Do you know your light bulbs? In this blog, I cover all you need to know about soft white vs daylight bulbs, their uses, and their differences.
As you’ve already found your way here you probably already know the importance of getting the right type of lighting for the right area. So I’ll keep it short and to the point.
Firstly, I cover what you came here to find out about, soft white versus daylight bulbs. Then I’ll look at the benefits of an LED light bulb, along with color temperature, Lumens, and Kelvins, for anyone that wants to understand LED lighting better.
Table of Contents
Daylight Vs. Soft White: Which Should You Buy
Although the choice is always going to come down to personal preference, there are some guidelines that will help you on your way to make your decision between daylight bulbs vs soft white bulbs.
Soft White LED bulb
Soft white light bulbs are great for creating a cozy and comfortable atmosphere. Daylight vs soft white for living room, dining room, or bedroom? Soft light wins every time, the soft white light bulbs are not only relaxing but, gentle on the eyes.
LED Edison bulbs are an extreme example of this, producing a very warm orange light.
To give you an idea of what to look for I’ll use a quick example. (Just remember Lumens equal brightness, not Watts).
To replace 60-watt incandescent bulbs you will need to look for 7-10 watt LED Bulbs. They will have anywhere between 650-800 lumens and be between 2,700 and 3,000 Kelvins.
Daylight Bulbs
Daylight bulbs, not to be confused with bright white bulbs, emit a more bluish natural light. I’m using the term natural light here because they are the closest thing you’ll find to sunlight.
This light will maximize color contrast, making it fantastic for putting on make-up or close-up work, such as with a desk light. Especially when you need to see the true color of an object. Also ideal for kitchens, workstations, and bathrooms, etc.
To replace 60-Watt incandescent bulbs with a daylight LED bulb you will only need a 7-10 Watt and just like the soft white LED, it will have between 650-800 lumens.
But here’s the difference, daylight LED lights will be between 5,000 and 6,500 kelvins.
Understanding LED Lights
LED light bulbs have fast become a favorite and can be found in a large percentage of homes around the USA. When you learn just how cost-effective and energy-efficient they are you will understand why.
Although LED bulbs are more expensive initially, you will soon see a return on your investment. LED bulbs have an amazing bulb lifetime of 25,000 hours compared to 750 hours for their incandescent counterparts.
In addition to that, compare the operating costs and you will be amazed. For example, a 60w incandescent bulb with average use will cost approx $13 per year, compare that to $2 for LED lights.
You could have your investment back in the first year of use.
Wattage
In the past, we have all got used to defining brightness by the wattage of lights. However, this is no longer true if you are changing over to LED bulbs. No matter what the wattage it is the lumens that tell the brightness, read on I’ll explain.
Brightness (Lumens)
Lumens are all that need to be considered when talking about the brightness of the LED bulbs. Although you may find candlepower, as well as lumens, referred to for spotlights and flashlights. But, candlepower vs lumens is a whole different subject.
If you ask which is brighter soft white or daylight, if they have the same lumen count one is not brighter than the other. Although, the daylight bulb, may appear brighter because it is in the cooler temperature range of blue.
The higher the Lumen number the brighter the lights. Don’t confuse this with color temperature though. Again I urge you to read on.
Color Temperatures (Kelvin)
Color temperatures are shown by a kelvin number on a scale of 1,000 to 10,000 and make the difference between daylight and soft white light.
The higher this number the cooler the color. As I said earlier, a daylight bulb will be between 5,000 and 6,500 kelvins. Compared to a soft white LED which has a temperature in the range of 2,700 to 3,000 kelvin.
Frequently Asked Questions (People Also Ask)
I think I’ve covered everything, but here are some answers to questions that I get asked a lot.
Is warm white and soft white light the same?
A lot of people ask me if warm white LED lights are the same as a soft white LED light. In short, although it is not a vast difference they are not the same.
A warm white has a temperature in the range of 3000-4000 (kelvin). Whereas, the soft white is 2700k to 3000k.
Bright white vs daylight LED lights: Are they the same?
A common mistake people make is thinking that bright white and daylight LED lights are the same things.
Daylight lights emit a bluish light, great for true color contrast. Whereas, the bright white light tends to be white to blue.
Which is better daylight vs soft white?
Choosing which is better between daylight or soft white light depends on the use.
A daylight LED light is great for a bathroom and putting on makeup or workspace etc. While a soft white light is ideal for creating a cozy atmosphere.
Soft white or daylight LED for a kitchen?
Personally, between soft white or daylight LEDs for a kitchen, I would always recommend the daylight option. If daylight light is too blue for you, you may also consider the bright white bulbs that are more white to blue.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it guys, everything you need to know about LEDs, soft white bulbs, and daylight bulbs.
I hope you have found all the information useful and can put it to use when thinking about new lighting for your home.
