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About This Dashboard
Welcome to the most comprehensive LED flicker and lighting quality testing database available online.
I've personally tested over 30 LED products using professional-grade spectrometry equipment
(In.Licht Ultra IWata-G100) to measure the metrics that actually matter for your health, comfort, and productivity.
Why this matters: LED flicker is invisible but can cause headaches, eyestrain, and trigger migraines in 12-15% of people.
Most manufacturers don't publish flicker data, so I'm doing the testing for you.
Learn more about why LED flicker matters.
💡 Note: These recommendations are based on objective measurements and my personal testing experience.
Your needs may vary depending on your sensitivity to flicker, budget, and specific use case.
Use the comparison tools below to find the perfect light for you.
Comparison View
Choose how you want to explore the data: compare different lamps at the same setting,
or view all metrics for a specific lamp across different settings.
Rf (Fidelity) measures color accuracy. Target: ≥90 for excellent color rendering.
Rg (Gamut) measures color vibrancy. Target: ~100 for natural saturation.
Light Output & Color Temperature
Illuminance measures brightness in lux.
CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) indicates warmth: lower is warmer, higher is cooler.
Price per Lux evaluates brightness efficiency - lower values indicate better value.
Flicker Analysis (IEEE 1789 Compliant)
Comprehensive flicker assessment based on IEEE 1789 frequency-dependent limits.
Risk level considers both frequency and modulation together. High flicker percentages
are acceptable at frequencies above 1250 Hz but problematic at lower frequencies.
Lamp Model
Frequency (Hz)
Percent Flicker (%)
Flicker Index
SVM
PAH Score
IEEE 1789 Risk
Understanding the Risk Assessment
✅ No Observable Effect: Safest level. No adverse effects expected even in sensitive populations.
🟡 Low-Risk Buffer: Acceptable for general illumination according to IEEE 1789.
🚩 High-Risk: Exceeds IEEE 1789 recommendations. May cause eye strain, headaches, or discomfort.
Note: Lamps operating above 1250 Hz have no modulation restrictions per IEEE 1789.
The frequency-modulation combination determines the actual risk, not modulation percentage alone.
IEEE 1789: The Flicker Safety Standard
The lighting industry's most comprehensive guideline for safe flicker is IEEE Std 1789-2015:
"Recommended Practices for Modulating Current in High-Brightness LEDs for Mitigating Health Risks to Viewers."
✅ No Observable Effect Level
The most conservative tier. At these parameters, no adverse effects are expected, even in sensitive populations.
⚠️ Low-Risk Level
The acceptable boundary. Flicker above this line is considered unacceptable for general illumination.
Frequency-Dependent Limits
IEEE 1789 provides frequency-dependent limits on modulation depth:
<90 Hz: Max modulation = Frequency × 0.025
90-1250 Hz: Max modulation = Frequency × 0.08
>1250 Hz: No restriction (risk negligible)
How to Read: Each column represents one lamp, ordered left-to-right by increasing frequency.
Bar height shows measured flicker %. Dashed lines show IEEE 1789 limits (green = no-effect, yellow = low-risk).
Background colors indicate risk zones: green = safe, yellow = buffer, red = high-risk.
⚠️ Important Caveat: IEEE 1789 is a recommended practice, not a legally binding standard.
Many consumer LED products violate these guidelines. You must be a proactive, informed buyer.
Extended Color Rendering Metrics
Ra (CRI) is the traditional color rendering index measuring how well a light source reveals colors of objects compared to natural light. Target: ≥90 for excellent color rendering.
Re is the CRI extended color rendering index, measuring accuracy for additional color samples beyond Ra. Target: ≥90.
Color Accuracy & Consistency
DUV (Delta u'v') measures distance from the blackbody locus - how far the light color deviates from natural daylight or incandescent sources. Target: -0.003 to +0.003 for natural-looking light.
SDCM (Standard Deviation Color Matching) measures color consistency between units. Target: <3 steps for imperceptible variation.
Biological Impact & Circadian Effects
EML (Equivalent Melanopic Lux) measures the biological impact on circadian rhythm. Higher values promote alertness.
M-EDI (Melanopic EDI) is melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance, another measure of circadian stimulus strength.
S/P Ratio compares scotopic (rod vision) to photopic (cone vision) sensitivity - important for mesopic conditions.
CAF (Color Appearance Factor) relates to how the spectral content affects perceived brightness and color appearance.
CS (Circadian Stimulus) quantifies the circadian effectiveness of light (0-1 scale, higher = more alerting).
Spectral Distribution Characteristics
Dominant Wavelength (nm) is the pure spectral color that best matches the light's hue.
Peak Wavelength (nm) is the wavelength at which the light has maximum intensity.
Peak Intensity is the maximum spectral power at the peak wavelength.
Individual Flicker Metrics
Beyond IEEE 1789 risk assessment, individual flicker metrics provide additional insight.
Flicker Index measures the area under the light waveform (0-1 scale, 0 = no flicker).
SVM (Stroboscopic Visibility Measure) predicts visibility of stroboscopic effects (lower is better, <1 is preferred).
Phantom Array Effect Risk (PAH Score)
Phantom Array Heuristic (PAH) quantifies the potential risk of phantom array effects—
visual artifacts that appear when moving your eyes across a flickering light source.
The score combines frequency sensitivity (peaking at ~695 Hz), modulation depth, waveform shape, and stroboscopic visibility.
Higher scores indicate greater risk of perceiving distracting phantom arrays during eye movements.
Understanding PAH Risk Thresholds
PAH < 0.3 (Very Low Risk): Rarely visible, even to sensitive observers. Excellent for all applications.
PAH 0.3–0.5 (Low Risk): Possibly visible during large saccades, mostly for sensitive individuals. Generally acceptable.
PAH 0.5–0.7 (Moderate Risk): Visible to ~25–50% of people. May cause discomfort during prolonged use or rapid eye movements.
PAH 0.7–1.0 (High Risk): Visible to most people. Noticeable phantom array streaks during eye movements. Not recommended for task lighting.
PAH > 1.0 (Very High Risk): Strong phantom array streaks. Unacceptable for architectural lighting and task-oriented environments.
Note: PAH scores are based on research into phantom array visibility metrics (PAVM).
Lower scores indicate safer lighting with minimal risk of distracting visual artifacts during eye movements.
Spectral Power Distribution
The spectral power distribution (SPD) shows the intensity of light at each wavelength across the visible spectrum (380-780 nm).
Peak Wavelength indicates the wavelength of maximum intensity.
Dominant Wavelength represents the perceived color.
FWHM (Full Width Half Maximum) measures spectral bandwidth - narrower indicates more saturated color.
α-opic Metrics & Biological Impact
Alpha-opic metrics measure how different light spectra activate the five photoreceptor types in the human eye: S-cone, M-cone, L-cone, Rhodopic (rods), and Melanopic (ipRGCs).
EDI (Equivalent Daylight Illuminance) normalizes spectra to a common biological scale, showing how much daylight would produce the same receptor activation.
M/P Ratio (Melanopic/Photopic) indicates how biologically potent a light is relative to its perceived brightness.
L-M-S Cone Stimulation Analysis
Cone stimulation analysis reveals spectral balance and potential for visual discomfort.
S/(L+M) shows S-cone dominance (high values = more short-wavelength blue).
Cone Activation % shows what percentage of total cone activation comes from each receptor type (toggle between S/M/L cones).
Detailed α-opic Values
Lamp Model
Melanopic EDI
S-cone EDI
M-cone EDI
L-cone EDI
M/P Ratio
S/(L+M)
L/M
Detailed Metrics
Lamp Model
Rf
Rg
Ra
CCT
Illuminance
Flicker %
IEEE 1789 Risk
Complete Metric Guide
Color Quality
Rf (TM-30 Fidelity): How accurately colors are rendered. ✅ Target: ≥90
Rg (TM-30 Gamut): Color saturation/vibrancy. ✅ Target: ~100
Ra (CRI): Traditional color rendering index. ✅ Target: ≥90
Re (CRI Extended): Extended color rendering with more samples. ✅ Target: ≥90
DUV: Distance from blackbody locus. ✅ Target: -0.003 to +0.003
SDCM: Color consistency between units. ✅ Target: <3 steps
Light Output
Illuminance (lux): Total light output at sensor. Higher = brighter
CCT (Kelvin): Color temperature. 2700K = warm white, 6500K = cool white
EML (lux): Melanopic lux, circadian impact. Higher = more alerting
M-EDI: Melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance
S/P Ratio: Scotopic to photopic ratio. Important for low-light vision