How to get the best light for studying

February 23, 2022

Ever have problems concentrating while studying? If the answer is yes, there’s one thing you can do about it: study in a well-lit room. But you may not know what a “well-lit room” means — as lighting experts, we can tell you that it’s both the color of the light as well as the location of the lights. Use these tips on the best light for studying to help you ace that next test.

What color light is best for studying?

Correlated color temperature (CCT) defines how blue or yellow the light color is. It’s measured using the Kelvin temperature scale and ranges between 1500 and 6500 Kelvin. A high color temperature is connected to optimal studying performance and focus. Cool white light is the best LED light color for studying.

Bright idea: Need a quick way to set the best studying light? Use the Concentrate light recipe, which features an optimized cool white setting, to help you focus.

Two friends are studying at the kitchen table with the help of pendant lights.

How to set up your study lights

Whether it’s your living room, bedroom, or a dedicated study spot, you’ll need an abundant amount of light. Although natural light is best, we can’t always depend on it being ideal — and it’s not always practical to study during the daytime. On cloudy days or dark winter afternoons, table lamps come in handy.

When positioning your lamp, it should stand 21–25 inches above your desk. If you find that you need to sit very close to your lamp to see better, then you should also improve the room’s general lighting. Because when the rest of the room is dark, a small pool of light can cause glare. To avoid contrast between darkness and light in your room, you can hang some pendant lights as well.

Set up after-study lights

Finishing your assignments on time can quite often mean pulling an all-nighter. However, this isn’t necessarily beneficial for your health, and it won’t be that effective in helping you study or going to sleep later on. Set some time aside to relax and wind down after hitting the books.

Prepare a cozy corner by placing a floor lamp next to your armchair or couch. As you curl up with a good book, puzzle, or other low-effort activity, set your lights to the Relax light recipe, which will adjust the light from cool to warm.

*When a bulb displays "Up to" a certain number of lumens in its specifications, it displays the maximum lumen output of the bulb. It shows how bright the bulb can get at 2700 K (White bulbs) or 4000 K (White ambiance or White and color ambiance bulbs). Learn more about brightness