FYI I bought three wattages (60W, 75W, 100W) of the Target brand name (Up and Up) in 3000k. All three flickered badly so I didn't bother to upload the images.
I've got some more bulbs coming: Ikea, another Amazon Basics, Waveform and Yuji.
If anyone has any requests/ideas, let me know. I tested a bunch of others that I didn't bother uploading because they flickered so much.
Here's one drawback of the Opple (depending on how sensitive you are, especially if you're sensitive to "spikey" waveforms like I am). Here's the 60W Amazon Basics 2700k
Opple shows a fairly smooth ripple every 8 ms. If you're old like me you'll need to zoom on the image to see the ripple.
My photodetector shows a very abrupt blip. This is on AC mode but no zoom.
The flicker percent is about the same (Opple says 1.05% and my device says 1.48%). But for me, the abrupt blip would very likely give me headaches.
The above screen shots were all generated with the bulb warm. Here's what it looks like when it's cold. The X axis is different, but the important thing to note is how far down the flicker goes on the Y axis.
I was disappointed with the Ikea Solhetta bulbs. I'll be returning them. There were a couple that were just OK, but I wouldn't really recommend them.
The first one is the Ikea Solhetta 40W 2700k candelabra. Flicker varies between about 2.5% and about 5%. I haven't found a better candelabra bulb, but I'm not exactly excited about this one.
Also, it flickers quite intensely for the first 10 seconds or so. This is on DC mode...
Once it warms up I think the flicker frequency must be too high for the Opple Lightmaster because it didn't really detect any flicker at all:
Here's a good bulb once it warms up. Ikea Solhetta 40W 2700k e26 base. Flicker is about 0.11%
Note that even when this bulb is warm it occasionally has a spikey waveform like this:
But it takes a few minutes to warm up and here's what it looks like before it warms up:
I tested two other Ikea Solhetta bulbs but they were more disappointing. 60w and 100w, both 2700k and both with e26 (standard) bases. I didn't bother uploading my waveforms. Opple (incorrectly) said there was basically no flicker for these bulbs as well.
The only ones I have ordered but not yet tested are the expensive ones from Waveform and Yugi. Those might make sense in very high-use areas (like my office), but I can't imagine spending that kind of money for every bulb in my house.
In short, I know of three inexpensive bulbs that have low flicker.
I found a couple Ikea bulbs with low flicker. The "Lunnom" line was hit and miss - some styles were good and others were not. There were a couple other good ones but they were in weird sizes so I didn't bother to capture the waveform. And most of them are very low output (roughly 100-210 lm). I'll go back to Ikea later this week and try out the 450 lm globe light.
The first one is only 150 lm, It is a fairly large globe with a standard e26 base. Model number LED2115G1 Flicker percent:
The second one is only 135 lm. It is a very small globe with a candelabra e12 base. Model number LED2122G1 Flicker percent:
I'll keep you posted on the 450 lm globe light.
I found a couple Feit "thin filament" bulbs that are pretty good. The flicker percent is higher, but the waveform has a very thin line. I think for me the thickness of the line (i.e., the noisiness of the light) matters in addition to the flicker percent.
Here's a Feit "Thin Filament" 40w 2700k globe bulb with standard (e26) base. Item number: G2540/H/927CATFIL. Flicker percent:
Using the formula I was using above, (max-min)/(max+min): 0.549%
Using a more useful formula, (max-min)/max: 1.092%
Here's a Feit "Thin Filament" 40w 2700k candelabra (e12) base. Item number: CTC40927CATFIL/2. Flicker percent:
Using the formula I was using above, (max-min)/(max+min): 0.498%
Using a more useful formula, (max-min)/max: 0.991%
Regarding the Maxlite Dimmable 60w 2700k that work for me…. I just got a shipment from Amazon and the waveform is really bad:
It gets better as the bulb warms up, but still not good.
One silver lining is that even the Opple can see it:
I'm going to buy some from 2-3 different sellers on eBay; presumably their stock is older. I'll keep you posted on that.
New user and recently learned about LED flicker… are Waveforms worth it? I read on "Flicker Sense" they're great new but they eventually begin to flicker over time which was super disappointing.
Tested a good number of bulbs and by far the best through iPhone 240fps slow motion has been 60W Phillips White Dial Flicker-Free Frosted Dimmable A19 Light Bulb. The other Phillips versions do not come close, even its 100W version and the hyped Flicker-Free Frosted Dimmable A19 Light Bulb I saw in the Youtube LED review video.
I need to find some bulb to fit in 9' ceiling Kitchen… was going to go Waveform A12 because its the lights we use the most, but now not so sure. Currently using BR30s, any recommendations in 3000K?
Here's that expensive Yugi bulb (SunWave™ CRI 98 A19/A60 Flicker-Free Wellness Lighting 11W Dimmable LED Bulb 3000K - 2pcs). I got two supposedly-identical bulbs, but the waveform of the two bulbs is different.
Bulb #1:
I was pleasantly surprised with this bulb's waveform, given that the line is so thin (there isn't much noise) and smooth (there aren't any sudden changes in brightness).
Bulb #2:
I was disappointed with this bulb's waveform. It wasn't terrible, but certainly not as good as the other bulb and probably not worth $41.
Here's the flicker calculations for the first bulb. But note that you probably shouldn't judge this solely by the flicker percent because the waveform is so thin and smooth:
I bought a two-pack for $82 (so $41 each). On the one hand, that's pretty expensive. On the other hand, an incandescent bulb will cost about $20/year to operate if you're using it 40 hours/week, so this could make financial sense in some fixtures.
I'll try them both out over the next 30 days and let you know what I think.
Here is the "CENTRIC HOME™ Flicker-Free A21 15W LED Bulb." This is on DC mode.
If I slow down the X axis, you can see that it flickers at 35khz. That may be above my brain's ability to detect
Not surprisingly, this frequency of flicker was undetectable by the Opple. I forgot to save a screen shot of the other screen, but Opple said the modulation percent was something like 0,35% (which is obviously not accurate).
I may give this a shot for a couple hours for "fun", but I'll likely be returning this.
charles8 through iPhone 240fps slow motion
I've spent about half my posts in this thread disparaging the Opple Lightmaster, but honestly I'd recommend that you pick one up. The price seems to fluctuate quite a bit, but mine was about $40. I honestly think it's a great tool for the price; I'm simply trying to outline some of its limitations. My setup was $600 and Jenny's ("Flicker Sense") was $850 used; in this case you get what you pay for, but it makes sense to start small.
Here's two places to start if you're looking for recommendations:
https://optimizeyourbiology.com/light-bulb-database
https://flickeralliance.org/collections/flicker-free-light-bulbs
charles8 are Waveforms worth it?
My initial thought is not worth it unless you've exhausted all other avenues.
GregAtkinson On the other hand, an incandescent bulb will cost about $20/year to operate if you're using it 40 hours/week, so this could make financial sense in some fixtures.
Lol, no it doesn't.. $20 is well worth not having to deal with the hassles you are all going through comparing and measuring stuff.
Sunspark Lol, no it doesn't.. $20 is well worth not having to deal with the hassles you are all going through comparing and measuring stuff.
Fair enough, though I have about 100 bulbs in my house, so it adds up. But, yeah, it's been a lot of work.
FYI I'm nearing the end of my testing.
Here's an Ikea Lummon 450lm globe light. Model number LED2119G3. It's ridiculously large (5" across). Flicker is fairly small:
GregAtkinson I'm going to buy some from 2-3 different sellers on eBay; presumably their stock is older. I'll keep you posted on that.
There are a few old, non-flickering ones on eBay. Here’s an eBay listing that has them for about $2 per bulb with shipping.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/155900291630
Here's a couple pictures showing the differences. the newer (bad) box is smaller; the older (good) box is larger.
I bought about 150 bulbs from various sellers that will hopefully last until my kids put me in a nursing home. It’s a large box, but still a very poignant reminder of my limited time on earth.
GregAtkinson Here is the "CENTRIC HOME™ Flicker-Free A21 15W LED Bulb." This is on DC mode.
Finaly, all when we get not thin line wave-style, it mean it has extremly high-freq modulation which you can see limiting threshold window? Not in ms, but in ns?
Many commercially available LED lights can still cause discomfort even at frequencies of 2-3kHz. Higher frequencies, such as 25kHz and above, can significantly reduce flicker-related issues. Some of Tridonic's LED drivers support high frequency PWM dimming, which can reach 30kHz or higher. ShineLong's high-end LED products, such as the Alpha series or the Rancher series, support strobo-free drivers and often prefer high-frequency dimming designs.
