News

Okay, so you can stop freaking out about having to outfit your beautiful chandelier with those ugly coils and tubes.

Yes, Ottawa announced this week that incandescent lights will be banned by 2012. But the lighting industry is already designing much better versions of compact fluorescent bulbs than the stereotypical twisty style. Sylvania produces 50 different models, everything from flood lights to chandelier bulbs, which are designed with smooth casings to hide their tubes. The company has just come out with a dimmable compact fluorescent.

And while the common complaint is that CFLs are "cold," new versions can look as warm and cozy as traditional globes.

The Panasonic Gen IV Light Capsule would fool anyone.

They do cost a lot more, though they last for years. And true, they contain mercury. But Ikea, another pioneer in the CFL trend, has a take-back program (just as it has for batteries). Let's hope other retailers soon see the light.

-Panasonic's Gen IV Light Capsule, which comes in 19 or 23 watts, looks similar to a traditional light bulb but lasts 10,000 hours. It has an instant flicker-free startup and gives off a warm light. $16.99 at Home Hardware and other major retailers, homehardware.ca.

-Sylvania Soft White Dulux EL Compact Fluorescent Chandelier Bulb comes with a clever adapter that allows it to fit in a larger standard socket. Available in 9 watts, $12.99 for a package of two at Home Hardware.

-Ikea Sparsam globe bulb in 7 or 11 watts has been available at Ikea for 10 years. It now has a warmer colour and a soft, rubber-like coating. It can be used indoors or out. $9.99 for a package of two at Ikea, http://www.ikea.ca.

-Sylvania 15-watt Soft White Globe provides the equivalent of 60 watts in an incandescent. It lasts for 6,000 hours and can be used outdoors, $14.99 at Home Hardware.

-Sylvania's chandelier adapter can also be used with other low-wattage compact fluorescents, such as the Ikea Sparsam. Once it is screwed in, however, it is designed to lock, 1-800-LIGHTBULB, sylvania.com.