How to choose a quality downlight that will last a lifetime? In this blog post we will give you some tips to keep an eye out for when making your decision.
1. First things first, take a look at the technology
Downlight come in two different options, integrated LED and GU10 downlights. Traditionally all down-lights came in MR16 bulb connectors for halogens, which meant you needed a driver per light to allow the bulb to work. We highly recommend if you already have these installed or are thinking of installing new down-lights avoid MR16 down-lights to avoid future problems such as flickering.
GU10 downlights look exactly the same however no driver is required and the range of bulbs to choose from is vast! from warm white to daylight or even smart GU10s, meaning you can choose the perfect bulb that suits you, and of course change it whenever you like.
Integrated down-lights have a more modern look, but boast incredible features, these down-lights have the LEDs built in, so if they go out you have to replace the whole fitting again. Their lamp life is usually 50,000 hours which is enough to last a lifetime. You can also get integrated LED down-lights with smart or tri tone technology allowing you to change the colour of the light emitted without changing the bulb.
2. How to choose the right colour?
When buying LED Downlights for your home, you need to take a look at the colour emitted, this can sometimes be displayed as Warm White, Cool White or Daylight. However we highly recommend you take a look at the "Colour Temperature" this will be displayed as 2200K, 2700K, 3000K, 4000K or 6500K. What do these number mean? Well light is measured in kelvins, the lower the number the warmer the colour will be, so 2200K will be a very warm white with warm vintage feel, whereas 6500K will emit a very crisp bright white day light colour.
We usually recommend you go for an ambient feel with your downlights, this mimics the old halogen or incandescent feel any colour temperature from 2700K - 3000K will match this.
Both lamps shown here are described as ‘warm white’: the left image is 2700K and the right is 3000k.
3. Choose the right CRI
What is CRI? Colour Rendering Index, the CRI tells you about the ‘quality‘ or 'vibrance' of light you‘re getting. It is a measurement of how well the light emitted will show the true colour range of the objects it illuminates.
So if you have some vibrant colour in your rooms, such as a yellow chair, leather sofa or brightly colour cushions you will want these colours to stand out when the lights come on. To achieve this you need a high CRI lamp, think of it as putting your home in high definition.
Currently the highest CRI you will find in LED is 97, however you may find it as low as 80, so it is important to get this right. Traditionally, halogens and incandescent lamps had a CRI score of 99 out of 100, so we got used to having exceptional colours and light on display! however this old technology was expensive to run and not sustainable.
In these images, we show you the difference between using a bulb with CRI 75 to CRI 95. You will see that CRI 95 makes the red and green of the strawberries vibrant and closer to their true colour.
Below is an example in the setting of a home, you will see that the first image is quite dull, whereas the second image show a vibrant leather chair, as well as making the other bright colours pop out at you!.
As informative as these images are, seeing the difference in real life is much more obvious, so in conclusion don't dull your life and choose a CRI that makes your home look and feel incredible.
4. Choose An Led Downlight With The Right IP Rating and Fire Rating
Fire rated down-lights are incredibly important in commercial buildings and households. If a fire was to occur the downlight hole is like an opening that allows fire to spread through to the floors above. Once the fire starts to spread through this hole it has direct access to the structure of the building.
Fire rated downlights seal off the hole in this event and slow down the spread of fire. Modern fire rated downlights are fitted with an intumescent pad which swells up when it reaches a certain temperature and blocks the spread of fire.
Fire rated downlights are now picked up by all building regulations and are recommended for all structures and buildings.
Checking the IP rating is also important depending on the room the downlight is being installed in. An IP65 downlight is a downlight that protects against water and is dust proof. 'IP' represents ingress defense which is a system on the sealing efficiency in enclosures of electrical devices versus the intrusion into the devices of foreign bodies and wetness. The very first digit after IP makes reference to the defense from foreign bodies and the 2nd digit refers to the security from wetness.
IP65 downlights are required in bathrooms, kitchens and outdoors to avoid water vapour getting into them and causing damage.
5. Choosing the right brand
Choosing the right brand for your project is just as important as all the previous points. Every brand offers different warranties and guarantees, to ensure the longevity of their lamp life last, and if it doesn't you are covered. They also come with slightly different technologies, ones to look our for are Tri Tone, previously mentioned available from V-TAC and Ansell. As well as downlights with changeable bezels, this may seem like a common specification however not all downlights can do this. Our favourite suppliers of downlights include Bell Lighting, Ansell, V-TAC and Knightsbridge.
All of these suppliers come with at least 2 years warranty as well as high quality parts used for their products.
Making your choice
Checking these five tips are easier to check than others specifications and are a great starting point. So if the colour temperature and CRI information are present and correct, and the guarantee covers the whole downlight, there‘s a much better chance that the parts you can‘t see are up to standard and the down light will be built to last.
Check out our Bell Lighting downlights here