5W GU10 LED globe

A replacement LED globe on a twist-lock mains base, running on 240V. This base runs directly on mains, so there is no transformer or driver behind it. The two pins twist and lock a quarter turn – if a globe drops out of a downlight, it is almost always because it was pushed in without being twisted home.

Globes are the one part of a light fitting that is genuinely consumable, and the reason to buy a good one is that a fitting outlives many of them. Getting the base right is the whole job – everything else is a preference.

Light output

It draws 5W and is rated at 50lm. The beam is 60.

This is a COLOURED globe, not a white one. Its output figure looks low next to a white globe of the same wattage and that is normal – a coloured LED emits in a narrow band, so most of what a white globe spreads across the spectrum simply is not there. Judge it against other coloured globes, never against white.

Dimming

This globe is dimmable. On a lamped fitting the DIMMING BEHAVIOUR FOLLOWS THE GLOBE, not the fitting – so a dimmable globe is what makes a dimmed circuit work, and a non-dimmable one will buzz, flicker or refuse to dim no matter what the fitting claims. The dimmer itself should be one rated for LED loads.

Getting a long life out of it

An LED globe rarely fails the way a halogen did. What kills it early is heat: the electronics sit in the base, and in a sealed or insulated fitting that heat has nowhere to go. A globe that dies within months in one fitting and lasts for years in another is almost always telling you about the fitting, not the globe.

If a fitting is fully enclosed, check it is rated for that before assuming the globe is at fault. The same applies to insulation packed against a downlight in a ceiling – it traps heat around the very part that is least tolerant of it.

Before you order

This globe runs on mains, so it needs no transformer or driver behind it. Check the base on the globe you are replacing rather than the shape of the fitting – mains and low-voltage fittings look very similar from below, and the bases are not interchangeable.

Take the old globe with you or photograph its markings. Our team at Lights For You can identify a base from a clear photograph, which is faster than measuring pin spacing.

Frequently asked questions

What base is it?

GU10 – a twist-lock mains base.

Does it need a transformer or driver?

No. It runs directly on mains.

Can it be dimmed?

Yes, on a dimmer rated for LED loads.

Why is the output so low?

It is a coloured globe. A coloured LED emits in a narrow band, so its lumen figure is always well below a white globe of the same wattage. Compare it with other coloured globes.

How do I check I am ordering the right one?

Photograph the markings on the old globe and send them to us – the base is the part that must match exactly.