Why to use a light theme

One of the things that will rile up most developers like nothing else is the use of a light theme. Even in the tabs versus spaces debate there seem to be people arguing for both sides, but with a dark theme the default in most modern code editors, this particular battle seems already lost. Still, I switched some years ago and never looked back. Here's why you should try a light theme too.

When I try to convince people they should try a light theme, I usually link to this blog post by Brent Roose. In it he very succinctly summarizes some scientific evidence for why a light theme is better. If you want a more in-depth look I recommend this article by the Nielsen Norman Group.

I read this, but before I switched myself I was pretty skeptical, as from my personal experience a dark theme felt easier on the eyes. But I'll repeat the call to action at the end of Brent's blog post:

Over the past three years, I've put light themes to the test: I've challenged myself and dozens of others to switch to a light theme for one week. I wanna do the same with you: try it for one week

I committed to do this, and have kept my light theme ever since. When I try a dark theme now I notice it's harder for me to concentrate and read the code. It might be a small difference, but for someone that looks at their code editor most of the day it adds up. And it's not only my editor: I switched my entire OS to a light theme, because it extends to any context in which I need to scan or read text.

So I would encourage you wholeheartedly to also try this for a week. In my experience, while it might not be for everyone, after getting used to it most people keep this new setup. Finding the right theme can be an important part: not everyone likes the same amount of contrast or brightness. Light doesn't necessarily mean white. The theme I've been using for the past few years is the light version of the Night Owl theme by Sarah Drasner.

I don't always use a light theme: when I'm coding or just working on my laptop late at night when there's less ambient light, I do switch my OS to a dark theme. My phone automatically switches over around bed time. But during the day you will never see me use a dark theme again.