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  • Lara Kalins

How to Choose a Light Bulb

Here are some things to consider when selecting a LED light bulb:

1. Lumens: Lumens measures the amount of light produced by a bulb. A higher lumen number indicates a brighter bulb. To give you an idea, 60W is approx. 800 lumens and 100W is about 1600 lumens.


2. Colour temperature: Colour temperature is measured in Kelvins (K) and refers to the colour produced by the bulb. Warm white light is around 2700K (similar to incandescent bulbs). Cool white light is around 6000K and is similar to daylight.​

The different types of light bulbs
The different types of light bulbs

3. CRI: CRI or Colour Rendering Index is on a scale from 1% - 100% and refers to how true colours appear under a particular light source. Rule of thumb is to select light bulbs with an 80 or higher CRI.

How light changes the colour of materials.
How light changes the colour of materials.

In general, I prefer dimmable bulbs to change the lumens, and I look for a warm white colour temperature (2700K) for living rooms and bedrooms, a bright white (3000-3500K) for kitchens and work spaces and a daylight colour temperature (5600-6000K) for reading spots. Areas that you spend the least amount of time in can have a CRI of 80 (eg. hallways), but areas where the ability to see true colour is important, like the kitchen, closet, or living and dining rooms you should select a CRI of 90 or higher. And, I especially like the LED bulbs that have a filament.

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