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Jun 07, 2023

Warm White vs. Soft White: When to Use Each

Kinga Krzeminska / Getty Images Shopping for a light bulb involves more than just checking the wattage and double-checking the shape and size for compatibility with the light fixture in question.

Kinga Krzeminska / Getty Images

Shopping for a light bulb involves more than just checking the wattage and double-checking the shape and size for compatibility with the light fixture in question. That’s because not all white lighting is created the same.

Some bulbs are warm, soft, cool, and bright. It all depends on their color temperature, which determines the intensity and color of the light those bulbs emit.

Here’s what you need to know when buying warm white or soft white light bulbs for your home.

There are two important terms to know when discussing light bulbs: watts and Kelvins.

A watt is the measurement of power used by an incandescent bulb. If you’ve switched to LED bulbs, you’re dealing with lumens as the measure of power; the watt-to-lumen conversion is usually listed on the bulb’s box.

A Kelvin is the measure of a light bulb’s color temperature. Yes, light bulbs typically are hot to the touch when illuminated, but this is a measure of how the emitted light looks, not feels.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the color temperature range for four of the most common types of light bulbs:

Soft white light bulbs register between 2,700 and 3,000 Kelvin. They emit a soft yellow glow. They illuminate rooms without being too harsh, so they offer ambient illumination to bedrooms, living rooms, and other spots where you like to get cozy and relax or sleep.

These bulbs are higher on the Kelvin scale, registering between 3,000 and 4,000 Kelvin. Warm white light bulbs emit a warm yellow-white glow. As such, they are good for kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and other high-traffic areas in your home.

It would seem that all bulbs are bright and hot, but cool or bright white light bulbs specifically refer to color temperatures between 4,000 and 5,000 Kelvin. Cool or bright white lights emit white and blue tones. These are better for offices, garages, and other places where you might be working or completing tasks that need brighter lights for you to see clearly.

Coming in between 5,000 and 6,500 on the Kelvin scale, daylight bulbs are even bluer in tone than bright or cool bulbs. Much like natural daylight which allows you to see clearly, daylight bulbs are best for instances where you must see every detail. Not surprisingly, this is the type of light that you’ll find in hospitals, large offices, and classrooms—even at home in that illuminated makeup mirror on your vanity.

If you use incandescent bulbs for lamps and fixtures at home, you’re probably familiar with soft and warm white lighting. They are closer together on the Kelvin scale and therefore emit similar yellowish-white tones.

As its name suggests, soft white light does indeed offer a softer glow than warm. However, they are close enough on the Kelvin scale that they both emit a semi-yellow glow. It’s fine to use a mix of them in your home, though it’s best to use all the same types of bulbs in the same room for a more uniform aesthetic.

The amount and intensity of lighting can greatly affect the ambiance of a space (It’s not called mood lighting for nothing). The right amount of lighting depends on the purpose of the room; for example, you’ll need stronger illumination in work areas, such as a kitchen, office, or garage.

It's important to know that whatever type of bulb you screw into a fixture, dimmer switches can help you regulate the intensity of that fixture. With just a swipe of a fingertip, you can easily transform the ambiance of a room; for example, you can create a soft, ambient glow in the living room during movie night rather than sit in the complete dark in front of a flickering screen.

Use warm white bulbs where you need a bit of energy with your illumination:

Kitchens

Bathrooms

Hallways

Use soft white bulbs in rooms where you want an illuminated space that’s also somewhat cozy and relaxing:

Bedrooms

Living rooms

Dining rooms

Do soft white light bulbs look yellow in color?

Yes, soft white lighting looks yellow-white. Warm white is also semi-yellow, but slightly distinguishable from soft white. As such, it’s fine to mix them in your home, but not in the same light fixture. If you’ve got a chandelier, for example, be sure to purchase the correct temperature of replacement bulbs for a uniform look.

Which light bulb color is best for a bedroom?

Soft white lighting is best for bedrooms because it’s warm and cozy. If you like to read before bed, a soft white bulb in a bedside lamp is a good choice as it doesn’t emit the harsher blue tones of bright white lights. Research shows that exposure to the blue tones of bright white light—the same used in computer, phone, and tablet screens—can make it harder to fall asleep at night.

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