Confused which lightbulbs to buy? If you're always buying the wrong bulbs, here's what you need to know.
If you're of a certain vintage (i.e., old), you know that buying lightbulbs used to be a relatively simple process: You noted the wattage that you needed and you bought more of the same. A 40-watt bulb produced dimmer light than a 100-watt bulb. Easy! Sure, there were always more exotic bulbs out there—halogen bulbs for that weird floor lamp you accidentally bought after college graduation, those tiny bulbs inside the kitchen appliances you swore you would replace for years before finally simply replacing the appliance itself because it was easier—but for the basic task of lighting the rooms in your house, it was a pretty simple process. Advertisement Today, things are much more complicated. As usual, this is because technology has advanced. Not only are lightbulbs more energy-efficient and long-lasting, but they also offer a wider range of brightness, warmth, and aesthetics. This has made it possible to fine-tune the lighting in your home, but that also means buying lightbulbs has become a pretty fraught activity. Even the lightbulb section in your local supermarket is now crowded with what seem like exotic choices, and the old-fashioned watt system is no longer as meaningful as it was. The good news? It's still a pretty simple process to choose the right bulb for the right purpose. Here's all you need to know to understand modern light bulbs. The light bulb fitting The fitting is how your bulb fits into the socket. The most common remains the old-fashioned Edison screw because the world is full of legacy light fixtures that use this fitting. Edison screws come in different sizes—your standard lightbulb uses the E26, while smaller bulbs designed for chandeliers and such use the E12. There are also E11 and E17 fittings out there, but they tend to be much more specialized, so you won't encounter them often. G/O Media may get a commission 63% Off JBL Live 300 True Wireless Headphones Sounds good Have up to 20 hours of battery life and can be used in multiple…