When shopping for task lighting, it’s common to ask, “What color light is best for reading?” Whether you read in bed or the living room, you’ll want the perfect amount of light to stop eye strain. Interestingly, there is an assortment of light colors to choose from, each with its own benefits.
What Is Color Temperature?
When discussing light color, most people are referring to color temperature. A color temperature scale represents how warm or cool lighting can be. For example, if you put a daylight bulb next to a soft white bulb, the soft white lighting would be warm with a deep yellow hue.
Light temperature is expressed on a scale known as the light kelvin scale, and it ranges from 2000K to 6500K. There are several different color temperatures within the scale to choose from, each with unique characteristics.
Let’s explore the different common color temperatures you can find in further detail.
Warm Light or Warm White (2700K)
There’s no doubt warm light bulbs are some of the most popular colors of light, especially as they’re often used in restaurants and homes. This color temperature is the warmest and will usually have a yellow light or orange hue. Most people prefer warm light because it creates an ambiance similar to candlelight.
Soft White Light (3000K)
As a small step up from warm white, soft white has a slightly less warm color of light, but it’s not as cool as daylight. It has a moderate warmth, but its increased brightness helps with tasks. Soft white is a great option for task lighting, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Neutral White (3500K)
If you’re one of the many people who can’t decide between warm and cool lighting, neutral white is the best option. These bulbs offer similar lighting to what you get in the middle of the day. They also help with color representation, so they’re often used in stores and office spaces.
Cool Light or Cool White (4100K)
Cool light is often used to enhance productivity on the bluer side of color temperature. It’s also another great option for color representation, making it ideal for car dealerships and retail. It is the second-best option to consider if you need lighting that shows you the finest details.
Daylight or Natural Light (5000K+)
If you’re on the hunt for the truest representation of colors, daylight bulbs are your best bet. They replicate the sun’s brightness, making them a terrific option for basements and garages. You’ll also find they help you see the finer details of projects, making them remarkable for task lighting for a reading lamp.
You’re most likely to see daylight bulbs in operating rooms, warehouses, and stadiums, where brighter light is required. Daylight bulbs often have the bluest hue regarding color temperature out of the other options.
What Color Light Is Best for Reading?
Now that you have a better idea of color temperature and how it affects brightness, let’s find the best light for reading. For the best experience possible, you’ll want a bulb that helps text appear bold without being too overwhelming. Also, you’ll need lighting that helps boost productivity without creating eye strain.
Daylight: Best
The best option you can have for a reading light is if you can get your hands on a daylight bulb. These bulbs offer the truest representation of colors; they also mimic the sun’s brightness. If you’ve found that reading outdoors is easy on your eyes, using daylight bulbs will be equally as beneficial.
Another massive benefit of daylight bulbs is they assist with productivity, unlike dim lights. If you’re someone who dozes off in the middle of a page, this bulb’s brightness will keep you alert. However, you might prefer a less bright light when it comes to your bedroom.
Some people prone to light sensitivity find daylight bulbs to have too much light exposure. They may also find it disrupts the production of the hormone melatonin in their bodies, making it harder to fall asleep. You’ll want to avoid cold light in these instances and opt for a warm tone without blue wavelengths.
Soft White: Better
Soft white is a fantastic alternative to daylight as it serves as task lighting without being too overwhelming for light sensitivity. You might also find it’s a great median between warm and cool lighting, helping with your room’s ambiance.
Soft white is ideal if you prefer a cozy bedroom but still need plenty of light exposure. It will help light up the pages in your book without causing too much bright illumination between the text and page colors. Also, it helps to prevent eye strain by ensuring you have clarity and optimal color reproduction.
Warm White: Average
Undoubtedly, warm white is a fabulous solution to create a cozy bedroom. The gentle yellow hue of the lightbulb will quickly lull you to sleep. It can also be a fantastic solution if you don’t want to ruin your sleeping pattern.
Warm white is known to emulate sunset, making it easier for your body to wind down at the end of the day. Instead of using an incredibly bright daylight bulb, warm white makes it easier to fall asleep. You might find this preferable, especially if you use reading to get ready for a peaceful night’s rest.
However, warm white doesn’t offer an optimal brightness level to avoid eye strain. In fact, you might find your light bulbs are slightly too dim to read correctly. With these bulbs, you’ll want to be closer to your bedside lamps than with other bulbs.
Another important thing to remember with warm white bulbs is how the lamp diffuses light.
Ideally, you’ll want a shade that pushes the light downward, focusing light on your book. Otherwise, you’ll be trying to use diffused light to read, which can damage your eyes.
Red Light Bulbs: Average
Another average solution for lighting to read at night is to use red or red-hued bulbs. With the popularity of blue light blocking technology, more people are considering amber-hued bulbs. Although they are a great way to cancel out blue wavelengths from screens, like cell phones, they’re not ideal for reading.
Unless you can find amber color light or red-hued bulbs with incredible brightness, they won’t help you read text easily. However, much like warm white, the closer you are to the artificial lighting, the better. You can buy a few unique blue-blocking amber light bulbs as a relatively effective reading light.
The Correct Lighting Color for Reading
If you’re asking, “What color light is best for reading?” the best answer is a cool white or cool blue bulb. With their incredible brightness, you’ll easily be able to distinguish text on a page without squinting and eye strain. Although they aren’t the best for lulling you to sleep at the end of the day, they protect your eye’s health.
