‘Switch on the light’- This is common mommy advice that you might have grown up hearing every time you sit down to study, isn’t it? Good lighting stands above all the parameters you need to consider while reading.
It is because inadequate lighting can make you struggle for concentration and can easily distract you while studying.
The same is the case when you talk about LED lights that have taken over the traditional bulbs and tube lights.
LED lights can mimic natural light closely, but there are certain things that you need to take into account to save yourself from spoiling your eyesight.
Here in this article, we will help you determine which color LED light you should choose for reading and studying, what is the best LED light color for reading and the factors that should affect your purchase of reading light.
Is LED Light Good for Reading?
Artificial lighting has been adopted worldwide, and gone are those days when people used to stick to natural light for reading purposes.
With the advent of LED lights, it has gained immense popularity across the globe for being energy-efficient and cost-effective at the same time.
Also, when you talk about LED lights being suitable for reading, you need to know that these lights are directional and can emit light in a selected direction.
Thus, they form a great lighting source for a good read.
Why Do You Need to Choose the Right LED Light Color for Reading?
There are various reasons why you should consider picking on the right colored LED lights. Here we pen down a few of them:
1. The right colored LED lights improve your concentration power and focus.
2. It enhances productivity and makes one feel comfortable while reading.
3. It can also affect your mood and make you feel easy and relaxed while reading.
4. The right colored LED lights can block blue and green wavelengths while protecting your eyes against the adverse effects of these wavelengths.
5. It also boosts your creativity and saves you from daydreaming and getting into unwanted discussions.
6. It helps keep distractions at bay, allowing you to concentrate on your book for more extended periods.
7. Students who read under the right colored LED lights are more alert and can perform better in their academics.
8. Reading under adequate color lights enhances the reading experience and allows you to delightfully enjoy your studying phase instead of making you hit hard over the pages for numerous hours.
What Is the Best LED Light Color for Reading? Why?
Going by the words of experts, it is best to study under natural light and similar conditions.
If you are planning to study during the daytime, you can consider studying under natural light irrespective of whether you are using books or any technological sources for study purposes.
Natural lights have the capability of emitting natural bluish light that can hike up the focus and concentration ability.
Also, natural bluish light is imperative for the healthy functioning of our bodies.
On the contrary, if you plan to read during the night, amber light emitted from blue-light-blocking night bulbs is a good option.
These lights do not cause any alterations in your hormone balance, nor does it interrupt the circadian rhythm.
Furthermore, if you are reading on a computer, mobile, or any similar LED device, you can consider wearing a pair of blue-light-blocking glasses for extra protection to your eyes.
It has been observed that people who read from light-emitting devices before hitting the bed face discomfort in sleeping and also take a long time to fall asleep.
The blue light emitted from LED devices can also disrupt the melatonin hormonal balance, sleep pattern, and other biological functions.
Besides blue light, green wavelengths are also dangerous and can equivalently hamper hormonal balance, besides causing adverse health effects.
Thus, it is necessary to protect your eyes against the adverse impact of blue light by using amber lights and blue-light-blocking glasses.
Is White or Warm Light Better for Reading?
From the perspective of your brain, white light stands similar to natural daylight.
To replicate the natural lighting effect in your study room, the lights should be bright as such lights can help you concentrate and focus on your studies without making you feel sleepy.
On the contrary, dim colored and soft lights can make you feel relaxed, calm, and composed but can distract you from studies making you lose your focus.
Anyway, both light colors is suitable for reading, be white light more suitable for daytime and warm light for nighttime reading. It all depends on your reading habits.
What LED Light Color Should Be Avoided for Reading and Studying?
Avoid reading under blue-colored LED lights as they can be harmful to your eyes.
Excessive exposure to blue light can increase the production of the hormone melanopsin, which can make it challenging for you to fall asleep in a natural process.
When it is evening, our bodies’ instinct for the need for blue light automatically diminishes over time.
But when you stay exposed to blue-colored LED lights, you unknowingly happen to alter the biological clock that signals your mind about sleep, raising a health concern in the long run.
Hence, avoid the usage of blue lights for reading purposes, especially after sunset.
Factors Worth Considering for a Good Reading Light
You may simply hit a store and get a reading lamp that suits the aura of your room.
But remember that everything that looks good may not be right for you.
There are certain parameters that you need to consider while buying a reading lamp to save your eyes from facing the wrath of inadequate and wrong lighting.
Here we list a few factors that you need to consider while picking on a good reading light:
1. What light intensity should be considered for reading?
Picking on the right light intensity is as important as deciding on the right color LED.
Excessive bright light can hamper your reading and can make you feel uncomfortable.
Also, the intensity may vary based on the age of people buying the LED light.
It is said that elderly people over 60 years old require lighting that is 80% brighter than what a young person requires.
It is because, with aging, the ability of the iris to adjust different light intensity levels drops down.
The older a person turns, the lesser is the capability of the iris to expand and widen.
Also, when you have developed short-sightedness, you require a brighter reading lamp than other people of your age for reading purposes because dull lights can damage your vision to a greater extent in such a case.
Furthermore, also check out the illuminance as it evaluates the luminous flux required for reading and acts as a deciding factor for determining the efficiency while reading.
If you are reading on a LED device, inadequate illumination can cause glare on the screen, further raising long-term damage to your eyes.
Going by a study, the illumination should be between 750-1000 Lux to fulfill the reading requirement.
2. What CRI reading lamp to use?
Color Rendering Index, also known as CRI, is a spec that gives detail about the visual output of the lighting source.
The range of CRI varies between 0 to 100 and gives a prediction about how well a lighting source can render its color. The closer the CRI stands to 100; the better is the ability to predict true colors.
Anything beyond the 90 mark is a high CRI lamp, and anything below 80 gets itself listed between mid and low-range CRI.
3. Why you need to get a flicker-free reading light with stable light?
Flicker-free light bulbs are capable of producing continuous light and do not cause strain to your eyes.
As a thumb rule, LED lights should have less than 5% flicker and not more than that, or it can negatively affect your eye health.
But, some LED lights have invisible flickers that can cause a swift change in the brightness of the light every second.
Though this brightness change may not be visible due to its rapid speed, it can raise severe eye health concerns besides causing headache, fatigue, neurological disorder, and strain on the eyes.
Therefore, do not forget to check on the flicker-free mark on the LED light package you are purchasing.
4. Task Lights with Bare Shade vs Regular Lamp with Shade
Task lights focus the light in a particular direction in a narrow pattern to ensure that the light is directed only in that direction where it is needed.
Using a lampshade over such task lighting bulbs is mandatory so that it does not bother people who sit nearby the immediate vicinities of the bulb, if you read books in bed.
Hence, lampshades prove to be handy in such a situation that can be adjusted to focus towards your reading direction without hindering the comfort zone of others occupying the same room.
If you tend to read books in living rooms, both types perform well.
5. Is adjustable arm the must-have function to consider?
If the LED lamp you are buying does not have flexible arms, it can again pose a huge challenge when you wish to alter your reading position.
While reading, you might feel the need to change your posture after sitting continuously in a single posture for some time.
But the inflexible arm of a lamp may hinder your freedom of changing postures due to its inability to twist and turn the direction of light towards your reading direction.
Hence, always buy a reading lamp with flexible arms that can be adjusted as per your posture change.
FAQs
1. What is the best LED light color for reading during the daytime?
As mentioned above, natural light is best suited for reading during the daytime whether you read on a LED device or a book.
2. What color light is best for reading at nighttime?
Red-colored and amber lights are best suited for reading during the night.
Conclusion
Whether you are an occasional reader or a student who has no choice but to study, you can enhance your reading experience when you sit under the right colored LED lights.
Whether you want to just complete an interesting novel, read a newspaper, or prepare for your examinations, warm and right-colored LED lights are your best bet.
So, what are you waiting for? Get the right LED lights installed in your study place, and get ready to say goodbye to the stress and discomfort that comes your way when you sit down for a good read.
