Top 5 Incandescent Bulbs in Canada for 2026: What's Still Legal to Buy
Published on Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Standard incandescent bulbs are no longer a general-purpose option in Canada. The import and sale of 75W and 100W general service incandescent bulbs ended January 1, 2014, and 40W and 60W followed on January 1, 2015. Natural Resources Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations now set a floor of 45 lumens per watt for general service lamps, which no filament can reach — a 60W A19 makes about 800 lumens, roughly 13 lm/W. What is still sold legally are the exempt types: rough service and utility bulbs, appliance and oven lamps, three-way bulbs, decorative and candelabra lamps, coloured and bug lamps, and infrared heat lamps. Shoppers still look for incandescent light for real reasons — a continuous spectrum that renders colour faithfully, instant full brightness, and smooth dimming on any ordinary dimmer — so this list covers the exempt bulbs that still deliver it alongside the warm 2700K LED listings that now stand in for the discontinued A19 shapes.
Top Picks Summary
Philips 60W A19 Soft White Incandescent
Canada's efficiency rules ended general service incandescent sales, so the Canadian listing behind this 60W A19 soft white pick is Philips' LED A19 in 2700K soft white — and the 4-pack shown is marked non-dimmable. It gives you the familiar A19 envelope, E26 base and warm soft-white tone in a standard fixture, at the lowest price on this list, but as an LED rather than a filament lamp. If you need the bulb to dim, choose a different pack: this one does not.
GE Classic 100W A19 Soft White Incandescent
GE's Classic 100W A19 Soft White is the brightest format on this list and the one hit hardest by the rules: 100W general service incandescent bulbs have not been legally imported or sold in Canada since January 1, 2014. The link here resolves to a GE LED A-line 4-pack at a US retailer, so Canadian buyers should expect to substitute a 2700K LED A19 in the 100W-equivalent class, around 1600 lumens, rather than a filament bulb. In that class it still does what the original did: room-filling warm light from a single fixture.
$4 – $10
Feit Electric 40W A19 Clear Incandescent
Feit's 40W A19 Clear is the decorative-fixture pick, and the Canadian listing behind it is Feit's LED A19: 450 lumens, 2700K, dimmable, sold as a 40W equivalent in a 4-pack with a 15-year rated life. The clear envelope keeps the exposed look that suits vintage and open fixtures, and unlike the Philips pack it does dim. As a 40W-class light it is meant for accent, bedside and decorative use, not for lighting a whole room.
NOMA 60W A19 Frosted Incandescent
This is the only genuine incandescent on the list that is still legal to sell in Canada. Rough service and utility lamps are an exempt category under the Energy Efficiency Regulations, so 60W filament bulbs in this form remain available when the general service A19 is not. The Canadian listing is a 6-pack of A19 frosted rough service bulbs — 60W, 2700K, E26 medium base, 550 lumens, 130V — and the frosted envelope diffuses the filament for even light in open fixtures. Note that the listing filling this pick is Xtricity's equivalent 6-pack rather than the Canadian Tire NOMA 2-pack the title refers to.
Globe Electric 25W G25 Vanity Clear Incandescent
The G25 globe is the vanity and mirror pick: a globe of about 3.1 in on the same E26 base, sized for exposed bathroom bar fixtures where a standard A19 looks oversized. At 25W it is a low-output decorative lamp, gentle enough for mirror work without glare. This entry currently has no direct product link — it falls back to an Amazon.ca search — so check the listing you land on before buying, and confirm it is actually incandescent: many G25 vanity globes sold in Canada now are LED filament lookalikes.
What Science and Guidance Say About Warm Incandescent Light
Basic lighting science explains why incandescent bulbs produce the warm, comfortable light many people prefer. Incandescent filaments emit a continuous spectrum that renders colors faithfully and provides immediate full brightness without warm-up. Research into human lighting needs shows that warmer light in the evening supports visual comfort and interferes less with circadian rhythms than cooler, blue-rich sources. At the same time, energy and environmental studies consistently find that incandescent bulbs use more electricity and produce more heat than modern LED and CFL alternatives — the gap that removed them from the general service market in Canada. For consumers, the trade-offs are clear: incandescent bulbs deliver superior warmth, colour quality and dimming behaviour for certain uses, while LEDs offer large energy savings for routine, long-duration lighting.
High color rendering: Incandescent light has a broad spectral output that yields excellent color rendering, which helps skin tones, fabrics, and paint colors appear natural.
Correlated color temperature (CCT): Typical incandescent CCTs around 2700 K create a warm amber glow that many people find relaxing in home settings.
Circadian effects: Studies of light and circadian biology indicate that lower blue content in warm light is less likely to suppress evening melatonin production, helping preserve sleep cues.
Instant full brightness and dimmability: Incandescent bulbs reach full output immediately and dim smoothly to near zero on any standard dimmer, with no flicker, minimum-load problem or compatibility list — unlike many LED A19s.
Energy trade-offs: A 60W incandescent A19 delivers about 800 lumens, roughly 13 lm/W, while a modern LED A19 reaches 80-100+ lm/W and draws 8-9W for the same output.
Regulatory status in Canada: Natural Resources Canada requires general service lamps to meet 45 lm/W — for general service incandescent and incandescent reflector lamps manufactured on or after January 1, 2026, and for other general service lamps from January 1, 2027. The exempt categories (rough service, appliance, three-way, decorative, coloured, infrared) are unaffected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you still buy incandescent light bulbs in Canada in 2026?
Not the standard ones. Canada banned the import and sale of 75W and 100W general service incandescent bulbs on January 1, 2014, and 40W and 60W on January 1, 2015. Natural Resources Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations require every general service lamp to reach 45 lumens per watt — a bar no filament can clear, since a 60W incandescent A19 makes about 800 lumens, roughly 13 lm/W. The 45 lm/W rule applies to general service incandescent and incandescent reflector lamps manufactured on or after January 1, 2026, and to other general service lamps from January 1, 2027. Only the exempt categories are still legally sold.
Which incandescent bulbs are still legal to sell in Canada?
The exempt types, which fall outside the 'general service lamp' definition: rough service and utility lamps, appliance and oven lamps, three-way bulbs, decorative, candelabra and chandelier lamps, coloured and bug lamps, infrared and heat lamps (including agricultural brooder bulbs), plant lamps, marine, sign service, silver bowl and traffic signal lamps. The A19 frosted rough service bulb on this list — 60W, 2700K, E26 medium base, 550 lumens, 130V — is one of these exempt types. Its 130V rating is why it runs dimmer than a 120V bulb of the same wattage, and why it lasts longer.
Why do some bulbs on this page link to LED listings?
Because the incandescent version is no longer sold in Canada. The Philips 60W A19 Soft White listing is Philips' LED A19 in 2700K, and that particular 4-pack is marked non-dimmable. The Feit Electric 40W A19 Clear listing is Feit's LED A19 at 450 lumens, 2700K, dimmable, sold as a 40W equivalent. The GE Classic 100W A19 link points at a GE LED A-line 4-pack at a US retailer rather than a Canadian one. Treat those three as warm-white LED replacements for the incandescent shape, not as filament bulbs.
Do incandescent bulbs dim better than LEDs?
Yes, and it is the main reason people still look for them. A filament dims smoothly to near zero on any standard dimmer, with no flicker, no minimum-load problem and no compatibility list to check. LED A19s vary: some are not dimmable at all — the Philips 4-pack linked on this page is marked non-dimmable — and dimmable ones need a compatible dimmer to avoid flicker or a limited low end.
Conclusion
In short: of the five picks here, the NOMA/Xtricity 60W A19 Frosted Incandescent is the one that is still a true incandescent you can legally buy in Canada — rough service is an exempt category, and the linked 6-pack is a 130V, 2700K, E26 lamp rated at 550 lumens. The Philips 60W A19 Soft White, GE Classic 100W A19 and Feit Electric 40W A19 Clear entries now resolve to warm 2700K LED listings, because their incandescent versions were withdrawn from the Canadian market; treat those as replacements for the shape and colour rather than filament bulbs. The Globe Electric 25W G25 vanity globe has no direct listing and falls back to a search. If you specifically need filament light, search by an exempt type — rough service, appliance, three-way, or decorative candelabra — rather than by wattage. Use the site search to narrow by shape, base, or fixture type.