Which Downlights?

Intro

We've produced this downlight guide to provide you with the knowledge and inspiration to make your lighting vision come true.

GU10 or Integrated Downlights?

Integrated LED downlights come as one unit. The fitting is purposely designed around the LED. They are technologically more advanced, with superior thermal management.

GU10 downlights are a combination of two separate components; an LED with a GU10 cap and a GU10 downlight.

GU10 Downlights

Most GU10 fire rated downlights are fully enclosed and don't offer any ventilation to the LED. Cutting off the air supply to an LED can cause it to overheat and fail.

Integrated LED Downlights

Integrated downlights are more technologically advanced: but if they ever fail, you'll have to replace the entire fitting.

Colour Temperatures

If you can't decide or want the freedom of choice, choose CCT downlights. They are colour temperature adjustable, featuring multiple colour temperatures in one downlight.

The most popular choice of colour temperature is warm white 3000K. This produces a clearer tone of light than a traditional incandescent light bulb but not as harsh as 4000K cool white.

Traditional light bulbs like halogens had a warmer 2700K colour tone. Not all LEDs are available in 2700K, we recommend choosing which colour temperature you want at the start of your selection process.

The cooler 4000K colour temperatures offer a whiter, cleaner tone of light. Used in the right setting, this can make a room appear modern, but used incorrectly, like in a living room, 4000K can make a room feel cold and sterile.

Wiring & Connectivity

If you're fitting integrated LED downlights, choose some that come with a plug-in wiring connector. Or purchase connectors separately. If the downlights ever fail, you can easily disconnect them.

Plug-in wiring connectors come as standard with most premium quality integrated downlights. They reduce installation times, making wiring considerably easier.

You wire one side of the connector into your lighting circuit during the first-fix phase. Usually with the loop-in, loop-out method.

Then connect the downlight into the circuit when you're ready during the second-fix phase.

Which Beam Angle?

A wider beam angle doesn't emit more light, but it does spread the light out further and more evenly.

Downlight showing 60 and 25 degree beams

If you're illuminating a smaller room like a bathroom for example, a medium beam of 40 degrees is fine. But if you've got a larger room such as a living room, a wider 60 degree beam would be better.

Wider 60° beam for general room lighting.

Narrow beams like 25 degrees are more focused and intense. They are better suited for illuminating specific objects or areas and for higher ceilings.

If you combine brighter downlights with wider beam angles, you can install fewer of them by spacing them further apart.

Fire Rated Downlights

Most GU10 and integrated LED downlights are fire rated as standard these days. If you're installing them in homes, they should be fire rated.

If in doubt, fit fire rated downlights. Commercial downlights are usually exempt from requiring a fire rating due to the construction of the ceiling. Downlights for homes should be fire rated.

In the event of a fire, a fire rated downlight seals off the hole and delays the spread of fire.

Insulation Coverable Downlights

Some downlights require additional accessories such as Spot Clips or Loft Lids to allow them to be covered with insulation.

Some downlights can be covered directly with thermal insulation, without needing accessories.

Don't cut around thermal insulation as it will create a draft. Cutting the insulation means the downlight hole will draw in warm air from the room into your colder ceiling void. Insulate your ceiling space and you will reduce your heating costs.

Something Special in Mind?

At Downlights.co.uk we cater for all tastes. If you’re looking for something special, we have a selection of specialist downlights that include:

Trim-less, plaster-in downlights from big name brands like Astro Lighting

Minimalist, invisible lighting

Square, twin downlights

VIEW ALL DOWNLIGHTS

How to Choose the Best Downlights

There are countless recessed downlights to choose from on the internet and in electrical stores. At Downlights.co.uk we stock the biggest and most reliable brands from the UK's lighting industry. LED lighting technology has certainly slowed down in recent years, with advances coming few and far between. The efficiency has become so good, that it doesn't really need improving upon. The majority of lighting products we offer now aren't changing as often because they don't need to. This allows us to stock a more consistent product range and produce lighting guides that don't go out of date before we've even finished them.

We want to ensure that our customers have all of the latest information and want to empower you into making an informed and inspired purchasing decision that helps you to utilize the latest lighting technology. That's why we've produced another downlight guide to help you achieve enlightenment.

A Pinnacle Point In Lighting

In recent years the biggest advances in downlighting technology has been within the wiring connections. As the quality of light output has almost reached a pinnacle point, which makes improvements difficult to achieve. Some LED downlights have a reduction in wattage (energy consumption) and a brighter light output (measured in lumens), which gives them an improved efficacy measured in lumens per watt. This is great, but if you're installing 9 downlights in a room in your home then saving just a few watts per downlight isn't going to make much of a saving and certainly isn't going to save the planet. Many consumers still think that comparing the brightness of a downlight is by its wattage means its brighter, when this isn't always the case.

To Begin Your Journey

You may want to start by considering the Building Regulations which are in place for your safety. Most NICEIC registered electrical contractors won't even install downlights if they don't comply and you may also run into difficulty selling your property at a later date if your equipment isn't up to standard. As long as you follow these 5 golden rules you'll be fine.

The 5 Golden Rules of Downlights

If in doubt, buy fire rated downlights...
The majority of integrated LED downlights are fire rated as standard. Buying non fire rated is cheaper but may cost you more in the long run especially if you have to change them. Non fire rated downlights can be installed in commercial properties. For example; in false ceilings and in ceilings that haven't had their original fire integrity interfered with. We've written a dedicated article about fire rated downlights here.
Use IP rated downlights in bathrooms...
Anything from IP44 to IP65, (the higher the second digit is, the more resistant it is to water) are suitable for bathroom zones 1 and 2. There are certain zones in a bathroom that don't need to be IP rated but steam can get into the fixture and damage the LEDs. It also looks much better if all of your downlights match within the same ceiling space. Most integrated LED downlights are IP65 as standard, even some adjustable versions are available in IP65 as well.
Buy insulation coverable downlights...
Just because some downlights are fire rated it doesn't mean they're insulation coverable. If you plan to cover your downlights with thermal insulation, which is now a recommended best practice, then buy insulation coverable downlights from the beginning as they only cost a little bit more. Some downlights are insulation coverable as standard and some require accessories such as Spot Clips or Loft Lids.
Choose brighter downlights with wider beam angles for larger rooms...
This will allow you to space them further apart, which means fewer downlights, fewer holes to cut and a reduction in the materials & installation costs. A brighter downlight would be something over 600 lumens and with a 60 degree beam angle. We can provide you with a lighting design that compares downlights with different beam angles to take away the guess work and give you a defined plan for your installation.
Buy downlights with proper wiring connectors!
Electrical contractors buy the same downlights regularly because they're easy to wire and more reliable. You'll notice that some of our downlights have over 100 reviews which is because customers love them and electricians keep coming back for more. Many of the bigger lighting brands have standardised on push-fit, loop-in, loop-out wiring connectors that can be wired into the lighting circuit during the first fix. Then during the second fix, the downlights can be plugged straight in. We've highlighted this in our lighting guide below.