Gonhom Par38 led Flood Lights Outdoor Light Bulb 2 Pack,Dimmable 5000K Daylight 1800LM,20W Replace up to 200W,Outdoor Flood Light Bulbs for Backyard,Garage,Porch,Garden

I replaced a pair of ageing halogen floods on my garage with the Gonhom PAR38 LED flood bulbs and immediately wondered why I waited so long. The difference isn’t just about brightness—though there’s plenty of that—it’s the combination of coverage, color quality, and efficiency that makes these a practical upgrade for everyday outdoor lighting.

Design and build

These are standard PAR38 bulbs with an E26 base, so they fit right into most outdoor floodlight housings, motion fixtures, and clamp lights without any fuss. The housing uses a plastic lens with an aluminum heat sink underneath, which keeps weight down and helps with thermal management. They’re not fragile like glass halogens, and they don’t contain mercury, which I appreciate for both safety and disposal.

They’re not “waterproof bulbs” on their own (few are), so plan to use them in weather-rated fixtures, as you should with any outdoor lamp. In my soffit cans and a typical dual-head motion fixture, they seated securely and felt well supported.

Installation and compatibility

Installation was a simple swap. I tested them in three scenarios:
- A motion-sensor flood fixture over the driveway
- A pair of soffit cans washing the side yard
- A clamp light in my garage shop

In all cases, they powered up instantly with no warm-up and no perceptible flicker. The motion fixture behaved normally—no ghosting or chatter—and the bulbs were at full brightness the moment the sensor tripped. On a compatible wall dimmer (Lutron LED-rated), I had smooth control down to roughly 10–15% before the light dropped out, which is typical for many dimmable LEDs. If you need ultra-low, film-grade dimming, these aren’t designed for that, but for residential use they dim cleanly.

Brightness and beam

Each bulb is rated at 1,800 lumens and 5000K “daylight.” The output looks as bright as the spec suggests, and the color is a neutral, clean white—crisp without the icy blue cast you sometimes get with cheap daylight LEDs. If you prefer warm, cozy lighting for patios or architectural accents, this color temperature won’t be your favorite. For security, task lighting, and general visibility, 5000K is exactly what I want.

The beam is wide. Gonhom quotes a 180-degree spread, which in practice reads as a generous flood—more of a wash than a tight spotlight. Over my driveway, a single bulb covered the width comfortably and reached well down the pavement. With two on the dual-head fixture, I could aim one towards the walkway and one across the garage apron to eliminate dark pockets. In my yard test, a pair threw usable light across approximately 60 feet, which aligns with the “up to 70 feet” claim assuming you’re not trying to light a football field to daylight levels. If you need a narrow beam to punch light across very long distances or highlight a small feature, look for a PAR38 with a narrower beam angle; otherwise, this wide spread is ideal for general area illumination.

Real-world use outdoors

Outdoors is where these bulbs make the most sense. The instant-on behavior with motion sensors means you actually get the deterrent benefit and visibility you expect. The broad coverage reduces the number of fixtures needed to light a driveway apron, side yard, or backyard path. On a pole-mounted fixture facing my garden, the light was even, and colors looked natural enough to identify tools and read labels without odd tints.

One thing worth noting if you live with serious winter: LEDs don’t run hot like halogens. That’s great for energy efficiency and longevity, but it also means they won’t melt accumulating snow from the lens in a storm or in prolonged sub-zero temperatures. In my climate, a light brushing is enough after a storm; in harsher environments, expect to occasionally clear lenses on exposed fixtures.

In the garage, I appreciated how little heat these produce. I put one in a clamp light for bench work and could aim it close to surfaces without heat buildup. That’s something I could never do with old 150–200W floods.

Energy use and longevity

At 20W each replacing an old 150–200W halogen, the math is compelling. If you run a pair for an average of three hours a night, you’re saving roughly 0.78–1.08 kWh per day compared to 200W halogens—call it 285–395 kWh per year for two bulbs. That’s real money depending on your local rates, and it adds up quickly if you’ve got multiple fixtures.

The rated life is up to 25,000 hours. I can’t fast-forward time to validate that, but the thermal design seems sensible and they run cool, which usually correlates with better longevity. I’d still avoid fully enclosed fixtures with no ventilation (many LED bulbs are not rated for that environment), but in typical outdoor housings and soffit cans, heat wasn’t an issue in my tests.

Dimming and controls

The dimmable driver plays nicely with modern LED dimmers and sensor fixtures. I didn’t hear any buzzing at common settings, and I couldn’t detect high-frequency flicker by eye. On a camera, there was no obvious banding at typical shutter speeds, which is a good sign for occasional video use around the house. As with any dimmable LED, pairing with a quality LED-rated dimmer is key; older triac dimmers can sometimes cause step-y dimming or early dropout.

If you use photocell dusk-to-dawn fixtures, 20W per bulb presents enough load for most modern sensors. Legacy sensors can be finicky with ultra-low loads, but I had no nuisance cycling during testing.

Color quality

These aren’t marketed as high-CRI lamps, and there’s no CRI spec listed, so I didn’t expect gallery-grade rendering. In practice, the daylight tone looks natural and clean for outdoor tasks: foliage looks vivid, siding colors are accurate, and printed labels are readable. For landscape accenting where subtle color fidelity matters, you might want a bulb with a published high CRI and a warmer CCT option. For visibility and security, these strike a very usable balance.

What I liked

• Bright, even coverage from a wide flood beam
• Instant-on at full brightness with motion fixtures
• Honest daylight tone (5000K) for clarity and visibility
• Real energy savings at 20W with heat kept in check
• Lightweight, durable housing; standard E26 base
• Dims smoothly on a compatible LED dimmer

What could be better

• The very wide beam can spill light where you don’t want it; not a tight spot
• Daylight color may feel too cool for ambient patio lighting
• Like all LEDs, they don’t melt snow off the lens in severe cold
• No published CRI; not aimed at color-critical accent lighting
• As with most LED bulbs, avoid fully enclosed fixtures unless explicitly rated

Use cases that fit

• Driveway and garage motion lights where instant brightness matters
• Backyard and side-yard coverage with a small number of fixtures
• Shop and garage task lighting in clamp lights or track heads
• General security lighting around porches and gates
• Utility areas where low heat and high efficiency are wins

If you want warm, hospitality-style ambiance on the patio, consider a 2700–3000K option. If you’re lighting a distant tree or flag and want a tight hotspot, look for a PAR38 with a narrower beam angle.

The bottom line

The Gonhom PAR38 LED flood bulbs do exactly what I need outdoor floods to do: they turn on instantly, throw a broad, bright wash of daylight across the areas I care about, and sip power while doing it. They’ve behaved well with motion sensors and dimmers, and the lightweight build makes them easy to handle without feeling flimsy. Their wide beam and cool color temperature won’t suit every aesthetic scenario, and cold-climate users should plan for occasional snow clearing on exposed heads. But as a practical, everyday upgrade from halogen floods, they check the important boxes.

Recommendation: I recommend these for anyone prioritizing visibility, security, and efficiency in outdoor lighting. They’re a straightforward, cost-effective replacement that covers a lot of ground—literally—without the heat and waste of older bulbs. If you want warmer ambiance or precise beam control, choose a different spec; otherwise, these are a smart default for driveways, garages, and general outdoor illumination.