandescent lamp by 8 or 10, depending on the manufacturer.
• Lamp protection. For an ordinary apartment or house, IP40 is sufficient; if it is a dusty or industrial room, then you can opt for IP50.
• Price. If you want to forget about your problems, don't look at cheap models. A high-quality and safe LED lamp cannot be cheap, unless it is a fake or a bad manufacturer. But we'll talk about this later.

Review of lamp manufacturers:

As has been mentioned more than once, the choice of LED lamps should start with the manufacturer. We will divide them into several logical groups based on quality and specificity. This will make it easier to sort through their huge number.

1. Domestic producers.

The only disadvantage of this group is its small market share. This is due to the fact that the demand for energy-saving appliances arose much later in our country than abroad. Here are the main Russian players in the LED lamp market:

• Gauss is currently the most famous manufacturer of LED lamps. The product can be purchased both in company stores and at any retail outlet in the country. Among the advantages are individual design, style, quality of technology
• Optogan. Another manufacturer that supports the production of LED products in Russia. It stands out among all its competitors in that it is the only one with a full cycle based on LED technology. Since 2011, we are pleased with the affordable price and constantly updated model range.
• Svetlana-Optoelectronics is a company that has been working with energy-saving technologies for the last twenty years. Excellent quality and constantly expanding production.
• ASD company. Another high-quality Russian dealer. It is famous for its quality product and affordable price.

These are currently the best companies producing LED lamps for the home, whose products are tested not only in Russia, but also abroad.

2 Unknown Chinese production.

The second group of manufacturers, we will separately highlight the Chinese nonname with a capital letter

Let's consider it, put all the dots and never return to this issue again. Let’s make a reservation right away: this group should not be confused with Chinese brand companies. What is noneame? These are not even companies, in the modern understanding of the issue. This is a group of people who have gathered in a certain area and make products that do not meet technical specifications or safety parameters. When buying a light bulb made somewhere in the basement of Uncle Lao Tzu, surrounded by his nephews, at best you can hope that it will give a little light and simply stop working, and not cause harm to others. Therefore, never purchase products from an unknown manufacturer.

3. Famous Chinese brands.

1. Artyom — 09.20.2017 @

   I want to buy light bulbs for a new house - 300 sq.m. I counted, it turned out to be 85 pieces. Which company is better to take? They say that Russian-made ones heat up quickly. This is true?

2. Konstantin — 10/23/2017 @

   A very superficial and dubious article.
   Firstly: there is no detailed and comparative review.
   Secondly: many popular brands are not even mentioned: JazzWay, Cosmos, Navigator
   Navigator, by the way, is one of the first to start selling LED lamps in Russia
   Thirdly: there is no analysis, for example, of why, say, Ecola gives a 1-year warranty, ASD - 2 years, and Camelion - 3 years, and whether the quality of the product depends on this.
   Fourth: the author is a little disingenuous, in other words, lying. For example, I’ll tell you about ASD - the Guarantee says that the manufacturer is Hong Kong, and Russia is only a supplier. And the quality is mediocre. Approximately 20% defective. Some lamps did not work for six months, some were replaced after 1.5. Let's say some Navigators have been in service for more than 5 years (by the way, none of the navigators have ever had a lamp fail)
   And fifthly, there is not a word about the quality of lamps from five years ago and today. At the dawn of the advent of LED (ordinary household) lamps, one could really talk about a lifespan of up to 10 years, but now the quality is not the same. For example, JazzWay from three years ago is still shining, but newly purchased ones are dying with enviable regularity. This is where the 2-3 year warranty comes to the rescue.

3. Vasily — 01/30/2018 @

   I completely agree with Konstantin. Out of 8 Ecola lamps, 3 failed during a month of use in the kitchen. That's the whole rating.

4. Alexey - 06.13.2018 @

   I bought ASD three years ago, then LED lamps were much more expensive than now. The lamps are still working. And now their price is much lower, but the quality is good. A brand with a name can afford not to skimp on quality, and at the same time not to overcharge for the brand! I recommend it to everyone!

5. Alexey - 09.18.2018 @

   I use Gauss lamps. Base E27, warm color. 10 watt lamps work flawlessly. 12 watt lamps are completely disgusting, I bought 23 of them, the store gave a 1-year warranty, during this time I probably changed about 60 lamps (some of them 2-3 times). At the end of the warranty I brought them 22 pieces and they returned the money.

6. Sergey — 01/04/2019 @

   Good afternoon.
   I want to express my distrust of the quality of the Gauss company. I bought four lamps, two burned out within a month.

7. Sergey — 01/18/2019 @

   Lost trust in ASD. It burned out pretty quickly. Using some knowledge, I opened it, found a burnt-out LED, and shunted it with a resistor. Turned it on. Hooray it works! A month later it went out, I opened it. Another one burned down. Didn't do anything. I put it in the long box.

8. Valery — 02/24/2019 @

   09/08/2018 bought lamps from ASD, in the amount of 11 pieces. 100 rubles each, 2 of which no longer work.

9. Anton — 02/25/2019 @

   I recently took JazzWay for a try, I read a lot of reviews, 2 of them. One burned out after a month, the other after two. Draw conclusions. I categorically disagree with the author of the article; I think both theory and practice are weak. The LEDs in the lamps are lit, and how. I completely agree with Konstantin's review. I recommend reading it.

10. Alexey — 04/10/2019 @

    A similar picture. The first batch of camelion light bulbs lasted 4 years. I ordered the exact same ones. We worked for a year. What should I take now?

11. Alexander — 05/01/2019 @

    I would like to express my respect to Gauss light bulbs; after renovation 3 years ago I installed them throughout the apartment. Not a single one has burned out yet (!). But Jazzways, bought a year and a half ago for the sake of white light, die regularly. Since last fall, 4 out of 10 have stopped working. By the way, everything is most likely fine with the LEDs, their controllers are covered. The last light bulb did not light up for 2 days and then suddenly turned on for a minute and then died completely. I will not purchase from this manufacturer again.

12. Vladimir — 07/06/2019 @

    I bought Gauss in October last year, 20-watt 3000k in the amount of 3 pieces. Until July 2019, they all stopped working. Replaced them under warranty.

13. Vladimir — 07.24.2019 @

    I bought a pack of Gauss Candle 10 pcs. in April 2017. The warranty on the lamps is 3 years. Two burned out within six months, three more within 2 years. Now another one has begun to flicker. It turns out that more than 50% of lamps do not survive the warranty period. And all this with not very intensive use. Draw conclusions about Gauss quality