I dropped good money somewhat early on for LEDs that were supposed to last at least that long (some name brand, no idea what at this point), and I don't think I even got a year out of them.

At that point, I decided to just buy the cheap ones because that was easier than dealing with the warranty process anyway.

The trick is figuring out where in the product lifecycle you are. Early on you want to go cheap, because you’ll be able to get way better for cheaper in a year or two anyway. Later on once the technology has matured this is less true.

> Later on once the technology has matured this is less true.

It depends on the cost curve. When the technology has matured, the cheap ones might be good enough, too.

Eg approximately all tooth pastes are equally effective, so you might as well go with the cheapest one that agrees with your taste buds.

I just replaced two OSRAM LED "bulbs" in my bedroom, and paid 15 euros each for them. 30 euros for two lights feels insane, and yet I know I paid something similar for the previous ones about five years ago.

My issue with LED bulbs is that they don't fail per se, instead they get progressively less and less bright over time. It's a slow fade rather than a sudden explosion.

(I've gotten into the habit of writing the installation date of all new bulbs on the stem as I insert/install them. Just because I want to track how long they last.)

I've found generally the more expensive ones last longer, but I just had a Phillips HUE bulb die on me (the LED is fine I think but it flashes rapidly so I'm suspecting the driver is bad)

Rapid flashing is usually an indicator of a LED failure, not the driver. In my experience (and I fixed many LEDs), drivers almost never fail - it’s always the diodes, dying from too much heat.

Rapid flashing could also be a sign of using the wrong kind of dimmer for your LED.

I have an original Philips EnduraLED that still works fine.

I’ve had many expensive Philips or Osram bulbs failing.