When shopping for LED bulbs, look for “soft white” or “warm white” bulbs. Then there’s a muddle of names like “neutral white,” “bright white,” “daylight,” and “cool white.” You might be tempted to believe they’re all the same, or at least similar. In reality, these names can refer to a variety of color temperatures, such as 4000K, 5000K, and 6500K. If you want to make an informed decision about LED bulbs, you’ll need to get a little more technical and know exactly which color you’re getting!
In this article, we’ll go over the 4000K LED lights, 4000K color temperature options and help you decide if it’s the right LED light for you.
4000K: What Does It Look Like?
4000K is a color temperature that is frequently overlooked because it falls between “warm white” (2700K/3000K) and “daylight white” (5000K/6500K).
It is on the cool side when compared to standard warm white lighting options, but it is also on the warm side when compared to daylight color temperatures, as one might expect.
4000K color temperatures are most commonly found in retail and office settings. It is also the color temperature of direct sunlight in the early morning or late afternoon.
As a result, 4000K is a popular choice for customers who want a little more clarity and crispness in their light but don’t want something too blue or stark.
***Refer to more: 6500K Light: Top 7 Best Lighting Choices For Your Spaces
Is 4000K the same as natural daylight?
It’s difficult to compare LED bulbs to natural daylight because natural daylight changes with the weather, time of day, season, and latitude. The reason for this is that while the sun has a constant color temperature of approximately 5800K, the color temperature of natural daylight can vary significantly depending on the color of the sky.
In general, the lower the color temperature is when the sky is red/orange in the morning or afternoon light, and the higher the color temperature is when the sky is blue in the middle of the day or when windows face away from the sun.
As a result, the color appearance of a 4000K LED bulb is similar to that of natural sunlight in the morning or afternoon. Direct sunlight will have a color temperature of over 5000K during the midday hours, and daylight, including the entire blue sky, will have a color temperature closer to 6500K.
Finally, just because an LED bulb emits a color that resembles natural daylight does not imply that it has the same light spectrum. If you are looking for an LED light to perform full-spectrum lighting or color-critical tasks for a health-related application, to get a better sense of the spectral similarity, you should look at the color rendering index (CRI) value of the LED bulb. A CRI of 95 or higher typically ensures that the light spectrum accurately replicates a natural light spectrum.
***Refer to more: Best Natural Light Desk Lamp: Top 8 Best Choices For Office
Will 4000K LED lights look too blue or too yellow?
The human vision system is remarkable in its ability to adapt to changing lighting conditions. This means that its appearance may vary depending on what your eyes have adapted to.
Assume you’re thinking about going with 4000K for your home kitchen. If you walk from your 3000K living room lighting into your 4000K kitchen lighting during the evening hours, everything will appear whiter and crisper. Will it be too blue? We don’t think so; it’s a more intense white color, but not a harsh blue color.
Let’s take a look at what happens during the course of the day. Natural daylight floods your living room as your 3000K lamps are turned off. Because your kitchen has few windows, you use the 4000K lamps during the day.
When you walk into your kitchen, you’ll notice that the lighting is a little yellower. This is due to your eyes becoming accustomed to natural daylight, which has a very high color temperature, possibly as high as 6500K.
When you walk into a retail store, you may notice this. When you walk into the store during the day, you may notice that the lighting is a little yellow. Then, when you return to the same store at night, you’ll notice that the lighting is a crisp, white color. Unless the store has a color-changing lighting system, the same 4000K light color will most likely appear different because your eyes have adapted to different lighting conditions.
Our conclusion is that 4000K may appear too yellow when compared to natural daylight, but it is unlikely to appear too blue when compared to incandescent or warm-white lighting, though this is ultimately a matter of personal preference.
The color temperature difference is significant when our eyes are adapted to or expect true natural daylight color at 6500K. When our eyes are used to a warm-white, residential color temperature of 3000K, the change to 4000K is a 1000K difference.
However, because it is a mid-point color temperature, the differences aren’t all that noticeable. 4000K can be a very effective color temperature choice because it is neither too far from residential warm-white colors nor too far from natural daylight white.
***Refer to more: Best Daylight Lamp for Office: Top 8 Expert’s Choices of 2022
Where Should 4000K LED lights Be Used?
4000K LED lights can be used effectively in the office, retail, and certain residential applications.
4000K can provide a clean and lively look for retail and office applications without appearing too blue or sterile, especially during evening hours. When compared to warm-white color temperatures, 4000K provides more color clarity, which may be critical or advantageous in retail and commercial applications.
4000K LED lamps would be useful in residential applications where additional color clarity is desired. Kitchen and food prep areas, as well as bathrooms and vanity areas, could all benefit from 4000K lighting. Be aware of color differences between other areas of the house that have warm-white lighting installed, and choosing 3000K over 2700K may help to reduce the color difference.
Given all of the above considerations, a 4000K LED bulb is the best color temperature for your kitchen. It emits a light color that is both energetic and relaxing. The design of your kitchen’s lighting is also very important. Track lightings are ideal if you have a larger space and want to create an edgy look in your kitchen. Recessed lighting, on the other hand, is ideal for small and narrow kitchens because it evenly distributes light from the ceiling. If you want to do knife work in a specific area of your kitchen, you must install under cabinet lighting to focus on that area.
Finally, we recommend 5000K (D50) or 6500K (D65) options for industrial or color-critical applications. This is due to the fact that 4000K has a yellow color balance when compared to natural daylight color temperatures.
***Refer to more: Top 9 Best LED Lights For Kitchen Ceiling: Top Choices in 2022
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 4000K in lighting mean?
4000K is the color temperature that begins to transform the warmer yellow of 3000K into a cool white. At 5000K, the light will only have a cool white color temperature. Warm light is typically defined as anything with a color temperature of 3000K or lower. Anything with a color temperature of 4000K or higher is considered cool white.
What is the purpose of a 4000K light?
This color palette produces a well-balanced color tone that is neither too blue nor too yellow. This creates an environment in which employees can remain alert throughout the day. Commercial spaces, retail spaces, hospital offices and hallways, and office spaces would all benefit from this type of lighting.
It will depend on your personal preferences and the application of the light, but 4000K is not too bright on the kelvin scale. In fact, it is suitable for a wide range of kitchens, bathrooms, and garages.
What exactly is a 4000K LED bulb?
A 4000K LED bulb produces a bright white or cool-toned color that is both bright and warm enough to work beneath. Thus, it is mostly found in kitchens.
Cool light, similar to daylight, has long been thought to be ideal for makeup lighting. People typically use the term “daylight” to refer to light color temperatures ranging from 5000K to 5800K. However, we believe that 4000K, natural white light can also be used to achieve good and beautiful makeup lighting.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we reviewed 4000K LED lights, 4000K color temperature options. Hopefully, our article has answered your questions and helped you decide if it’s the right LED for you. If you still have any questions, please comment below, we will answer your questions as soon as possible.
