LED White Color (Tone or Temperature)

A Historical Perspective

When selecting high-end LED landscape lighting, white color temperature is probably the most important characteristic and the most overlooked feature, which is why we have put it first in our buying guide. Many companies want to sell you on their “fixtures” without mentioning the LED quality. This stems from a historical perspective when only incandescent lights were used and the fixture was the only differentiation between manufacturers. This has completely changed in today’s LED world, but many fixture companies have not caught up with the times. When it comes down to the final design, the fixture is often hidden. The light from the fixture, however, is never hidden. It is the reason you are buying landscape lighting. If you read no further, please be sure to at least take this section into consideration.

Not All LEDs Are the Same

Many LED lighting demonstrations are done during the day or with pictures that may or may not have been doctored. We have seen many new high-end brand installations worth thousands of dollars where the LED quality and white color are consistency subpar. We have included a few pictures here so you can see what we are talking about. This cannot be seen during a daytime demo. We recommend you develop enough trust in the company you are buying from or ask for a nighttime demo to ensure you will be receiving a quality LED. The color inconsistency is most notable on a white surface but is generally noticeable on every kind of surface when viewed with a keen eye.

Buyer Beware

The price of the landscape lighting fixture and LED does not always equate to the quality of the white color. There are some very high-end products on the market that use a lower-quality LED. The examples shown in this section are very “high-end” products for which the customer paid thousands of dollars. Be educated and be aware of what you are purchasing.