Projector Lamps Price Comparison
Compare 759 projector lamps from OEM and compatible brands — find the best price on UHP, HMI and metal halide replacements for every projector model.
Projector Lamps price comparison UK
Replacing a projector lamp is one of those purchases that looks straightforward until you're staring at a shelf of near-identical part numbers. The reality is that compatibility is everything here — the wrong lamp module won't just underperform, it can damage your projector's ballast or void your warranty entirely. We've analysed 759 products across this category, and the price spread tells its own story: from 0 £ for basic overhead projector halogen bulbs right up to 0 £ for professional-grade HMI arc lamps used in cinema and large-venue installations.
The market splits fairly cleanly into two camps. On one side, you have OEM lamps from the likes of BenQ, Epson, Panasonic, NEC and Optoma — manufacturer-authorised replacements that guarantee compatibility, come with proper warranty coverage, and maintain the colour point stability your projector was calibrated for. On the other, a growing ecosystem of compatible alternatives from CoreParts, BTI, TEKLAMPS and Origin Storage that can undercut OEM pricing significantly. BTI in particular stands out for volume — 228 products at an average well below the category median — making it one of the more credible third-party options for business users watching their AV maintenance budget.
Wattage is the spec most buyers fixate on, but it's really a proxy for brightness and venue size. A 170W UHP lamp suits a medium-sized meeting room; step up to 280W or 330W and you're covering larger lecture theatres or conference halls. The projection lens you're pairing with matters too — a short-throw lens demands different optical characteristics from the lamp assembly than a standard throw setup. For most office and education environments, the sweet spot sits between 0 £ and 0 £, where you'll find solid compatible lamps from CoreParts and Origin Storage covering the most common NEC, Hitachi and BenQ projector models.
One thing worth flagging: lamp lifespan claims from third-party suppliers deserve scrutiny. Thermal lumen maintenance — how much brightness the lamp retains at the halfway point of its rated life — varies enormously between manufacturers, and a lamp rated at 4,000 hours that drops to 40% brightness by hour 2,000 is a poor deal regardless of its upfront price. If you're running a projector in a high-use environment (daily presentations, education, events), the total cost of ownership calculation almost always favours OEM. For occasional home cinema or backup units, a quality compatible lamp from a reputable supplier is perfectly sensible. Compare your options and track price drops using MagicPrices before committing — OEM lamp prices fluctuate noticeably around Black Friday and the January sales. You might also want to browse projector accessories or projection screens if you're refreshing your full AV setup.
How to Choose the Right Projector Lamp
Most projector lamp failures aren't random — they're the result of buying the wrong lamp for the wrong application. With prices ranging from 0 £ to well over 0 £, the gap between a sensible purchase and an expensive mistake is wider than it looks. Here's what actually matters when you're choosing a replacement.
OEM vs Compatible: the compatibility question
This is the first decision, and it shapes everything else. OEM lamps (from BenQ, Epson, NEC, Panasonic, Optoma) are manufactured to exact projector specifications — correct ignition voltage, matching reflector assembly geometry, and full warranty support. They cost more, typically sitting above 0 £, but you're buying certainty.
Compatible lamps from CoreParts, BTI, TEKLAMPS or Origin Storage can offer genuine savings, particularly for older projector models where OEM stock is dwindling. The risk is variable quality: some compatible lamps match OEM performance closely; others degrade rapidly or cause ballast issues. Stick to established suppliers with CE marking and RoHS compliance, and avoid unbranded lamps with no traceable warranty.
Wattage and the venue it needs to fill
Lamp wattage directly determines maximum brightness output in lumens. A 170W UHP lamp is adequate for a darkened meeting room or classroom; 280W–330W covers larger lecture theatres and conference spaces where ambient light can't be fully controlled. At the extreme end, 370W–1200W HMI arc lamps are the territory of large-venue event projection and cinema — overkill for anything smaller, and priced accordingly.
Don't be tempted to fit a higher-wattage lamp than your projector specifies. The ballast is calibrated for a specific wattage range, and mismatching risks premature lamp failure or, worse, electrical damage to the projector itself.
Lamp technology: UHP, HMI or halogen?
UHP (Ultra High Performance) mercury vapour lamps are the standard for modern DLP and LCD projectors — high brightness, reasonable lifespan (typically 3,000–5,000 hours), and good colour saturation. The vast majority of office, education and home cinema projectors use UHP.
HMI (Hydrargyrum Medium-arc Iodide) lamps produce daylight-balanced light with exceptional colour rendering, making them the choice for cinema projection, broadcast and colour-critical professional work. They're significantly more expensive and require specialist handling.
Halogen lamps (like the Nobo 36V/400W overhead projector lamp) are legacy technology — cheap to replace but limited in brightness and lifespan. If your projector still uses halogen, it's worth considering whether the projector itself is due for an upgrade.
Rated lifespan and brightness degradation
A lamp's rated life is the point at which it reaches 50% of its original brightness — not the point at which it stops working. This distinction matters enormously in practice. A lamp rated at 4,000 hours that drops to 60% brightness by hour 2,000 will produce noticeably washed-out images long before it technically 'fails'.
Look for lamps that specify thermal lumen maintenance figures, not just headline hour ratings. For high-use environments (daily presentations, education, events), prioritise lamps with 70%+ brightness retention at the halfway mark. Extended-life modes, where available on the projector, can stretch lamp life but at the cost of reduced brightness from day one.
Exact model compatibility — don't guess
Projector lamps are not interchangeable between models, even within the same brand. A BenQ lamp from one product line will not fit another, and the part number system (e.g., 5J.JFG05.001, NP16LP-UM) is the only reliable reference. Always cross-check the OEM part number against your projector's manual or the label inside the lamp compartment before purchasing.
Compatible lamp suppliers like TEKLAMPS and CoreParts publish compatibility lists — use them. If you're buying for a fleet of projectors across a school or business, Origin Storage's broad NEC and Hitachi coverage makes it a practical choice for bulk replacement programmes.
Colour temperature for your application
Most buyers overlook colour temperature, but it affects image quality more than the spec sheet suggests. Standard UHP lamps run at around 5,600K (daylight-balanced), which suits general presentation and video content. Higher colour temperatures (6,500K+) render blues and whites more vividly — better for video-heavy content and digital signage. For colour-critical work such as design presentations, medical imaging or film projection, a high CRI (90+) lamp is worth the premium over a standard 80–85 CRI unit.
- Budget replacements (From 0 £ to 0 £) : Mostly halogen overhead projector lamps (Nobo-style 36V/400W units) and entry-level compatible UHP lamps for older projector models. Suitable for low-use or legacy equipment where you're not expecting long lifespan. Quality is variable — check for CE marking and avoid unbranded options entirely.
- The practical sweet spot (From 0 £ to 0 £) : Where most compatible UHP lamps from BTI, CoreParts and Origin Storage sit. Covers a wide range of NEC, Hitachi, Acer and BenQ projector models. A sensible choice for business and education environments with moderate usage, provided you buy from a supplier with a clear returns and warranty policy.
- Mid-range OEM and premium compatible (From 0 £ to 0 £) : OEM lamps from Acer and entry-level BenQ, plus TEKLAMPS' higher-wattage compatible units (240W–280W). This is the right bracket for high-use professional environments where reliability matters more than upfront cost. Epson and Panasonic OEM lamps start appearing here.
- Professional and high-brightness (Over 0 £) : OEM lamps from BenQ, Epson, Panasonic and Osram for large-venue, cinema and broadcast-grade projectors. HMI arc lamps, 370W+ UHP modules, and specialist units for Hitachi and NEC high-brightness projectors. Not a category to cut corners on — the projectors these serve are expensive assets, and a failed lamp from a dubious supplier can cause serious downstream damage.
Top products
- Osram HMI 1200 W/DXS projector lamp (Osram) : The most-compared lamp in the category and for good reason — a professional-grade HMI arc lamp from one of the most trusted names in lighting. At 1200W, this is strictly large-venue and cinema territory. Overkill for anything smaller, but if you need it, Osram is the right brand to trust.
- Nobo Replacement Overhead Projector Lamps 36V/400W (Nobo) : The budget outlier in this category — a legacy halogen lamp for overhead projectors at a fraction of the cost of UHP units. If you're still running a Nobo OHP in a school or training room, this is exactly what you need. Don't expect it to last long or look brilliant; it's a stopgap, not a solution.
- BenQ 5J.JFG05.001 projector lamp (BenQ) : A genuine OEM lamp from BenQ — the right choice if your projector specifies this part number and you don't want to gamble on a compatible. BenQ's OEM lamps carry solid warranty support and reliable colour point stability. The price reflects OEM quality; if budget is tight, a TEKLAMPS compatible for the same model is worth comparing.
- Optoma BL-FP240D projector lamp 240 W P-VIP (Optoma) : A 240W P-VIP UHP lamp from Optoma — one of the more popular wattages for mid-size business and education projectors. OEM quality at a price that sits comfortably within the mid-range bracket. A dependable pick for Optoma projector owners who want to avoid the compatibility lottery of third-party alternatives.
- TEKLAMPS Lamp for NEC NP-U310W projector lamp 280 W (TEKLAMPS) : TEKLAMPS is one of the more credible compatible lamp suppliers in this category, and this 280W unit for the NEC NP-U310W is a fair example of what they do well — broad model coverage at a price below OEM. Worth considering for NEC projectors in high-use environments where you're replacing lamps regularly. Less compelling if your projector is still under warranty.
Related categories
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the correct replacement lamp for my projector?
Check the OEM part number printed on the label inside your projector's lamp compartment — this is the only reliable reference. Every projector lamp is model-specific, and even lamps from the same manufacturer are not interchangeable between product lines. Once you have the part number (e.g., NP16LP-UM for NEC, or 5J.JFG05.001 for BenQ), you can search for both OEM and compatible alternatives. Compatible lamp suppliers like CoreParts, TEKLAMPS and BTI publish searchable compatibility lists on their product pages.
Are compatible (third-party) projector lamps worth buying, or should I always go OEM?
Compatible lamps are worth buying in the right circumstances, but not unconditionally. For occasional-use projectors, older models where OEM stock is scarce, or budget-constrained environments, a quality compatible lamp from CoreParts, BTI or Origin Storage is a reasonable choice — particularly if it carries CE marking and a minimum 12-month warranty. For high-use professional projectors, daily-use education or AV installations where downtime is costly, OEM lamps are the safer long-term investment. The total cost of ownership calculation shifts when you factor in that a cheap compatible lamp failing at 1,500 hours costs you another replacement cycle.
What does UHP mean on a projector lamp, and does it matter?
UHP stands for Ultra High Performance — it's a high-pressure mercury vapour arc lamp technology used in the vast majority of modern DLP and LCD projectors. It matters because it defines the lamp's brightness capability, colour rendering and lifespan characteristics. When buying a compatible replacement, ensure it uses genuine UHP technology rather than a lower-grade mercury lamp marketed with similar wattage figures. The difference shows up in colour point stability and brightness retention over the lamp's life, not just in the initial image quality.
How long should a projector lamp last, and when should I replace it?
Most UHP projector lamps are rated between 3,000 and 5,000 hours, though this figure represents the point at which brightness drops to 50% of the original output — not when the lamp stops working. In practice, you'll notice image quality deteriorating (washed-out colours, reduced contrast) well before the lamp fails completely. Most projectors display a lamp hour counter in the settings menu; replace the lamp when it approaches the manufacturer's recommended threshold, or when you notice a visible drop in brightness during normal use. Running a lamp significantly beyond its rated life risks sudden failure mid-presentation and, in rare cases, lamp explosion.
Why are some projector lamps so much more expensive than others with the same wattage?
Wattage alone tells you very little about lamp quality or price. The cost difference comes down to lamp technology (HMI arc lamps cost far more than UHP), projector model specificity (lamps for high-end Panasonic or Epson large-venue projectors command a premium), OEM vs compatible status, and the quality of the reflector assembly and housing. A 280W OEM lamp for a professional NEC projector will cost several times more than a 280W compatible lamp for a budget office projector — because the optical tolerances, ballast compatibility requirements and expected lifespan are entirely different.
Can a wrong projector lamp damage my projector?
Yes — fitting an incompatible lamp is a genuine risk, not just a theoretical one. The most common issues are mismatched ignition voltage (which stresses the ballast), incorrect physical fit causing overheating, and incompatible connector types that create electrical faults. Beyond immediate damage, using a non-approved lamp in a projector still under manufacturer warranty will typically void that warranty. Always verify the OEM part number before purchasing, and if buying compatible, use a supplier that explicitly lists your projector model in their compatibility documentation.
What's the difference between a projector lamp and a lamp module?
A lamp module (sometimes called a lamp unit or lamp assembly) includes the bare arc lamp, its reflector, housing and electrical connectors — it's the complete replaceable unit you slot into the projector. A bare lamp is just the glass arc tube itself, without housing. Most consumer and business projector replacements are sold as complete modules, which is what you want: they're designed to be user-replaceable without specialist tools. Bare lamps are primarily for professional service technicians who rebuild lamp assemblies. If a listing doesn't specify, check whether a housing is included before purchasing.