CFLs are available in a wide variety of shades of white light, ranging from yellowish white to clear white to bluish white. These color choices allow you to customize the mood of your different spaces. CFLs that generate warm white light are designed to match the yellowish light of incandescent bulbs, whereas CFLs that generate cool white light are designed for task lighting or applications that require bright light.

The light color of light sources is measured on the Kelvin temperature scale, giving it the name “color temperature.” The lower the Kelvin temperature, the more reddish, or warm, the light is. The higher the Kelvin temperature, the more bluish, or cool, the light is.

To match the rosy hue of a dimmed incandescent lamp, look for lamps with a 2250K Kelvin temperature.

To match the yellowish white color of a regular incandescent lamp, look for lamps with a 2700K Kelvin temperature.

To match the crisp, white light of a halogen lamp, look for lamps with a 3500K Kelvin temperature.

For whiter light than halogen, look for lamps with a 4100K Kelvin temperature.

For bluer light that resembles sunlight, look for lamps with a 5000K Kelvin temperature.