{"id":161,"date":"2025-12-12T10:11:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T10:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lyco.co.uk\/blog\/?p=161"},"modified":"2026-03-06T13:03:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:03:08","slug":"gu10-led-bulbs-time-to-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lyco.co.uk\/blog\/gu10-led-bulbs-time-to-upgrade\/","title":{"rendered":"GU10 LED Bulbs – Time To Upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Posted on 17 April 2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author: Charles Barnett<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last updated on 29 July 2021<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you fit a lot of lighting, you\u2019ll know the term \u2018retrofit\u2019. It refers to the new wave of bulbs that use the latest energy-saving technologies such as fluorescents and LEDs. They\u2019re designed to look as much as possible like existing incandescent or halogen bulbs, perform as well as them (and ideally better) and most importantly fit into existing fittings, so you don\u2019t have to replace anything in order to benefit from better bulb technology. That in itself wouldn\u2019t be cost efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becoming popular<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Retrofit bulbs for GLS fittings are already widespread, especially in energy-saving stick, spiral and GLS pendant variants, with LED GLS bulbs catching up fast. These of course have the advantage of a great deal of space to play with, as the large existing bulb shape offers enough room for the lighting elements and the circuitry that powers them. Plus they don\u2019t even need to be standard bulb shaped, as GLS fittings are often quite open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not been quite so easy to directly replace GU10 halogen spotlight bulbs, however. A traditional GU10 is incredibly compact, thanks to the tiny but powerful halogen bulb inside. Because of this, GU10 fittings tend to be flush, especially to ceilings, with absolutely no space to cram in any extra bulk. Manufacturers have been working hard to find a solution to this, as there is a massive market for GU10 bulbs \u2013 think of all the fashionable bars, hotels, boardrooms and shops with a ceiling littered with flush spotlights \u2013 and they\u2019ve started finding solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LED is an investment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you take a look at the listing for one of the newer GU10 LED bulbs<\/a>, the first thing that you might notice is the price, especially if you\u2019ve got a ceiling dotted with fittings you need to fill. So if these bulbs are multiple times the price of a basic halogen GU10, what are you getting for that cash? I hear you ask. Well\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n