From the earliest times of artificial lighting, incandescent lamps have been the type of bulbs used decade after decade.  After some time, people wanted choices in different kinds of shapes rather than just the standard bulb shape.  And one of the earliest forms of a new shape or a decorative shape are globe bulbs.  These are exactly the same as a regular light bulb except the outer shape is different.  All the internal parts, the filament, the supports and the base are all the same as regular bulb.  But most people when they have a decorative lighting situation, really like the globe light bulbs as an option because they dress up the situation without making it look too unusual.  This type of bulb comes in several different variations and many different wattages.  One of the main variations is that they come in a clear glass and other times in a white coated glass.  For most people it's strictly a subjective choice although if you have a situation where these bulbs are going to be in people's eyes, you may want to consider using the white which will break up the light and reduce glare.  Some of the shapes that are available are everything from all 1 inch globe all the way up to a 5 inch globe, and with all the various wattages within those subfamilies of globe lights.

The major manufacturers came out with globe bulbs which were much more decorative and could be used in an exposed fixture.  Some of the common applications for these bulbs are marquee lighting, bathroom lighting strips or other kinds of exposed fixtures where there's no place to hide the bulb itself.  You'll find that there are so many choices of this type that can be a little confusing, but there are just a few things to keep in mind when trying to identify the bulb you have.  When these bulbs are labeled or coded, it refers to the number of eighths of an inch. For example, if you had a G40 globe light bulb, the 40 would be divided by eight which would leave you five and that is the number of inches of the bulb diameter.  So what you have is a 5 inch globe.  That's probably the most important aspect of trying to figure out what you need.  Once you determine the size of the globe itself, it's very easy to determine the wattage as it's usually stamped right on the bulb itself or on the base.  And the base itself could be one of several types but most of the time it's a standard medium light bulb base, just like the ones you have in a regular household light bulb.  The smaller versions of these globes typically have a candelabra base or an E12 base, so that's something to be aware of as well.  Some of the globes are G8, G16.5, G25, G30 and G40.  The wattage is usually designated before that with something like 100G40, 60G40, 60G30 or 40G30 and so on.

Some and people are looking for ways to save energy and some of these older style globe light bulbs really aren't that energy-efficient.  So many people are looking for compact fluorescent alternatives.  Panasonic globe compact fluorescent light bulbs are the perfect choice to replace higher wattage incandescent lamps and save energy.  Just look for areas where you might use incandescent light bulbs and find the right replacement on our web site.  You will find a great reduction in your electrical bill while still getting the amount of light that you want.  Be aware of electric utility rebates in your area which might reduce the initial cost for compact fluorescent light bulbs.  This happens more often in commercial lighting than it is for residential as they are a larger user of electricity during the day or high electrical demand times.  You can save as much as 75% in lighting energy costs while maintaining the globe shape that people like in so many lighting applications. 

Remember that there are several wattages and configurations of globe light bulbs, we describe some of the most common used in home and commercial lighting here.  We have a large inventory of incandescent  bulbs for nearly every type of light fixture in the field.  If you need help identifying a globe bulb, our customer service representatives can help you determine what you have.