The difference between white light and warm white light

Have you ever thought about where the cosiness comes from with white light? After all, one white light is not the other white light. There appear to be huge differences between the types of white light that you encounter indoors and outdoors.

Color temperature, what is that anyway?

This difference is caused by the color temperature of the light. The color temperature is expressed with the name Kelvin. In front of that name is a number that determines the warmth of the light.
Who was Kelvin anyway? That was a British physicist originally called William Thomson. He invented the Kelvin temperature scale, which starts at absolute zero. Due to his important scientific achievements, he was later ennobled and from then on was called Lord Kelvin.
Its general temperature scale is also used to indicate the color temperature of light. For example, during the day the average light temperature outside is 5.000K(elvin). This is useful to know if, for example, you need white light for growing plants. But light with a lower or higher color temperature also evokes a certain mood in people.

Sunrise and afternoon sun

Take, for example, white light with a color temperature of 2.300K. You are talking about a flame lamp that provides a shady and atmospheric warm light. If we compare that with the light outside, then 2.300K corresponds to the light that is visible about the first half hour after the sun has risen.
On a sunny day it is about 5.000K to 6.000K outside in the afternoon. You can also bring that light indoors with a lamp that has the same color temperature. For example, if you go to a photo studio, you will encounter white light with this color temperature.

From incandescent to LED or halogen

Our attention has now shifted to halogen lamps and LED lamps. Halogen light is bright and can create beautiful light effects. The average color temperature of a halogen lamp is 3.000K to 4.000K. You may not find that very warm, but with a dimmer you quickly solve this problem. Despite its sharpness, a halogen lamp always gives warm light, especially under dimmed conditions.

But the LED lamp in particular is enjoying increasing interest. The early days of LED are long gone. During the start, LED lamps did not yet produce warm light. The glow of the lamps was blue and was therefore perceived as uncomfortable.
We worked hard on this and the LED lamps that you now purchase are just as cozy as the light we were used to from the former light bulb. For example, the lamps usually have a color temperature of around 3.000K. At least, those are the LED lamps that you often find online.
At Luminize we have gone one step further. We have focused entirely on warm light. You can therefore come to us for high-quality 2.700K LED lighting. You will not find that with the other providers of white light. The light that these LED lamps give is warm. In addition, they only use a fraction of the energy that we lost with the light bulb. In this way, warm light is also becoming more and more sustainable.

White light in your home, garden or office?

The question is of course for which environment you are looking for white light. After all, it makes a big difference whether it is a cozy sitting area at home or a modern office. Both halogen and LED are suitable for lighting these places, but with LED you save much more energy and the environment heats up less quickly.
Especially within an office environment, less heating provides another advantage. Because the chosen white light emits little heat, you also save on the costs of air conditioning. This way you kill two birds with one stone. You save on energy costs and turn your office into a much more sustainable environment.
But what color temperature is appropriate for a brightly lit office? In general, we recommend white light with a color temperature of 5.000K. Of course you can vary a bit here. For example, 4.000K is still suitable for locations within your office. A lower color temperature with white light is not recommended in an office environment. Your body will respond to it as if a moment of rest has arrived. This is detrimental to productivity and makes employees feel tired while they are working.

Home, warm light

But for home you naturally come to very different considerations. Warm light with a pleasant color temperature is then preferred. Of course you give every room in the house the attention that specifically belongs to it.

Dining room

You hang different lamps in the dining room than, for example, in the nursery, bedroom, bathroom or garden. White light in the dining room should be friendly and soft. Warm light relaxes you, so don’t let the color temperature above your dining room table exceed 2.700K.

Bathroom

Bathroom lamps mainly serve to take care of yourself in a bright environment. Here you should not choose the color temperature too low. After all, you want to prevent the space from being filled with vagueness or shadows. This is different when it comes to a (very) spacious bathroom. You can create zones in it that are illuminated separately with warm light.

Garden lighting

If you end up with the garden lighting, then a separate story applies. White light in the garden can serve to create atmosphere, but sometimes also plays a role in safety. Wall lamps that you mount for the atmosphere may be dimmable. Suppose you assume 2.700K as the maximum color temperature, then it can be very romantic to put this warm light on the back burner in the summer night.

If the lighting in your garden is mainly intended for safety in certain places, then lamps with a color temperature above 5,000K are definitely recommended. This will generally be the lighting that switches on occasionally, for example based on a motion detector. It will be clear to you that garden lighting above 5.000K does not fall within the warm light category.

White light conclusion

In short, every form of white light suits a certain room and creates its own atmosphere. The lower the color temperature is, the softer the light that shines into the room. At a low color temperature, we therefore speak of warm light. Luminize is the only one that specializes completely in warm white light of 2.700K.