LED vs halogen vs incandescent: which lighting to choose?

LED, halogen, incandescent: three words, three technologies, three eras of lighting. In 2026, LED largely dominates the market, but understanding the differences between these technologies remains essential for making the right choice. Because behind the consumption figures, there's a fundamental question: what quality of light do you want at home?

This guide objectively compares each technology on all the criteria that matter: efficiency, lifespan, colour rendering, real cost and environmental impact.

A brief history of artificial lighting

The history of lighting is a race for efficiency. For millennia, humanity lit itself with fire: candles, oil lamps, torches. Then everything changed in just a century.

1879: the incandescent bulb

Thomas Edison perfected the carbon filament and commercialised the first practical bulb. The principle is simple: a wire heated white-hot emits light. Problem: 95% of the energy becomes heat, only 5% becomes light. Spectacularly inefficient, but revolutionary.

1959: halogen

General Electric added a halogen gas (iodine or bromine) to the bulb. The tungsten filament is regenerated by a chemical cycle, which allows it to be heated hotter. The result: 30% more efficient than incandescent, whiter and brighter light. Halogen became the standard for light quality.

1962-2010: the LED

The light-emitting diode (LED) emits light through a completely different process: electroluminescence. No filament, no excessive heat. Initially confined to red indicator lights, LEDs conquered domestic lighting from 2010 onwards. In 2026, they account for more than 80% of bulb sales in France.

Three technologies, three philosophies

Incandescent: heat that illuminates

The incandescent bulb works by thermal radiation. A current passes through a tungsten filament that reaches 2500°C. At this temperature, the filament emits a continuous spectrum very close to sunlight. This is what gives incandescent its exceptional colour rendering.

The classic bulb has been banned from sale in Europe since 2012 due to its energy inefficiency. You can still find it in decorative versions (exposed filament) but with LED technology.

Halogen: improved incandescent

Halogen uses the same principle as incandescent but with a chemical cycle that regenerates the filament. The bulb is smaller, brighter and lasts twice as long. Its colour rendering is nearly perfect (CRI 100).

Since September 2018, halogen bulbs have also been withdrawn from sale in Europe (apart from a few technical exceptions). Existing stock is gradually running out.

LED: efficiency through physics

LEDs convert electricity directly into light using a semiconductor. No filament to heat, therefore very little energy lost as heat. Modern LEDs achieve efficiencies of 150-200 lumens per watt, compared to 15 lm/W for incandescent.

The great comparison: LED vs halogen vs incandescent

Energy efficiency

This is the king of criteria, the one that led to the ban on older technologies:

• Incandescent: 10-15 lumens/watt — to obtain 800 lumens (the equivalent of a classic 60W bulb), you need to consume 60W
• Halogen: 15-25 lumens/watt — for 800 lumens, you need around 42W
• LED: 80-150 lumens/watt — for 800 lumens, only 8 to 10W is needed

Concretely, replacing a 42W halogen bulb with an 8W LED means dividing your consumption by 5. For a household of 20 bulbs, the saving reaches 200 to 345 euros per year.

Lifespan

• Incandescent: 1,000 hours (around 1 year at 3h/day)
• Halogen: 2,000 to 4,000 hours (1 to 3 years)
• LED: 25,000 to 50,000 hours (15 to 30 years at 3h/day)

A quality LED lasts so long that you'll forget you ever installed it. It's a one-off purchase for a whole decade.

Total cost of ownership

The LED bulb costs more to buy (5 to 17 euros vs 1 to 3 euros for a halogen), but the calculation over 10 years is conclusive:

• 1 incandescent bulb over 10 years: €1 purchase x 10 bulbs + €149 electricity = €161
• 1 halogen bulb over 10 years: €3 x 4 bulbs + €103 electricity = €117
• 1 LED bulb over 10 years: €9 x 1 bulb + €19 electricity = €28

LED is 5 times cheaper than incandescent over its lifespan.

Colour rendering (CRI): the forgotten criterion

CRI (Colour Rendering Index) measures the fidelity with which a light source renders colours compared to natural light. A scale of 0 to 100:

• Incandescent and halogen: CRI 100 — perfect rendering, the benchmark
• Standard LED: CRI 80 — acceptable but slightly altered
• High-end LED: CRI 90-97 — excellent, virtually indistinguishable from incandescent

This is the only area where halogen retained an advantage. But high-end LEDs are closing that gap. When you choose an LED bulb, check that the CRI is above 90 for residential use. Cheap bulbs with CRI 80 give slightly dull hues.

Environmental impact: the real assessment

Energy consumption

Over its lifetime, an LED consumes 80% less energy than an incandescent bulb. On a national scale, the switch to LED has enabled a 50% reduction in lighting consumption in Europe between 2010 and 2025.

Materials and recycling

The incandescent bulb contains glass and tungsten — recyclable but rarely recycled in practice. Halogen adds a halogenated gas, requiring specific treatment. LEDs contain electronic components (semiconductors, very small amounts of rare earths) that are recycled through WEEE channels.

In France, used LEDs must be taken to a recycling centre or to collection bins in shops. The LED recycling rate reaches 85% thanks to dedicated channels.

Mercury: myth and reality

Unlike compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), LEDs contain no mercury. This is a major environmental advantage. Common confusion: people associate LEDs and CFLs because both are "low consumption", but their technologies are radically different.

Our Lumora LED selection

All our lamps use the latest-generation LEDs with a CRI above 90. Here are our recommendations for impeccable light quality.

When halogen remains relevant

Let's be honest: there are still a few cases where halogen retains an interest:

• Professional lighting — Some photographers and filmmakers still use halogen for its perfect CRI of 100 and its continuous spectrum
• Specific applications — Ovens, stage projectors, certain work lamps requiring intense heat
• One-off replacement — If your older light fixture works with specific halogens that cannot be replaced by LEDs

For the vast majority of domestic uses, LED is the obvious choice in 2026. Light quality has caught up with halogen, efficiency is incomparable, and the lifespan makes the investment insignificant.

Frequently asked questions about lighting technologies

Can you still buy halogen bulbs in France?

Classic halogen bulbs have been banned from sale in Europe since 2018. Some exceptions exist (R7s halogens for projectors, specific G9 capsules), but stocks are running out. LED is now the only viable option for everyday residential use.

Is LED light bad for the eyes?

Warm white LEDs (2700-3000K) are perfectly safe for the eyes. The risk concerns high-intensity cool white LEDs (6000K+) which emit more blue light. For the home, stick to warm white and choose models with dimming to adjust the intensity.

Why do some LEDs "buzz"?

The buzzing comes from an incompatible dimmer. Older dimmers designed for incandescent bulbs can create interference with LEDs. Solution: use a dimmer certified as "LED compatible" or opt for lamps with built-in dimming (like our touch-sensitive lamps).

Can LEDs be recycled?

Yes, LEDs are 85% recyclable. In France, drop them off at a recycling centre or in collection bins in shops. Unlike CFLs, they contain no mercury and pose no particular environmental danger.

LED: the choice of reason and comfort

The LED vs halogen debate has been settled for years, but it's worth understanding why. LED now offers comparable light quality, 5 times greater efficiency, a 10 times longer lifespan and a significantly lower total cost. It's a rare case where technological progress sacrifices nothing.

Browse our complete collection of lighting — each fitted with high-end LEDs for lighting that lasts.

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