Once you find the perfect bulb, your work isn't done yet. Read why choosing the right color temperature can make or break your room, and how to choose the right one.
There are seemingly endless options available to you when choosing a light bulb. CFL, LED, HID, incandescent, medium base, candelabra base…overwhelmed yet? But your work isn’t done once you choose the type of bulb you need. Choosing the right color temperature for your new bulb can be the most confusing part of light bulb shopping, and making the wrong choice can render the bulb virtually unusable in many cases.
Say you chose a daylight bulb with a color temperature of 6500K for your bedroom. Imagine getting ready to settle in with a good book, preparing to slowly and peacefully nod off. You switch on your new light bulb, and suddenly you’re bathed in the bright blue light of midday. Not exactly relaxing. This is why choosing the right color temperature is extremely important. Lighting sets the mood, creates ambience, promotes productivity, and often commands the entire feel of a room, so getting the right color of light is imperative.
Color temperature is measured in Kelvin, and the different ratings on the Kelvin scale help you understand what color bulb you’re buying. Starting on the high end from 6500K to 4600K is daylight, the brightest and whitest color temperature available in today’s light bulbs.
This color comes off as a clean blueish light that strongly resembles daylight on a sunny day at noon. Obviously, this color temperature is not usually suited for bedrooms, living rooms and other settings where a warmer, more relaxing light is more appropriate. Daylight bulbs, however, are great for use in garages, work spaces, offices and anywhere where bright task lighting is needed.
Bulbs with this color temperature promote productivity and alertness and are often seen in commercial spaces and offices for this reason. These bulbs are also commonly used as vanity mirror lights for makeup application due to their strong similarity to natural daylight.
Cool white lighting ranges from 3100K to 4500K and is a very common color temperature in homes everywhere due to its versatility. Cool white is a perfect middle ground between bright, often harsh daylight bulbs and warm white, ultra-relaxing bulbs. Cool white bulbs give off a friendly and inviting light that is perfectly suited for high-traffic areas of the home including living rooms, kitchens, basements and playrooms. Cool white light is also ideal for reading and completing tasks.
The warmest color temperature of them all goes up to 3000K, and is most commonly measured at 2700K. Warm white bulbs give off a reddish-orange light that is typically best suited for bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms and restaurants. Warm white bulbs are calming and relaxing, and while they don’t offer the brightest light, these bulbs are some of the most popular due to the pleasant light they give off. Warm white is the standard color temperature for incandescent bulbs.
So next time you’re shopping for light bulbs, don’t forget to check the color temperature! It could truly make or break your room.
