Daylight or soft white LED

November 15, 2021November 15, 2021 versus Electronics

LED refers to Light Emitting Diode. This is a small electronic device that emits light when the current passes through it. It works by exciting electrons which then ‘jump’ across the gap (junction) between two layers in the semiconductor crystal, releasing energy in the process and producing photons. This means LEDs can be very efficient, converting up to 60% of the electrical energy into visible light.

LEDs produce more visible light for every unit of electricity than incandescent or fluorescent lighting and they do not contain mercury like CFLs. However, they are also more expensive per bulb and may need an electrical circuit close by to drive them due to their higher resistance so they cannot be used with regular dimmers. The spectrum of LED light is narrower than that of the sun and it also tends to be more cold and blue than natural light.

Which one to choose – daylight or soft white LED?

There are many different types of light bulbs out there and it can be hard to tell which is better. It doesn’t matter if around the home or in the office you might need to know which one will suit your purpose best.

For example, if you want to use them for certain tasks such as working on cars or reading, it would probably be wise to get ones that give off more yellow-colored light. If you just need something that works well at lighting up a larger area then they might work perfectly fine even though they emit whiter-looking light.

Every lamp emits what is known as lumen output which is the brightness one perceives when looking directly at a particular light source. This can be helpful for certain types of tasks but might not be so much if you do not need it. So in order to control lighting levels, it would be best to use multiple sources instead of just one large lamp with all its lux output.

Finally, there are certain materials that require different color temperatures depending on what you are trying to achieve so it might be worth mentioning that even though people have different needs it is usually advisable to use lighting that gives off a high color rendering index. This way you can know for sure that anything you are looking at will look as it should no matter the type of material or surface being lit.

Daylight LED lamps

They are available with CCT (colour correlated temperature) ranging from 2,700 kelvin up to 6,500 kelvin. A typical white LED lamp has a color temperature of around 4,000 kelvin and is the closest match to the sun’s spectrum. An LED lamp with a high CCT value emits more light in some parts of the spectrum than others which can lead to issues with shadows or too much contrast.

Blue White LEDs have lower Kelvin values than normal daylight white LEDs because they emit at shorter wavelengths. A typical blue-white LED has a CCT of between 5,000K and 10,000K resulting in an actual color rendering index (CRI) that falls somewhere between 80 and 90 on average for this light source. The light produced is very harsh and maybe too blue for some people.

Daylight white LED lamps have a CCT between 5,000K and 6,500K resulting in an actual color rendering index (CRI) of anything from 90 to 110 on average for this light source. The light emitted will appear almost white or slightly warm with a hint of blue. This means you can use these lamps to provide the full range of lighting required including task lighting, ambient lighting, and supplemental lighting respectively depending on the application.

These high Kelvin value daylight white LEDs allow people to work directly under the lamp without eye strain as they closely resemble natural sunlight. They are also suitable for those who need accurate colors from their display screens as well as for people working with color-critical or creative tasks.

Soft White LEDs

They are available with CCT values ranging from 1,900 kelvin up to 3,500 kelvin. A typical soft white LED has a color temperature of around 2,700 kelvin which closely matches the warm yellow light produced by older filament lamps. The light emitted appears slightly yellow or orange with hints of red. This is closer to the effect of an incandescent lamp.

Soft white LEDs enable each fixture to mimic the characteristics of its incandescent equivalent where dimming is not required. They are also preferred in applications involving heat-sensitive materials or when lower output lighting is desired because they produce less heat than their daylight counterparts.

However, they do not produce as much light so you may need more lights to achieve the same result. Plus, these low CCT values mean there is only a limited amount that can be done before it is difficult to control lighting levels in space or ensure you have enough light.

It is also less suitable for maintenance-intensive environments because the light emitted may be too yellow and it can create more shadows on people’s faces. In addition, the effects of glare – caused by direct task lights – are heightened when using soft white LEDs.

Difference in prices

Daylight white LEDs are priced between 50 and 100 percent more than standard soft white LEDs.

Sources of light for naturalness

LED lamps with CCT values of 5,000K or higher are considered to be the most suitable sources of lighting for people who want accurate colors. They also give the best results if you need to work with color-critical or creative tasks, although they may be too harsh for some people.

Color rendering index (CRI)

The color rendering index is a scale that runs from 0 to 100 where 100 indicates that eight different test colors are rendered identically to an identical source under defined conditions. A high CCT value means the light emitted has a very high CRI score because it transmits more light in the blue and red portions of the visible spectrum.

The chart below shows how these two sources compare:

daylight white LED: CCT 5,000K and higher with a CRI of 90 to 110
soft white LED: CCT below 5,000K with a CRI of 80 to 100

Materials and surfaces

You should use lamps with a high color rendering index (CRI) to ensure that colors look as they should regardless of the type of material or surface being lit. A higher CCT value also results in more light being emitted which helps when working on tasks where good illumination is important.

Background information:

The color temperature of a lamp is the temperature, in kelvins (K), at which an ideal black-body radiator would have to be to emit the same spectrum as the light source. Colour temperature is a characteristic of visible light that has important applications in lighting, photography, videography, publishing, manufacturing, and many other fields. The color temperature of light refers to its warmness or coolness.

When the color temperature is lower then it will be more orange looking and when it gets higher then it will give off a whiter look as well as be brighter. In order to know how much you should pay for one type over another or if you even need them it might be beneficial to talk with someone who is familiar with it or do more research on your own.

In short, it is believed that when it comes down to what you need you have a grasp on the things that are beneficial when it comes to having something so in the end you can find a light bulb that gives off a color temperature that is right for your needs. It would be wise to keep these in mind if ever in a situation where you have to choose between two different types of lights. Good luck.

The CCT value represents the relative chromaticity of any given LED light source and is described using a standard notation used by lighting designers. A higher CCT value means more blue which leads to whiter-looking light while a lower one leads to more yellow-colored light. The CRI (Colour Rendering Index), however, is the average of the relative measurements of how well colors are perceived by humans under a given light source as compared to an ideal or natural light source. Please note that these guidelines are approximate and may vary depending on your specific needs.

Sources of light for eye strain and discomfort

LED lamps with color temperatures between 2,700 and 3,500 kelvin are considered to be the most suitable sources of lighting where work tasks involve high visual requirements such as working on CAD/CAM screens or using video display units (VDUs). They can also make it easier for people working in low-lit spaces because they provide supplemental lighting, but this is not always effective.

The chart below shows how these two sources compare:

daylight white LEDs: CCT below 5,000K with a CRI of 80 to 100
soft white LEDs: CCT above 3,500K with a CRI of less than 80

Sources of light for heat generation and comfort

Daylight LEDs are the best option if you need better color accuracy from your display screens. However, they could also be used in supplemental lighting applications where significant heat problems exist such as warehouses or production lines. Because they produce less heat it would generally mean that there is more space between lamps and people can therefore work closer to them.

Sources of light for maintenance and comfort

Daylight white LEDs are the best option if you need better color accuracy from your display screens. However, they could also be used in supplemental lighting applications where significant heat problems exist such as warehouses or production lines. Because they produce less heat it would generally mean that there is more space between lamps and people can therefore work closer to them.

Pros and cons of each type

soft white LED

pros:

suitable for maintaining environments where heat-sensitive materials and lower output lighting is required;
offers the best performance when the light from sources needs to be directed downwards or sideways rather than upwards, as is often the case with sunlight; has low maintenance costs

cons:

not as effective as daylight lamps in spaces with high task requirements such as those involving creative activities or colour critical work;
cannot be dimmed so they may produce more shadows on people’s faces;
emits less light so more fixtures are needed to provide good illumination in larger spaces;
emits light with a lower colour temperature so it transmits less light in the blue and red portions of the visible spectrum;
may create glare;
not as effective for supplementing indoor lighting because their effect is diminished by indirect daylight

daylight white LED

pros:

suitable for high task intensity environments where accurate colours are required (for example, when working on CAD/CAM screens) or where visual acuity is important (for instance, when working on microscopes or telescopes);
offers good performance in spaces that require an additional source of illumination to be brought from elsewhere ;
has low maintenance costs

cons:

emits more heat than soft white LEDs so they can significantly increase temperatures in rooms if there is no ventilation system installed to remove the heat;
emits light with a higher colour temperature so it transmits less light in the blue and red portions of the visible spectrum;
does not have as soft an effect on people’s faces as soft white LEDs.

For comparison, sunlight is approximately 5,000° Kelvin or 5,000 K. This matches well to how bright it actually feels outside during the day. The reason why this seems brighter is that at night time natural lighting is around 10 to 15° Kelvin or 1,500 to 3,300 K which can make you feel sleepy after being exposed for too long.

At places like theaters where there are mainly indoors, they use LED lighting that has a color temperature of 3,300 to 3,500 K since it helps cut down on the amount of lighting in a room. The reason for this is that they don’t need as much light when it is dark outside and most people are going to be using artificial lighting in a theater so it would make sense to get LED lighting that matches the color temperature of an average indoor environment.

Final verdict

If you are looking for a source of light that can be used in multiple applications daylight LEDs might be the best way to go. This is especially true if you need better color accuracy from your display screens because they produce less heat than their soft white counterparts.

However, if you need supplemental lighting or specific sources for certain materials then it would definitely be advised to consider both options before making a decision. If ever in doubt just remember that if it is too hot, do not hesitate to get separate lamps instead of using one large one.

So which type of lamp is best for you?