Great question. I actually JUST learned about warm vs. cool LED's last Christmas when I was light shopping. Had no idea before that!

Hopefully one of our lighting experts can give you some good tips to go forward with!

I've used this Halo LED recessed light engine and housing in three kitchens...

http://www.cooperindustries.com/content/public/en/lighting/products/recessed_general_purpose_downlighting/led/_4_inch_led_adjustable_gimbals/_273898.brands.lighting!halo!led.html

http://www.cooperindustries.com/content/public/en/lighting/products/recessed_general_purpose_downlighting/led/_4_inch_led_housings/_269373.brands.lighting!halo!led.html

We did the 3000k color temp and the clients and I have all been very happy with them.
They are in the same room as MR-16 halogen cans and look fine together.

It is available in 2700k temp which is even warmer light, but that didn't meet California energy standards so we couldn't use them.

They are dimmable too.

Here is a link to their LED can brochure in PDF...

http://www.cooperindustries.com/content/dam/public/lighting/products/documents/halo/brochures/111321%20-%20Halo%20H4%20LED%20Collection%20brochure.pdf

-Rob

Hi! You will definitely want to go with a "warm white" light. Our products are easy to install and they come in either warm and cool white. You can use solely LEDs or on combination with your halogen/incandescent lighting.

We have both rigid and flexible strips that are thin and budget friendly!

http://inspiredled.com

But, whether you go with us or another company, we would definitely recommend warm white for your application.

You can go to the website of Philips , they have all kinds of led lights for indoors & outdoors at www.usa.lighting.philips.com . Happy Hunting lights !

You can usually buy LED lighting in a range of color temperatures to fit the atmosphere you are trying to create - warm white is very similar to traditional incandescent light color that you are looking for. Feel free to contact one of our sales engineers for advice with any lighting selection at EnvironmentalLights.com

LED lighting is becoming more and more specified by our clients (especially designers) every day. There are a variety of LED bulbs on the market that are equivalent to incandescent, fluorescent and halogen bulbs in terms of color, but without the heat, with great coloring and are almost undetectable. We can manufacture almost any of our light fixtures with an LED equivalent, especially the halogens. The only drawback is the look of the bulb in some cases. It can sometimes look like a "miniaturized" stop light which is visible through our clear glass fixtures. However, on most fixtures it's perfect!

I've included a photo of a gorgeous chandelier we made using LED bulbs...

P.S. They can also be dimmable, but it is best to specify when ordering.

if u need the best led lights : http://www.eneltec-led.com/Products

Ask and you shall receive! The answer to your question is here http://www.lightrabbit.co.uk/faq#Q20

It is a pretty valid question as many people expect LED bulbs to give off a cool white light. This is ok for offices, outdoor areas and communal areas but it isn't nice in your living room. We like warm white lights in the Northern hemisphere as it makes us feel warm during the long cold winter nights. LED bulbs have come a long way and can mimic the warm white glow of a halogen very well now.

I put all LED lighting in the new home I just built. They have warmer spectrum lights that do not have the "bluish" tint. If you plan to use LED, you will need to discuss this with your electrician. The drivers in the LED lighting are not compatible with all dimmers or motioned sensored switches. We have integrated electrical control, (modules that can be controlled by central switching or an IPAD or Iphone) the modules had to be changed to handle the drivers. The LED tape lighting (shown in pix above) has its own dimmer, but to use with the integration that had to be bypassed. Some of the lights dim in stages (similar to a 3way bulb) rather than a slow ramp up and ramping down. I have no complaints about the lights, I did not want to have any of those awful fluro. lights, xenon and halogen put off too much heat.

In CA before I left building codes got really ridiculous about what lights you could use where. They were pretty much forcing people to use fluorescent lights. That was about 6 years ago and LEDs weren't really available then. Talk to your contractor - you may not have much of a choice.

If you're like me, in SF, you're abut to run into a big issue.

LEDs are great, they have warm colors,. there are options ranging from $80-250 each, they don;t generate heat , they don;t use much power, etc...

I am being told that even if you get the high end, fully housed, ICA rated, Title 24, new construction (even though this is a remodel), air-tite, rated for next to insulation versions;

SFinspectors will still require (I live in a duplex and don't own the floor above) that each can be additionally housed in a plywood box. In other words,

I'd have to spend even more $ per can to have a little house built for each one..10 expensive already fully housed boxes, 10 custom made plywood little houses for the lights, etc,. etc...Adds uo to over $400-$500 per can installed...

Is this true? Is my informer mis-informed? Does anyone pre-fab these little plywwod boxes for the halo light fixture to fit inside?

Ugggghhhhh

Sorry folks! Welcome to California! The California Energy Guide lists 2700k LED lights as compliant with the energy codes, both Title 20 and Title 24. Just checked! http://www.residentiallighting.com/updates-california-energy-codes. The current code only requires high efficiency lighting in kitchens and bathrooms. 50% of the wattage in those rooms may be "low efficiency", i.e. halogen, incandescent (no more bulbs) or "decorative"...the Edison bulbs are listed as decorative because they put out so little light. The balance of the rooms in the house are not yet regulated by the CBC, ergo, you can have any light you want, as long as it is on a dimmer. The calcs for kitchen wattage make it pretty hard to use anything but hi-efficiency lighting. A single MR-16 can put out 50-75 watts...more than the entire kitchen of LED's or Xenon or CFL lamps combined. Bathrooms are perhaps easier, as the use of occupancy sensor switching allows more standard lighting. The code will update again in 2015 and become even more restrictive.

Regarding the little "houses" for the housings. That is fire code not building code. The boxes may be constructed of 5/8" Type X drywall and fire taped. Similar to draft stopping, it is to give a one hour burn rate to the space between your apartment and the tenant above..long enough for them to be warned, woken and exited in the event of an electrical fire in the can light...or the room below.

Be thankful you don't live in the country if you are frustrated by codes and fire regulations. We have "shelter in place" fire codes that require non flammable exterior finishes, interior sprinklers, water storage and hydrants and driveways with room for fire engines to turn around, or vehicles to pass by...or both. Plus everything you do in the City....with the exception of cast iron and copper drains and venting for plumbing and copper only for water supply. Oh, and can't forget septic systems that need constant maintenance and wells with water purification...

Ouch for Californians!!!

LED lights are now available at much warmer CRI level (colour rendering index) although they are not as warm as halogens, they've come a long way in lighting our homes with much less energy - which is good for all of us!

Any new home that is built in Canada - we volunteer to pay more for the LED housing - we love our planet, and want our land to be left as unharmed for our kids and grand kids and our animals!

For those of you are more apt to change lights bulbs as much as you would give up your gun - maybe this will change your mind - for every 100 watts of power you pay for in regular incandescent, your only paying for 5 watts in LED - NOW THAT'S WORTH CHANGING FOR!

Hooray for LED! They're not just for headlights anymore...

mckstacy, Coming soon to a state you live in! We just figure it out for you guys and then you totally jock off us! California aims to be net zero in energy consumption vs. energy production by 2025.

I have been replacing my old 6" incandescent floods with retrofit baffle trim LED units. In most of the house I have used CREE units and I really like the clean look of these, they are easy to install, instant on and dimmable. Unfortunately, I have shallow can housings in my kitchen and had to look for an alternative. The best I could come up with is the Cooper lighting Halo units and they are definitely a poor second best imho. I had one of each installed next to each other to compare for a short period, the Halos have a 5 second delay when turned on, they have a blue-white appearance when compared to the CREE, they are much, much harder to install correctly and I'm still trying to get them to sit flush with the ceiling. I haven't noticed a big difference in my electric bill yet, but since incandescents are being phased out it was time to make a change.
I also have many halogens in my house and I will be phasing those out as I can. They run very hot, so much so if it's really cold in my house I'll turn on some of the halogens :( They are also temperamental, that may be the expensive designer fixtures that the previous owner chose though.

But I like the "Land of Fruits and Nuts"!

Okey dokey.

Hope you find this helpful: I think I found a good solution. It's cost effectve and it's nice looking.

Halo has an LED housing (Title 24, new construction, air-tite, IC rated, etc..) and dimmable that's only about $20. (I think it's cheaper because it doesn't have the engine; the engine is in the bulb below)

Then GreenCreative has a 4" can LED retrofit bulb with trim all together. The one I chose is white with a 7W (= to 50 watts) and 2700 Kelvin for just over $40 each., and dimmable.

Caveats are that you don't have much choice re: trim (white) and it's not adjustable (not needed in my kitchen) and when the bulb goes out 10-20 years from now; you have to replace the whole bulb and trim together, instead of just the bulb.

Of course, we still need to make little houses for the housing...

LED lights are becoming more and more popular due to the energy savings and advancements in technology. However there are 4 important factors to consider when finding an LED light that is equivalent to a traditional bulb.

These are:
1) are brightness measured in lumens,
2) the colour temperature measures in kelvin
3) the beam angle
4) the CRI colour rendering index measured on a scale 1-100.

It can be difficult to find information regarding the last factor as this is area manufacturers can reduce cost and produce what looks like an identical bulb in all other ways. Lighting with a low CRI will make skin colours appear to be strange. A traditional halogen has a CRI of 100 and generally anything less than 75 will be noticeable in the home.

We provide LED bulbs that all have a CRI between 80-95. For a warm light we would recommend a colour temperature of 2700-3000k.

We also have a video showing how LEDs compare to the traditional halogen

http://www.leds4less.co.uk

I'm doing a major remodel and I have a ton of those big ugly 6" ceiling cans (halo H7RT). I am hoping that there is some sort of a retrofit that allows me to leave the cans in the ceiling but updates the look. By "update" I mean that the bulbs will be smaller so possibly the rim is larger but if it's flat and white (and my ceiling is white) it will fool the eye into making it look like it's a smaller more contemporary can. Is there such a retrofit? Otherwise, I'm going to replace every stinkin' can.

I love my Cree retrofits for 6" cans in neutral white.

@lynnecarlson Our 6" LED Recessed Cans could be a great solution! They come in cool white or soft white and work perfectly for retrofit projects. Here is a direct link:

http://www.environmentallights.com/led-light-fixtures/recessed-lighting.html?bulb_shape=1491


Please feel free to give us a call if you have any questions, (888) 880-1880.

I just got through putting 3000k LED lights in my bedroom and living room, and they are just a little too white on the color spectrum. I will be replacing them with 2700k lights as they look much more natural and warm.

I've been buying solar LED gutter lights for exterior. They have 3Leds each, so we are mounting them a ruler length apart in pairs.

Hi
Luxon Lights are LED professional and service provider in india. I would like to share led lighting tips for consumer and get ideas and buy best led light : http://www.luxonlight.com

We have a quick reference to color temperature at EarthLED.com to help you better understand this issue: https://www.earthled.com/blogs/light-2-0-the-earthled-blog-led-lighting-news-tips-reviews/17808860-what-is-color-temperature-choosing-a-proper-color-temperature-for-your-next-led-bulb

I'm in CA and have LED strips and cans in the kitchen and I love them. They are on dimmers. My new bath will have LED cans as well as sconces. Where we ran into a problem was with kitchen pendants and dimming capability. The pin bulbs weren't working and so my electrician changed out the sockets to the standard screw in and now I can dim those too. My old pendants had halogens which were dimmable, but they burn hot and I decided to change the fixture.

if you are looking for the old school warm incandescent recessed lighting, dont get your hopes up. just remodeled and had led recessed installed. a real mood wrecker. i think we have 3000k installed. will changed to 2700k but unfortunately CA has destroyed the opportunity to have soft and warm kitchen...

Missergog, did you get "warm white" LEDs?

Secondly, people should choose their paint colours after their Led lighting. Then look at the painted samples in both daylight and by the led lighting.

You know what? LED technology has changed a lot in the three years since this question was posted. Maybe it's worth contributing to more recent threads! %^)

I am about to build a new house and wanted to use LED lights in the main floor. But the LED embedded fixtures are crazy expensive. Can't I just buy a standard recessed box and put an LED bulb in it? Or even a standard incadescent box and camp on a retrofit box?

Most CFL and LED light sources have a CRI (Color Rating Index) in the mid 80's but Halogen Bulbs have a perfect rating of 100 (Agrell 102).

The Halogens I use for lighting the main room in my house, and for reading desk-lamps, can be bought at Batteries + Bulbs for about $1.75 a piece. They run at 43 watts but are the equivalent of the old 60 watt bulbs (Meyer).

Some new 60w equivalent LED bulbs feature 93+ CRIs such as the BlueMax™ 9w Dimmable LED but they can cost around $21.00 a piece ("BlueMax™ 9w Dimmable LED"). For that much for a single 93+ CRI LED, a consumer could buy a dozen 100 CRI halogens and have spares in case of breakage. As technology is ever improving the long life of new LEDs may outlast the high investment cost.

The BlueMax 16w G30 Globe 60w CFL costs around $12.00 each when bought in bulk, but still only have a 93+ CRI and I would rather have 6 or 7 halogen bulbs with perfect CRI for that money ("BlueMax 16w G30 Globe 60w CFL").

As mentioned, technology is always improving but for now, for my money, I would go with the perfect 100 CRI, 60w equivalent, halogen bulbs, because they simply have the highest quality of light, are cheap and will not outlast the initial investment, and if one breaks the replacement cost doesn't break the bank!

Works Cited

Agrell, David. “Understanding LED Lightbulbs.” Popular Mechanics. 191.2 (2014): 100-102. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Apr. 2016. http://0-web.b.ebscohost.com.catalog.poudrelibraries.org/ehost/detail/detail?sid=d0cb3185-f240f431c-a865-003987c4b78e%40sessionmgr198&vid=6&hid=101&bdata= JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbG12ZQ%3d%3d#AN=94424560&db=ap

"BlueMax™ 9w Dimmable LED." Full Spectrum Solutions. 19 Apr. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/full_spectrum_led_hd_bulbs_143_ctg.htm

"BlueMax 16w G30 Globe 60w CFL." Full Spectrum Solutions. 19 Apr. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2016. http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/14w_globe_674_prd1.htm

Meyer, Tom. Personal Interview. 26 March 2016.

I need help...I purchased 14 of these LED recessed kits and changed them up myself. The problem is that my husband wanted cool white because he said it would look more modern, but now my home feels cold and like a garage and I am hating it : (

Does anyone know if there is a way to change the tone of the lighting? Mine are dimmable but still look awful and warehous-ish. I'm so upset I may have to change everything and throw these away. Any suggestions are welcome. I am about to paint them to change the hue.

I'm also looking for help as my entire house is now 3000 kelvin in 30 square high hats. Next to super white walls and grey wood flooring, it's awful. does anyone have ideas to to warm up the color? A film on the fixtures? Paint on the glass housing? Is changing the bulb to a warmer color possible? they are all on dimmers and the change is slight from them.

did either Trina F or Tania Magnan find a solution to "warmup" the cool blue LEDs?

Google "Philips warm glow LED". It's the warmest LED I could find from the big box stores out of 8 different ones I tested.