WARM WHITE LIGHT VS COOL WHITE LIGHT. 3000K VS 5000K DAYLIGHT COLORS

2020-04-29

Antlux LED lights - Choosing Warm White or Cool White for you Lighting Project

LED offers countless benefits to the users, such as energy efficiency and life span, tough and durable, almost no UV emission and much more. But there is one advantage of LED lighting that people commonly overlook and that is the color variations choices it offers. The traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs did not provide this benefit but with the advancement of new technology, now one can choose what color of light they would like in their space.  Pick an exact color from very warm to very cool or in between based on the Kelvin number.

Traditional light bulbs, they gave a warm, yellow glow that they produced after electricity passing through the wire. That color is typically 2700K-3000K range.   With some tweaks they were able to get up to about 4000K, but rarely higher.  Antlux LED lighting enables you to choose the exact color you want.   The two most common types are Warm White and Cool White.  Cool white is often referred to as Daylight white because its a pure white.   

What does the K mean?   
K stands for Kelvin and represents the actual temperatures as measured on a Kelvin scale, Warm White and Cool White are represented by the letter ‘K’.  Warm White is around 3000k, whereas Cool White is around 5000k.  Lower on the scale is warmer and higher is cooler.   High pressure sodium is about 2500k and has an orange tint to it, where newer car headlights are 6500K and blueish tint.   The highest regular light bulbs and luminare colors we offer is 5700K, anything over that is too harsh.

A way of spotting Warm White colors is by knowing that it has a very yellow and sometimes brownish tone to it. It has a similar temperature and color compared to a traditional incandescent bulb. On the other hand, Cool White has a high color temperature, emitting very bright, clean and white light. You can compare the same with natural daylight to understand it better.

Which to choose 3000K or 5000K?

Warm White is generally recommended for;
Homes – indoors such as bedrooms and living room - Antlux Led shop lights
Porch lights or other wall lighting to create a softer effect
Landscape lighting
Antlux LED Grow lights - Needs more R9 reds and greens (600-800nm spectrum) which are higher in those colors
Restaurants for the relaxing feel
Other intimate areas

Cool White is often used in place in 
Offices – easier to work and see.  Usually more at 4000K than 5000K
Sports lighting – this is bright and white – always 5000K and high foot-candles
Warehouse lighting - Antlux warehouse lights
Parking lots lighting - AntLux Led Shoebox Light Fixture
Large area lighting

The reason behind this is that Warm White color is a relaxing, calm light that fits perfectly in an informal atmosphere. Cool White 5700K light bulbs being bright helps in improving concentration, so it is ideal for those settings. However, a home doesn’t mean it won’t have certain rooms where bright white would not be required.  Places such as the garage, kitchen, laundry room, home office and study can use Cool White LED lights. Modern homes with minimalist approaches can also benefit from Cool White as it will give the space a clean bright look.   The Apple store affect has people mimicking this style for new spaces.

There is no right answer with Warm White and Cool White, you can use it to your advantage.  It’s a personal preference.  Consider the purpose, style and mood that you are aiming to create in a space, as that would be much more helpful in deciding which type of LED light you should go with. Once you are certain what kind of light you want for your home or office, you can simple order Warm White and Cool White LED lights online by seeing the letter ‘K’.