What is light colour?

Descriptions of light colours, such as warm white and cool white, say something about the type of light a lamp will emit. These light colours can be more specifically expressed by their colour temperature, which is expressed in Kelvin (K). The lower the Kelvin value, the warmer the light and the higher the Kelvin value, the cooler the light.

• Cool white (± 4000K): clear white light with a blue glow
• Neutral white (± 3500K): neutral white light, located between cool white and warm white light
• Warm white (3000K): pleasant white light
• Extra warm white (2700K): cosy white light with a yellowish glow
• RGB(+W): coloured light + white light

For example, candlelight has a light temperature of around 1200 K, a halogen lamp is usually around 2800-3000 K. You can find the possible light temperatures you can create with the different types of light sources below.

This information is important when choosing your lighting. Depending on your purpose of use, warmer or colder light in a room is recommended. In a living room, for example, people usually go for pleasant warm, yellowish light, while in an office, a cool white light may be a better choice.

We also have dimmable lamps that become warmer in colour the more they’re dimmed. So you can make it extra cosy at home. Philips, Wever & Ducré, Delta Light and Modular Lighting have so-called dim to warm lamps in their range.

With some variants of smart lighting, you can go one step further and completely adjust the light colour of your lamp depending on the atmosphere you want to create. With Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance, you can choose from all shades of white light and no fewer than 16 million colours.