Consumer Reports tests mood-improving LEDs

I first tested an LED bulb seven years ago. It was not a promising beginning. The bulb was a Par 38 spotlight for a recessed ceiling fixture. The color of the light was a silvery metallic — so chilling and wintery that it made the room feel cold. The final kicker was the price — $125. Things have changed a lot since then. At the same time, the quality of the light produced by today’s LEDs has vastly improved. In my most recent annual home testing, I found that the light produced for most of the bulb categories can be extremely close to that of the incandescent and halogen bulbs the LEDs are designed to replace — so much so that only a lighting expert will notice the difference.