Retro lamps: pros, cons, examples

Not so long ago, there were no alternatives to the traditional Edison lamp. And today, such lighting fixtures are called retro lamps. Our advice site will work with you to figure out what the pros and cons are of such lamps, by examples it will show what manufacturers are offering in this area today..

Today, in the shops of lighting fixtures, buyers will find a huge selection: fluorescent, halogen, LED lamps. Yes, as the portal already wrote, modern LED technologies have a lot of advantages. One of the most significant is energy saving. And yet, retro lamps, commonly referred to as Edison after the inventor, are still in demand..

They are produced by many manufacturers. In particular, the Russian factory “Gusev”, the Danish brand Danlamp, the Swiss Righi Licht AG, the Dutch Calex. For those looking to save some money on buying retro lamps, there is a large selection of Chinese products. But their quality is often criticized..

Retro style lamps can be very different. The shape is not necessarily “pear”. They can be oval, round, rectangular, long, barrel-shaped, square, and so on. Glass can also be different, including with decor and spraying. But the standard color of Edison lamps is always amber.

An important feature is the tungsten filament, which creates a special pattern inside the glass bulb. Tungsten filament can be bent in a spiral, in the form of a hairpin, loop, tree, cage, leaf, and so on. The number of filaments can be very different, this will affect the cost of the lamp, but not its power.

The benefits of retro lamps include:

• Lack of mercury;
• No transformer needed;
• You can use a standard cartridge;
• Resistance to temperature changes;
• The glow is unique thanks to the tungsten filament;
• Even with alternating current, they practically do not flicker;
• Designed for very different voltages;
• Do not hum;
• The light is soft, homely, cozy, pleasing to the eye;
• They look stylish and attractive. It is not for nothing that famous designers constantly turn to Edison lamps, creating their unusual chandeliers;
• Suitable for different interior styles. They will look great in a loft, in a classic room design, and in a rustic interior style.

The disadvantages of Edison lamps are as follows:

• They serve no more than 3.5 thousand hours, then you have to change;
• They consume a lot of electricity. Not the most economical way to light your home;
• The surface heats up, plastic lampshades cannot be used, you can get burned if we are talking about a table lamp that is not covered by anything;
• The cost of a designer lamp can be very high.

Due to their short lifespan and uneconomical energy consumption, retro-style lamps are rarely used today to fully illuminate an entire house or apartment. Now it is just a decorative accent, an interesting element of room decoration, a design move.