Capsule Bulb Grey Background

What is a Capsule Bulb?

Capsule bulbs, like many others, started their evolution as halogen bulbs. Sadly for halogen bulbs, but with great pleasure to the environment and our bank accounts, LED has swept halogen bulbs off the wider market and capsule light bulbs are no exception to this. If you want to know a little more about the wider world of bulbs then you want to check out our brilliant bulb guide. 

LED Capsule bulbs are small and compact bi-pin bulbs that are super versatile and fit in a whole load of compact fixtures. They still provide instant and bright illumination despite their small size and you'll find they're compatible with a wide variety of decorative fixtures and appliances, not just in your home but in the industrial realm too!

With a focused and directional light they're very often used within task and ambient lighting like cabinet lights, display cases and art galleries.

One of these little bulbs has an expected life span of 25,000 hours aka 1,041 days aka 2.85 years. 

Thank you LED!

LED

  • Uses Light Emitting Diodes to produce light. 
  • LEDs convert a higher percentage of electrical energy into visible light. (Hello, savings).
  • Up to 25,000 hours of lovely light.
  • Produce pretty low amounts of heat.
  • Does not contain nasties like mercury which means that in both production and disposal they're the more eco-friendly choice. Not to mention, they last lots longer and produce less heat so there is less physical waste and less energy waste.

Halogen

  • Uses a tungsten filament enclosed in a halogen gas-filled capsule. 
  • Not only does this make it more expensive to light your home but costs more from the planet than the alternative.
  • Only 2-4,000 hours of light. Aka, lots of bulb buying and changing.
  • Produces alot of heat: that's a higher risk of burning and just generally being too hot to handle.
  • Contains mercury and other hazardous materials. So, probably not vegan.

The G4

There are two capsule bulb types.  G4 capsule bulbs are a low voltage bulb and their pins are set 4mm apart. Their delicate style makes them perfect for small, decorative features and task or under cabinet lighting. That's just in the home. 

They'll also come in handy if you're in the market for lighting up more specialist light fittings like projector lamps, dental lamps, fibre optic lamps, car, boat and caravan lamps. 

They pack quite a punch for their small size and that's what makes them such a smart choice for when space is scarse. 

The G9

The pins on the G9 are set 9mm apart (are you seeing the theme?) and are rated for 240V mains voltage light fittings. 

These little guys aren't huge either, but that doesn't stop them lighting up your life. You're also not limited to just home lighting with these bulbs, they're found commonly in commercial spaces, probably because of that impressive lifespan of theirs!

What these bulbs are really good for is lighting up decorative fittings in living spaces, like a fancy chandelier! 

What's the Difference?

It's that high voltage! The G9 (which is our favourite) operates off of the mains voltage, which is 220-240V. The G4, however, has a much lower voltage, only between 12 and 24V. The G4 is also a little bit difficult, needing to be installed with a compatible transformer which transforms the mains voltage into a low enough voltage for the G4 to handle. 

So, which do you need?

The short answer is you'll need to know what the lighting fixture you're looking to use requires. It's always worth keeping the old bulb until you've managed to replace it. Just to be sure. And once you're sure you know which of the two you're after you get to make the choice about colour temperature! Cool or warm white?

That's the kind of question only you can answer.