Application of recessed lights
Most homeowners think of living rooms and hallways when they hear the word recessed lights, but there is more to it.
You can use LED recessed lights to illuminate compact and large spaces in your kitchen, living room, or bedrooms.
You can also install them at the bottom of your kitchen cabinets, provided your fixture and bulb blend. Some brands are perfect for task lighting and illuminating walls.
Benefits of LED recessed lights
Recessed lights come in a variety of models for lighting different sections of your home. They decorate houses, reduce lighting bills, and illuminate your household without compromising on light quality.
Recessed lights can cover wide areas in your home if you purchase brands with several packs. We recommend connecting them in parallel so that when one bulb fails, it does not interfere with the rest.
Most LED brands are dimmable, meaning you can customize the light’s intensity to safeguard your eyes against damage.
Features to consider when choosing LED recessed lights
There are several types of LED recessed lights from Sunco Lighting 12 Pack LED Recessed Downlight to Lemonbest 18-Watt LED Panel Light with varying features that meet the needs of different users.
You can pick a model with a dimmable version, high or low wattage depending on your budget and the location you want to light.
You can consider different features when picking a model but, in this section, we will focus on what you want to light, fixtures, the shape, size, and safety of use among others.
What do you want to light
The greatest factor to consider before purchasing any recessed light is confirming whether it can light your desired locations, whether it’s your living room, bathroom, kitchen, or outdoor area.
Recessed lights like TORCHSTAR 9W 6 Inch LED blend with lighting living room, kitchen, and bathrooms.
The Lemonbest 18-Watt LED Panel Light suits indoor lighting only. You can pick PARMIDA 6-inch LED Square Recessed Retrofit Lighting to light outdoor areas and damp locations.
The TORCHSTAR 9W 6 Inch LED Recessed Ceiling Light is a great pick for illuminating hallways.
Spread the LED lights evenly in your roof to avoid creating shadows. If you’re using the LED recessed light for task lighting, position them near the pieces.
Type
There are several types of LED recessed lights, we will cover common ones like the lights with baffle, gimbal, and reflector trim.
LED recessed lights like PARMIDA 5/6-inch Dimmable LED Recessed Lighting have a baffle trim. Their inner surfaces are ribbed for minimizing glare on the frames.
The gimbal trim channels and focuses the beam of light on specific areas or objects with its lamp that extends slightly out of the socket.
Reflector trim adds extra brightness in homes. It uses a mirrored surface to reflect and increase the brightness.
Shape and size
LED recessed lights are designed in several shapes from circular, rectangular, square to round shaped models.
Our top picks like Sunco Lighting 12 Pack LED Recessed Downlight, TORCHSTAR 9W 6 Inch LED Recessed Ceiling Light, and PARMIDA 6-inch LED Square Recessed Retrofit Lights are either circular or square-shaped.
Concerning sizes, the most common sizes of lights that we picked range from 5 to 8 inches.
Small-sized models are ideal for small-sized rooms and vice versa. Target models with 5″ inches and above if your house is spacious.
IC rating
IC rating stands for Insulation Contact. It highlights the distance that the housing of LED lights should maintain from the insulation in the ceiling.
Target LED recessed lights that are IC rated for safety purposes. Non-IC rated LED recessed lights are commonly used in non-insulated houses. Don’t install the housing too close to the insulation if your lights are not IC rated.
Brightness and color
The color temperature of LED light sources is measured in Kelvin. The majority of LED recessed lights are rated 3000 to 8000K.
Experts say that LED lights rated less than 3000K color temperature like TORCHSTAR 9W 6 Inch LED Recessed Ceiling Light offer a “warm” color temperature.
Sunco Lighting 12 Pack LED Recessed Downlight, and Lemonbest 18-Watt LED Panel Light rated more than 3000K offer “cool” color temperature that is best for lighting bathrooms.
You can check out other models with “cool” color temperatures like the Sunco Lighting 12 Pack LED Recessed Downlight or TORCHSTAR 9W 6 Inch LED Recessed Ceiling Light rated 5000K.
Safety
Purchase LED recessed lights complying with modern safety standards to safeguard your family against electrical and fire hazards.
Our top picks like Hyperikon recessed lights are UL listed and comply with safety regulations.
PARMIDA and TORCHSTAR Essential Series recessed Lights are ENERGY STAR and ETL- listed.
The TORCHSTAR 9W 6 Inch LED is IC rated, and UL listed. It’s free from toxic chemicals like mercury, infrared, and UV.
Wattage
LED lights have a maximum wattage you should use to safeguard your house against hazards.
The models we chose have a wattage rating between 65 and 100 watts though some are rated up to 150W.
Voltage of the housing
The voltage of your lights determines the amount of energy they will consume and the intensity of the brightness.
LED recessed lights are commonly available in low and line-voltage kits. Low-voltage kits are cost-friendly and energy-saving though they are pricey, and you’re likely to purchase special transformers to make them compatible with the electric system in your home. The brands with line-voltage kits run on home current.
Sunco Lighting Recessed Downlight, and TORCHSTAR 9W 6 Inch LED Recessed Ceiling Light are rated 120 V.
