Choose the Best Color Temperature for Your Outdoor Lighting

The Kelvin light scale measures the color of light emitted by an object when it is heated to a particular temperature. As the temperature of the object increases, the color of the light it emits changes. Correlated color temperature, often shortened to CCT or color temperature, measures this color in Kelvin (K) with lower temperatures referring to warm or yellower light and higher temperatures referring to cool or bluer white light.

If you want to achieve a strong red or blue color, use RGB landscape bulbs that emit single or multi-color changing options.

Using a cool white vs warm white light will have different effects on your landscape design. Therefore, choose the best color temperature for your outdoor lighting based on the purpose of your lighting, the atmosphere you want to create, and the surrounding environment. 

Lights in the 2700K-3000K temperature range have a hue similar to candlelight or incandescent bulbs. Warm landscape lights are used for ambient and accent lighting because this color temperature creates a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Install warm white lights in your patios, decks, and gardens. 

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Lights with an average CCT of 4000K provide a natural white glow. Natural white landscape lights provide crisp, clear illumination that highlights architectural features and outdoor dining or entertainment areas. Lights with a CCT range of 3500K to 4500K are also used in garden lighting because white light emphasizes the green in plants and flowers. 

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Lights with a color temperature of around 5000K have a cool white tone. These lights are ideal for security lighting or where visibility and safety are needed because cool light appears brighter. Cool white lights are also used to create a moonlighting effect since natural moonlight appears bluish. 

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Use a combination of CCTs to create depth and dimension in your landscape lighting. For example, use warm white for main ambient lighting, neutral white for pathway lighting, and cool white for security purposes. It's also important to consider the color rendering index (CRI) of your lighting. A high CRI ensures that colors appear natural and vibrant. Aim for a CRI of at least 80 for outdoor lighting to most accurately reflect the colors in your landscaping and architectural features.

At Super Bright LEDs, we offer a wide selection of landscape lights like spot lights, flood lights, well lights, path lights, string lights, hardscape lights, and more! Shop our various landscape lights with single or selectable color temperatures here.