Dollar store LED bulbs died in 3 weeks - did I get a bad batch or should I expect that?

I picked up a 4-pack of those no-name LED bulbs at the dollar store near my shop in Austin for $2.50 and by week three two of them were flickering like a bad horror movie. I swapped them out with the spares from the same pack but now I'm paranoid the whole batch is junk. Is it worth rolling the dice on these super cheap bulbs again or am I just asking for a headache every month?

2 comments

2 Comments

benb211d ago

yeah man you got a bad batch but honestly thats kind of the gamble with any cheapo LED bulb from the dollar store. the thing is those bulbs are built to a price point that barely covers the materials, so the driver circuit inside is usually super basic and prone to dying quick. i had the exact same issue with a 4-pack of "Bright Sun" or whatever they called them, flickering within two weeks. you can try swapping the spares but dont be shocked if they go too, the whole pack is probably from the same bad production run. if you want something that'll actually last, spend a couple bucks more at Home Depot or Lowes for a name brand like Feit or Philips. i know that kills the whole "saving money" vibe but trust me, replacing them every month adds up fast and is a huge headache.

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kair651d ago

Hear me out, but I think youre being a little hard on the dollar store bulbs. Yeah, theyre cheap, but sometimes you just need a bulb to work for a few months in a closet or a garage, not a decade. If I get six months out of a dollar bulb, thats a win in my book.