There is a wide variety of technology when it comes to bulbs currently and it is no longer a case of every bulb being an incandescent one.  The most popular would be incandescent; halogen, fluorescent and LED.  Each bulb will have different pros and cons and it is important to understand the difference between each of these bulbs so that you can choose the right one for what you need.

Incandescent Bulbs

Incandescent light bulbs operate via a thin tungsten filament that is heated until it glows and produces a warm white light.  The tungsten filament is sealed in a glass envelope and will then be filled with an inert gas such as argon.  It is inefficient compared to its more modern counterparts as it only uses about 10% of the energy used to make the light and the rest is lost through heat.   It is currently being largely phased out in many countries across the globe due its high energy consumption.

Halogen Bulbs

Halogen bulbs are an improvement on the previous form of incandescent technology. They use a small amount of halogen gas (such as iodine or bromine) inside the bulb that returns evaporated tungsten back onto the filament. This allows the filament to burn hotter and brighter whilst having a longer lifespan than an incandescent bulb averaging about 2000-4000 hours. They are often used in spotlight or floodlights where a bright light will be needed but are still viewed as energy efficient compared to LED bulbs and are also being steadily phased out in many different countries.

Fluorescent Bulbs (Linear and Compact)

Fluorescent lighting works by sending an electrical current through mercury vapor, which then produces ultraviolet (UV) light. This UV light then strikes a phosphorescent coating on the inside of the glass tube which causes the coating to glow and this produces visible light.  This technology is commonly found in tubular light (used in offices, kitchens etc.) and CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) which usually have a tube which has been made into a coiled or compact shape.  These come in a wider variety of colour temperatures ranging from warm white to daylight and are around 70-80% more energy efficient than incandescent lighting.  The average lifespan of this type of light is around 8000-15000 hours but they require specialised disposal procedures due to the mercury inside of them.

Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

LED lights are the most up to date version of lighting technology.  Electricity flows through a microchip in the light which illuminates the LED diode causing it to light up.  It enables excellent control over colour temperatures and colour rendering (CRI).  They are available from colour temperatures ranging from 2200K to 6500K (very warm white to daylight) and the technology has even leaped forward to allow the light to be switched between each colour temperature depending on the end user's preference.  They are highly energy efficient and use up to 90% less electricity than incandescents.  

What Light Bulb Gives the Brightest Light?

The term "brightest" in terms of lighting will come from two variables - how many lumens the light has and what colour temperature it is.  The lumens are how the amount of light emitted from a light is measured and the colour temperature refers to the shade of white of the light being emitted. 

For standard everyday common lighting fixtures the brightness light will be achieved with a high lumen LED bulb.  The lumens should always be specified by the seller on the box for the light or on their website.

LED lights will offer the best lumen per watt ratio meaning that they will produce the highest amount of brightness compared to other technologies whilst using the least amount of power.  HID metal sodium or high pressure lamps were previously the brightness source of light available for large area lighting such as stadiums or streetlights but they have a long warm up time and require specialised disposal as they have mercury inside of them.  LED lights are now available which can compete with these HID types of lamps.