Downlights are lighting fixtures used in different lighting projects and lighting plans. Typically, homeowners use them for general lighting in a room or space. But with so many of them in the market, you can get easily confused about what to purchase. So to get rid of that headache, here is a guide to buying downlights.
Brightness Level
Whenever you buy lights in your local hardware store, it’s essential to assess their brightness level first. Some light fixtures measure their brightness by watts and others lumens. Downlights use lumens. Although lumens and watts are related, they don’t calculate the same things.Lumens measure a light source’s overall light output. The more lumens it has, the brighter it is. Watts or power, calculate the energy used to produce the overall light output (lumens). Typically, people think that the more a light source uses energy, the brighter it is, and it was true for some time. But modern innovation gave birth to LED lights, which use less energy but produce the same amount of light as halogens and fluorescent bulbs. For example, a 24W CFL downlight or 55W halogen has the same light output as a modern 12W LED downlight. So, should you buy a downlight with the most amount of lumens? Well, that depends on the space or room. Your decision should be based on the characteristics of a room. For a house with 2.4 to 2.7 meters of height, you can buy an LED downlight with 9W to 15W.
Construction Quality
Suppliers mostly don’t talk about the build quality of their downlights. But like some things in life, it’s typically a “you get what you paid for” case. The quality of construction impacts the durability and performance of your product. So below are considerations you need to make when assessing the construction quality of your downlights.Frame and Heatsink: Quality frames and heatsinks are constructed with aluminum while cheap ones use plastic to lower costs. Aluminum heatsinks are better than plastic ones in terms of heat dissemination. They are also more durable.LED Controllers: Downlights with an external controller are more durable than those with a built-in controller.
Color Temperature
Color temperature is simply a light source’s color characteristic. It is either warm (yellowish) or cold (blue). Manufacturers use Kelvin to measure color temperature. The lower it is, the warmer your light, and the higher it is, the cooler your light.Color temperature can affect the atmosphere of a room. For example, warm light would be best in your bedroom because it is more soothing. If you are in the kitchen, it would be best to use cooler lights to help you focus more on your task.
Beam Angle
The beam angle is the light source’s extent of light. Wide beam angles are best suited for ambient lighting because they produce a softer and wider light. Narrow beam angles have concentrated and sharp light, so it’s best suited for task lighting.If you just want to use downlights for general purpose lighting, choose a wide-angle one rather than a narrow beam one.
Adjustable or Non-adjustable
Downlights can either be adjustable or non-adjustable if it’s compatible with a dim switch. Typically, this isn’t necessary, but they are a swell feature to have, especially in rooms like your bedroom or dining room. Dimmer lights can lessen the brightness of your dim lights, creating a more intimate atmosphere when you are with your significant other.
Conclusion
When it comes to purchasing downlights, you need to ensure you know what you are buying. Otherwise, you’ll just be wasting money. So, it would be best to share this article with someone thinking of buying downlights for their home to help them with their shopping.
