Costco sells a 4W LED lamp by Lights of America. They briefly sold LEDs a few years ago from that company that weren’t highly regarded, and I think a lot of people are scared of the brand because of that experience. Not to worry, though. These are much better.
They’re billed as 25W replacements, and they’re globe-shaped. I find they’re a good replacement for 25W globes in bathroom fixtures.
To my eye, they’re brighter than a 25W incandescent globe (yes, I have exactly one of those) but not as bright as anything 40W equivalent. That’s probably due to the directional nature of LEDs; all the light goes toward the room and none toward the fixture. And they look like a clear globe; the heat sink recesses nicely into the fixture, hiding it from view. At first glance, you wouldn’t think they were LEDs. They’re a warm white, like daylight, not a soft white like costlier bulbs. But in a bathroom, that’s fine, or even preferable.
A 3-pack costs about $18, which isn’t cheap, but look at the competition. Incandescent globes are inefficient, burn out quickly, and cost a couple bucks apiece. CFL globes cost $4-$5 and generally aren’t happy being turned off and on a lot like you typically see in a bathroom. Most of the LED globes I’ve seen at the big-box stores are expensive and look like hack jobs, and cost more than $6. Considering these cost 2-3 times as much as an incandescent and not much more than a CFL, withstand being turned off and on better, and use a fraction of the energy of the bulbs they replace, I don’t think they’re a bad deal at that price.
I bought one pack to try out and I like them, so chances are I’ll have an all-LED bathroom before too long. Although they’re billed as being suitable for use outdoors, I don’t think I’d do that with them. The brightness is fine for bathrooms, but I’d be hesitant to use them anywhere else, except maybe closets.