Home Improvement Skills & Specialties Electrical

Warm White vs. Soft White Light Bulbs: When to Use Each

Warm White vs. Soft White Bulbs

The Spruce / Paige McLaughlin

Not all white lighting is created equal, especially when it comes to soft white vs. warm white light. Shopping for a light bulb involves more than checking the wattage and double-checking the shape and size for compatibility with the light fixture. Another choice you need to make is between warm, soft, cool, and bright bulbs. Their color temperature determines the intensity and color of the light they emit.

Here’s what you need to know when buying warm white or soft white light bulbs for your home.

What to Know About Watts and Kelvins

There are two important terms to know when discussing light bulbs: watts and Kelvins. 

  • A watt is the measurement of power used by an incandescent bulb. If you’ve switched to LED bulbs, you’re dealing with lumens as the measure of power; the watt-to-lumen conversion is usually listed on the bulb’s box.
  • A Kelvin is the measure of a light bulb’s color temperature. The color temperature is not the same as the actual lightbulb temperature. Kelvins measure how the emitted light looks, not its temperature when you touch it.

Different Color Temperatures of Lightbulbs

Kelvin Color Temperatures for Light Bulbs

The Spruce / Paige McLaughlin

Here’s a quick breakdown of the color temperature range for four of the most common types of light bulbs:

Soft White 

Soft white light bulbs register between 2,700 and 3,000 Kelvin. They emit a soft yellow glow. They illuminate rooms without being too harsh, offering ambient illumination to bedrooms, living rooms, and other spots where you like to get cozy, relax, or sleep.

Warm White 

These bulbs are higher on the Kelvin scale, registering between 3,000 and 4,000 Kelvin. Warm white light bulbs emit a warm yellow-white glow. As such, they are good for your home's kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and other high-traffic areas.

Cool or Bright White

All bulbs seem to be bright and hot, but cool or bright white light bulbs specifically refer to color temperatures between 4,000 and 5,000 Kelvin. Cool or bright white lights emit white and blue tones. These are better for offices, garages, and other places where you might be working or completing tasks that need brighter lights to see clearly.

Daylight

In between 5,000 and 6,500 on the Kelvin scale, daylight bulbs are even bluer in tone than bright or cool bulbs. Like natural daylight, which allows you to see clearly, daylight bulbs are best for seeing every detail. Not surprisingly, this is the type of light that you’ll find in hospitals, large offices, and classrooms—even at home in that illuminated makeup mirror on your vanity.

Warm White vs. Soft White

If you use incandescent bulbs for lamps and fixtures at home, you’re probably familiar with soft and warm white lighting. They are closer together on the Kelvin scale and emit similar yellowish-white tones.

As its name suggests, soft white light offers a softer glow than warm. However, they are close enough to emit a semi-yellow glow on the Kelvin scale. It’s OK to use a mix of them in your home, though it’s best to use all the same types of bulbs in the same room for a more uniform aesthetic.

How Lightbulbs Affect Ambiance

Mood lighting varies the amount and intensity of lighting to affect a space's ambiance. The right lighting depends on the room's purpose; for example, you'll need stronger illumination in work areas such as a kitchen, office, or garage

It's important to know that whatever type of bulb you screw into a fixture, dimmer switches can help you regulate the intensity of that fixture. With just a swipe of a fingertip, you can easily transform the ambiance of a room; for example, you can create a soft, ambient glow in the living room during movie night rather than sit in the complete dark in front of a flickering screen.

Where to Use Warm White Light Bulbs

Use warm white bulbs where you need a bit of energy with your illumination:

  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms
  • Hallways

Where to Use Soft White Light Bulbs

Use soft white bulbs in rooms where you want an illuminated space that’s also somewhat cozy and relaxing:

  • Bedrooms
  • Living rooms
  • Dining rooms
FAQ
  • Do soft white light bulbs look yellow in color?

    Yes, soft white lighting looks yellow-white. Warm white is also semi-yellow but slightly distinguishable from soft white. As such, it’s OK to mix them in your home but not in the same light fixture. For example, if you’ve got a chandelier, purchase the correct temperature of replacement bulbs for a uniform look.

  • Which lightbulb color is best for a bedroom?

    Soft white lighting is best for bedrooms because it’s warm and cozy. If you like to read before bed, a soft white bulb in a bedside lamp is a good choice as it doesn’t emit the harsher blue tones of bright white lights. Research shows that exposure to the blue tones of bright white light—the same used in computer, phone, and tablet screens—can make it harder to fall asleep at night.

  • What color temperature is best for a bathroom?

    Often, daylight lightbulbs are the best bulbs to brighten interior rooms, such as bathrooms that may not have a window or smaller windows that don't let in a lot of light.

  • Does cool or warm light look better?

    Cool lightbulbs look better and help set the tone in modern spaces or contemporary kitchens, while warmer-temperature lighting is best for libraries, living rooms, or traditional kitchens.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Electricity explained: measuring electricity. U.S. Energy Information Agency.

  2. Lumens and the lighting facts label. U.S. Department of Energy.

  3. Color and mood. Energy Star.