High flickerDiscontinuedIKEA Tradfri 205.187.42 PAR38 tunable white smart bulb
The verdict
A tunable white PAR38 bulb, now discontinued. Its white light is good (CRI 87, Rf 90), it dims down to 14 lm, its warmest white is 2290K, and flicker risk is high.
The flicker is the problem. At full brightness it measured 18% percent flicker. I would keep it out of reading lamps, desks and rooms where anyone is flicker sensitive.
CRI 87 · Rf 90
Averaged over its warm, neutral and cool settings. #72 of 119 bulbs.
Down to 14 lm
Brightest white 821 lm. #78 of 119 bulbs.
Warmest white 2290K
mel-DER 0.27 at that setting. Daylight is 1.0. #80 of 119 bulbs.
High risk at full, no risk at half
Graded against IEEE 1789.
Full brightnessHalf
The white settings
Pick a setting. Everything below follows it.
How colors look
At the selected setting. The red line pulls out where colors get more vivid and pinches in where they dull.
Flicker
Measured with a flicker meter at full and half brightness.
FullHalf
Where it ranks
All 120 bulbs. Left dims lower, up renders color more truly. Tap a dot to open that bulb.
This bulbOther bulbsHigh flicker riskDiscontinued
Beat it on both
Still sold, dims lower and has truer color, without high flicker.
GE Cync CLEDR309CDENCRI 93 · 0.7 lm · BR30 · $25GE Cync CLEDR309CDRVCRI 93 · 1.3 lm · BR30 · $20Philips Hue LCZ002CRI 91 · 0.8 lm · Ellipse · $99Philips Hue LCO006CRI 91 · 0.8 lm · G40 · $110Similar bulbs
Still sold, same E26 base.
Setup and specs
- Color mode
- Tunable white
- White range
- 2300K to 3950K
- Shape
- PAR38
- Base
- E26
- Dimming curve
- Logarithmic
- Tested
- Jun 6, 2024


