Have you ever come across a study lamp advertisement priced at over S$1000?
The promotion of 'flicker-free,' 'blue-light blocking,' 'radiation-free,' and 'recommended by eye doctors' as selling points for eye-protection lamps is merely a marketing strategy. If a lamp is already a reliable and compliant product, it inherently serves its purpose without harming one's eyesight. There's no need to spend extra money on or specifically buy 'eye-protection lamps.'
Actually, for any desk lamp, floor lamp, or pendant light, there's no need to worry about flickering or blue light hazards. Instead, focus on three essential factors: luminous flux (300~500lm or higher), color rendering index (CRI or Ra 80 or higher), and color temperature (preferably between 2700K~4000K). However, for students studying or long-term workers, it is advisable to have blue light protection in their lighting.
Say Goodbye to Flicker and Blue Light Concerns!
1. Flickering
Household electricity is alternating current, which causes lights to flicker to some extent. Complex algorithms in the national standards calculate safe flicker ranges. Flickering can harm your eyes, and fixing this issue is the minimum standard for light bulbs.
Bad LED lights cause a lot of flickering. We have a real case to share with you. Meerkat Home founder Alex was suffering from flickering. The light was hidden on the wall panel, which was hard to discover. The picture is showing behind.
The principle behind it is that LED lights come with built-in drivers that convert to direct current. If there is severe flickering, it indicates a problem with the driver or quality issues.
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2. Blue Light
Blue light, especially from artificial sources, has raised concerns about its impact on human health. LED lights, which are commonly used, naturally emit some blue light due to their lighting technology.
Cheaper LED lights tend to emit a higher amount of blue light, which has led to growing concerns. As a response to these concerns, current national standards now specifically highlight the potential dangers of blue light and recommend avoiding products rated RG2 or higher in terms of blue light hazard.
We recommend choosing lighting products that come with certification indicating they do not harm your eyes with blue light. Additionally, it's a good idea to avoid lights that have a very cool or strong blue-green color, as they can not only be unattractive but also potentially harmful to your eyes.
Focus on three essential lighting metrics .
1. Luminous Flux (Unit: Lumens, lm)
Luminous flux refers to the brightness of a light source. Wattage only represents the power of the bulb and does not directly correlate with brightness. When we say a light is bright enough, we refer to its luminous flux. For example, a 100-watt incandescent bulb may have the same brightness as a 12-watt LED bulb, which is why LED bulbs are much more energy-efficient.
To simplify things, you can choose desk lamps that have a brightness of 300 to 500 lumens or more. If you're unsure, lamps with replaceable bulbs or adjustable brightness are convenient for finding the right light for your needs. We also recommend buying smart lighting. Smart lights are great because you can easily change how bright they are to suit your needs.
2. Color Rendering Index (CRI or Ra)
Color rendering is a concept that is not often mentioned in daily life. The higher the color rendering index of a light, the more realistic colors appear under it.
Sunlight has a color rendering index of 100, which artificial lighting cannot fully achieve. In standards, lights with a CRI of 80 are suitable for home use, while those with a CRI of 90 are suitable for precision tasks. Lights with a CRI above 95 are excellent and are considered professional-grade.
Low CRI lights can make everything appear gray and strain your eyes over time. When buying lights, pay attention to the CRI value. For reading and working lights, it's best to choose lights with a CRI of 90 or higher.
3. Color Temperature (Unit: Kelvin, K)
Higher color temperatures result in cooler light, while lower color temperatures produce warmer light. Usually, warm light is suitable for living spaces, while cool white light is better for work areas. Therefore, many experts suggest using different color temperatures in different areas of your home. Smart lighting can help you change color temperatures consistently and easily.
Additionally, people have different preferences for color temperature. If you have no preference, it's recommended to use light with a color temperature of 2700K to 3000K in your home. Notice, color temperatures above 4000K are not suitable for nighttime use, and makeup lighting should have high luminous flux and a color temperature of no more than 5000K.
Other Key Light Metrics
If you're tired of constantly changing light bulbs, it's essential to consider their lifespan. Most regular lights last for about two years, but Meerkat is here to offer a solution. We provide lights with a remarkable 5-year warranty, thanks to our partnerships with leading brands like Orvibo and Lutron. Plus, our lights feature high-quality LED chips that significantly impact light quality. Choose Meerkat for long-lasting, top-notch illumination!
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Consider buying smart lighting.
The best source of illumination is the sun, and the closer your lighting is to natural sunlight, the better. Smart lighting can be called adaptive lighting, as it provides the most suitable lighting for different scenarios in your life.
Smart lights automatically adjust brightness and color temperature to simulate natural light as the day progresses. They switch to a night light mode in the late hours to avoid harsh lighting during nighttime activities.
Smart lighting allows you to preset lighting modes for reading, entertaining, relaxing, watching movies, and nightlights. You can quickly switch between these modes using voice commands, a smartphone app, or a remote control.
For instance, entryway lights can automatically turn on when you enter, eliminating the need to fumble in the dark. You can turn off all the lights in your home with one click when leaving or going to bed. Motion sensors can also trigger lights when people are present and turn them off when no one is around.
In addition to convenience and aesthetics, smart lighting has two major advantages:
- Energy Efficiency: Most lights can be smartly dimmed and turned off when not needed, making full use of natural light and reducing energy consumption.
- Extended Bulb Life: If you've ever used incandescent bulbs at home, you know that the filament can break when the light is turned on. Smart lighting uses soft start/soft stop methods, significantly reducing the thermal shock to the filament during the startup process, extending bulb life by 2-4 times.
Learn more from our webiste：/collections/smart-lighting
