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Difference Between Warm White and Cool White

Difference Between Warm White and Cool White

 

We get asked this question a lot. Put simply the cool white is a more blue colour which you typically experience in an office, whereas warm white is a more yellow light, similar to the colour of a traditional incandescent bulb or even lit candle. Warm white is normally found at home as you can see in the picture find in the middle of this article. However many people like to have a cool white light for their bathroom or home office.

The colour of the light that your light bulbs emit is a very hot topic and many people buy light bulbs without realising the difference and without understanding just how much the colour of the light given off can impact how a room looks and feels and how it might affect your mood.

So how do you know what the colour of the bulb is before you buy it?

Every bulb will have something called a colour temperature which is measured in Kelvins. Annoyingly this has absolutely nothing to do with the temperature of the bulb but everything to do with whether the bulb will give off a blue or yellow light.

The colour temperature is basically a scale from 1000K (very red) to 10,000K (very blue). The higher up the scale you go, the closer the light looks and feels like blue daylight.

  • So if you want to buy a light bulb that is warm white for your home you want to buy a bulb that has a colour temperature from 2400K (very warm white) up to 3000k (warm white).
  • 4000k would be cool white
  • 5000k would be classed as daylight

lighting different colour temperaturesdifferent light bulb colours in kitchen

 Colour Temperature  Kelvins (K) Characteristics  Best for Room
Warm White  2000K - 3000K Cosy, calming, relaxing
  • Living rooms
  • Bedrooms
Cool White 3000K - 4500K Bright, clear, vibrant, clean
  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms
  • Study or office
Daylight 4500K - 6500K day time appearance. very bright, 
  • Outdoor security lights
  • floodlights
  • Garages
  • Warehouses

There are no hard and fast rules for where you should put specific light bulb colours - the choice is your own personal preference. If you like the traditional yellowish colour of a conventional light bulb then warm white around (2700-3000K ) would be the ideal choice, this is easily the most popular choice for homes.

If you want a light bulb for your home office or work place and you need a modern, clean look, you may want the brighter feel of a cool white lamp (4000K+). Cool white light contains more blue light and looks brighter to the eye (this is why cool white bulbs have a higher lumen output when compared to the equivalent warm white bulb).  

In commercial applications choosing the right colour temperature is important and will depend on the mood you want to create and the products you are promoting - for example freshly baked bread may look better under a warm white light.

A cool white light may be better for illuminating trainers in a retail shop.

Below are some common areas where the different colours can be used:

  • Warm to Warm white – living room, bedroom, hallway
  • White to Cool white – kitchen, study, bathroom, cupboard, office, retail
  • Daylight - Commercial, retail, art studios
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