B22 light bulbs

Check the base first: a 22 mm two-pin socket requires a B22 bulb, which is fitted by pushing and turning a quarter turn. Next come the colour temperature, around 2700 K for a living room and 4000 K for a worktop, and the lumen output suited to the surface.

• What is a B22 bayonet bulb
• Do bayonet bulbs still exist
• Choosing by room and use
• The four types of bulbs
• Cool white or warm white
• Wiring three bulbs in parallel
• The best light for the eyes

What is a B22 bayonet bulb?

A B22 bulb is a bulb whose base measures 22 mm in diameter and is secured by two side pins, by pushing and turning a quarter turn. It is found on ceiling lights, wall lights and older fixtures still fitted with a bayonet socket. Before ordering, browse all our light fixtures: the socket appears in the detail views.

B22 bayonet bulbs: what the base changes when fitting

The movement is mechanical: align the two pins with the grooves in the socket, push in slightly, then turn. No thread, so no risk of cross-threading; on the other hand, a poorly seated bulb holds without electrical contact. The model runs on 220-240 V mains, like E27 screw-base bulbs.

B22d or B22 bulb: what is the difference on the socket?

Both fit a 22 mm pin socket. The B22d has an offset pin and a contact pad that prevent insertion into a socket designed for another fitting. If the bulb refuses to turn, do not force it: compare the shape of the pins with those of the old bulb.

Do bayonet bulbs still exist?

Yes. The B22 base is still manufactured, especially in LED and filament, because fixtures with bayonet sockets are still in use. Keeping the fitting makes real sense: a 1980s metal and glass ceiling light has nothing to envy a new model. Browse the full bulb range to see the technologies available.

B22 LED bulbs: replacing your bulb without changing the fixture

This is the most common reason to buy. A B22 LED uses little power, heats less than a halogen and comes in clear glass, amber glass or an opal version. The free bulb distributions announced in recent years do not concern this shop: every model is offered for sale, with no special procedure.

Where to find a B22 bayonet bulb in store or online

The B22 base is less common in large stores than E27, often reduced to a few basic references. Online, colours, shapes and colour temperatures can really be compared, particularly among LED bulbs. Look for the B22 mention on the packaging, not just in the photo.

B22 LED bulbs: how to choose by room and use?

First choose the light: 2700 K for a warm living room, 3000 K for a work room, 4000 K for a kitchen or office. Then the output, in lumens, suited to the room, then the shape: globe for a ceiling light with a diffuser, visible filament for an open pendant. For a living room, living room bulbs favour a warm white and a glass that diffuses.

B22 100 W bulbs and B22 25 W bulbs: reading power differently

The figure in watts refers either to consumption or to the maximum power allowed by the socket, often printed on the lampholder. This collection contains only one model, with a B22 base: the product page is therefore the only useful reference for the output and the limit engraved on the fixture.

Multicolour B22 bulbs and coloured B22 bulbs: what effect in the room?

Pink, blue, amber or white: the tint of the glass changes the result even before the colour temperature. Amber glass warms, black glass stays discreet when switched off and filters the light. Multicolour models serve atmosphere and decor; for everyday use, a warm white remains more comfortable.

What are the 4 types of bulbs?

There are four families: the type of base (B22, E27, E14, GU10), the shape of the glass (globe, candle, spot), the technology (LED, filament, halogen) and the light rendering, given in kelvin. These four criteria combine: the same B22 bulb exists in several shapes and several temperatures.

Bayonet, screw, pins: recognising the main base types

Three movements are enough: a quarter turn for bayonet, screw-in for E27 and E14 small-thread bulbs, push in two pins for GU10 spots at 230 V and GU5 low-voltage bulbs at 12 V. Small decorative formats are gathered in other G4 and G9 bases.

B22 LED, halogen and filament bulbs: what really changes in use

LED comes on at full power immediately and heats little. Filament reproduces the look of an incandescent bulb, with visible filaments and a softer light: see filament bulbs and retro-style bulbs. Halogen, still fitted in some fixtures, uses more power and heats the socket.

What gives the whitest light, cool or warm?

Cool white, around 4000 K and above, appears whiter and sharper than warm white, around 2700 to 3000 K, which leans yellow. The tint of the glass matters too: amber glass warms the light, clear glass lets it through as it is.

What does the value 4000 K mean for a bulb?

4000 K describes the tint of the light, not its power. At equal output, a 4000 K bulb makes whites crisper and colours cooler than a 2700 K light. It is the usual reference for an office or a worktop, where details are easier to distinguish.

How to know the colour of the bulb: glass, kelvin and rendering

The packaging gives the kelvin; the glass modulates that figure. Opal glass diffuses and softens, a glass bulb lets the source be seen and casts sharp shadows. For a living room, a warm white 3000 K behind a diffuser remains the safest compromise.

How to wire 3 bulbs in parallel?

Three sockets are wired in parallel: the live wire arrives at the first socket and continues to the next, the neutral follows the same path. Each bulb then receives 230 V and lights independently of the others. Switch off the power at the breaker before working.

Live, neutral and looping: the principle of parallel wiring

Looping means running a wire from the terminal block of the first socket to the second, then from the second to the third. Each socket receives two wires, live and neutral, and nothing else. Earth only concerns class I fixtures, fitted with a terminal block intended for it.

Three bulbs on the same circuit: what to check before connecting

Check the conductor cross-section, the condition of the connections and the combined power of the three bulbs, which stays low with LED. If the circuit is old, without earth or conduit, an electrician decides. 220 V LED bulbs connect directly, without a transformer.

What is the best light for the eyes?

The most comfortable light is indirect, without flicker, with an output suited to the task: avoid sharp differences between rooms and keep a warm white in the evening. On a B22 bulb, favour a diffusing glass rather than a very directional bare source.

Avoiding glare: diffuser, shade and orientation

A bulb visible at eye level causes glare, whatever its power. An opaque shade facing downwards, opal glass or a wall light aimed at the wall solve the problem. In a bedroom, aim for a bedroom bulb in warm white, behind a diffuser.

LED, filament or dimmer: what changes visual comfort

The flicker perceived often comes from a dimmer poorly matched to the LED. Dimmer-compatible bulbs are stated as such on the packaging; without that mention, lowering the voltage can produce flicker. A visible filament in an open pendant gives a soft light, provided you do not look at it directly.

The step that avoids an ordering mistake: photograph your socket, note the mention engraved on the lampholder (B22, voltage, maximum power) and compare it with the product page before confirming. The collection has only one model with a B22 base: the product page remains the reference to consult.

Frequently asked questions about B22 bulbs