Parmida LED Technologies (Pack of 20) 4FT LED T8 Ballast Bypass Type B Light Tube, 24W, UL-Listed for Single-Ended & Dual-Ended Connection, 3200lm, Clear Lens, T8 T10 T12, UL - 6000K

The light replacement job was so easy, I plan to change all my basement lights.

These LED tubes are the perfect way to swap out fluorescent lights for energy efficiency, to replace burned out bulbs, or to retrofit when ballasts go bad. You DO need to remove the fluorescent ballasts, but I see that as a bonus because it means you don't have to replace ballasts when they go out (they cost far more than these bulbs). As long as you're moderately handy, a quick search online will teach you everything you need to know to do that, and it can be done in 10-15 minutes per light fixture. These bulbs come with retrofit stickers, and I recommend using them.These bulbs are directional, and they are not frosted, so just be aware they will appear pretty bright if you don't have a cover/diffuser on the light fixture. They appeared brighter than the fluorescent bulbs they replaced, but those were older and likely had dimmed over time. I ordered cool white (4000k), and I'd say compared to other bulbs that the light matches that description.These bulbs can be wired to have both L+ and N- on the same end (make sure your fixture tombstones are not bridged) or one side to each end of the bulb (simplest and safest in my opinion). They CANNOT be used with ballasts. My only gripe is that the bulb ends are labeled L+ or N-. I don't know if it matters, so I assumed them to be the same as another brand I put in with the sticker end being L+, and it worked. I don't know for certain, but tapping the tube sounds like it's made from glass comparable to a fluorescent tube.Depending on what these replace, they output the same light for 60-66% of the power. At 8 hours a day every day, that'll save you over $6 a year per bulb, paying themselves off in less than a year.

I like the fact that these PARMIDA only need juice to one pin on either (Double-Ended Connection) end to be happy and that makes installation stupid easy. They will do Single-Ended but that requires the right kind of tombstones and I see no reason to care. I cut out the ballast, wire one end hot, one neutral (doesn't matter which, the tube does not care), and you are done. You actually only need to get juice to one pin on each end but I wire both because it is usually easier and a bit of OCD.I started on this because I have an unheated outbuilding that had 8ft florescents. They would not come on well when cold, and some of them buzzed. A lot. I checked tout the ballasts and found that even good ones are quite hot when the lights are on. Not paying for that, so I found something similar to these but 8 ft. Played with the various wiring schemes and came to the conclusion that double ended was the only way to go. Bonus, total silence and they come on the same freezing as a summer day.Note, there are some similar, sorta, that will work with a ballast. Go in like a standard tube. Makes no sense to me. The ballast is a space heater. The fixture, once converted, will not take standard tubes (PARMIDA provides stickers for the fixture). Not a problem here because I am converting everything.Cons: None, really. These are glass tubes and that is fine. My 8ft ones are plastic and given where they are, I think that is better for them. I wanted frosted, because that is what I knew, but I didn't have that option. I have to say standing staring at them like an idiot they are a little harder on the eyes. In the real world, working under them and doing things, the light is better and less is thrown in useless directions. I am very impressed. I just went out for more electrical tape and wire nuts. Game on.

These bulbs are designed for direct connection to 120V A/C current without a ballast, so you must rewire your old fluorescent fixture for these to work. If you’ve done even basic wiring this is no problem to do. You open your light fixture, cut the wires off the old ballast - cutting close to the ballast to keep the most wire, strip off the ends of all cut wires, and connect all the wires leading to one end to the black (hot) power chord wire, and all the wires leading to the other end to the white (neutral) power chord wire. You will need 2 wire nuts properly sized per fixture. I used Yellow wire nuts. You can remove the ballast if you want. Reassemble the light, insert these bulbs like any other 2 prong fluorescent tube, and get ready for some bright light!You can use a fixture that used T-8 or T-12 bulbs, and the bulbs come with warning stickers to put on the light fixture stating to NOT use fluorescent bulbs in this lamp.These LED bulbs have strips of LED lamps along the inside of the light tube. Putting 2 in the old T-8 fixture put out quite a bit more light, and it was also a “whiter” light than the yellow tinge of my T-8 bulbs. The bulbs are not frosted, so if you look directly at the bulbs you will see each of the LED lights and will have a hundred little tiny dots in your vision when you look away. They do take a little getting used to, but they give off excellent light. I put the first light over a work table for my wife for her embroidery machines and she loves it.If you don’t mind rewiring your fixtures, and don’t mind seeing a bunch of bright dots when you look up, these lights will work well for you.