Technical guide
E27, E14, G9, G4 And E12: Why The Lamp Base Decides Your Maintenance Cost
The lamp base is the least glamorous line on a specification and the one that determines whether a failed light is a two-minute job or a scaffold booking. Here is what each base in this catalogue is for.
Every product page on this site publishes a light source field. It will name a lamp base such as E27, E14, G9, G4 or E12, or it will say LED, which means the emitter is built into the fixture. That single field predicts your maintenance experience for the next decade more reliably than the price does.
The bases used across this catalogue
| Base | Type | Typical use here | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| E27 | Screw, 27mm | Floor lamps, table lamps, wood and rattan pendants, larger single pendants | The global standard large screw base. Lamps available everywhere. |
| E26 | Screw, 26mm | North American market versions of E27 fixtures | Physically close to E27; specify by destination market. |
| E14 | Screw, 14mm | Chandeliers, crystal ceiling lights, glass pendants, wall lamps | The small screw base used where several lamps sit in one fixture. |
| E12 | Screw, 12mm | North American market versions of E14 fixtures | Common on glass tube wall lamps in this range. |
| G9 | Two-pin capsule | Copper chandeliers, glass chandeliers, stone pendants | Small and bright, which is why decorative fixtures with many light points use it. |
| G4 | Two-pin, small capsule | Compact chandeliers and acrylic pendants | Smaller again. Check the voltage the lamp needs, as G4 exists in both mains and low voltage forms. |
| GU10 | Twist-lock | Some table lamps and directional fittings | Self-contained reflector lamp, easy to change. |
Relampable versus integrated LED
An integrated LED fixture is usually cheaper, thinner and more efficient. It is also, when the LED or the driver fails, a fixture replacement rather than a lamp replacement. In a house that is an inconvenience. In a hotel with two hundred identical fixtures it is a capital expense and a procurement problem, because the model has to still be available.
This is why the chandelier, copper chandelier, glass pendant and wall light groups here stay on G9, G4, E14 and E12 bases rather than moving to sealed modules. It is a deliberate choice about service life rather than a technical limitation. Where a form genuinely requires integrated LED, such as a large acrylic ring or a linear wall light, the product page says so in the light source field.
Buy the spare lamps with the fixture
A chandelier with twelve G9 lamps will not fail one lamp at a time in a tidy sequence; it will fail three in the first year and then look wrong. Buying a box of lamps with the fixture costs very little and removes the risk of trying to match a lamp in five years, when the retail market has moved on.
Voltage is a separate question
Fixtures in this catalogue are built for 90 to 260V or 85 to 265V input depending on the model, which covers 110V North American supply and 220 to 240V European, Middle Eastern and Asian supply on the same item number. The lamp you fit, though, has to match your local supply. A 220V G9 capsule in a 110V market will simply look dim.
Several products in this catalogue state explicitly that LED bulbs are purchased separately. Read the light source field before you build your cost model, particularly on a large order.
FAQ
Questions On This Guide
Which base should I specify for the US market?
E26 in place of E27, and E12 in place of E14. Tell us the destination market with your enquiry and we will build it that way.
Are integrated LED fixtures repairable?
The driver and the LED board are serviceable parts rather than consumer replaceable. Supplementary accessories is one of our three named warranty remedies, so ask with the item number if a unit fails inside the six year warranty.
Do you supply the lamps?
It is model specific, and several products note explicitly that lamps are bought separately. Ask at the quotation stage.
Can you change the base on a standard model?
Often yes. It is one of the more common customisations, particularly for the North American market.
Related products
Products Referenced In This Guide
Product groups
Ranges This Guide Covers
73 products
Chandeliers
Glass, crystal, copper and iron chandeliers on G9, G4, E14 and LED sources, built for lobbies, stairwells and rooms with height to fill.
400 products
Pendant Lights
The core of this factory: iron, acrylic, aluminium and glass pendants in modern simple, Nordic and classic styles, built on relampable E27, E14 and G9
105 products
Wall Lights
Sconces in iron, glass, wood, hardware, crystal and natural stone, including tri-colour LED models, for corridors, bedsides and stairs.
Turn This Into A Specification
Send us the project and we will translate it into item numbers, a lead time and a container plan.