Hey everyone, I’m in the process of buying bulbs for my gym and wanted to know what light temperature is ideal. I’ve read that 5000K helps with alertness, but also saw somewhere that 4000K and 6000K can be too yellow or blue. Is that accurate? Or is there a standard color temp most gyms stick with? These will be T8 tubes if that makes any difference. Thanks!
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Hey, is this for a home gym or a commercial space? And where are you located?
From my experience, I’ve never gone over 3500K, even in hospitals, unless a client specifically requested it. In Western countries, people usually associate higher CCTs (like 5000K) with that harsh cool-white fluorescent look. But in places like India and other parts of Asia, they actually prefer those cooler temps, while warmer ones are seen as kinda dirty. Personally, I don’t go warmer than 3000K at home.
For me, 4000K doesn’t seem yellow at all—it feels more neutral. Most people in the West still use 2700K incandescent bulbs as their reference for “normal” indoor lighting, so anything higher than that reads as cooler. Typically, 3500K-4000K is seen as neutral; below that is yellowish, and above that starts to look bluish. But honestly, it’s all about perception. If you put a 3000K bulb in a room with 2000K lighting, that 3000K bulb will suddenly seem cool.
In the end, it’s your space, so it’s your call! Don’t stress too much over guidelines—lighting trends are always evolving. Honestly, I find color rendering to be more crucial than the actual color temp when it comes to how good the lighting feels.
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For residential, 4000K is awesome. It’s the best color temp for bright white spaces in my opinion. I usually stick with 3500K-4000K for that nice neutral white. I’ve got 4000K in my office, bathroom, kitchen, gym, and garage. I’m not a fan of 5000K though—it looks too blue when it’s dark.
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What kind of bulbs are you using? Standard fluorescent T8s? T5s? Or maybe LED replacements? If you’re swapping in LED tubes, just watch out for the age of your ballasts—older ones can cause some issues. You could always bypass the ballast completely. Or, if you wanna go all out, try UFOs or linear high bay fixtures instead. Personally, I think 5K is perfect for a gym!
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I’d go with 4000K and aim for the highest CRI you can find. Once you hit 5000K, it starts to have a bit of a blue tint, which can make things look washed out.
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I’d say 5000K too, but it also depends on the gym’s vibe. If you want a more chill, relaxed feel, 4000K isn’t terrible, but if you’re aiming for energy and focus, definitely go for 5000K. 6000K might make it feel like a high-tech lab, lol
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Honestly, I think you’ll be safe with 5000K. It’s kind of the industry standard for gym lighting. Anything below that can look a bit too warm, and anything above can get overly cool and almost distracting. T8 tubes work well with 5000K too, so you’re making a good choice!
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