A Spot Light or A Flood Light?

Spotlights and floodlights are commonly used terms to describe how focused the light is coming out of a fixture. There isn’t any set standard for what these terms mean, which is why many people get confused when they are used. In general, a spotlight is referred to a light that has a focused light creating more of a “spot” than a “wash” of light. The term floodlight is used when referring to a very wide spread of light that washes a wall. Many people think the shape of the fixture determines which is which. However, this is not true with the use of lenses.

Lens angles can be confusing. To make it easier to decide, just remember that the smaller the angle, the more narrow and further the beam will go. We recommend anything 25° and smaller for second floors and anything 45° and larger for first floors. 45° is our most popular option as it can be used in the widest range of applications.

The lens angle used on a fixture can affect how bright the light looks visually. While the amount of lumens, or light, coming out of a fixture remains the same, the lens will focus that light on a very small spot or a very wide area depending on the degree of lens chosen. The more focused the light, the brighter the light will look because all of the lumens coming out of the LED are focused on to a very small area. Conversely, if a wide angle lens is chosen the light will look more dim because the same amount of light is dispersed to a wide area. 

In order to offset this affect, the Haven Home Lighting smart line of lighting can adjust the brightness of each light, or groups of lights, to make all the lights look the same brightness no matter the lens angle used.