--- title: What's the difference between commercial grade and residential grade lighting products? description: Commercial grade LED lights vs. residential grade. What's the difference? And where's the best place to buy light bulbs? We break down all the pros and cons. image: https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/commercial-residential-lighting.jpg --- - [Corporate](https://www.regencysupply.com/) - [Shop](https://shop.regencysupply.com/) - [Studio](https://rl.studio/) [Login/Signup](https://shop.regencysupply.com/b2b/portal/login/) [![Regency Supply Logo](https://regencysupply.com/wp-content/uploads/rs-logo-r-2.svg)](https://regencysupply.com/) Menu - [Search Site](https://www.regencysupply.com/searching/) - [Shop Products](https://shop.regencysupply.com/) - [Services](https://www.regencysupply.com/services/) - [Architectural Lighting Design](https://www.regencysupply.com/services/architectural-lighting-design/) - [Lighting Supply](https://www.regencysupply.com/services/lighting-supply/) - [Electrical Supply](https://www.regencysupply.com/services/electrical-supply/) - [Construction Services](https://www.regencysupply.com/services/construction-supplier/) - [Lighting Retrofits](https://www.regencysupply.com/services/lighting-retrofits/) - [Lighting Maintenance](https://www.regencysupply.com/services/maintenance/) - [Product Lines](https://www.regencysupply.com/lighting-solutions-and-services/product-lines/) - [Client Success Stories](https://www.regencysupply.com/lighting-solutions-and-services/client-success-stories/) - [Resources](https://www.regencysupply.com/lighting-resources/) - [About Us](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/) - [Leadership](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/leadership-team/) - [Evan Regenstreif](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/leadership-team/evan-regenstreif/) - [Isaac Regenstreif](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/leadership-team/isaac-regenstreif/) - [Judah Regenstreif](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/leadership-team/judah-regenstreif/) - [Scott Anderson](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/leadership-team/scott-anderson/) - [Hoon Kim](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/leadership-team/hoon-kim/) - [Ron Regenstreif](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/leadership-team/ron-regenstreif/) - [Mike Goldstone](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/leadership-team/mike-goldstone/) - [Careers](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/careers/) - [Regency Supply News](https://news.regencysupply.com/) - [Event And Social Photos](https://www.regencysupply.com/about-regency-lighting/event-and-social-photos/) - [Contact Us](https://www.regencysupply.com/contact-us/) - [Credit Application](https://www.regencysupply.com/contact-us/credit-application-for-lighting-services/) - [Apply For Tax Exemption](https://app.certcapture.com/logins/login) - [Office Locations](https://www.regencysupply.com/contact-us/#rl-locations) - [Search](https://www.regencysupply.com/searching/) - [Store Login](https://shop.regencysupply.com/) ### REGENCY INSIGHTS BLOG Practical advice on commercial lighting from LED retrofts to lighting design [ Back to blog home](https://insights.regencysupply.com) [View all posts  ](https://insights.regencysupply.com/all) ![commercial-residential-lighting.jpg](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/commercial-residential-lighting.jpg) # What's the difference between commercial grade and residential grade lighting products? Posted by [Luis Espino](https://insights.regencysupply.com/author/luis-espino) on February 3, 2020 ![print](https://www.regencysupply.com/rl-custom/printer.png "Print this page") [![Share on Facebook](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/Icons/icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Finsights.regencysupply.com%2Fwhats-the-difference-between-commercial-grade-and-residential-grade-lighting-products%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/Icons/icon-linkedin.svg)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Finsights.regencysupply.com%2Fwhats-the-difference-between-commercial-grade-and-residential-grade-lighting-products%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/Icons/icon-x.svg)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Finsights.regencysupply.com%2Fwhats-the-difference-between-commercial-grade-and-residential-grade-lighting-products%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Finsights.regencysupply.com%2Fwhats-the-difference-between-commercial-grade-and-residential-grade-lighting-products%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=What%27s%20the%20difference%20between%20commercial%20grade%20and%20residential%20grade%20lighting%20products%3F) [![Share on Pinterest](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/Icons/icon-pinterest.svg)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Finsights.regencysupply.com%2Fwhats-the-difference-between-commercial-grade-and-residential-grade-lighting-products%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn1.hubspot.com%2Fhub%2F158015%2F305390_10100548508246879_837195_59275782_6882128_n.jpg) [![Share on Email](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/Icons/icon-mail.svg)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Finsights.regencysupply.com%2Fwhats-the-difference-between-commercial-grade-and-residential-grade-lighting-products%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Finsights.regencysupply.com%2Fwhats-the-difference-between-commercial-grade-and-residential-grade-lighting-products%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) WRITTEN BY A HUMAN ![commercial-residential-lighting.jpg](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/commercial-residential-lighting.jpg?width=724&height=447&name=commercial-residential-lighting.jpg "What's the difference between commercial grade and residential grade lighting products?")  You can find a good deal on light bulbs at Home Depot and Walmart. Sometimes, customers bring that to our attention.  How do these stores sell at such low prices? Are they selling the same light bulbs as us? They are targeting a more residential customer, so are they selling *residential* grade lighting products? Is there something different about a *residential* lamp when compared with a *commercial* one? Usually, no – there's no difference or distinction, at least according to one of our top manufacturers. Though the products are packaged differently, their guts are almost always the same. Of course, many manufacturers have introduced a *value* line of LED lamps, which often come with [shorter life ratings](https://insights.regencysupply.com/understanding-led-lifespan-how-long-do-led-lamps-and-fixtures-actually-last), allowing for a lower price. But we carry those products, too. So why are light bulbs so inexpensive at Home Depot? Let's look at a few contributing factors. [![Shop LED lighting](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/455757/bad8f06d-aadb-4aa5-bc49-9a0e0b73adaa.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/455757/bad8f06d-aadb-4aa5-bc49-9a0e0b73adaa) ### 1. Point-of-sale energy rebates When you walk through the lighting aisle at Home Depot, and you see an A19 (standard bulb) being sold for just a few bucks – 75 percent off the original price, it could very likely be priced with a local-level, point-of-sale rebate in place. Stores like Home Depot have the ability to sell such a high volume of light bulbs, that if they're selling the more energy efficient, long-life ones, utility companies will often offer incentives, as they're taking energy off the grid.  These incentives or rebates can drive the price of one or two standard, run-of-the mill light bulbs extremely low. ### 2. Dead inventory and product movement The amazing deal you're seeing on those light bulbs could also be due to a dead inventory special. So, Home Depot (or Walmart or Lowe's, etc.) may price the light bulb right at or below gross cost, just to clear it from the shelf and make room for something else. ### 3. Limited product selection Home improvement stores and supermarkets have a pretty simple lighting product offering: basic A lamps and PAR lamps, and maybe some decorative bulbs, all in one or two brand options. This allows them to buy in large quantities, driving down the end-user price. But you'd be hard-pressed to find those small replacement bulbs for an elevator or high-output products that many of our retail and hotel customers need for their commercial applications. ### 4. Limited product knowledge You can't expect Walmart store associates to be lighting experts. They may know high-level information about the product, but it's unlikely that they'll be able to help you navigate a Kelvin temperature scale, ballast or controls compatibility, CRI ratings, and the like. Our team of lighting experts undergoes [comprehensive lighting training.](http://rlu.fyi/school-of-lighting) We train them to cross part numbers, to easily find you a product match – or as close to one as possible. We train them on the ins and outs of each type of lighting technology, and where each is best used. And they have a direct line to the hundreds of manufacturers we work with, to ensure they have the right information and can navigate tricky situations. [![Lighting calculator: calculate energy savings on lighting projects](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/455757/6ef194cf-310d-4a85-97cf-447c65509885.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/455757/6ef194cf-310d-4a85-97cf-447c65509885) ## Where should you buy your lighting from? Buying lighting has everything to do with context. Are you buying 500 LED lamps to change out in the hotel facility you manage? You should probably talk to a lighting distributor like us, because that would take a lot of time-consuming trips to a lot of different Home Depots. But if you're simply looking to replace the couple of bulbs that just burned out in your office or above the bathroom vanity, it might make sense to grab them next time you're at the store, though [we can certainly help with that, too](https://shop.regencysupply.com). Are you looking for a product recommendation on an upcoming retrofit project? [We have the tools](https://insights.regencysupply.com/how-to-use-regencys-lighting-calculator-calculating-energy-savings-from-a-lighting-retrofit) and expertise to help with that. Is the new tenant moving into your Class A office building looking for a lighting upgrade? We can help you explore your options, and [Lighting as a Service](https://insights.regencysupply.com/what-is-lighting-as-a-service-laas-and-how-does-it-work) might be worth considering. Finally, consider warranty options. If you're buying directly from Home Depot and Walmart and multiple other vendors, as sales pop up, warranties will be difficult to keep track of. That's the value of working with a national distributor. A distributor is able to hold product warranties for you and help with claims, as issues arise. ## Should you buy LED now or wait for prices to come down? If your lamps are burning 10 hours a day for five days a week, [there could be a cost to waiting to retrofit](https://insights.regencysupply.com/how-much-does-lighting-cost-understanding-the-total-cost-of-lighting). But if you're not using a ton of energy from lighting, it's reasonable to wait until your lamps burn out.  Here's a short video that helps answer this question.   At the end of the day, we know lighting can be challenging and mistakes can be costly. [We're here to help make it a little easier](https://insights.regencysupply.com/making-lighting-easy).  [![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/455757/82d4899f-e622-43d6-a543-7a34166a5d59.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/455757/82d4899f-e622-43d6-a543-7a34166a5d59) [![](https://www.regencylighting.com/rl-custom/images/search-posts-graphic.svg)](https://www.regencysupply.com/searching/) Keep up with our latest updates [Subscribe Now](https://info.regencysupply.com/en-us/lighting-blog-signup) [![Get your business account](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/455757/da04c52a-287d-4340-ab12-055921e93293.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/455757/da04c52a-287d-4340-ab12-055921e93293) [![Get your free lighting review](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/455757/ef6d50f0-0bdc-4896-8156-a7d2b0415c92.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/455757/ef6d50f0-0bdc-4896-8156-a7d2b0415c92) #### Related Posts [![](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/RL-LightApplications-Wall%20Sconce.jpg) Common incandescent light bulbs and LED retrofits by application](https://insights.regencysupply.com/incandescent-light-bulbs-led-retrofits) [![](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/retail-cove-lighting%20copy.jpg) Common light bulbs and LED upgrades for retail stores](https://insights.regencysupply.com/common-light-bulbs-and-led-upgrades-for-retail-stores) [![](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/Incandescent%20replacements%20for%20LEDs.jpeg) The best LED replacements for common incandescent light bulbs](https://insights.regencysupply.com/the-best-led-replacements-for-common-incandescent-light-bulbs) [![](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/What_is_an_incandescent_light_bulb_and_how_does_it_work.jpg) What is an incandescent light bulb and how does it work?](https://insights.regencysupply.com/what-is-an-incandescent-light-bulb-and-how-does-it-work) [![](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/LED%20replacements%20for%20halogen.jpg) The best LED replacements for common halogen light bulbs](https://insights.regencysupply.com/the-best-led-replacements-for-common-halogen-light-bulbs) [![](https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/warehouse-lighting.jpg) Common light bulbs and LED upgrades for warehouses](https://insights.regencysupply.com/common-light-bulbs-and-led-upgrades-for-warehouses) View all posts   #### Related Topics [LED](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/led) [FAQs](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/faqs) [Lifespan & Warranty](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/lifespan-warranty) [Lighting Retrofits](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/lighting-retrofits) [Lighting as a Service](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/lighting-as-a-service) #### Popular Topics [LED Lighting](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/led) [Product Comparison](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/product-comparison) [Lighting Controls](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/lighting-controls) [Lighting as a Service](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/lighting-as-a-service) [Energy Savings](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/energy-savings) [Title 24](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/title-24) [Technology](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/lighting-technology) [Indoor Air Quality](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/indoor-air-quality) [Cleaning & Disinfection](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/cleaning-disinfection) [FAQs](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/faqs) [Lighting Maintenance](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/lighting-maintenance) [Lighting 101](https://insights.regencysupply.com/topic/lighting-101) [![](https://www.regencysupply.com/rl-custom/images/search-posts-graphic.svg)](https://www.regencysupply.com/searching/) Keep up with our latest updates [Subscribe Now](https://info.regencysupply.com/en-us/lighting-blog-signup) HQ 9261 Jordan Avenue Chatsworth, CA 91311 **Phone:** [+1-800-284-2024](tel:+18002842024) **[Send us a message.](http://www.regencysupply.com/contact-us/contact-us/)** **[Find a location.](https://www.regencysupply.com/contact-us/#RS-locations)** Family owned and operated since 1983 [![](https://www.regencysupply.com/wp-content/uploads/rs-main-badge-w.svg)](https://insights.regencysupply.com/newname) What's the story with our rebrand? [Learn more.](https://www.regencysupply.com/newname) [![RSS](https://www.regencysupply.com/wp-includes/images/rss.png)](https://insights.regencysupply.com/rss.xml) [Lighting Insights](https://insights.regencysupply.com/) - [4 reasons lighting causes developers' schedules to fall behind on construction projects](https://insights.regencysupply.com/4-reasons-lighting-causes-developers-schedules-to-fall-behind-on-construction-projects) Aug 1, 2022 - [What is DLC v5.1 and how does it impact my lighting purchase?](https://insights.regencysupply.com/what-is-dlc-5.1) Jul 26, 2022 - [Trends in pricing and quality in LED lighting](https://insights.regencysupply.com/trends-in-pricing-and-quality-in-led-lighting) Jul 19, 2022 - [California's light bulb ban](https://insights.regencysupply.com/california-light-bulb-ban) Jul 13, 2022 - [Is there an incandescent light bulb ban?](https://insights.regencysupply.com/was-there-actually-an-incandescent-light-bulb-ban) Jul 11, 2022 - [A state by state look at light bulb bans \[Interactive map\]](https://insights.regencysupply.com/state-light-bulb-bans) Jul 6, 2022 #### Looking for products? [View Product Lines](https://www.regencysupply.com/lighting-solutions-and-services/product-lines/) [Shop our Store](https://shop.regencysupply.com/) © Regency Supply, All Rights Reserved. - [RL Studio](https://rl.studio) - [Shop Lighting](https://shop.regencysupply.com/) - [Branding](https://www.regencysupply.com/branding/) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.regencysupply.com/privacy-policy/) - [Site Map](https://www.regencysupply.com/site-map/) ![](https://secure.deng3rada.com/216972.png) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Luis Espino", "url" : "https://insights.regencysupply.com/author/luis-espino" }, "dateModified" : "2023-06-19T13:27:03.185Z", "datePublished" : "2020-02-03T16:25:00.000Z", "headline" : "What's the difference between commercial grade and residential grade lighting products?", "image" : [ "https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/commercial-residential-lighting.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://insights.regencysupply.com/whats-the-difference-between-commercial-grade-and-residential-grade-lighting-products", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://insights.regencysupply.com/hubfs/RS-Logo-R-1.png" }, "name" : "Regency Supply" } } ```