The color temperature of a light fixture is a measurement of the amount of yellow or blue in the white light that it produces, since all white light falls somewhere on the scale shown below. This measurement is expressed in kelvins; a higher kelvin number means the light is cooler/more blue, and a lower number means that it’s warmer/more yellow. Click here to view and download a PDF of this page.

When trying to choose whether to use a warm white LED light or a neutral white one, you can think about the color temperature as a decorative element: would a warmer color light go well with the colors of your room and decor, or is the color palette cooler? Although our whites do have different color temperatures, they will appear to be more “pure” white when used in a room with a similar color palette, so that the coolness or warmth of the white won’t stand out as much.