Feit Electric PAR38 LED Bulb, 120W Equivalent, Non Dimmable, 3000k Bright White, 1400 Lumens, 22 Year Lifespan, E26 Base, PAR38 Flood Light Bulb, CRI 90, Damp Rated, 1 Pack, PAR38DM/1400/930CA

A bright, warm upgrade for recessed and outdoor fixtures

Swapping a single bulb shouldn’t feel like a project, and with this PAR38 LED from Feit, it didn’t. I popped it into a standard E26 socket in a covered porch floodlight and later moved it into a high ceiling can in my living room to see how it handled both tasks. In each spot, the bulb delivered a clean, warm 3000K light with a wide, even flood that avoided harsh edges and hotspots. If you’re looking to replace an aging 120W incandescent or halogen flood, this is a meaningful step up in efficiency without the compromises I typically brace for with budget LEDs.

A quick note on the name versus reality: my sample is non‑dimmable and labeled as such on the bulb. Feit sells similar dimmable variants, and some listings mash those details together. Treat this specific model as on/off only. Used on a dimmer, it may flicker or fail prematurely.

Setup and fit

PAR38 is a big format, and this one stays true to spec. The lens and housing are on the larger side compared to a PAR30 or BR30, so check clearance in tight, gimbal‑style cans or shallow soffit housings. That said, it threaded easily into a standard E26 base in both test fixtures.

The heat sink runs warm to the touch after an hour—normal for a 15.5W LED—so I’d avoid tightly enclosed cans with poor airflow. It’s damp‑rated, which covers covered porches, soffits, and bathrooms; it’s not for direct exposure to rain or for open fixtures where water can pool.

Light quality and color

Feit rates this bulb at CRI 90, and it shows. Skin tones look natural, wood grain reads as wood instead of muddy brown, and colorful garden planters under the porch light keep their saturation. That matters more than many people think: high CRI makes a space feel “right” without necessarily seeming brighter on paper.

As for color temperature, 3000K is accurately warm. Marketing often calls 3000K “bright white,” which can be confusing; in practice, it’s on the warm side of neutral with a slight amber tint. In a living room, it feels inviting; on a driveway, it’s warm enough to avoid the cold, blue cast that daylight bulbs can bring. If you want a clinical, high‑contrast look for task work or cameras tuned for daylight, you’ll want a 4000–5000K alternative.

I saw no visible flicker at full power, and a quick slow‑motion camera check didn’t reveal shimmer on walls or countertops. There was no audible buzz in either of my fixtures.

Brightness and beam

Feit claims 1,400 lumens, and subjectively it tracks with a strong 120W incandescent flood replacement. Outdoors, it threw a wide, useful pool of light across a two‑car driveway and adjacent walk without a hot pin‑spot in the center. Indoors, it filled a 12×18 living area from a 10‑foot ceiling can with comfortable, uniform illumination.

As with all floods, distance and mounting height change the experience. At typical porch height (8–10 feet), it’s generous and pleasant. At very high ceilings or long throw distances, don’t expect searchlight punch; this is a flood, not a spot. If you’re replacing an older halogen spot with a narrow beam, the wider spread here may feel “less bright” in the center even though total lumens are higher.

Energy use and savings

Replacing a 120W incandescent with a 15.5W LED is the kind of trade I like to see. The math is straightforward:

• Power saved: ~104.5W per bulb
• Run time: 3 hours/day
• Energy saved: ~0.31 kWh/day, ~114 kWh/year
• At $0.15/kWh, that’s about $17/year per bulb

Multiply by outdoor floods or a row of recessed cans and the savings add up quickly. Heat output is also dramatically lower, which helps in warm climates where every watt of lighting heat becomes AC load.

Longevity and reliability

The rating is 25,000 hours, which at 3 hours a day pencils out to a couple decades. Real‑world life depends on heat and switching cycles; frequent on/off cycling, hot attic spaces, and enclosed fixtures shorten the party for any LED. In my testing period, startup was instant and consistent, including a cold morning on the porch where some LEDs hesitate or dim. I’d expect reliable service in ventilated cans and covered outdoor housings. If you need something for fully enclosed fixtures, confirm the enclosure rating before committing.

Compatibility and certifications

A few niceties worth calling out:

• Non‑dimmable: it’s strictly an on/off bulb. If you must dim, pick the dimmable variant.
• E26 base: fits standard medium sockets.
• Damp‑rated: fine for covered outdoor placements and humid interiors.
• UL Listed, Energy Star, FCC, and CEC Title 24 compliant: reassuring for safety, efficiency, and building code requirements in stricter jurisdictions.
• No mercury and no UV: safe around artwork and easy to dispose of responsibly.

Use cases where it shines

• Covered porch and soffit floods: broad, even light with a welcoming 3000K tone.
• Garage bays and workshops that benefit from wide area coverage without glare.
• Living rooms and family rooms with high ceilings where a single lamp needs to do real work.
• Security lighting where color fidelity helps cameras and eyes discern detail without the harshness of cooler CCT bulbs.

What I’d change

• Offer clearer packaging on dimmable vs. non‑dimmable. Feit sells both, and product pages sometimes blur that line.
• A published beam angle would help buyers plan layouts. The beam behaved like a wide flood in my spaces, but a spec is still helpful.
• For users who want cooler or tunable white light, having a 4000K or 5000K variant in the same form factor is a worthwhile alternative. If that exists in the line, it isn’t clearly paired to this model.

Alternatives to consider

• Need dimming? Choose the dimmable Feit PAR38 or another Energy Star‑rated PAR38 specifically labeled as dimmable and compatible with your dimmer model.
• Prefer daylight tone? A 5000K PAR38 will look brighter at the same lumen rating and can improve contrast for outdoor cameras.
• Want a tighter hotspot for long throws? Look for a PAR38 “spot” version with a narrower beam angle.

Bottom line

The Feit PAR38 LED is a practical, high‑output flood that nails the essentials: strong lumen output, pleasing 3000K color, high CRI, instant on, and a form factor that’s at home in both recessed cans and covered outdoor fixtures. It’s a straightforward replacement for a 120W incandescent or halogen that cuts energy use by roughly 85% without flattening colors or introducing noise or flicker.

Recommendation: I recommend this bulb for anyone who wants a warm, bright flood for recessed or covered outdoor fixtures and doesn’t need dimming. It’s efficient, color‑accurate, and broadly compatible with standard E26 sockets. If dimming is part of your plan, or if you prefer a cooler color temperature, pick the appropriate variant; otherwise, this non‑dimmable 3000K model is an easy, worthwhile upgrade.