I've had the best luck with the philips CFLs (non TCP made)

Buzzing ballast is hit and miss with TCP integral-ballast CFLs. 

Last one I got,
buzzed like an outdoor HID fixture and I took it back right away. 

Quality is just not there. 
In 2007, TCP claimed to have 70% all CFLs sold in the U.S.

Philips are definitely the best.

It is VERY hard to find Phillips CFLs. 


Powell

I'm in the U.K.. Here you pick em up in your local department store.

Do any of you know who made IKEA CFLs back in the late 1990s/early 2000s?  I contend that the best CFLs I ever bought were IKEA branded, both for longevity and for color rendering.  I heard once (from a friend of mine who used to be a manager at an IKEA store) that they were made by Sylvania, but I think that's not correct information.

I had one Philips Genie around 2006, it lasted very little

@Mercury Man: Some Ikea lamps are made by Sylvania, but most of the CFLs are produced by Megaman.

I like Philips triple tube bulbs better then spirls they seem to last longest in my house but I can't find them anymore.

I like Philips triple tube bulbs better then spirls they seem to last longest in my house but I can't find them anymore.

I think they are no longer made.   

My brother bought some great value spirals from wal-mart he said they been in for about two months but for being cheap bulbs I give them one to two months before EOL.

The 1st CFL i installed in about 2006 was Philips Genie 13W 3U, and a month later a cheap halophosphate 13W CFL of probably very low quality. They were working on the same circuit so switched on and off together allways. The Philips lasted about 6 months and the cheap one about a year more after i allready replaced the Philips

I also noticed the JEKOs (generic ones found in Shupersal, i dont know the name of the real manufacturer) and to some extent Eurolux to be pretty good even compared with known company CFLs

The old 3U Hyundais (before they started with the "mercury free" stuff) were also quite good but now they are not, and the larger Hyundai spirals were bad all the time

My light out back is a 5000 K Sylvania and it is a 23 watt spiral and it's been out back, exposed to the elements since 2007 or 2008. It runs 24/7 and I just checked to see if it is still on and it is! Lots and lots of hours  ! ! !

I've done a lot of CFL relamps, straight tubes and spiral.  Feit, GE, Philips, and Sylvania are the brands I've used, and based upon my date codes (always date my lamps when I put them in new)  Sylvania and Philips tend to last the longest, followed by Feit, and the quickest failures I see are always with the GEs.  Been this way for at least the past 8-10 years that I've been keeping track on CFLs, The majority of the ones I do are Sylvania and GE.  Not many suppliers for Philips and Feit except for Home Depot and they never offer good deals in bulk so I hardly ever buy bulbs from there. 

I am not fan of CFLs but I did give a try out for my house for past few years. 

The most recent 6 pack Ecosmart CFLs (china made) daylight seem last less than 1 year. Even half of them dont work well beyond of 6 month. Strange when it stop working, I pull it out and bang the self ballast on hard surface cause to flash and reinstall it does work again but it keep quiting work and I have to do repeats few time in a month. 

The two older automatic starter preheat Ikea CFLs design (M shape) warm color did last 7 years and after then start to melts the plastic socket around the electrode ends and amazing the self ballast keep going and heavy burned black inside electrode ending, slow dimming then finally died.

The one I used to have with very large removable U shape bulb with automatic starter preheat CFL ballast last long time over 12 years and only replace once time U shape bulb.



It seem the older design CFLs were works much better than today... Even I could remember my grandfather's dryer cloth machine made in 1966 with small automatic starter preheat single tube with original fluorescent 20T8 build in above of head control panel. Did work fine for about 43 years (on and offs) until dryer machine stop working. Hard to believe it but I did saved the small black preheat ballast before my grandfather send to dump.