Light is an important factor to consider for students. If the lighting is wrong, you may have a hard time concentrating on your studies. In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about LED light colour and studying.
So, what is the best LED light colour for studying? In short, the answer is natural white LED light because it mimics the natural daylight as closely as possible.
Continue reading to find out why efficient lighting is important for studying in the first place, what the right colour temperature and colour rendering index for studying are, and how ambient lighting impacts study performance.
Why Efficient Light is Important for Studying?
You need the lighting to be sufficient so your eyes don’t get tired. Here are a couple of tips that will keep you in good stead:
- Make sure the light is not coming from one direction only. That way you will be able to avoid shadows
- Use natural white LED light bulbs for studying. These bulbs best mimics the natural daylight (more on this in the next section)
What Colour Temperature is Ideal for Studying?
It stands to reason that light that mimics the daylight most closely should be ideal for studying. And this where colour temperature comes into the picture
Measured in Kelvin (K), colour temperature is an important thing to consider when shopping LED light bulbs for studying. Colour temperature shows the colour of white light that a light source emits. Warm light is linked to low colour temperature, while cool light with high colour temperature.
Let’s understand with the help of an example. The colour temperature of candlelight, which emits a warmish glow, is around 1800K. Located on the farthest end of spectrum is daylight on a wintry day. Such a light has a colour temperature of approximately 6500K.
As far as LEDs are concerned, warm white LEDs boasts colour temperatures of approximately 2700K, while extra warm white LEDs have colour temperatures of around 2200K. Whereas, in case you are looking for natural white LED bulbs (the artificial light that’s the closest thing to natural light), make sure the colour temperature reading on the product label is approximately 4000K.
So, we recommend you look for colour temperature of about 4000K for studying. That basically means you should opt for natural white LED bulbs for your study room.
In addition to making sure the colour temperature is suitable for studying, ensure colour rendering index (CRI) is also right.
What Colour Rendering Index (CRI) for Studying Is?
Let’s first understand what colour rendering index is in the first place.
Colour rendering index (CRI) tells how closely a light reproduces the colours of the object it illuminates. The scale for measuring CRI ranges from 0 – 100. Any light with a reading of 90 and more is regarded exceptionally good. In contrast, if the reading is 80 or less, the quality of light is likely to be poor.
The thing about LED bulbs that are CRI90+ is that they don’t produce blue light (which can be quite harmful). However, bulbs with lower score may give blue light, and so should be avoided. Also, CRI90+ LED bulbs emit the most balanced light, without glare, and as such are right for studying.
On our website, you will find mainly CRI90+ LED bulbs because we don’t believe in compromising on light quality.
How Ambient Lighting Improves Study Performance?
In a study conducted by the London City University and Lund University, the researchers found that students performed better when ambient lighting was more. The pupils, aged 8-9, showed considerably better results in writing, reading, and math in classrooms having 3x the ambient light on ceiling and walls.
Key Takeaways:
- Natural White LED Bulbs are most suited for studying as they mimic the natural daylight very closely
- You should opt for CRI90+ LED bulbs because they emit the most balanced light
- Make sure there’s enough ambient lighting as it can help boost your performance
Frequently Asked Questions
Is LED light good for studying?
The answer is YES. Compared to other lights, LED light bulbs last much longer and consume far less energy.
What Colour LED light is best for sleeping?
The answer is no light at all. Yes, that’s true, we sleep — or rather, we should — sleep best when there’s no light as that helps in the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps us sleep. But if you are someone who can’t sleep in total darkness, go for red LED light bulbs. That’s because research shows red colour produces pretty much the same amount as melatonin as darkness does.