The New York Times - Light up your life

Three LED light bulbs, two loose and one in a wooden geometric lamp.

Photo: Michael Hession

Energy-efficient LED light bulbs are the new standard for basic light bulbs. The best ones look and feel just like longer-lasting incandescents—minus the heat and glass shards.

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We’ve lived with dozens of different LED light bulbs over the years, and our top pick is the best-looking, most reliable, and smoothest-dimming one available.

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This one won’t give you a headache→

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More bright ideas

Floor lamps we love

Our rigorous testing included pelting lamps with basketballs to simulate the inevitable accidents that happen at home. Here are the ones that won out.

The OneFortyThree Wallace Lamp mounted on a wall.

Our favorite bedside lamps

The right bedroom lighting can go a long way toward creating a soothing atmosphere. All of our favorites are under $200.

Our pick for best reading light overall, the Glocusent Bookmark Style Reading Light, shown clipped onto a book that is open to a page in the middle.

The best reading lights

These reading lights are bright and adjustable, so you can keep turning pages even if you share a bed with a light sleeper.

Ask Wirecutter: How do I improve lighting in my dingy bathroom?

Two clay ducks with lightbulbs over their heads. The one on the left is off and the one on the right is on.

Illustration: Dana Davis

A bathroom can be a tricky area of the home to get the lighting right in, especially if it’s windowless or if you live in a rental and can’t alter the existing fixtures and switches. Our experts have ideas on bulbs to try, dimmers that might help, and more.

Options that won’t harsh your mellow→

A great sale on smart strip lights

A lit reel of Govee LED Strip Light M1 lights.

Photo: Michael Hession

Smart strip lights are surprisingly versatile. Sure, they’re a trendy toy for teens and beloved by social media influencers for their eye-popping visual effects. But they also work great for more basic needs, like creating over-counter task lighting in the kitchen or a decorative element around a window.

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The Govee LED Strip Light M1 is the brightest of our picks, which makes it an excellent choice for task lighting.

Get it on sale here for $30 off→

Plus: iOS 17 is out now. Here are the best new features.

Photo: Apple

iOS 17, the latest version of Apple’s iPhone operating system, is now available to download. It comes with a host of new features, including StandBy Mode, custom stickers, the ability to set multiple timers (yes, finally), and more.

The features we’re excited about→

Thanks for reading.

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You can reach the Wirecutter newsletters team at newsletters@wirecutter.com. We can’t always respond but we do love to hear from you.

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The New York Times - Light up your life

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