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LED Tube VS Fluorescent Tube Lights

Today although LED tube and fluorescent tube light have been frequently taken into comparison, still it was hard for one to state why LED tube should substitute for old fluorescent tube lights. LED tube light has not existed long enough to record its own thick memoir. However, there are some interesting and trackable when we are talking about LED tube and fluorescent tube. This article will give details about LED tube VS fluorescent tube light.

Fluorescent Tube Lights

The history of fluorescent tube light can be traced back to the middle 19th century, when researchers had observed a radiant glow emitting from partially evacuated glass vessels through which the electric current has passed. At that time scientists named the phenomenon “fluorescence” after fluorite.

Later, Thomas Edison, one of the most famous inventors, tried to put fluorescent lighting into commercialization. He invented a fluorescent lamp in 1896 that used calcium tungstate as substance and excited it by X-rays. However, his endeavor was not successful and this fluorescent lamp was ended up with a very short operation lifespan.

After a long time, in 1901 American scientist Peter Cooper Hewitt invented the mercury-vapor lamp-that was the modern fluorescent lamp. Hewitt’s lamp glowed when an electric current was passed through mercury vapor at a low pressure. This modern fluorescent lamp was made in standard sizes and was operated at low voltage; in terms of energy efficiency which was superior to the incandescent lamps at that century.

By the end of the 1920s all the main features of fluorescent lamp have been taken in place. Years of invention and development had provided the kernel components of fluorescent lamps: economical glass tubing, inert gases, electrical ballasts, long-lasting electrodes, mercury vapor as the light source and fluorescent coatings that could be energized by ultraviolet light. From then on fluorescent tube light has been manufactured on a large scale.

Compared with typical incandescent lights, fluorescent tube lamps were showed to have many advantage. Fluorescent lamps can convert over four times electricity into visible light as incandescent lamps. For example, one typical filament incandescent lamp might convert only 5% of its electricity to visible white light, while fluorescent lamps can convert nearly 22% of the power input to visible white light. Furthermore, Fluorescent light is prior to traditional incandescent lamp on luminance. One fluorescent tube is much more diffused and larger on luminance are, which is more efficient on energy usage.

Nevertheless, in the following operation procedures, this fluorescent tube has exposed a lot of problems. Users have found that if the lamp was working under frequent switch on-and-off, serious light failure should occur, which shortened its lifespan, sometimes even shorter than incandescent ones. What is worse, fluorescent tube works under AC power input and will not give the steady light emitting. They flicker once and twice while under working condition, thus resulting in fluctuation on light emitting output and correlated color temperature. Flickering problems remain to be the issue unsolved. In addition, since a fluorescent tube is mercury-vapor gas-discharge lamp. If the lamp is broken, mercury emanating can contaminate the environment and do harm to human. And the ultraviolet generated by fluorescent tube is aggressive concerning the air pollution.

Scientists are seeking new raw materials on lighting. LED(light-emitting-diode) was previously discovered by Russian scientist Oleg Losev in 1927. But no practical application was made out of the discovery for several decades until in late 1961, James R. Biard and Gary Pittman , the two inventors invented the first modern LED. At that moment LEDs have been developed and lots of LED lamps emerged vastly, among which LED tube has become the most commonly used lamp that was applied to replace fluorescent tube lights

LED Tube

LED tube was previous designed to physically fit traditional fluorescent tube lights fixture. Most LED tube can be taken in place of conventional T8, T10, T12 fluorescent tube in dimension of 2feet, 4feet, 5feet, 8feet either for direct drop-in replacement of the existing fixtures or convenient rewiring installation. That is, based on shape and dimension, LED tube lights are the most favorable substitution for the fluorescent tube light.

One of the most significant issues for customers to select LED tube or fluorescent tube light is the consideration of cost and performance. Reliable LED tube manufacturer is the kernel that determines LED tube lights quality and good performance. Here is the LED tube manufacturer’s experience to show why choose LED tube lights instead of fluorescent light tubes.

Syhdee LED Tube
Fluorescent Lamp

Fluorescent Tube VS LED Tube( Take 4ft tube lights as an example)


LED Tube

Fluorescent Tube Lights




Conversion Efficiency(l/w)









1. Green Lighting: Environmental-friendly lamp with no UV, no mercury, no IR.

Traditional fluorescent tube lights contain a large amount of mercury vapor, which are harmful to environment. LED tube lights are eco-green lamps without Pb and Hg, UV, IR radiation.

No buzzing and noise, LED tube lights are widely applied in indoor enclosures, such as office, hotel, building house, school, etc.

No strobe and good to eyesight, working with pure DC power input, LED tube lights can eliminate the visual fatigue caused by the stroboscopic of traditional fluorescent ones.

2.Energy-saving Lighting: High conversion efficiency and excellent heat dissipation

Compared with traditional fluorescent tube, LED lamp can convert all electricity into luminous energy with excellent heat sink and no waste of energy.

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