Get the best lighting for reading

When shopping for reading lights, ask yourself whether you need task or ambient lighting. Task lighting focuses on a dedicated area to make completing specific tasks easier, and ambient lighting refers to the main lights we use to illuminate the entire room. 

If your reading light will be the main source of illumination you should aim for ambient lighting. Pendant lights  can add a sophisticated style to any room in your house. You can use a single pendant light for a specific spot or multiple together to light up a wider space. 

If your room is already well lit, you need task lighting for this extra bit of brightness. A floor lamp can help you create a cozy reading corner either in your bedroom or living room.

If you are a night owl who can’t fall asleep until you finish your book, a bedside table lamp is the right option for you. And i  f your reading at night keeps your partner awake, you can install smart LED bulbs in your existing bedside fixtures and dim your lights to the perfect level.   

Bright idea: Set the Read light recipe, and the light color will automatically adjust from cool to warm. Now you can curl up with your favorite book under the right light.

Correlated color temperature (CCT) defines how warm or cool the light color is and is measured on the Kelvin scale. Light with a higher Kelvin (4000 K to 6500 K) is considered cool light, while lighting with a lower Kelvin (1500 K and 2600 K) is known as  warm light. To answer your question, “ Should I use warm or cool light for reading?” cool light will help you stay focused and energized while warm light is better for relaxation. So, it depends on what you want. If you are reading for work, you should opt for cool light, but if you are reading for pleasure,  warm light is the right choice for you.