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What is CRI Value? A simple explanation
CRI stands for Color Rendering Index. Simply put, the CRI value tells you how 'true to life' a lamp renders the colors of objects, compared to natural sunlight.
Think of the sun as the ultimate benchmark. Outdoors in daylight, you see all colors exactly as they are. The sun’s CRI value is therefore 100, a perfect score. An artificial light source, like an LED lamp, tries to imitate that sunlight as best it can. The CRI value, on a scale from 0 to 100, indicates how well the lamp succeeds in this.
- A CRI of 90+: (Excellent) Colors appear crisp, vibrant, and true-to-life, just as they would in natural daylight. This is ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, and places where color accuracy is critical.
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A CRI of 80-90: (Good) This is the standard for most quality LED lighting. Colors will look accurate and pleasant, making it perfect for general living spaces like living rooms and bedrooms.
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A CRI below 80: (Poor) Colors can appear washed out, dull, or have an unnatural tint. This is generally only acceptable for areas where color accuracy isn't important, like a shed or some utility closets.
Why is a good CRI value so important?
Okay, so it's a quality score for how well a lamp displays colors. But why should you care? Well, for a few very practical reasons:
1. Your interior comes to life
You carefully chose that specific paint color for your wall and found a beautiful couch to go with it. With a high CRI value, those colors will look just as stunning in the evening as they do during the day. The atmosphere you wanted to create remains perfectly intact.
2. Cooking becomes more enjoyable
In the kitchen, you want to see exactly what you're doing. Is that chicken fillet cooked through? Are the vegetables still fresh? A high CRI ensures your food looks just as appetizing as it tastes.
3. The perfect outfit and makeup
This one's for the connoisseurs. How often does it happen that you apply your makeup and look perfect indoors, only to look in the mirror outside and gasp at a dreadful foundation line? Exactly. You can avoid that with a high CRI value in your bathroom or at your makeup mirror. The same goes for choosing your clothes. No more unexpected color clashes!
4. For the pros and hobbyists
Are you a painter, photographer, or designer? Then a CRI value of 95 or higher is not a luxury, but a pure necessity. Color accuracy is everything.
Don't confuse it with Color Temperature (Kelvin)!
This is a pitfall many people fall into. The CRI value and the color temperature (expressed in Kelvin) are two completely different things.
- Color Temperature (Kelvin): This describes the mood or hue of the white light. Is it warm and yellowish (like candlelight, ±2700K) or rather cool and bluish (like bright daylight, ±4000K)?
- CRI value: This describes the quality of the light. How well does that warm or cool lamp display the colors in your room?
So you can have a very cozy, warm white lamp (2700K) with fantastic color rendering (CRI 95), but also a warm white lamp (2700K) that makes all colors look dull (CRI 70). One has nothing to do with the other!
Make color a priority
There you go, you're now a true CRI expert! You now know that it's not just about how bright a lamp is (Lumen) or how warm the atmosphere is (Kelvin), but also about the quality of the color rendering.
Next time you're looking for new LED spotlights or lamps, take a look at the specifications. For general use at home, go for a safe CRI > 80. For the kitchen, bathroom, wardrobe, or your workspace, an upgrade to CRI > 90 is more than worth considering. You will truly see the difference.
Do you have any more questions after reading this article, or are you looking for the perfect LED lamp with a high CRI value for your project? Our lighting experts at Fixerio are ready to help!
