Long-Lived: LEDs are the Methuselah of light bulbs. They can last 20-plus years and even the best CFLs top out at 10 years.

Safety: Because LEDs run significantly cooler than incandescents and CFLs, there is less risk of burn injuries in handling them. Human skin burns at 140 degrees, notes Centennial, Colo.-based architect Doug Walter, and incandescents can reach into the 200-plus range. CFLs run at a somewhat lower temperature, but still dangerously hot. LEDs come in at a relatively cool 120 degrees. Walter sees another safety benefit to LEDs: "Especially for seniors, every time they have to get up on a stool to replace a bulb it's a falling hazard." With the long lifespan of LED bulbs, most homeowners can retire their ladders.

No Delay: Unlike CFLs, LEDs respond immediately when the switch is flicked; there is no warm-up period as the bulb gradually lights.

Broad Color Spectrum: LEDs are available in colors ranging from the familiar warm yellow hue of an incandescent bulb to a brighter but still warm hue, through a variety of cooler tones all the way to daylight. When they first came on the market, their bluish-white light garnered a lot of pushback from customers who didn't like the color, finding it too stark for comfort. Engineers have been able to address the cold light of early LEDs and create bulbs that produce light on the warmer end of the lighting spectrum, replicating the hue given off by incandescent lights.

Environmentally Friendly: LEDs contain no hazardous chemicals, unlike CFLs, which contain small amounts of the heavy metal mercury, a known toxin that should always be disposed of through a qualified recycler. LEDs can be tossed in the regular trash for disposal-when it eventually burns out.

Unaffected by Cold: LEDs perform just as happily when temperatures plummet, unlike compact fluorescents, whose light output suffers when temperatures dip below freezing.