When it comes to designing your living room, the right lighting can make a big difference. Daylight and soft white bulbs are both popular choices, but which is better for a living room?
Soft white bulbs are better suited for living rooms if you want to create a more relaxed, inviting, and warm environment. The bulbs produce a warmer light with yellow tones. If you desire a brighter environment that is well-suited for practical activities, daylight lamps are a good choice.
Choosing the right bulbs for your living room can be challenging. This article will describe the difference between daylight and soft white bulbs and help you decide which is better suited for your living room. Let’s dive in!
Contents
What are Daylight Lamps?
Before we delve into what a daylight lamp is, let’s examine how color temperature affects different bulbs. Each bulb has a specific color temperature measured by experts on a Kelvin temperature scale. Lower numbers on the Kelvin scale mean the light is warmer and more yellow (and usually darker). Higher numbers on the Kelvin scale indicate a brighter, whiter light with more blue tones.
Daylight lamps can range from 4600K to over 6500K. The high Kelvin number means that daylight lamps are bright and have a bluer light compared to a warm, yellow color. Daylight lamps mimic natural sunlight. (Natural sunlight can range between 5,600 K and over 6,500 K.)
The LE 100W LED bulbs are a great choice for daylight lamps.
Do Daylight Lamps Work in a Living Room?
Daylight lamps are often used in the kitchen as they emit bright, high-energy light. But do they work in a living room too?
Daylight bulbs tend to make any room they are placed in appear slightly colder due to their blue light. Since they have a cooler color tone, people often avoid using blue light in their living rooms. Many people want their living room to feel warm and cozy, which is not promoted by daylight lamps.
However, there are some cases where daylight lamps can work well in a living room. If you have a lot of dark furniture (or dark floors and walls), daylight lamps may be the right bulb for you. The bright white/blue light can counteract the dark colors of the room and prevent it from feeling like a dungeon.
Additionally, if you have a lot of warm colors in your living room, such as yellow, beige, red, or orange, daylight lamps would likely create the perfect color balance. However, in most cases, daylight lamps are too cool and unwelcoming.
The image below shows how daylight lamps will appear in a living room. (Keep in mind that this living room only has cool colors, which will exaggerate the cool temperature of the bulb.)
Source: Philips
Advantages of Daylight Lighting
Even though daylight lamps are not the most popular first choice for many people, they still have advantages. The type of furniture, decor, and colors in your home can greatly affect the final look of the lighting, which is why it’s good to consider both types.
- Creates a more energetic mood
- Provides ample light for daily tasks
- Mimics real sunlight
- Improves productivity and mental awareness
Daylight lighting has many different advantages. Let’s take a closer look at the specific aspects that daylight lamps bring to the table (or living room!).
- Daylight lamps can create a more energetic mood. Since the bulbs are over 4600K, they are brighter compared to other forms of light. The Lighting Research Center found that daylight lamps help people feel more energized as they are brighter and emit whiter light. In darker, more yellow light, you may feel more easily tired and relaxed.
- The bulbs provide ample light for daily tasks. Another great feature of daylight lamps is that they can easily illuminate the room more than soft white light. The brighter the room is, the easier it is to carry out various activities like homework or crafting. A complaint about soft white light is that the bulbs don’t produce as much light as daylight lamps, which can make visibility more difficult.
- Daylight lamps mimic real sunlight. If you love nature and want to make your spaces as bright as possible, then these lamps are the way to go. Daylight lamps mimic real sunlight, which can have around 4500K or higher.
- The lamps can improve productivity and mental awareness. Another interesting thing that the Lighting Research Center found in its survey was that participants who used daylight lamps experienced increased productivity and mental awareness. If you do a lot of work in your living room, you should consider this.
What are Soft White Bulbs?
Soft white bulbs have somewhere between 2700K and 3000K. This type of light produces a warmer, yellow tone in the room. Many people use these lights for a bedroom or living room as they emit a calming, cozy atmosphere. Soft white bulbs are darker than daylight bulbs as they have a lower Kelvin temperature value. However, they are not so dark that you can’t see what you’re doing.
Check out the LEDVANCE 74765 A19 Efficient 8.5W Soft White if you are looking into investing in these for your living room.
Do Soft White Bulbs Work in a Living Room?
Soft white light is the first choice for most homeowners when they shop for their living room. People love soft white light for the living room as the room is usually the centerpiece of the home. They want this room to feel welcoming, inviting, and comfortable. Soft white light is often the perfect balance between warm ambient light and enough brightness so you don’t fall asleep.
The living room is the most commonly used room in most households in the evenings, as everyone is home by then. When someone comes home from work, the last thing they want is a bright, white light shining in their face. Soft white bulbs are great for relaxing after a stressful day.
Source: Philips
Advantages of Soft White Bulbs
Let’s take a look at some advantages of soft white light.
- Creates a warm and cozy space
- The soft white light helps you relax
- Soft white bulbs are better for your eyes
Now let’s take a closer look at these advantages.
- Soft white light creates a warmer and cozier space. The main reason people love soft white light for their living room is that it promotes a warmer and calming environment. Soft white lights are warmer as they contain yellow. People can relax much better in yellowish light compared to bright white light.
- Soft white light is better for your eyes. Another important factor to consider is that yellow light is better for your eyes. If you spend most of the evening time in the living room, a warmer light will help your eyes, body, and mind relax before bed.
Daylight vs Soft White: Which is Better?
Daylight and soft white light are both great for different reasons. Daylight lamps typically have 4600K to 6500K, which means they are brighter and appear whiter. Soft white bulbs, on the other hand, have around 2700K to 3000K and emit warm yellow tones.
Both types of lighting work in living rooms. However, the majority of homeowners prefer soft white light for their living room. Soft white light creates a more inviting and cozy space. They are also better for your eyes and encourage your body to relax and unwind compared to bright white lights. If you primarily use your living room in the evenings, soft white lighting may be the best option for you.
If you have dark furniture, walls, or floors, daylight may be favorable. Or if you primarily use your living room during the day or engage in many practical activities there, then daylight lamps will provide better lighting.
Conclusion
Both types of lighting work for living rooms depending on your personal preferences. Opt for soft white bulbs if you want your living room to be a place to relax and unwind from a stressful day. If you desire better lighting for hobbies and work in your living room, you can choose daylight lamps.