The right LED lighting for your needs

Lighting terms and descriptions to help you choose the right LED lighting for your situation.

Wattage

Energy saving lighting is about reducing the wattage used in a light fitting while maintaining similar light output. For example, a standard halogen downlight uses 55 watts, but you can purchase LED alternatives ranging from 4.5 watts to 14 watts.

Lumens

Lumen is the standard unit for measuring the amount of light produced by a light source. It is equal to the amount of light hitting one square foot of surface one foot away from the light. Essentially, the higher the lumens, the brighter the light.

Lumens per watt

This truly shows the efficiency of the LED product. For example a 270lm product consuming 3 watts of electricity = 90 lumens per watt. Lumens per watt vary from product to product depending on the LED chip used, how hard the product is being run, and the construction of the fitting and how effective the heat sink is at removing the heat.

Beam angle

The beam angle is something you need to pay attention to when choosing the right LED lighting for the space. This is as important as the Lumens. Beam angle indicates the spread of light from the light source. A narrow beam gives a concentrated light which is better for accent lighting. A wide beam gives a more general, softer light.

Warm white, Natural white and Cool white

The colour temperature of a product is a linear scale of measuring the colour of light. Measured in degrees, Kelvin, warm light is measured in lower numbers and cool white in higher numbers. It is down to personal preference whether you choose warm white or cool white.

Natural white is ideal for task-orientated areas like kitchens and laundries and areas that have a warmer climate as the lighting will help to make the rooms feel cooler. Warm white helps to create a more intimate atmosphere suited to bedrooms and living rooms and these colour temperatures create a more relaxing and comfortable environment. A tip is to stick to just one colour throughout an open plan living area, otherwise the mixing of colours will be distracting to the eye.