# Replacement/equivalent to original Cree TW A19?



## wws944 (Feb 1, 2018)

Wifey and I bought a couple new table lamps over the weekend. When it came to bulbs, I had a couple of spares laying around. One of the original Cree TW A19 bulbs with the purple glass, and the other a Philips 3000k. Both rated 450 lumens. Much to my surprise, even though the Cree was rated 2700K, it was much whiter than either the Philips or another regular original style Cree non-TW A19. I really liked the TW bulb in comparison to the other two. Wish I had bought another one back then.

So what do I get to match the TW? Would a LED GE Reveal do?


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## markr6 (Feb 2, 2018)

I tried all of these. The TW was a great bulb. Too expensive at $19 but I got some on clearance and still running them hard in enclosed fixtures. But they're pretty much gone now so:

- The standard cree bulbs suck in terms of CRI and overall tint. Greenish or yellow if you pay attention. I wouldn't use them for free in my home.

- The GE Reveal bulbs are absolutely unbeatable in terms of tint, CRI, everything. Absolutely perfect, but the 60w equiv is a little weak for me at 650lm. I see they have a 100w equiv at 1140lm so I may give that a try. I'm just not sure the A21 size will fit my lamps. ~$22 for a 2-pack for the 100w.

- Hyperikon is a great alternative. The have all the flavors: 2200k, 2700, 3000, 4000, 5000. 93 CRI. Cheap! I've been running the 4000K in 6 ceiling fixtures in my basement and it's perfect. Not too cool or warm. Completely "tintless"...just white.

If the 650lm works for you, try the Reveal HD. I got them pretty cheap at Target. I think it say 2750K on the box, but it's really just a nice clean white with no yellow/blue tint. This was a good reminder for me to try the brighter A21 versions. I may pick up a 75 or 100w equiv today and let you know how they look.


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## brickbat (Feb 3, 2018)

I like the TW's too. They pop up on eBay occasionally...


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## wws944 (Feb 4, 2018)

Update - I bought a 2-pack of the Reveal HD+s at HD so the two lamps would be identical. But one was still ‘whiter’ than the other. Looks like the two shades have an inner lining that differ a bit in color - even though from the outside, unlit, they look identical... Both lamps and their shades were brand new in unopened boxes with the same part number... (So much for Made in China quality control.) Macy’s is sending us a replacement lamp. Hopefully it matches one of the two we already have.

The Reveal HD+s are only rated at 570 lumens. They are plenty bright for what we need. Interestingly they are listed as drawing 10.5 watts, so not the most efficient LEDs on the market.


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## markr6 (Feb 5, 2018)

wws944 said:


> Update - I bought a 2-pack of the Reveal HD+s at HD so the two lamps would be identical. But one was still ‘whiter’ than the other. Looks like the two shades have an inner lining that differ a bit in color - even though from the outside, unlit, they look identical... Both lamps and their shades were brand new in unopened boxes with the same part number... (So much for Made in China quality control.) Macy’s is sending us a replacement lamp. Hopefully it matches one of the two we already have.
> 
> The Reveal HD+s are only rated at 570 lumens. They are plenty bright for what we need. Interestingly they are listed as drawing 10.5 watts, so not the most efficient LEDs on the market.



The 2-pack I got at my local Meijer store is 650 lumens. Or $8.99 on amazon for the same 2-pack. I know there were at least three different lumen specs over the past years, though. Luckily my two lamps have the same color; being about 8' apart any noticeable difference would bother me. I also have two 65w BR30 bulbs in some ceiling lights...so all 4 bulbs match in that room. Good stuff!


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## markr6 (Apr 17, 2019)

I saw the newest Cree bulb version (not _that _new) at Home Depot so decided to try two of the 75w equivalents. $5.75 each. The description is *75W Equivalent Soft White (2700K) A19 Dimmable Exceptional Light Quality LED Light Bulb* and they're really touting the 90+ CRI. Worth a try I figured.

Immediately comparing to another lamp with the GE Reveal was no surprise. The Cree was yellow and a bit dingy. But I think they finally made a good replacement for incandescents. It just doesn't have that "Nichia-like" tint of the GE Reveal, so I won't be switching those out anytime soon.


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