Ever feel overwhelmed by the lightbulb aisle at the hardware store? LED light bulbs are incredibly energy efficient – they use less energy and last longer than the traditional incandescent light bulb. The only trick now is figuring out how to find the right LED bulb for you and your office.

There are two main metrics to consider when purchasing light bulbs for your therapy office: Kelvins and Lumens. Kelvins measure the color temperature and range from yellow to blue light. Lumens measure the brightness, or strength of the light.

For therapy offices, I recommend using light bulbs with 2700K – 3000K (Kelvins) for a warm white color that’s neither too intimate nor too sterile. For Lumens, experiment with 500-1600. Where you fall in this range will depend on how much natural light there is and how many lamps you’re using. I find that 800 Lumens is a nice middle ground.

Once you select your light bulb, use the same type for all of the lamps in your space. This helps unify the room and prevents patchy looking lighting. If your lamps are still looking different, even with identical light bulbs, you may need to swap out your lamp shades. Some lamp shades are more yellow than others. While there’s no rule that all lamp shades in a room have to match, when one lamp looks more yellow than the other, it tends to make the space and that lamp in particular look old or outdated.