Do you have experience of dimmable LED spotlights?

[wigwam33]

We're deciding on lighting for a kitchen that goes onto a living room (originally two separate rooms, has been knocked through to be open plan). Wondering about LED spotlights on the ceiling that you can dim like these ones:

www.efficientlight.co.uk/Light-Bulbs/Smooth-Dimming-low-energy-spotlights-11W-GU10-BR1411D.aspx

Does anyone have experience of these? We don't want it to be too stark when people are wanting to relax in the living area.

We're also installing LED strips under the kitchen cabinets like these:
www.efficientlight.co.uk/Light-Fittings/LED-Strips-High-Powered-LEDSTRIP-FIXED-HP.aspx
We've had these LED strips in our last place and they were great - useful for background lighting. They may be enough without going for dimmable LEDs.

I see they cost £18.77 each.

How many hours of electricity would a non-LED dimmable lamp run on before it reached that cost?

Haven't seen the dimmable ones in action, although our non-dimmable ones give a very bright clinical light.
It's not just a cost issue. The more people choose this technology the faster the price of the fittings comes down, then they become more mainstream and energy use falls faster. The cost of a few fittings is small within a whole project in any case. THere may wellcome a point when halogen goes the same way as tungsten so you might as well use the new technology now. IMO!

The first link you give looks as though they are fluorescent rather than LED. Might be worth checking.

Even with the 'warm' ight ones they still look overly white to me in direct comparison to halogen. We are having fittings that take GU10 bulbs so that we can fit LED bulbs in the future as the cost comes down and the colour improves without having to change the fittings. However in the extension part our energy statement and therefore building regs means we have to have energy efficient so we will have LED ones there.

The good trade supplier I use says he has had trouble with some of the cheaper ones that say they dim, but then don't ( instead they flicker or just go off at lower levels). The ones he recommended are also £17+VAT each but apparently they last practically for ever so as well as saving on electricity they are also more convenient.

If they are too bright I'm going to get lighting gels that stage technicians use to cover the bulb with a slight colour tint. Or paint them with a thin layer of watered down acrylic paint to give a slight tint... Probably not recommended, but as they don't get hot I can't see why not. Anyway that's my back up plan if they are too clinical. Will test it first!

We've got LEDs in the bathroom, on a dimmer. Just standard warm white LEDs, standard dimmer. Works fine, nice light.

Thanks for your posts.

PigletJohn, I agree with fresh that it's not just about the cost in money terms. It's also an environmental issue. Anyway, we had low energy dimmable GU10s (not LEDs) in our old place and they were rubbish! Also, I understand that we won't need to change the LED bulbs once they're in, so it's an investment both money wise and time wise for years and years to come.

betterwhenyes you're right, I added the wrong link, it's these ones:
www.efficientlight.co.uk/Light-Bulbs/High-Powered-5W-LED-GU10-Light-Bulbs-LL5DIM.aspx
I love your idea of painting the lights with a lighting gel! Genius. My friends have some halogen lights that have a very slight pink tinge and I really like the slightly warm glow they give. Might try your idea with a pale pink gel on my LEDs.

brainonastick Thanks that's really helpful to know that you're happy with them