Soft White vs Daylight – Here’s The BIG Difference

The key difference between soft white and daylight bulbs is the color temperature. A soft white bulb can produce a candle-like glow, while a daylight bulb is designed to mimic natural sunlight.

Soft White vs. Daylight Bulbs: Key Differences and How to Choose

Are you shopping for light bulbs but unsure whether to buy soft white or daylight?

Too much bright light can make a room feel like a science lab. And not enough light can make a room feel small and gloomy.

To set the proper mood, you need to use the right type of bulbs for each room.

In this comparison of soft white vs. daylight bulbs, you’ll learn:

• The difference between soft white and daylight bulbs
• Which type of bulbs to use for each room
• Tips for choosing the right bulb

So, if you’re shopping for light bulbs but can’t decide which type to buy, keep reading.

Use the links below to navigate the article:

• Soft White vs Daylight Bulbs: Comparison Chart
• Understanding Light Bulb Labels
• What Are Soft White Bulbs?
• What Are Daylight Bulbs?
• Soft White vs. Daylight: A Room-by-Room Guide
• How to Choose Between Soft White and Daylight Bulbs
• What Lighting Experts Say
• Final Thoughts

Soft White vs Daylight Bulbs: Comparison Chart

Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of soft white vs. daylight bulbs.

Soft White Bulbs	Daylight Bulbs
Color Temperature	2700K to 3000K	5000K to 6500K
Hue	Soft yellow	White with tints of blue
Ambience	Calm and relaxing	Vibrant and energizing
Most Suitable Fixtures	Floor and table lamps and chandeliers	Overhead lighting, outdoor lighting, and vanities
Best for…	Living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways	Kitchens, bathrooms, and other workspaces

Understanding Light Bulb Labels

Whether you are standing in the aisle of a home improvement store or shopping online, you might feel like you need a guide to understand all the terminology. Hopefully, this breakdown of lighting terms will help.

On lightbulb labels, you’re likely to see references to lumens, watts, and color temperature or light appearance. I’ll explain each briefly.

Lumens

Lumens is the measure of visible light emitted by the bulb. In other words, the bulb’s brightness. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light, no matter if the bulb is conventional, such as incandescent, or a light-emitting diode (LED).

Watts

Watts refers to how much energy a bulb uses.

Two popular light bulb choices are incandescent and LED.

Incandescent bulbs function by heating a filament that emits light. As a result, the bulbs are hot to the touch.

LED bulbs emit light when current flows through microchips and activates a series of small light sources. They’re noticeably cooler than incandescent bulbs due to built-in heat management design.

Also, LED bulbs are more energy-efficient and longer-lasting than incandescent bulbs.

Color Temperature/Light Appearance

When you think of temperature, you might think of hot or cold, but when it comes to light, color temperature has to do with the appearance of the glow.

Also referred to as light appearance, the color temperature of a light bulb refers to where it falls on the Kelvin scale in terms of warmth or coolness.

As you read the labels on light bulb packages, you will see words like warm, cool, daylight, or soft. These descriptions refer to the Kelvin scale and the kind of light each bulb emits.

In general, the higher the Kelvin rating, the whiter the light will appear. Bulbs often range from 1900K to 7500K. The lower end produces a more yellow/orange glow, while the highest end of the spectrum is white light with tones of blue.

In this comparison, we’ll focus on soft white vs. daylight.

What Are Soft White Bulbs?

A soft white bulb falls between 2700K to 3000K on the Kelvin scale. It’s considered a warmer color temperature because of the orange glow it casts and for the way the light interacts with warm colors in a room, such as reds, oranges, and browns.

Depending on where it falls on the Kelvin scale, the bulb emits a range of warmth and coolness. For example, a 2700K bulb may have a warmer glow than a 3000K bulb.

A soft white bulb is suitable for any place where you want ambient lighting, including areas where you gather, such as a kitchen nook or living room, or the places you rest. These lights provide a warm cozy glow that invokes calmness, but it’s not an ideal choice for completing a detailed task or reading small print.

What Are Daylight Bulbs?

On the Kelvin scale, a daylight bulb ranges from 5000K to 6500K. The glow it casts resembles daylight, which has a white hue with tints of blue. Pure sunlight is around 5000K to give you an idea of how the color temperature will react in your space.

Just like a soft white bulb, the color of a daylight bulb color varies. The higher the Kelvin rating, the more white the light will be.

A daylight bulb provides excellent contrast between colors, while a soft white bulb helps blend colors in a room.

Daylight bulbs are suitable for areas where you need to see intricate details such as a study area, kitchen island, vanity mirror, or bathroom. They wouldn’t work well in a hangout space.

In the next section, I’ll discuss recommendations on where and when to use soft white or daylight bulbs.

Soft White vs. Daylight: A Room-by-Room Guide

Each room of your home has different lighting needs and requires different types of bulbs. If you’re struggling to decide whether to use soft white or daylight bulbs, here are my recommendations for each room:

Bathrooms: A daylight bulb works great for any area of the bathroom where you need to see fine details. This could include in front of a mirror, overhead, or lighting the entire space. If you want a spa-like feel, you could also add a light fixture with a soft white bulb, but daylight bulbs are a solid choice for most bathrooms.

Kitchen: In areas where you are preparing food, a daylight bulb is best. In areas where you are eating, especially in the evening, you might prefer a warmer light. While it is a matter of preference, just know that daylight bulbs are the better choice if your main goal is to see crisp details.

Bedrooms: A soft white bulb is an excellent choice for overhead lighting in a bedroom. It gives a warm cozy glow in the area where you rest. If you have a desk in your room, you can add a daylight bulb in a nearby lamp to provide the appropriate light for reading and writing.

Living room: Since this room is usually a gathering place for family and friends, a soft white bulb is recommended for overhead lighting and lamps. It offers a cozy feeling that you can’t get from daylight bulbs.

Dining room: Here, it could go either way. It all depends on the way you want your dining room to feel during a meal. If the decor or meal is the main attraction, choose daylight as it will highlight color contrasts. If the focus is more on fellowship, a soft white bulb is a better choice.

Home Office: Daylight bulbs are best for reading, writing, and performing tasks for work. In fact, some studies show that daylight improves mood and productivity, so having a light source that mimics natural light might offer similar results.

Front/side/back porch: When it comes to your porch, I recommend a daylight bulb. It can provide security, acting as a deterrent for would-be thieves. It can also help you see clearly as you use keys or enter codes to get into your home. Since bugs are attracted to bright lighting, choose a bug-repelling bulb or a motion-activated light fixture to reduce insects gathering near your front door.

Basement: If your basement is used for storage, laundry, or housing appliances such as a hot water tank and furnace, choose a daylight bulb. It’ll be helpful when you have to complete important DIY fix-it tasks and need to see clearly. If your basement doubles as an entertainment hub, you might want to consider a mix of bulbs: soft white bulb for watching TV and daylight for playing games.

Garage: This area is perfect for a daylight bulb because it’s frequently a place where you need bright light to work on home projects or fix things. It’s also helpful when loading or unloading your car.

Attic: If used as a storage space, a daylight bulb is essential. If the attic is used as a bedroom or guest space, you’ll want a mix of lighting: soft white for ambiance and daylight for tasks.

Hallways/Entryways: Soft white lighting is best in hallways and entryways since those areas are mainly used to pass through. It provides an ambient glow to promote feelings of relaxation.

Outside (patio, deck, pool area, etc.): Outside lighting may vary depending on the activities. For example, a daylight bulb in a pool area will provide a well-lit environment to promote safety. By contrast, soft white lighting on a deck or patio can set a mood for relaxation at the end of a long day.

As you can see, each room or area dictates what type of light is best. Thankfully, if you are looking for portable light sources, there are versatile task lamps on the market (view on Amazon) that switch between soft white and daylight.

How to Choose Between Soft White and Daylight Bulbs

Here are some tips to help make your decision as you ponder choosing soft white, daylight, or a mix of both:

Function of the room: Think about the types of tasks or activities you engage in for each room. You might lean toward choosing one color temperature, or it might be better to mix the color temperatures in different areas of a room. For example, your bathroom could have daylight bulbs around the vanity but soft white in the shower or as the main light.

Mood of the room: What feelings are you going for in a space? The desired mood of the room will dictate which bulbs are best. Warm and cozy whispers soft white, while bright and energetic screams daylight. Lighting can change the room’s mood instantly.

Size of the room: You can determine how much light you need if you know your room’s square footage and the foot-candle measurements. A foot-candle is the amount of light that saturates a one-foot square radius with one lumen. This article from Home Depot will help you determine how much light you will need based on room size.

Paint color: If you want to enhance warm tones, such as earth tones or neutrals, go for soft white lighting. If you have cooler paint colors like blues and greens, a daylight bulb will go hand in hand with making colors pop in a room.

Type of lights: Where will the bulbs go? Overhead lighting? Stationary or portable lamps? Wall sconces? Each light fixture lends itself to a certain type of bulb based on its function. Detailed tasks will benefit from a daylight bulb, but relaxing doesn’t require a high level of brightness. Think about what happens in the space, and it’ll be easy to make the right choice.

LED vs. Incandescent: Should you buy an incandescent bulb or an LED? Incandescent bulbs are a traditional choice for warm/soft light, but some great LED bulbs come pretty close to the ambiance that incandescent lighting provides. In fact, LEDs can produce soft white and daylight color temperatures (and are more efficient and long-lasting, too).

What Lighting Experts Say

I contacted two lighting companies to get a broader perspective on this topic. When I spoke to each expert, I asked two questions:

• What’s the difference between daylight and soft white bulbs?
• Which rooms do you recommend using each?

The expert at Lamps Plus, the largest lighting retailer in the US, said, “Daylight and soft white refers to the color temperature of the bulb. In other words, it’s all about how much light output you desire. Soft white falls between 2700K and 3000K on the Kelvin scale, and daylight is between 5500K and 6500K. Soft white has more warm tones and is often in the yellow color range. Daylight is cooler, more like natural daylight.”

She also mentioned, “Soft white is ideal for residential environments. Daylight is ideal for commercial environments. But it really comes down to personal preference. In my opinion, soft white is ideal for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, and under cabinets. And daylight is ideal for commercial spaces, garages, display cases, and offices. There is no correct answer for each room; some people put soft white throughout their home, while others prefer a whiter light.”

I also spoke to the lighting expert at LightingDirect.com, another major retailer. She said, “Bulbs with a lower color temperature give off softer light. The lower the Kelvin rating, the yellower the light. The higher the Kelvin rating, the whiter the light. Daylight bulbs are great for rooms like offices and bathrooms where you need to see details, while I recommend soft white bulbs for bedrooms, living rooms, and areas of your home where you’ll be relaxing.”

Final Thoughts

The key difference between soft white and daylight bulbs is the color temperature. A soft white bulb can produce a candle-like glow, while a daylight bulb is designed to mimic natural sunlight.

Soft white bulbs are best for creating a warm, cozy feeling in a space and can bring out the best in a room featuring earth tones. They are an excellent choice for areas where you rest or hang out, such as bedrooms, living rooms, or man caves.

Daylight bulbs are perfect in areas where you need to see details or want to invoke a sense of energy and productivity. They are well-suited for offices, kitchens, craft rooms, and bathrooms.

Choosing the right bulb depends on several factors, such as the room’s function, mood, color, or size. Additionally, the type of fixture and its placement lends itself to different color temperatures.

I recommend having a mix of soft white and daylight bulbs, and I’m an advocate for LED lighting because they use less energy and last longer than traditional bulbs. If you’re unsure which type of bulb to buy, get both and try them in your space.

You might be surprised by which one you like the most (it’s happened to me). Return the ones you don’t like — it’s as simple as that.

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Andrew Palermo – About the Author

Andrew is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Prudent Reviews. He began his career in marketing, managing campaigns for dozens of Fortune 500 brands. In 2018, Andrew founded Prudent Reviews and has since reviewed 600+ products. When he’s not testing the latest cookware, kitchen knives, and appliances, he’s spending time with his family, cooking, and doing house projects. Connect with Andrew via email, LinkedIn, or the Prudent Reviews YouTube channel.

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2 thoughts on “Soft White vs. Daylight Bulbs: Key Differences and How to Choose”

I can’t believe how much information you provided in this article. It was so informative how you broke down each bulb and what to look for on the bulb package. I can now go and purchase my light bulb using your information. Thank you so much for this article. Reply

Soft White vs Daylight – Here’s The BIG Difference

Color temperatures like soft white and daylight alter how an object or space is perceived when illuminated.

So it can be important to select the best options for your unique application.

Both soft white and daylight can be called various things. Another way to put it, would be warm vs cool. Or even yet another way, 2700K vs 6000K.

Obviously we’re discussing two very different color temperatures that sit on opposite sides of the scale.

And yes, there’s literally a scale to use for these LED light colors . It’s called the Kelvin scale.

The Kelvin scale goes from 1,000K up to 10,000K. The lower the number the more yellow tones. The higher the number, the more blueish tones.

Soft White vs Daylight

There’s a BIG difference between the two.

Soft white has more warm tones and is often in the yellow color range. Daylight however, is far more cool and has more white and even blueish tones to it.

Soft white is ideal for residential environments and has more earthy tones.

Daylight is ideal for commercial environments and has more blueish tints.

If you are on the fence, you can compare both 3000K vs 4000K options as well as 4000K vs 5000K .

There’s a subtle difference between these ranges, but those color temperatures are where most consumers find a nice fit for lots of applications.

Soft White is ideal for:

• Residential
• Kitchen
• Bedrooms
• Bathrooms
• Closets
• Under Cabinets

Daylight is ideal for:

• Commercial
• Garages
• Display Cases
• Offices
• Signage

*Pro Tip Lighting is a personal preference. What looks good to me may not be what looks good to your eye. If possible, test out different lights to see what works best.

Soft White or Daylight for Bathrooms

In most bathroom or vanity applications, you want a brighter light. A preferable color temperature for a bathroom is 3000K (soft-white) to 5000K (cool white).

Daylight can be too blue and sterile, so I like to err on the side of soft white to cool white.

Remember, soft white is around 3000K which is recommended for earthy tones and highlights wood grains, while daylight is about 6000K, more blueish and is better in commercial settings.

Things to keep in mind:

• Cabinetry color
• Countertop color
• Paint color
• Size of the room
• Existing natural light

I tested both 3000K and 6000K lights on a standard gloss taupe colored paint in my bathroom.

You can see the big difference between the two. The soft color is much more pleasant, but the daylight brings quite a bit more “brightness” to it.

Again, meeting in the middle might be ideal for lots of us. A 4000K color could make for a nice overall light.

A perfect middle ground between soft white and daylight color temperatures. A 60 watt equivalent with 750 lumens.

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Soft White or Daylight for Kitchens

Using a soft white light is ideal for most traditional or transitional kitchens. A warmer light is less harsh than a daylight light fixture. It highlights wood grains and looks great on earthy tones.

However, if you have a more contemporary kitchen, look for a “cool white” light in the range of 4000K-5000K. This is typically better than a daylight color of 6000K which is more harsh and usually has a blueish tint to it.

You want to be careful not to make your kitchen seem too sterile and unwelcoming with a daylight fixture.

Instead, you can use a soft white or meet in the middle with a cool white.

I tested both 3000K and 6000K on my darker wood veneer cabinets.

Oddly, the 3000K soft white color was quite pleasant.

And the much brighter 6000K was aggressive and didn’t make the cabinet pop as much.

It’s a trade off though. The daylight color temperature does provide a more “task” oriented light that’s often needed in a kitchen. And the soft white makes the wood grains and cabinets appear natural.

The end result? Definitely consider your cabinetry color. This matters more than most think. Even if you have white contemporary cabinets, look for a cool white light, but not daylight.

*Pro Tip White cabinetry looks best with a “white” light. Look for a 3500K-5000K color temperature. Wood cabinetry looks best with a “warm” light. Look for a 2700K-3500K color temperature.

Soft White or Daylight for Bedrooms

Typically we use our bedrooms to relax and wind down. A soft white light or even a warm, yellowish light is a preferred color temperature for bedrooms . Look for a 2000K to 3500K color temperature for your lights.

Basking in the daylight sun is something most of us would enjoy.

However, when it comes to the term “daylight” in lighting, it isn’t the most pleasant color in bedrooms. It can be a very bright and harsh light with a blueish hue.

If you really want to make your bedroom a warm and inviting place, stick with the tried-and-true warm white color for lighting .

I took some photos of my floor lamp with different types of bulbs. You can really tell the difference with the lamp cover dispersing the yellows in the soft white and the blues in the daylight.

Soft White Lights

Soft white is probably the most popular color for residential applications. I would consider it a 2700K-3000K or a warm white as well. Soft white color tones just work in more settings than a daylight bulb does.

You can get soft white lights in lots of fixtures like:

• LED Light Bulbs
• Incandescent Bulbs
• LED Strip Lights
• Outdoor Sting Lights
• Recessed Ceiling Lights
• Puck and Stick Lights

Complete 12V kit with one 16.4ft. light strip roll, inline controller switch, 6 brightness levels, 3000K warm white, easy to cut and add with adhesive backing.

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Daylight Lights

When shopping around for a daylight fixture, you can easily find lots of the most popular fixture styles.

In some cases, like smart bulbs, you can use tunable lights to switch between a daylight or soft white

You can get daylight fixtures in:

• LED Light Bulbs
• LED Strip Lights
• Ceiling Lights
• Incandescent Bulbs
• Puck Lights
• Stick Lights

1600 lumens, 17 watt LED, 100 watt equivalent, Bluetooth and Zigbee compatible (Hue Hub is optional).

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Time to Add Your Personal Touch!

What’s the best thing about choosing a lights color temperature?

There’s no one right answer. Sure, there’s some good guidelines to follow, but ultimately it’s up to your personal preferences.

With lighting, it’s always good to test variations of lights and colors. You may find yourself liking something you wouldn’t have thought.

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