Neutral vs. Warm | Headlight Color Temperature Explained

Every light has a temperature and color temperature is expressed in Kelvin units. This handy color temperature chart does a great job of approximating which color light range to expect at which Kelvin rating. As a rule of thumb, a LOWER Kelvin rating means you have a more yellow/orange light - this is a WARMER color temperature. A HIGHER Kelvin rating means you have a more blue light, which is a COOLER temperature.

Everyone perceives color differently and different light temperatures change your color perception of the object you're looking at. Warmer light makes objects look more natural and closer to how your brain normally perceives them. Skin or gingiva under a warmer light (more yellow-orange) will look more life-like than a cooler light (more blue), which can make it look more lifeless/gray.

Warmer or neutral white light sources have less blue light composition than cooler white lights. That's why we offer our HL360 LED Headlight in 2 temperature options - 5500K "Neutral" and 4500K "Warm".

5500K "Neutral" is the daylight standard for dentistry. It produces a bright, neutral white light that shows a fantastic level of fine detail, especially in hard to reach places like second molars. Excellent for high-precision work.

4500K "Warm" produces a more gentle light for those with more light sensitive eyes. The light is less reflective and has a yellow/orange tint. Because of this, it puts less strain on the eyes. This can be a game-changer if you experience discomfort while using the standard "Neutral" white lights. This temperature is also preferred for color matching.

So what is different between our Neutral White light to our Warm light?

5500K Neutral White Light: • Brighter • Exceptional fine detail • Industry standard

4500K Warm Light: • Less reflective, lower eye strain • Slight yellow coloration • Better for color matching

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