ALDI LED Light Bulbs Review & Alternatives

ALDI periodically promotes and sells LED light bulbs under the name 'LIGHTWAY'. It seems ALDI has done away with the 'Muller Licht' brand from previous years (which got some terrible reviews). Although only on offer very infrequently, they're worth reviewing given their generally low price points.

As sellers of quality LED lighting, we're always keen to review what else is on the market. Also, I often shop for groceries at ALDI and respect most of their product offering... So should you buy their LED light bulbs?

Here's a quick recap of some of their recent LED lighting offers. I've compared them to what we offer and highlighted key differences in green.

ALDI LED Light Bulbs - E27 (Screw) & B22 (Bayonet)

LED Bulb Features	ALDI Bulbs	Philips Bulbs
Wattage	6W & 9W	6W, 8W, 10W, 14.5W and 19W
Dimmable	No	No
Shape	A60	A60, A67 & A80
Lumen Output (Brightness)	470 & 806 Lm	560 to 2,300 Lm
Colour Temperature	Warm White & Cool White	Warm White & Cool White
Rated Lifetime	15,000 hours	15,000 hours
Availability	A few days per year	Available now, all year
Price	$2.99	Click here for latest: Philips LED Bulb B22 Bayonet Cap & Philips LED Bulb E27 Edison Screw

Analysis: ALDI's basic LED light bulb pricing is sharp, for sure. But the energy efficiency of their globes is not great. We also have a much wider range of size and brightness options.

The energy efficiency of lighting is measured in lumens per watt. The ALDI lights range from 78 to 89 lumens/watt. Our comparable Philips light bulbs, on the other hand, range from 93 to 124 lumens/watt. In other words, you'll get more light for less energy cost from our Philips LED bulbs. 

ALDI LED Downlights - GU10 & MR16 Globes

 

MR16 Low-voltage LED	ALDI	Philips
Dimmable	No	Yes
Transformer Compatibility	Unknown	Wide Range - Confirmed
Lumen Output (Brightness)	450 Lm	500 to 550 Lm
Colour Temperature	3000K or 6500K	2700K, 3000K or 4000K
Colour Rendering Index (CRI)	80	90
Beam Angle	38˚ (TBC)	36˚ or 60˚
Rated Lifetime	15,000 hours	40,000 hours
Availability	A few days per year	In stock now, all year
Price	$3.99	Click here: Philips MR16 LED Dimmable

Summary: Our LED downlights are much more likely to deliver a compatible and appropriate lighting solution. Our MR16 bulbs have superior lifetime, colour rendition, and more colour temperature options compared to ALDI's range.

I'd recommend trying the ALDI MR16's globes only in two instances:

1. Very low usage areas, and where you have previously confirmed compatibility with your existing transformers.
2. If you really want a stark cool daylight 6500K colour temperature (some people do).

Also - the ALDI MR16 bulbs only work in non-dimmable locations.

GU10 Mains-voltage LED	ALDI	Philips
Dimmable	No	Yes
Lumen Output (Brightness)	470 Lm	395 to 420 Lm
Colour Temperature	3000K or 6500K	2700K, 3000K or 4000K
Colour Rendering Index (CRI)	80	90
Rated Lifetime	15,000 hours	25,000 hours
Availability	A few days per year	In stock now, all year
Price	$3.99	Click here: Philips GU10 LED Dimmable

Summary: The brightness of these ALDI GU10 light bulbs looks pretty good on spec. However, you may find that other specifications are far more important over the long term, such as:

1. Lamp lifetime - our Philips lights last 66% longer.
2. Compatibility - our GU10 can be used in both dimmable and non-dimmable light fittings.
3. Better Light Quality - our downlights (both MR16 and GU10) have a higher colour rendering index. This means they are much better at portraying colours correctly.
4. Options - our downlights comes in three colour temperature options - including a true warm white 2700K.

We also sell an expanding range of Tri Colour LED Lights. These lights take the guess work out of colour temperature by providing three colour options built in.

ALDI LED Candle Dimmable Bulbs 

LED Candle Bulb Features	ALDI Candle	Our Candle
Dimmable	Yes	Yes
Lumen Output (Brightness)	470 Lm	400 Lm
Finish	Frosted	Frosted or Clear
Colour Temperature	Warm White	Warm White or Cool Daylight
Rated Lifetime	Not stated	25,000 hours
Availability	A few days per year	In stock now, all year
Price	$4.99	See here: LED candle shape light bulbs

Summary: On paper, the dimmable ALDI candles are quite a compelling offer for the price. However, there are some colour temperature and 'finish' limitations.

We also see a range of LED Filament Globes these give a great 'vintage' look, without the energy usage!

ALDI LED Smart Bulbs & Solar Lights

'Smart' Technology	ALDI's Offer	Our Offer
Actual Wifi / Bluetooth Smart Bulbs	N/A.	Industry leading Philips Hue Smart LED Lights.
Double Click Colour Change	9W Bulb switches between two colour temperatures (2700K and 4000K)	Philips SceneSwitch range - discontinued due to low popularity.
Motion Sensor	9W Bulb with an integrated motion sensor.	Both bases available: Sensor Bulb E27 or Sensor Bulb B22.
Turn Off Delay	9W Bulb stays on for 15 seconds after switched off.	N/A. See all motion sensor lights (which include turn off delays)
Solar Lights	Solar step light and solar wall light with sensor.	Several higher quality options search solar light.

Summary: We really like most of these emerging 'smart lights' as a concept. They don't have the same level of smarts as a Philips Hue bulb. But at the same time, they don't have the same level of complexity, either! I think we'll see more interesting options in this space as time goes on.

So - Should You Buy LED Lights from ALDI?

In summary, I would not be tempted by the low prices on most of the lights. Although, I did note some exceptions where I would use them in the description above.

In my experience, most customers will require a better or different solution for many of the globes. For example, our MR16 LED is one of our hottest selling products despite its higher price point. Many of our customers have previously been burnt buying cheap LEDs elsewhere... 

I think ALDI is only really for you if you:

• wish to chase the lowest price in the market,
• aren't concerned about potential longevity / warranty issues,
• and happen to be in store on the few days per year that they offer the LED lights.

Otherwise, I'd encourage you to consider our huge range of LED lights. We are energy efficiency specialists who can give you advice as well as products. We back-up our quality claims by offering a minimum 2 year warranty on all lighting products. In fact, many of our LED lights now have a 3 or 5 year warranty. We also carry decent stock quantities of all options, all year round.