Full Spectrum LED Lighting | Waveform Lighting (2024)

FAQs

Can LED lights be full spectrum? ›

With LEDs you can get full spectrum lights in virtually any colour temperature, including daylight. But most of the time, you don't. Most LED manufacturers sacrifice some colour rendering accuracy in order to make their lights brighter and more efficient.

In comparison to regular LEDs, full-spectrum lights manage to produce more natural, flexible, and 10 times brighter light with even lesser wattage. They are a perfect mood setter as they help to uplift your mood in a matter of seconds.

Bulbs that are referred to as full spectrum light have a 95 - 99% Color Rendering Index and 5000k - 5500k color temperature. So they fall a bit short of the sun's spectrum.

Some Important Differences: CRI

For example, many “daylight” bulbs only have a CRI of about 80%, indicating a substantial gap between how objects should look in terms of color and how they do when using the bulb. In contrast, full-spectrum lights can trend towards some of the best possible CRI numbers at around 96%.

Full spectrum lights offer a colour temperature of 6500K and a CRI of 96%, and so, in comparison to daylight bulbs, full spectrum bulbs can provide a brighter, whiter light with better colour rendering.

Many full-spectrum LEDs will emit just the right amount of each type of UV. It will mimic natural sunlight, too, so plants will feel as though they are being grown outdoors. There are even ceramic (CMH) grow lights that emit UV light, along with some double-ended (DE) bulbs.

Can I use regular LED lights or do I need LED grow lights? You can use regular LEDs but you'll get better results with LED grow lights. LED bulbs and strips usually produce white light, which is helpful for general plant growth. However, plants really need blue and red light to thrive.

LED luminaires that emit a “white” light are often referred to as “broad spectrum” or “full spectrum” lights because they include a broad band of the light spectrum (more similar to the sun) which renders a “white” light (there are no true white wavelengths).

For this reason, we commonly define full spectrum lighting as a light source with a color temperature between 5000K and 6500K and a CRI above 96. However, natural sunlight contains more than just a full visible light spectrum.

Artists, photographers, manufacturers (especially those that involve paints and textiles) and people with certain medical conditions such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can benefit and rely on 6500K daylight white LED lights to ensure their lighting conditions are similar to what they get during the daytime.

What does full spectrum light look like? ›

Full spectrum fluorescent lighting uses a mix of phosphors in order to reach wider ranges of the Kelvin color temperature scale. They appear much “whiter” and closer to daylight than typical fluorescent lamps. The lamps look white when unlit, similar to typical fluorescent lamps.

Halogen bulbs are a type of incandescent that gives a close approximation of natural daylight, known as "white light." Colors appear sharper under halogen light and the bulbs can be dimmed. They're a little more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, but they're more expensive and burn at a higher temperature.

Clinical research shows the endless benefits and importance of sunlight to human health. 1 There is a growing body of research that digs further into the importance of full-spectrum light that highlights its ability to prevent various types of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and multiple sclerosis.

The answer is simple. Whichever has a higher lumen count will be brighter. If they have the same lumen count, they will be equally bright. However, you may perceive the daylight bulb as brighter of the two because it lies in the cooler temperature range of blue.

LED luminaires that emit a “white” light are often referred to as “broad spectrum” or “full spectrum” lights because they include a broad band of the light spectrum (more similar to the sun) which renders a “white” light (there are no true white wavelengths).

And white LED lights often mean 'full spectrum' or 'broad spectrum' lights that similar to sunlight. For humans, white LEDs fit their eyes' color needs well. However, much light produced by white LEDs is not in the spectra that plants use.