Which light is better for the eyes: warm or cold?

In the modern world, the vision of every person experiences an increased load: computer monitors, TV screens and all kinds of gadgets are constantly before our eyes, at work and at home. Therefore, many people who seek to compensate for damage to their vision, even where possible, care about which light is better. In addition, the color of lighting affects the perception of the interior of the room, it can be emphasized favorably or, conversely, it is unpleasant to distort colors. It follows that even to such trifles as light bulb selection, you need to be careful.

The effect of color lighting on humans and vision?

You should not worry about the relationship between the color of lighting devices and eye health: it does not affect vision.

However, the shade of lighting nevertheless has a certain effect on a person: our psychoemotional state and mood depends to some extent on it. Warm light helps to relax, cold light invigorates and keeps you in good shape, so each of them is good in its place and in due time.

Let's figure out which artificial light is better and more beneficial for the eyes - warm or cold white?

No matter how many companies involved in the development of artificial lighting devices try to create a light bulb, fully consistent in all respects with natural sunlight, today these attempts to no avail.

Source color temperature

To find out what the light from an energy-saving or LED lamp will look like, you need to pay attention to the color temperature indicated on the package. The unit is Kelvin (K).

The lower this value, the more yellow the glow will be. Lighting from a bulb having a high color temperature has a bluish tint. Most often, there are three main colors of lighting:

1. White warm - 2700–3500 K.
2. Neutral or natural white - 3500-5000 K.
3. Cold white - from 5000 K and higher.

Which light is better - warm or cold?

There is no direct answer to this question. It all depends on the room, purpose and scenario of the use of lighting.

For example, the situation with the illumination of the picture: the mood of the canvas changes from lighting, the shades play completely differently at different light temperatures.

The same situation with a bouquet of flowers.

But here is the utility room with different lighting.

Here is a good illustration of how color perception changes depending on the temperature of the light. The palette does not change!

Conclusion: qualitatively, the color temperature does not change the lighting. But before choosing a lamp, you need to understand what effect to expect, and where which light is appropriate.

Which light is better for reading?

For comfortable reading, the light intensity should be around 500 lumens (500 lm).

Important Features:

• The lamp must be closed from the eyes by a shade and have a diffusing glass (preferably milky white), so as not to blind the reader.
• The light source must be placed on the side of the person: for writing - on the left (for the left-hander, vice versa), for reading - on the right.
• Recommended distance of the lighting device from the book: to the side - from 30 to 40 cm, and above the table surface - from 25 to 30 cm.
• Light should not reflect directly into the face! Even if the source is opposite the reader, you should adjust the desk lamp so that the light is reflected in the chest or up.

And now about the color temperature of the light to read. It all depends on the scenario of the use of lighting: on what you read and when.

• If a person, being in a poorly lit room, reads something at work or study, and it is important for him to maintain cheerfulness and concentration, then Natural white light of medium intensity will do.
• If the room is well lit, then clarity of thinking and even resistance to seasonal depression will increase the cold white light. It will not be perceived as cold, but rather as neutral white. Brightness should be comfortable so as not to strain your eyesight.
• But if you decide to read a light book before bedtime, then normal and “cool” light is strictly forbidden to you. These shades block the production of melatonin (sleep hormone). Warm light is ideal for evening reading. It should be muffled, but of sufficient intensity so as not to strain the eyes. Such light calms and helps to easily fall asleep.

What if, for example, the lamp on the table is used both day and evening, and even before bedtime? Do not buy the same three lamps for different occasions!

In this case, there are lamps with different color temperature conditions and even with different light intensities. The photo shows an example of a similar solution.

Helpful advice: Do not use a desk lamp as the only light source! Always turn on the main light, at least half of the possible power. This will significantly reduce eye strain and make reading more comfortable and enjoyable.

Warm light

Lighting of warm white color with the usual yellowish tinge is comfortable and pleasant for human eyes, its glow is the same as that of yellow sunlight in the early morning or closer to sunset. It can provide both conventional incandescent and halogen bulbs. You can also find on sale luminescent and LED devices with radiation of a warm spectrum. Where is it best to use such a light?

• In the living room. It is recommended to arrange lukewarm lighting in rooms where you want to create a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. For example, in the room where the family gathers in the evenings to have dinner and socialize.

In the living room, it is best to install a diffusing chandelier.

• In the kitchen. Warm lighting is perfect for the area above the dining table: the dishes will look more appetizing and beautiful.
• In the bathroom. Soft tepid light in the bathing area will help to relax.
• In the bedroom. It is in this room that it is especially important to create a feeling of calm and comfort so that your eyes can rest.

Lamps with a warm spectrum are used by designers to increase the color saturation of interior items in soft colors. Cold shades, on the contrary, will become less noticeable.
Blue and green colors will be distorted: this is due to the fact that in the light from such a lamp there are no rays of the corresponding spectrum.

Under such lighting, cool tones change as follows:

• blue may appear greenish;
• the blue will become faded;
• dark blue will turn into black;
• purple can be confused with red.

That is why you need to think through all the details in advance, before buying a lamp so that the lighted room does not acquire an undesirable or even unpleasant look.

Natural white light

Halogen, LED and some fluorescent lamps give lighting that is as close as possible to natural white light, therefore colors are practically not distorted. It is advisable to install them:

• in children's rooms, but not cheap fluorescent lamps, they flicker and can cause headaches;
• in the hall;
• in the working area of ​​the kitchen;
• in a place intended for reading, for example, near an armchair or in a bedroom above a bed;
• next to mirrors, as they faithfully convey skin tone.

It must be remembered that it is important to correctly position the light source relative to the mirrors and reflective surfaces, so as not to blind the person looking at them.

Cold light

The light of the cold color spectrum resembles the white winter sun. It is often used in office premises, as well as wherever it is necessary to create a working mood. It is neutral and cool shades that are suitable for those places where the presence of both natural and artificial lighting is assumed, since these tones will help improve concentration.

The cold light stream is perceived by the human eye as brighter and more intense.

In apartments, lamps with such radiation are most often used:

• In the kitchen, where accent lighting is required for cooking.
• In the office, since such radiation balances and improves performance.
• In the bathroom, in the washing area - cold bluish lighting will help to cheer up and wake up to the end.

• In living rooms, it is recommended to use this spectrum when they have a modern design and a lot of free space.

Colors under such lighting are also distorted, but the changes concern only lukewarm shades. Red, orange, and yellow will appear purple, brown, and greenish, respectively. But the blue and green tones, on the contrary, will look rich and rich.

Note! The color of lighting is affected not only by the glow of the bulb, but also by the color of its bulb, as well as the lampshade or shade.

How to choose a lamp?

To choose the right bulb, it makes sense to pay attention not only to color, but also to its other parameters. All light sources used today are characterized by several signs:

1. Operating principle. They emit LED, fluorescent, halogen, as well as well-known incandescent lamps.
2. Flask configuration. The most common types are pear-shaped, spherical, tubular, mushroom-shaped and the so-called spots.
3. Efficiency. The highest indicator to date have LED bulbs.
4. Cost. The cheapest light sources are incandescent lamps, the most expensive are LED ones. At the same time, the latter are environmentally friendly and consume much less electricity.

Range of color temperatures for different lamps

Halogen and incandescent lamps shine with warm light, and fluorescent and LED lamps can shine in a wide range from 2700 to 7000 Kelvin.

Color Rendering Index (CRI or Ra)

To understand how the room will look when the artificial lighting is on, at the time of purchase it is better to further clarify the color rendering index of the light bulb. The letters CRI or Ra are used to indicate it. ideally, this figure should be 90 or higherThis will allow you to see the natural colors of objects in a room lit by a lamp. If Ra is less than 80, the shades will be distorted.