See why these lightbulbs could be great for your wallet and the planet.
These LED Bulbs Could Last Up to 50 Years
Updated on Apr. 17, 2025
Introduction
Thomas Edison didn’t actually invent the light bulb, but he perfected it, and his design lasted 100 years. Edison’s incandescent bulb provides light by electrical resistance and uses a fair amount of electricity, so in today’s power-conscious world, something better was bound to come along. And it has. Enter LED bulbs.
LED bulbs followed compact fluorescents (CFLs) onto store shelves in the early 2000’s as an even more economical and long-lasting alternative to incandescents. LEDs have quickly become the lighting standard, but there’s always room for improvement, as a European company showed in 2021. Here’s the skinny.
A Better Light Bulb
A new series of lightbulbs requiring significantly less energy may last as long as 50 years, according to a 2021 press release by Signify, the company that developed these LED bulbs.
The Philips LED A-class bulbs, available in 40W and 60W equivalents, went on the market in Europe on Sept. 1, 2021. The bulbs, in “white” or “cool white,” reduce energy consumption by 60 percent compared to standard Philips LED bulbs, according to the release. The bulbs meet updated European Union eco-design and labeling regulations that also took effect Sept. 1. It’s not clear when or if they will be available for sale in the United States.
“Our passion for a better and more sustainable world pushed us to further innovate and increase the energy efficiency of our LED lighting,” said representative Michael Rombouts. “With this technological breakthrough, we created our most energy-efficient lamp in this shape yet, while maintaining the same high quality of LED lighting that our customers are used to.”
Good for 50,000 Hours
Signify’s LED bulbs use new technology to “cut carbon emissions, reduce material waste, and lower energy usage,” according to the company. It claims the bulbs can burn up to 50,000 hours, three times longer than standard Philips LED bulb equivalents. (According to Edison Report, Signify calculates the 50-year timeline based on three hours a day of residential use.) The bulbs remain energy efficient, using one-third of the energy of standard equivalents, according to Signify.
FAQ
Why are LEDs so much more efficient?
LEDS don’t provide light by heating up tungsten filament or exciting a gas until it glows. Both processes waste electricity as heat, and in the case of incandescents, the waste can be as much as 90 percent. Instead, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) is a semi-conductor device that converts electricity directly into light. It wastes virtually none of the electricity as heat.
How long does the average light bulb last?
These days, most of the bulbs you find in stores are LEDs, and their life spans vary from 25,000 to 50,000 hours. According to Green Lighting, if you use a typical LED for 10 hours a day, it should last 14 years.
CFLs, on the other hand, last from 8,000 to 15,000 hours, halogens last from 2,000 to 4,000 hours and incandescents last from 750 to 2,000 hours.
About the Expert
- Michael Rombouts is the business unit leader for LED lamps and luminaires at Signify.
Sources
- Signify: Signify introduces Philips LED’s most energy-efficient A-class bulbs; (2021)
- Edison Report: Signify Introduces Philips A-Lamp With Up to a 50-Year Life; (2021)
- Green Lighting: The Lifespan of an LED Bulb; (2025)
