Lighting options certainly have changed over the years. Incandescent bulbs gave way to compact fluorescents, then LED lights hit the scene and now some manufacturers are phasing out their CFL products entirely.

Meanwhile, researchers at MIT claim to have found a way to make incandescent bulbs more energy efficient than LEDs. “Modern Edison” bulbs are reminiscent of the look (if not the lighting technique) of bulbs long past.

With so many options out there, it can sometimes get confusing trying to figure out the best option. This makes it tricky if clients ask you to recommend a particular type of lighting or to help them choose between different models. Here’s a rundown of the various lighting options, as well as their pros and cons so you can help clients make more informed decisions.

Compact Fluorescent (CFL) Bulbs

CFLs are the going standard at the moment, taking over in place of the old incandescent bulbs when that option was phased out by manufacturers. Their names explain fairly well what they are: they're essentially the same as traditional fluorescent bulbs, but are compacted to take up around the same amount of space as an incandescent bulb.

Pros: CFLs are more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs and are currently the dominant bulbs in the industry, so they’re both low in cost and easy to find. CFLs are available in both warm and cool hues and in wattage equivalents to match pretty much all traditional incandescent fixtures.

Cons: Some CFLs feature the same sort of “delayed start” that traditional fluorescents do, with the bulbs requiring up to a few minutes to reach their full brightness. Overall brightness may be lower than similarly-rated bulbs of other varieties. They may also start becoming harder to find, as GE has already started phasing out CFL production in favor of LEDS; other manufacturers may follow suit.
LED Bulbs

The current trend is a shift to LED lights, which use several small diodes to produce light with very little electrical usage.

Pros: LEDs cost very little to run and under most circumstances will last for years. They turn on instantly, produce little heat and work very well with dimmer systems. They’re also very robust, as they feature no filament that can be broken.

Cons: LEDs tend to be more expensive than most other available options and only produce light in a single direction (although some bulbs may have features that ensure omnidirectional lighting.)
Halogen Bulbs

Though these aren’t as commonly used as CFLs or LEDs, halogen bulbs are still an option for homeowners in some situations. They're similar to traditional incandescent bulbs, but are filled with halogen gas and contain filaments made of different materials.

Pros: Halogen produces a lot of light, making them perfect for those areas where LEDs or CFLs just don’t seem to cut it.

Cons: Halogen bulbs can produce a decent amount of heat and they’re a bit more expensive to buy and run than other bulbs.
“Smart” Bulbs

With home automation becoming more popular, it’s important that you consider “smart” bulbs as well. These bulbs connect wirelessly to a hub or wireless network, allowing them to be turned on and off, dimmed and even have their color changed from a smartphone or other device.

Pros: Smart bulbs give your clients nearly complete control over their environment and they can do some pretty neat things to boot. For example, some smart bulbs can even be synced with the ambient lighting on TVs to adjust the lighting in accordance with the dominant colors on the screen.

Cons: Smart bulbs (and the automation systems they work with) can be expensive – and to get the most out of them a bit of computer know-how is required. They’re also a fairly new technology, so there isn’t a clear market leader yet.
Modern Edison Bulbs

You might not have heard of Modern Edison bulbs, but they’re definitely a thing: they recreate the look and lighting of old-world light bulbs while using very little electricity. The core technology of Modern Edison bulbs is LEDS contained within a resin pipe in the middle of the bulb.

Pros: Modern Edison bulbs are all about the style. They provide a warm, even light, look great and consume very little energy during operation.

Cons: The cost. Modern Edison bulbs are very much a luxury item, running around $50 per bulb (plus almost $120 for the optional leather shade that completes the look). They’re meant to be display pieces, not just standard bulbs.