What Color Light is Best for the Bathroom? [A Quick Guide]

When it comes to bathroom lighting, choosing the right color temperature can have a big impact on the overall feel of the space.

Not only will the color of the light affect the mood and ambiance of the room, but it can also impact the way you appear in the mirror – as weird as that sounds! That’s why you’ll normally find make-up mirrors that have lights will choose a light temperature in the natural light range.

So, what color temperature is best to use in your bathroom?

Let’s take a look.

What is Color Temperature?

First, it’s important to understand what color temperature means. Put simply, color temperature refers to the perceived coolness or warmth of the light.

Have you ever noticed that medical rooms have very cold, white lights? That’s because the light used is a cool light, meaning it appears very white and is often described as a clean, very formal/clinical light.

Color temperature is measured in kelvins (K), with lower kelvin values (2700K-3000K) indicating warm, yellow tones, and higher kelvin values (5000K-6500K) indicating cooler, whiter tones.

Let’s look at the three main color temperature groups (all of which we use here at Cavelights) and look at the pros and cons of using them in your bathroom.

Warm Light

Warm Light (2700K-3000K) is a great choice for creating a cozy and relaxing atmosphere in your bathroom.

It’s also the closest to the color of traditional incandescent bulbs, which many people find more flattering on their skin – which is a must when you’re always looking in the bathroom mirror like me!

As well, warm lighting is often described as simulating that gorgeous evening or very early morning light. As such, warm lighting in your bathroom is the perfect way to recreate and enhance that warm and relaxed feeling.

Cool Light

Next up we have cool light.

Cool Light (4000K-5000K) is the color temperature of choice for more modern, minimalist bathrooms, as it creates a clean and crisp atmosphere.

This is why you’ll also see cool light used in kitchens quite a lot, especially in pendant lights hanging over a kitchen island – it helps make the space look clean!

Another benefit of cool lighting is that it promotes activity, meaning it helps to keep you alert. This is crucial for those of us that aren’t morning people – the cool, clean light helps to energize you in the morning, helping you to get ready for the day ahead.

This is also the reason why working in an office under white light will leave you feeling tired and often drained at the end of the day – it’s because the white light is keeping you ‘switched on’ all day.

Natural Light

Lastly, we have natural light (5000K-6500K).

Natural light provides a bright, natural-looking light (hence the name!) that can be a good light choice for many of the day-to-day tasks you normally do in the bathroom, like applying makeup or shaving.

As well, having lights with a natural light color temperature in your bathroom works well when you also have actual natural light coming into your bathroom.

This is because having a combination of natural and artificial light sources with similar color temperatures helps to create a cohesive, harmonious look in your bathroom.