Outdoor Lighting - Choosing Between Warm White or Cool White

As Solar Lighting experts, we commonly see the same questions asked time after time; Which Lighting Fixtures Should I Choose? Warm White or Cool White? While preference does play a big part (at least on outdoor lighting applications), there are a few things to consider when deciding which option is best for you.

What Does Lighting Color Temperature Mean?

Lighting Color temperature describes the tone that is produced by a light source. Normally, this is described using the rating of Kelvin (K). Typically, with a range between 1,000K to 10,000K, the higher the number, the closer the output color is to Daylight. On the opposite end, the lower the number, the closer the output color is to that of candlelight. How To Choose Between Cool & Warm White

When speaking specifically about outdoor lighting and choosing color temperature, there are two main driving factors:

1. Location/Application

2. Consistency Location/Application

The first thing you will want to consider is the location of the light and what its main goal is, for example:

I typically recommend Warm White Color Temperatures when lighting an area that is designed to be used for activities or events. For example, a Patio or Garden would want to use Warm White, as this color temperature is both inviting and relaxing.

Cool White on the other hand tends to read brighter and stand out a bit more, therefore, when lighting a subject matter such as a sign or monument, a higher Kelvin Temperature is ideal. Consistency

While keeping in mind the use application, you should also consider consistency.

For example, if you have a hardwired front door light and garage motion sensor light that are warm white, you would likely want to keep all the other lighting in that general area the same color. For instance, say you wanted to install Pathway Lights leading to the front door, keeping them warm white would lend to the overall feel and consistency of the space. Hopefully choosing between color temperatures is less of a daunting task after reading our short article on this topic. Our team is standing by if you would like to speak with a solar lighting expert based here in the U.S after just 3 rings or less. As always, we are just a phone call away (877-548-3387) and are happy to offer our expertise on all of your Solar Lighting needs!