What are the different types of LED tube bulbs?

LED tube bulbs come in four main types — Type A, Type B, Type A+B, and Type C — defined by how they connect to power and whether they require an existing fluorescent ballast to operate.

Type A LED tubes run through the existing fluorescent ballast without any rewiring, making them the fastest swap but leaving a ballast failure point in the circuit. Type B tubes bypass the ballast entirely with direct line-voltage wiring — a 15–30 minute DIY task that removes that failure point and typically improves efficiency by 10–15%. Type A+B tubes support both methods. Type C tubes use an external driver and are primarily specified for commercial installations. Tube size also matters: T8, T10, and T12 designations describe tube diameter in eighths of an inch, and 8ft LED tubes commonly use an FA8 single-pin base rather than the dual-pin base found on standard 4ft T8 fixtures.

• Type A LED tubes are plug-and-play ballast-compatible; no rewiring required.
• Type B LED tubes require ballast bypass and connect directly to line voltage (120–277V).
• T8, T10, and T12 designations refer to tube diameter: 1", 1.25", and 1.5" respectively.
• 8ft LED tube bulbs typically use an FA8 single-pin base, not the standard dual-pin G13 base of 4ft T8 tubes.
• Type B ballast bypass typically improves system efficiency by 10–15% over Type A ballast-dependent operation.