Cree LED

What is Cree LED lighting?

As you know, there are very many different types and brands of LED lighting. Cree LED lighting is nothing more than a brand. It is relatively new, having been available on the market since 1987. The brand comes from America and focuses on the higher segment within the market. The high quality also leads to a higher price compared to the lighting from other countries such as China, for example. So Cree LED is relatively new but is already one of the larger producers in the field of LED lighting. Besides being one of the largest companies, it is also one of the most progressive companies when you look at LED chip development.

What makes it distinctive?

In the previous paragraph you were able to read that Cree LED focuses on the higher segment. This becomes clear when looking at the options and specifications, also compared to other types of LED lights.

It can be used both indoors and outdoors and works best at night. Cree LED lighting is bright white, this ensures that objects are more visible. This is also reflected in the so-called Colour Rendering Index (CRI). The CRI is a score between 0 and 100; the higher the value, the closer the lighting comes to natural sunlight. Cree LED chips have a CRI of 85, this is a lot higher compared to cheaper options. Cheap Chinese LED chips often do not score higher than 50. What makes Cree LED even more distinctive is the number of burning hours, under ideal conditions the lighting can last 100,000 hours. This has been tested in a lab, these hours are not achieved in practice.

Different types of Cree LED chips

CREE is the most progressive company regarding the development of LED chips. Dozens of different LED chips have already been developed by CREE. To give you an idea of the differences, we have listed some of them here.

Firstly, we have the smallest LED chip, namely the Cree XB-D. This chip is commonly used in LED bars and measures 2.45 x 2.45 mm. The chip delivers up to 136 lumen per watt and, without lens or reflector , the beam angle is 115°.

The Cree XT-E is an LED chip commonly used in LED work lights. The difference between this and the XB-D is that the XT-E is slightly more powerful. The chip measures 3.45 × 3.45 mm and can produce up to 178 lumen per watt of light.

Thirdly, we have the Cree XM-L LED chip, which is used in various driving lights and flood beams, amongst other applications. This is a powerful 10-watt LED chip measuring 5 x 5 mm. At maximum output, this LED chip can produce 158 lumen per watt and, without lens or reflector , emits a 125° beam.

Finally, we have the XM-L2 LED chip. This is the most powerful 10-watt LED chip, used in work lights, amongst other applications. The difference compared to its predecessor (the XM-L) is that the XM-L2 has a 20% higher light output. The chip measures 5 x 5 mm and, without lens or reflector , produces a 125° beam.

Cree LED at TRALERT®

Various products within TRALERT®’s range of LED lighting are fitted with Cree LEDs. A good example of this is the TRSW12281-20D. This LED bar , with 4000 lumen can be used on a variety of vehicles. The light is intended for use as driving beam. This is comparable to a car’s high beam. It is therefore a light with a powerful light beam.