LED Downlight Buyers Guide: How to Choose the Right Downlights for Your Home

LED downlights are becoming more and more popular for a good reason. Many savvy homeowners are replacing incandescent & halogen lights with LED downlights. Not only are LED downlights sleek and modern-looking, they’re also extremely energy-efficient. LED light bulbs use as much as 85% less energy than other options. This could lead to a dramatic difference in electricity spending in the long run. 

Are you considering switching to LED downlights for your home? We've put together a list of the most important things to consider when choosing LED downlights for your home. 

What are LED downlights?

LED stands for light emitting diode. It is an electrical light source that is much more efficient than incandescent light bulbs. LED lights are also more environmentally friendly and sustainable. They’re also low maintenance and last up to fifty times longer than other bulbs.

You will find many different kinds of LED lights including LED batten lights, LED strip lights, and LED panel lights. 

LED downlights are usually either mounted on to the surface of your ceiling or recessed in to the ceiling itself. In modern homes, they are typically installed during construction. However, it is possible to modify your existing recessed downlights to LED downlights too. 

What you need to know before choosing your LED downlights

Ready to choose the LED downlights for your home? There are many different options and it might seem overwhelming. Here are some things to consider when choosing the LED downlights: 

Colour temperature

Colour temperature is usually either warm (yellow light) or cold (white / blue light). Warm colour temperatures are ideal for cozy locations like a spa or bedroom. On the other hand, cold colour temperatures are ideal for places such as offices and kitchens. Colour temperature is measured in Kelvins. The lower the Kelvins, the warmer the light. The higher the Kelvins, the cooler the light. 

Selecting the right colour temperature is important because it helps determine the mood and ambiance of a certain space. It can also influence the way you sleep, move, and live. 

Brightness level

Another important aspect to consider is the brightness level of the lights. Brightness is measured by lumens or the total light output from the source. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light will appear. The lower the lumens, the less intense the light will be. 

You don’t always have to choose the brightest light available. You have to take into consideration the ambiance that you want to create in the room when choosing the correct light brightness. A bedroom lamp would typically use a light bulb of around 15 lumens, while a bathroom vanity light would use a lightbulb or around 75 lumens. In general, task-oriented areas will require more lumens than ambinent lighting areas.

Beam Angle

Beam angle refers to the angle of light distribution. It determines how much area will be covered by the light. Beam angle can be defined as narrow or wide.  A spotlight has a narrow beam angle and a smaller area of illumination. On the other hand, a floodlight has a wide beam angle and a bigger area of illumination. 

For most households, the ideal beam angle is somewhere between 30-40 degrees. However, this still all depends on numerous factors such as the height of the ceiling, the range, and the number of light bulbs in the area. 

Dimmable or non-dimmable

Another thing to think about is choosing between dimmable and non-dimmable lights. As the name suggests, dimmable lights allow you to adjust the brightness or lumens level of the light source according to how you need it. This is an ideal choice if you use your bedroom as a place of work and rest. You can just make the light brighter when you are working then just make it dimmer when you are already winding down. 

On the other hand, non-dimmable LED lights do not allow you to make any adjustments in the brightness. You get a consistent feel every single time. This is ideal for areas where the kind of work that needs to be done also remains consistent. Typically, non-dimmable lights are more commonly used in areas like commercial spaces and warehouses.

Sensor Downlights

Sensor Downlights are relatively new to the market and are ideal for areas which are used less frequently, or where having a light come on automatically is more convienent. They are commonly installed in small toilets and bathrooms, walk in pantries & hallways.

Don’t forget to keep your spares!

Even if your LED downlights are expected to last for years, it is still a good idea to keep a couple of spares. These will come in handy in case you suddenly need to change one of the lights in your home. You might also find these spares useful in case the model you chose becomes discontinued. 

Ready to purchase LED downlights for your property?