What is selectable wattage and color temperature?

Struggling to choose lighting settings? Selectable features can make it easier and more flexible.

Selectable wattage and color temperature let users adjust brightness and warmth using a single light fixture.

Not sure how these settings work together? Let’s explore what they really mean.

What is selectable wattage?

Choosing the wrong brightness wastes energy and money. Selectable wattage solves this by giving control back to you.

Selectable wattage means you can adjust the fixture’s power level to suit your lighting needs.

Dive-Deeper paragraph: This feature is especially helpful in commercial or multi-use spaces. Instead of buying multiple fixtures for different brightness levels, I can install one that does it all. By flipping a switch—usually built into the fixture—I can change its wattage setting. This directly changes the lumen output, or how much light the fixture emits.

Why it matters in real life

In my own office, I replaced all the fixed-wattage lights with selectable ones. Some spaces like meeting rooms need high brightness. Others, like lounge areas, feel better with softer light. Instead of rewiring or swapping fixtures, I just adjusted the wattage setting.

Typical wattage options and their output

By matching brightness to the task, I save on electricity bills without compromising comfort. I also avoid over-lighting or under-lighting spaces, which improves focus and well-being.

Does color temperature affect power consumption?

We often assume that changing color temperature changes power use. But that’s not usually true.

Color temperature changes light appearance, not how much power it uses.

Dive-Deeper paragraph: Color temperature is measured in Kelvins. It controls how warm (yellow) or cool (blue) the light looks. For example, 2700K gives off a soft, warm glow, while 5000K looks crisp and daylight-like.

Color temperature vs. energy use

In modern LED lighting, color temperature doesn’t significantly affect power consumption. If I set my LED fixture to either 3000K or 5000K, the power draw remains nearly the same. What changes is how the space feels.

My experience testing this

I did a simple experiment at home. I used a smart LED bulb with selectable CCT and measured the wattage draw at different color temperatures:

As you can see, there’s no meaningful difference. This means I can prioritize mood and visual comfort without worrying about electricity costs.

What does selectable CCT mean?

Choosing one fixed color tone can be limiting. Selectable CCT lets you choose the vibe with a simple switch.

Selectable CCT means you can change the color tone of a light without changing the fixture.

Dive-Deeper paragraph: CCT stands for “correlated color temperature.” Selectable CCT fixtures have built-in settings that let me choose between multiple Kelvin values. This is helpful because lighting needs change depending on time of day, activity, or even season.

Real-world flexibility

In my living room, I like warm 2700K light for evenings. But during the day, I prefer 4000K for reading or working. A fixture with selectable CCT gives me both—no need to change bulbs or lamps.

Common CCT options and use cases

By using a fixture that supports all these, I can adapt the environment to match the task. For shared or public spaces, this is especially useful because preferences vary widely.

Selectable settings give me more control, better comfort, and long-term cost savings.