Everyone has seen very cold blue-white light from LED lights but the better quality manufacturers are producing chips in a lovely range of warm whites. The ones we use in our own projects at Brilliant Lighting are genuine alternative to halogen.
Colour Temperature
Colour temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin (K). The lower the value, the warmer and more golden the light will appear; the higher the value, the cooler, more blue the light will look. Whilst colour temperature should be a consistent measure in reality it’s not. One company’s 2700K can look like another company’s 3000K, or a 3000k can look pinker or greener. This is particularly true at the cheaper end of the market and is a good reason for not buying LED fittings or lamps without testing out a few first, and ideally only buying from a top quality supplier.
This is the process by which LEDs of a similar colour are "binned" together, using a scale called MacAdam Elipses. The eye can perceive very small differences in colour, we use manufacturers who bin their chips very tightly, to 2 MacAdam Elipses or less.
Finally, as LED fittings age there is a significant risk that their light colour will change if the heat the LED generates is not dissipated correctly. Our suppliers go to great lengths to ensure their fittings stay cool, giving excellent colour consistency over time.
This is a measure of how good the light source is at making colours look ‘true.’ Whilst nothing can beat daylight the best quality LED fittings have a CRI (Colour Rending Index) of 95+