I have a confession. As much as I am trying to be a good citizen and help save the planet, at times I do it with a grumble. Sometimes the products I try just aren’t as effective as the old ones. *Gasp*. I know. In some cases, I haven’t found the right ones, and in others, the technology just wasn’t advanced enough yet. But I still try to be environmentally responsible, even if it means my life is a bit less ideal.

Over the years I have learned to despise the ‘energy saving’ lightbulbs that take forever to light up and then the harsh white colour makes me look like an anemic skeleton. I am truly not vain. But my job does require filming in the kitchen, photos in the living room, and the odd half-decent selfie. This is next to impossible when the light is horrible! As a parent, I also worry about what the light quality is doing to my kids’ eyes. Nearly half of children across the globe spend more than three hours daily in front of a screen, and two thirds of us are worried about how diminished eyesight could affect their performance in school and sports.

My son always says that things he adores are ‘lit’ and it drives me batty – but he has a point. Life flows better with good light. Romance, dining, and ambiance. What is a well-lived existence without thriving in these areas? When we are comfortable, can see clearly and feel we look good, we relax. This makes for better memories, more intimacy and calmer temperaments. Remember the school dances of yore when the lights snap on at the end of the night and all the magic fades? That’s how my home has felt with some of the garish bulbs I have tried.

As much as we all want to save the planet, save money and energy, sometimes we need patience until the products become truly amazing. Thank you to Philips Lighting for solving my lightbulb issues! I just tried 4 of the Philips LED EyeComfort bulbs and they come on instantly – light right away! Unlike previous LED lights, the warm white colour makes me look like I’m in a bright movie studio (with great skin!), and they use 80% less energy than normal incandescent lighting. It’s crazy that the light is so bright and yet incredibly easy on the eyes. This bulb saves up to $90.70 in energy costs over the life of the bulb when you replace a 40 watt incandescent with this 7 watt LED bulb.

Even better? For our kids, who are exposed to 4 hours of bright artificial light every day (in addition to the screen time!), this bulb is truly easy on the eyes. My kids have been complaining of headaches, and they both do homework at their bedroom desks and then read voraciously before bed. Switching their bedside lamps to the Philips LED EyeComfort bulbs has made a world of difference for them. Now I have to lobby the school to use them in classrooms!

The long-life promise is also rock solid. They are going to last until I am over 60 years old. 22.8 years, baby! (This figure is based on using them on average 3 hours/day, 7 days a week.) Philips LED EyeComfort bulbs don’t flicker*, and are also dimmable, so you can create serious ambiance while treating your family to their favourite lasagna.

Happy planet. Relaxed family. Glowing faces. Technology that improves lives. And memories that are perfectly ‘lit’.

* Disclaimer: Flicker is not visible as PstLM < 0.5

Disclosure: This post was made possible through a partnership with PhilipsLighting. All opinions are my own.