How to choose lighting for a child's room | How to choose and arrange it to avoid mistakes

When it comes to lighting for children's rooms or study spaces in the living room, do you just choose "the brighter, the better"?

Because children spend many hours there every day, it's worth having some criteria for choosing the right lighting. This article practically organizes how to "choose lighting for children's rooms without mistakes" and steps to optimize the room.

For information on why children's eyes are susceptible to light and supporting research data, please refer to Children's Eyes and Light | Deciphering Research Data. This article will focus on "how to choose."

Before you choose, one premise

It is said that children's lenses are more transparent than adults', allowing light to reach the retina more easily. Therefore, just as we pay attention to device usage time, we should also consider the quality of the light they are exposed to daily in their rooms—this is our starting point.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare also warns against prolonged use of digital devices in its "Guidelines for Occupational Health Management for VDT Work," and the Japanese Ophthalmological Society also calls for managing children's digital device usage time. Choosing lighting is a way to improve the "light environment."

Lighting is not a medical device and does not cure eye diseases. Always choose with the aim of improving daily visibility and comfort.

6 Checkpoints for Choosing Lighting for Children's Rooms Without Mistakes

• Blue light safety: According to international standard IEC 62471's "RG classification," RG0 (risk-free) is the safest.
• Color rendering (Ra): Ra90 or higher, preferably Ra97+. Colors appear natural, and textbook and notebook colors are accurate.
• Glare: Designed to minimize discomfort when looking directly at it, with light diffused evenly.
• Flicker: Even imperceptible flicker can contribute to eye strain. Opt for a flicker-free design.
• Brightness (lumen guide): Appropriate brightness for the room size. Both too dim and too bright can strain the eyes.
• Dimming and color temperature adjustment: White light for studying, incandescent light before bed. Convenient to switch depending on the time of day.

How to Adjust Lighting by Scene

Study and homework time: Brighten the entire room with white light (around 4000K). If you need a little more brightness, you can go up to daylight white (5000K). Ceiling lighting that distributes light evenly is fundamental to prevent shadows on hands (lipro's "Study Mode" is set to 4000K white light).

Before bedtime: Switch to a warm incandescent color (around 3000K) and dim the light. Avoiding excessive bright light at night can also contribute to waking up refreshed the next morning.

When using devices: Do not allow children to use smartphones or tablets in a dark room. Using them with the room lights on softens the contrast between the screen and the surroundings.

5 Steps to Optimize Lighting in Children's Rooms

1. Check the specifications of your current lighting: If the Ra value (color rendering index) is less than 80, it's worth considering a replacement.
2. Change the color temperature for studying and before bed: White light (around 4000K) for studying, incandescent light (around 3000K) for night.
3. Optimize light position and distribution: Reduce glare by using not only direct light but also light reflected off ceilings and walls.
4. Brighten the room when using devices: Avoid using screens in dark places.
5. Regularly check on your child's condition: If they complain of "tired eyes" or "blurry text," review the lighting environment and consult an ophthalmologist.

Common "Mistakes in Choosing"

• Choosing based only on brightness (lumens) and price: Color rendering, glare, and flicker are often overlooked as they are difficult to quantify.
• Spending day and night with the same light: If color temperature cannot be adjusted, the light often remains bright like daytime even at night.
• Being satisfied with just device countermeasures: Blue light cut glasses and films are effective, but the "ceiling light" that children are exposed to for the longest time is the most important point to reconsider.

lipro's Lighting Chosen for Children's Rooms

lipro's sunlight ceiling light is designed to meet all the checkpoints above.

• Blue light: RG0 (IEC 62471, the safest risk group)
• Color rendering: Ra97+ (natural color perception, close to sunlight)
• Flicker-free design, 3000K-5000K dimming and color temperature adjustment (study in 4000K white, before bed in 3000K incandescent. Sunlight spectrum reproducing LED light source, Powered by SunLike)

Summary

When choosing lighting for children's rooms, focusing not just on "brightness" but also on blue light safety, color rendering, glare, flicker, and dimming/color temperature adjustment will help avoid mistakes.

Improving light quality is something you can do at home starting today. If you're unsure how to choose, start by checking the Ra value and RG classification of your current lighting.

References

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "Guidelines for Occupational Health Management for VDT Work"
• Japanese Ophthalmological Society (Enlightenment on children's digital device use)
• Children's Eyes and Light | Deciphering Research Data (lipro blog)
  https://jp.lipro.com/ja-jp/blogs/journal/children-eyes-and-light