Norman Lamps, Inc.

Metal halide bulbs deliver bright, white light with significantly better color rendering than high pressure sodium, making them the preferred HID technology for applications where light quality and color accuracy matter. You'll find them in retail stores where merchandise needs to look appealing, sports facilities where players and spectators need good visibility, warehouses where workers need to distinguish colors for picking and sorting, and architectural lighting where the building appearance is important.

The light quality is the key advantage. Metal halide produces crisp white light in the 3000K-5700K range with CRI values typically between 65-90, considerably better than HPS even if not quite matching halogen or LED. This means colors appear much more natural – critical for retail environments where poor lighting can make merchandise look unappealing and hurt sales. The whiter light also improves security and surveillance, as security cameras capture more detail with better color information.

Bulb types have evolved significantly over the years. Probe-start metal halide is the older technology – reliable but with slower restrike times and somewhat shorter life. Pulse-start metal halide is the improved version, offering faster warm-up, better lumen maintenance, longer life (approaching 20,000 hours), and slightly better efficiency. The two types require different ballasts and are not interchangeable, so knowing which type your fixtures use is essential when ordering replacements.

Wattage options range from 35W for compact fixtures up to 1500W for sports lighting, with 100W, 175W, 250W, and 400W being most common in commercial applications. Base types vary by wattage and application: medium (E26) bases for lower wattages, mogul (E39) for higher wattages, and various specialized bases for specific fixture types. Some metal halide bulbs also come in "ED" (elliptical) or "BT" (bulged tubular) shapes depending on the fixture requirements.

The practical considerations include a warm-up period of 2-5 minutes to reach full brightness, and a 10-15 minute cool-down period required before a hot bulb will restrike if power is interrupted. This restrike delay is why sports facilities with metal halide lighting need backup lighting or emergency generators – if power flickers, the lights go out and take 15 minutes to come back. Bulbs should be replaced when they reach 50-70% of rated life, as lumen depreciation is significant and the risk of non-starting increases.

Common Applications: Retail lighting, sports facilities, gymnasiums, warehouses and distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, parking garages, building facades, landscape and architectural lighting

Standard Wattages: 35W, 50W, 70W, 100W, 150W, 175W, 250W, 320W, 350W, 400W, 750W, 1000W, 1500W. Probe-start and pulse-start versions available. Various base types (E26, E39, specialized).