What's the deal with blindingly bright lights?

[vellocet]

I just had some lights replaced in my house.  I got tired of buying new tube lights every few months when they burned out.  LED lights were all over the place on Taobao.  So, I bought a couple.

 

Boy, they are blindingly bright.  It was like a television studio in my bedroom.  I mean, I can't understand living like that.  I had to cover up several of the strips with black electrical tape to make the light dimmer and thus tolerable to my eyes.  I had to do that in the kitchen, too.  Just eye-hurtingly bright light.  

 

At work a fluorescent tube light went out.  A workman came to replace it, and the new light is also blinding.  You can see where the rest of the fluorescents throw a pleasing light, but directly under this new one it's like being under the sun.  What's the deal with this?  Do Chinese people not notice when these lights are so bright?  Why did this happen all at once?

[imron]

Check the lumen rating before purchase?

You should be able to buy bright ones or dim ones, and anything in between

[markhavemann]

Also, buying warm white, or a mix of cool white and warm white will get you a light that has a nice warm yellow/orange glow, and not just pure, bright white. It's much easier on the eyes.

 

I think lots of people are just used to "making do". They don't know that you can choose brightness and warmth in lights, and don't even consider that there might be an alternative, so they just accept whatever is around them.

[889]

As said, buy warm not cool style LEDs. And look at the watt equivalence of the lamps; you don't have to buy the highest watt-equivalent ones.

 

That said, LEDs are harsher than traditional bulbs.

[vellocet]

Well, rather than buying advice, I was more commenting on the fact that these lights seem to be everywhere these days.  Wondered if it was just me or everyone was getting blinded by newly installed lights.  

[anonymoose]

I've never had that problem in China. On the contrary, in hotels at least, I wonder why the lights are always so dim.