GE 47448 12/23/29-Watt CFL (50/100/150-Watt equivalent) Energy Smart Spiral 3-Way Light Bulb

Just want folks to be aware that these measure approximately 6.5" in length, or about an inch longer than a typical-sized incandescent bulb (like 60 or 100 W variety). I was interested in getting one of these to replace the 50/100/150 W incandescent bulb in my living room lamp (the tall, free-standing kind), but found it to be too long as it comes out of the top by about an inch. For now I am waiting for a company to come out with a CFL 50/100/150 equivalent that matches up in size better.

If you're looking to move to more environmentally-friendly lighting, these are for you. These 3-way spiral fluorescent bulbs are wonderful. I haven't had mine long enough to address the extended lifespan. But they serve beautifully as a replacement for standard 3-way 50-100-150W incandescent bulbs.

The "color" of the light is very warm -- not at all like the greenish-bluish tone one usually associates with fluorescent light. It does take a few seconds for the full intensity of the light to develop at the 29W (150W-equivalent) level, so keep that in mind. It comes on fairly dim, then develops the bright light you expect in about 15 seconds or so.

I'm currently in grad school (an older "non-traditional" student), and I do a LOT of reading. I'd been going through standard 3-way bulbs about one every 3 months or so, so I was looking for a more economical solution. The claim for "7 year life" is based on 4 hours per day of use. I know I use mine a lot more...Read more

Ok, the short version is this lamp works great. The main concern is if it will *fit* in your lamp, so check the dimensions carefully.

The "color" of this lamp is great and most would never guess it's a fluorescent lamp under the shade. But it's using about 1/5 the energy. It's also brighter than most when first turned on (CFL bulbs take a minute or so to reach full brightness).

There are many reviews claiming this lamp flickers, or only worked as a 1-way lamp, or died an early death, etc. While GE might have some quality issues, a more likely cause is 3-way lamp sockets tend to get "fried" from the extreme heat of 3-way incandescent bulbs (which can go up to 150 watts). 3-way bulb sockets also have less area for the added contact needed for 3-way bulbs which makes them more prone to problems. And the high heat, over time, corrodes the contacts in the socket. All this means 3-way lamps are way more likely to have contact problems. This is the fault of the LAMP...Read more