IP20 light bulbs

Keep this marker above all: an IP20 light bulb belongs in a dry room, never near a water point. The first digit of the code covers solid objects over 12.5 mm, the second signals no protection against water. This selection brings together LED light bulbs with E27 and G9 bases for the living room, bedroom and office. The collection contains 9 light bulbs.

What does IP 20 class mean?

The IP20 rating signals a light bulb protected against solid objects over 12.5 mm, such as a finger, but not against water. This is the standard level for an indoor light fixture placed in a dry room, away from water splashes and humidity.

The code reads in two positions. The 2 corresponds to mechanical protection: no object larger than a finger can reach the live part. The 0 closes the second position, and there nothing is provided against drops, splashes or steam. All the light bulbs in this collection carry this rating, which points to use in a temperate, dry room.

In practice, this mention says nothing about light quality. An IP20 light bulb can be a very soft LED light bulb or a more decorative filament model. The rating only tells you where it can live. To place each family, compare with the light bulb section and with all our light fixtures, which cover damp rooms and outdoors.

What is the difference between IP20 and IP44 protection ratings?

IP20 protects against finger contact and coarse dust, but offers no resistance to water. IP44 adds protection against water splashes and against finer solid objects. An IP20 light bulb is therefore intended for a dry room, IP44 for an area exposed to splashes.

The nuance lies entirely in the second digit. The 0 of IP20 provides no water barrier, the 4 of IP44 withstands splashes from all directions. A bathroom, a utility room or the area around a sink therefore requires another rating, while a living room, bedroom or office needs no more. The models in this selection stay in the first case.

How to choose your IP20 light bulb: E27 or G9 base?

The choice of base depends on the socket already in place on the light fixture. The E27 base is the large standard screw, equivalent to old filament sockets. The G9 base is smaller, with two pins, and serves compact fixtures such as ceiling lights or slim pendants.

A base does not adapt: it is chosen. Look at the socket of the fixture before any purchase, then at the space available around it. A large E27 format can stick out of a tight lampshade, where a G9 slips in without forcing.

IP20 light bulbs with E27 base

The large screw remains the most widespread format in the home, which makes it easy to replace a burnt-out bulb on an already installed fixture. The Voltia LED filament light bulb is an illustration: E27 base, body in metal and wood, black or brown finish, stated dimensions of 55 x 30 cm, in warm white LED and 8 W, the listing mentioning up to 40 W depending on the model. Its nordic and contemporary style places it as well on a living room table as on a desk. You will find others in the E27 base light bulbs and the E27 LED filament light bulbs.

IP20 light bulbs with G9 base

The G9 serves fixtures where space matters: low ceiling light, compact wall light, slim pendant. The Mordane light bulb with cylindrical shade combines metal and steel, 20 cm shade, 16 cm height and 14 cm base, for 8 W. Its black silhouette and modern, industrial or minimalist style suit understated interiors. The catalogue of G9 light bulbs and other small bases shows other formats, and the modern style light bulbs extend this vein.

Which light temperature for a living room, bedroom or office?

The IP20 light bulbs in the collection that state their temperature emit a warm white, between 2700 and 3500 K: a light close to classic domestic lighting, suited to the living room in the evening, the bedroom and the office. It stays soft on walls and materials, with no bluish reflection.

This range sits within the usual values of residential lighting, where one generally stays under 4000 K for rest rooms. Above that, the light turns to neutral then cool white, more suited to a worktop or a garage than to a reading corner. In this selection, only the Voltia model states its temperature; the Mordane model listing does not give it, so nothing can be said about it.

If you are looking for a specific atmosphere, the 2700K light bulbs give a warm and enveloping rendering, while the 3000K light bulbs stay warm with a little more crispness. The filament light bulbs and the glass light bulbs play the same card on the style side.

In which rooms to install an IP20 light bulb?

IP20 light bulbs suit dry rooms: living room, bedroom and office are the uses listed in this collection. They are installed neither outdoors, nor in a bathroom exposed to water splashes, where a higher protection rating is required.

IP20 light bulb for the living room

In the living room, the light is looked at as much as it lights. An E27 base light bulb in metal and wood like the Voltia model takes on a decorative role: placed on a console or in an open pendant, it shows its material and its brown or black colour, and emits a warm white for the evening. If you are looking for other bases for this room, browse the light bulbs for the living room and the 220V LED light bulbs, which work on the standard domestic network.

IP20 light bulb for the bedroom and office

In the bedroom, a low and warm light is preferred, with no dazzling point in line with the bed. The office supports a sharper rendering for reading or writing, provided you stay in the warm range so as not to strain your eyes in the evening. A compact G9 base like the Mordane suits a small bedside fixture sitting on a 14 cm base, with its 20 cm shade that softens the source. Also see the light bulbs for the bedroom, the E14 light bulbs for small sockets, and the GU10 light bulbs if your office is lit by adjustable spotlights.

How to wire 3 light bulbs in parallel?

In a parallel circuit, each socket is supplied with the same voltage: the three light bulbs light the same way. In series, the voltage is divided between them and the lighting weakens. Parallel is the circuit used for a fixture with several light points.

Parallel or series circuit: what changes

Parallel brings the live and neutral to each socket, independently of the others: if one light bulb is removed, the other two keep lighting normally. Series makes the circuit pass through each light bulb one after the other; switching off a single one cuts the whole set, and the light is distributed unevenly. On a fixture with three points, parallel is therefore what you wire.

What to check before wiring

Cut the power at the circuit breaker before any work, and check that there is no current before touching the wires. Identify the live, neutral and earth, then check that each socket of the fixture accepts the base of the chosen light bulb: an E27 fixture will not take a G9 without an adapter. For a new installation, call an electrician.

Which IP for outdoors?

Outdoors, an IP20 light bulb is not suitable: it resists neither rain nor splashes. For outdoors, look for a rating whose second digit covers water, such as IP44 for a covered shelter, IP65 for exposed use. This collection remains reserved for dry interiors.

Does IP44 protect against rain?

IP44 resists water splashes, not driving rain. An IP44 light bulb holds under an awning, a roof overhang or in a washroom, but it is not made to stay exposed to the weather. For a truly outdoor point, aim for a higher rating, whose second digit goes up to 5 or 7.

What is the best light bulb for outdoors?

The one whose rating matches the actual exposure of the light point. Under a closed shelter, an IP44 is often enough; on an unprotected wall, an IP65 stands up to water jets. No light bulb in this collection states these ratings, and we therefore promise none for outdoors. The choice is made on all our light fixtures, some models of which are intended for these areas.

Which IP is the most watertight?

The higher the second digit of the IP rating, the more the light bulb resists water. IP44 covers splashes, IP65 water jets and IP67 temporary immersion. None of these levels appears in this collection: all the light bulbs offered here are IP20, for dry indoor use.

Put another way, watertightness is not guessed, it is read on the listing. A very bright light bulb is not thereby protected, and an outdoor light bulb does not light better than another. If you are equipping a bathroom or a covered terrace, start from the rating required for the area, then only from the power and the colour temperature.

Choosing, ordering and installing

Start with the socket of the fixture, then the room, then the light temperature. An E27 base with a warm white suits the living room as well as the bedroom; a compact G9 helps out tight fixtures. Check the stated dimensions before confirming, especially if a narrow shade surrounds the source.

All the light bulbs in this selection are guaranteed for two years. To choose, compare the base (E27 or G9), the dimensions and the light temperature (2700-3500K) according to the room. Also compare the LED light bulbs and the 220V LED light bulbs if your domestic network is your only power source, and explore all our light fixtures before finalising your basket.

Frequently asked questions about IP20 light bulbs