LEDS LEAD THE WAY

According to research by IHS Technology, consumers have largely chosen halogen bulbs since the ban on incandescent bulbs came into effect. “To be sure, cost played an important role, but the shift is also partly due to looks,” concludes its report. “Not only do halogen bulbs closely resemble incandescents, many households also dislike the alternative – fluorescent lamps – because fluorescents have a different form factor from the familiar incandescent bulb.”

Consumers have also tentatively explored LED bulbs, albeit for their ‘green’ credentials rather than their appearance. All that’s about to change, however, with the arrival of the designer LED bulb by Buster + Punch, which boasts good looks to rival those of the much-coveted incandescent.

So what’s all the fuss about? Well, a teardrop-shaped glass shell in a choice of three colours – warm gold, smoked grey or bright crystal – houses a bulb finished with a satin metal sheen. The result looks as good switched off as to does on. The E27 base means that the Buster Bulb can be used as a direct replacement for standard screw-thread incandescent. However, it consumes just 5% of the energy of a conventional bulb.

“We all feel a massive sense of pride, not just because we managed to build what we think is a great-looking piece of design, but because this simple light bulb might just help the everyman save a little bit of money and help the environment at the same time,” says Massimo Minale, the designer and founder of Buster + Punch. “It could only be a small shift but hopefully we can finally get people looking at eco-efficient design in a different light.”