A guide to choosing the best type of LED downlight for your project

LED downlights are available in a number of different types and options. Selecting the best option for your project will depend on your lighting needs and the type of lighting you’re looking for.

LED downlights can be used across a range of projects for a number of applications so making sure you install the right type of downlight can have a huge impact on the look of the room and the lighting provided.

Having an understanding of the types of downlight available will help you to choose the product for your application.

How to choose the right dimmable LED downlights for your project

Dimmable LED downlights are perfect for controlling the atmosphere within a room and can provide additional lighting when required. This type of LED downlighting is perfect for rooms such as the living room, kitchen and bathroom where different types of lighting may be required for various tasks. For example, in the bathroom, you may want bright lighting when getting ready or dressed but want to dim the lights when having a bath.

Benefits of dimmable LED downlights include:

• Energy saving
• Long lasting
• Flexible lighting solution

Dimmable LED downlights are a great solution for any space in your home but there are a number of factors to consider when buying and installing dimmable LED downlights including:

• Choosing the right dimmer switch
• Check minimum and maximum load of dimmer switch
• Check that LED downlight is dimmable

To find out more about buying and installing dimmable LED downlights, please read our guide.

A guide to buying fire-rated LED downlights

Fire-rated LED downlights are designed to help slow the spread of fire, compared to standard downlights. Installing LED downlights into a ceiling can lower its fire rating so making sure the LED downlights you install are fire rated will block the hole in the ceiling and help to stop the spread of fire.

It is highly recommended that LED downlights in the following locations should be fire-rated:

• In your home
• In office spaces
• In any commercial space

Fire rated downlights are available with ratings of:

• 30 minutes
• 60 minutes
• 90 minutes
• 120 minutes

You will need to select the downlight rating that matches the fire rating of your ceiling.

To find out more about fire rated LED downlights, you can read our guide here.

How to choose the right adjustable LED downlights

There’s no doubt that LED downlights are a versatile lighting solution with a wide number of options. However, adjustable downlights offer even more flexibility. The bulb inside the downlight can be rotated or redirected to point towards a particular area or if you want to showcase a piece of artwork.

One of the biggest benefits of adjustable LED downlights is that, once you have installed them and decided on their adjustment, you can readjust them in the future if you’d like to change the angle of the lighting.

Benefits of adjustable LED downlights include:

• Direct light to a specific object
• Adjust the beam angle
• Flexible lighting solution

Adjustable LED downlights are perfect for the following applications:

• Task lighting
• Kitchen lighting such as over food preparation areas
• Bathrooms to create task lighting
• Study areas to provide more focused lighting for concentration
• Sloped ceilings to provide lighting that can be pointed down to light the room

At LSO, our adjustable LED downlights also have the option for you to change the colour temperature according to the purpose you want them to serve and the atmosphere you’re looking to create in a room.

Please read our guide to find out more about the benefits and applications of adjustable downlights.

A guide to choosing LED ceiling downlights

LED ceiling downlights are recessed downlights which are installed within the ceiling to provide a range of different types of lighting. Some people prefer to use them in place of a main ceiling light and provide full lighting for the room. Others prefer to use LED ceiling downlights alongside feature lighting to provide task lighting or focused lighting to display features such as artwork.

LED ceiling downlights are perfect for creating different lighting zones and can be used to create warm or cool colour temperatures.

When choosing LED downlights for your ceiling, there are a number of factors to consider including:

• Position of downlights
• Fire safety
• Number of lights
• Space between lights
• Purpose of the room

Thinking about the above factors will help you to decide where to install your ceiling LED downlights, how many you’ll need and where to position them.

The best locations for LED ceiling downlights include:

• Kitchen
• Living room
• Bathroom
• Study

To find out more about LED ceiling lights and the factors to consider, please read our guide by clicking here.

If you’d like to know more about the types of LED downlights available or want to know more about the best type for your project, please contact our expert team today.