Flood Lights or Spotlights? Which to Choose When Lighting an Outdoor Space
Whether you’re completing an outdoor lighting install for a client, your
business, or your home, you have endless options in bulb types. The two
that most people usually choose between, however, are flood light bulbs
and spotlight bulbs for outdoor use. While they might seem similar, the
difference in the beam type can ultimately impact their utility and the
lighting experience.
If you’re stuck deciding between the two, here are some considerations to help you make the best choice for your project.
What’s Your Coverage Area?
One of the most important factors to consider is the area that you want your new lights to cover. Because flood lights and spotlights have different beam angles, they'll cover different spaces with flood lights casting light from 50 to 120 degrees and spotlights emitting a beam that's 45 degrees or less.
Determining your coverage area is relatively simple and is helpful as you order your lights and install them. A simple calculation to use: Beam Angle x Distance from Bulb x 0.018. So, for example, if you were looking at a flood light bulb with a wide beam of 110 degrees and you want to cover 30 feet with a single bulb, your coverage area would be 59.4 feet. With that information, you can accurately determine the number of lights to order ahead of time and install them accordingly to maximize their light.
What’s the Purpose?
How you're planning to use these outdoor lights should play a significant role as you choose the lights for your project. If you're lighting the exterior of a warehouse, for example, security is likely one of the primary purposes, and you'll want as much light as possible shining on a huge space. For this type of application, a flood light is the way to go.
On the other hand, if you're planning to illuminate a specific exterior feature in a yard or a mural, then a spotlight is the best choice. With a smaller beam angle, spotlights shine a more direct light, which is why most museums, botanical gardens, and retailers choose them to attract attention to a particular object or area.
Whichever You Choose, Go LED
Both lights are equally useful as long as you're using them for the right applications. However, whichever bulb type you choose, opting for LED is the way to go for several reasons. For starters, choosing an LED bulb for floodlight over a halogen bulb will save energy, which in turn will save you money. LEDs are much more energy efficient, using only a fraction of the wattage of similar bulbs, and they have an extended lifetime rating, which helps save on maintenance costs as well. LEDs also provide a cleaner light and output bright light instantly without needing to warm up, which is especially important if you’re using them for security purposes.
Finally, investing in LED lights for your outdoor lighting project can also save you time on installs as companies like Hyperikon offer easy-to-install retrofit solutions along with install guides that walk you through every step of the LED installation process.
About Hyperikon
Founded in 2010, Hyperikon is an industry-leading manufacturer of LED lighting for a variety of commercial and residential uses. They focus on innovation and sustainability in their products with a superior customer experience to match. It all began with the founders selling LED lights to local businesses, and that focus on helping businesses save money and improve operational efficiency remains to this day. On Hyperikon’s website, you can find an LED bulb for practically any application including their retrofit LED tubes, LED barn lights, LED recessed lighting products, and more. Hyperikon is proud to hold numerous U.S. patents, and their products feature over 700 certifications and qualifications.
Shop their entire selection of energy-efficient LED lighting options at Hyperikon.com
If you’re stuck deciding between the two, here are some considerations to help you make the best choice for your project.
What’s Your Coverage Area?
One of the most important factors to consider is the area that you want your new lights to cover. Because flood lights and spotlights have different beam angles, they'll cover different spaces with flood lights casting light from 50 to 120 degrees and spotlights emitting a beam that's 45 degrees or less.
Determining your coverage area is relatively simple and is helpful as you order your lights and install them. A simple calculation to use: Beam Angle x Distance from Bulb x 0.018. So, for example, if you were looking at a flood light bulb with a wide beam of 110 degrees and you want to cover 30 feet with a single bulb, your coverage area would be 59.4 feet. With that information, you can accurately determine the number of lights to order ahead of time and install them accordingly to maximize their light.
What’s the Purpose?
How you're planning to use these outdoor lights should play a significant role as you choose the lights for your project. If you're lighting the exterior of a warehouse, for example, security is likely one of the primary purposes, and you'll want as much light as possible shining on a huge space. For this type of application, a flood light is the way to go.
On the other hand, if you're planning to illuminate a specific exterior feature in a yard or a mural, then a spotlight is the best choice. With a smaller beam angle, spotlights shine a more direct light, which is why most museums, botanical gardens, and retailers choose them to attract attention to a particular object or area.
Whichever You Choose, Go LED
Both lights are equally useful as long as you're using them for the right applications. However, whichever bulb type you choose, opting for LED is the way to go for several reasons. For starters, choosing an LED bulb for floodlight over a halogen bulb will save energy, which in turn will save you money. LEDs are much more energy efficient, using only a fraction of the wattage of similar bulbs, and they have an extended lifetime rating, which helps save on maintenance costs as well. LEDs also provide a cleaner light and output bright light instantly without needing to warm up, which is especially important if you’re using them for security purposes.
Finally, investing in LED lights for your outdoor lighting project can also save you time on installs as companies like Hyperikon offer easy-to-install retrofit solutions along with install guides that walk you through every step of the LED installation process.
About Hyperikon
Founded in 2010, Hyperikon is an industry-leading manufacturer of LED lighting for a variety of commercial and residential uses. They focus on innovation and sustainability in their products with a superior customer experience to match. It all began with the founders selling LED lights to local businesses, and that focus on helping businesses save money and improve operational efficiency remains to this day. On Hyperikon’s website, you can find an LED bulb for practically any application including their retrofit LED tubes, LED barn lights, LED recessed lighting products, and more. Hyperikon is proud to hold numerous U.S. patents, and their products feature over 700 certifications and qualifications.
Shop their entire selection of energy-efficient LED lighting options at Hyperikon.com
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