The bulb is the one part of a Tiffany lamp you choose yourself, and it changes the lamp more than most people expect. The same shade lit by a cool daylight LED and by a warm filament bulb looks like two different products. This guide covers what to buy, how many, and how to make it dim properly.
What our fittings take
| Fitting | Bulb cap | Number of bulbs | Maximum rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small table lamp (25 cm) | E27 | 1 | 40 W |
| Large table lamp (40 cm) | E27 | 2 | 60 W per bulb |
| Floor lamp | E27 | 2 | 60 W per bulb |
| Ceiling light and pendant | E27 | 1 | See product page |
| Wall light | See product page | See product page | See product page |
| Sullivan table and floor lamps | E27 | 2 | See product page |
Bulbs are not included with the lamps. Every product page tells you the count, and the bag reminds you if you have not added enough.
The bulb we recommend
Our E27 LED filament bulb is a 7 W clear-glass filament lamp at 2700 K, roughly the light of a 60 W incandescent, in a 10.5 × 6 cm classic shape. It is warm enough to bring out amber and red glass, bright enough to fill a 40 cm shade, and runs cool, so the solder and copper foil in the shade never get hot.
E27 LED FILAMENT · 7 W · 2700 K
THE SAME BULB, TWICE, IN A 40 CM LAMP
Why filament, and why clear
A Tiffany shade is lit from the inside, so the light has to pass through every piece of glass. A clear filament bulb radiates in all directions and casts sharp shadows of the lead lines, which is what gives the pattern its definition. Frosted or opal bulbs soften the pattern and make the glass look milky. Directional LED spots light only the top of the shade and leave the skirt dark.
Why 2700 K
Colour temperature is the difference between a warm evening lamp and a bathroom light. At 2700 K the filament is the colour of a traditional bulb, which is what stained glass was designed around. At 4000 K and above, ambers turn yellow-green and reds go brown. If a product photo of a Tiffany lamp looks harsh, it is nearly always the bulb.
Wattage: the limit is about heat, not brightness
The maximum wattage printed on a lampholder (40 W or 60 W on ours) is the heat the fitting can safely dissipate with an incandescent bulb. A 7 W LED produces the light of a 60 W incandescent and a fraction of the heat, so it is well inside the limit on every fitting we sell. Do not fit a 60 W or 100 W incandescent or halogen "for more light"; the shade will get hot and the glass and solder will suffer over time.
Dimming a Tiffany lamp
Dimming is where most of the questions come from, so here is the whole picture:
- The bulb must be dimmable. Our LED filament bulb is; many cheap LEDs are not, and a non-dimmable LED on a dimmer will flicker, buzz or fail.
- The dimmer must be an LED dimmer. Old rotary dimmers were built for 60 W to 400 W of incandescent load. A single 7 W LED is below their minimum and they will flicker. Look for a trailing-edge dimmer with a stated LED minimum load of 5 W or less.
- Table and floor lamps plug into a socket, so the simplest option is an in-line LED dimmer on the flex, or a smart bulb if you would rather dim from your phone. Check that a smart bulb is a clear filament type, not opal.
- Pendants and ceiling lights dim from the wall switch. Have an electrician replace the switch with a trailing-edge LED dimmer.
Dimming has not been individually certified on each fitting. The lampholder itself is passive, so with a dimmable bulb and an LED-rated dimmer it will dim; but if you have any doubt, ask us before buying the switch.
How dimming changes the glass
Turned down to around 30 percent, a Tiffany lamp stops being a light and becomes an object: the bulb disappears, the pattern goes deep and saturated, and the dark solder lines come forward. It is the nicest way to use one in the evening and the reason we suggest dimming for a bedroom or a living room lamp.
