Picture in your mind a conventional incandescent light bulb, or one of the LED light bulbs that are now replacing them. They project light in all directions to create a general lighting effect. So you can light a room with one light bulb mounted in the middle of the ceiling. The resulting light effect may feel a bit one dimensional and flat, but it does the job.
Spot lights, whether used indoors or outdoors, are different. They focus the light into a concentrated beam which you point at a particular feature you wish to highlight
– a painting on your wall, perhaps, or a tree in your garden. They create a light effect like you get with a hand-held electric torch.
1. Those you use with an LED spot light bulb
2. Those that are fitted with an integral LED board instead of a bulb
Both types offer you a variety of beam angles to choose from. So you get to choose how wide you want the beam of light to be.
Many LED spot light bulbs are available in a choice of beam angles. Their precise details vary, but they tend to fall into the following categories:
– Very narrow beam of about 20º
– Medium beam of about 35º
– Wide beam of around 60º
So if you’re using a spot light bulb, it’s the bulb, not the light fitting itself, that dictates the beam angle.
For outside spot lights fitted with an integral LED board, the beam angle is created by a small reflector inside the fitting, sitting between the LED and the lens. This reflector focuses the light coming from the LED into a focused beam and you typically have a choice of reflector so you can choose how wide you want the beam to be.
For example, most of our Hunza Lighting PURE LED outdoor integral LED spot lights give you the option of:
– a narrow 15º beam
– a medium 38º beam
– or a wide 60º
Our Hudson Lighting integral LED spot lights offer you:
– a narrow 20º beam
– or a medium 30º beam
| Beam Type | Angle Range | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow / Spot | 10° – 24° | Tall/slender trees, architectural columns, flagpoles, precise focal points. |
| Medium Accent | 25° – 45° | Medium garden trees, garden structures, standard wall uplighting. |
| Wide Flood | 50° – 60°+ | Broad building facades, hedges, wide tree canopies. |
Your choice of beam angle is dictated by what you want to light. For a tall narrow tree, the narrowest beam will give you the most dramatic light effect. A large wide shrub, on the other hand, will be asking for the widest beam angle.
If you’re planning to shine beams of light up a tall vertical wall, a narrow beam will create dramatic sharply defined cones of light on the wall surface, separated by areas of
shadow. For a softer, more general wash of light on the wall, choose a wide beam.
And if in doubt, you’re probably best advised to plump for the medium beam angle.
One other thing to bear in mind is the simple rule that the narrower the beam angle, the further the light will travel.
Narrow beam (about 15º to 25º)
A focused and concentrated spot light effect
Greater contrast, crisper shadows and stronger high lighting
Medium beam (about 30º to 40º)
A pleasing balance between focus and spread
Softer definition at the edges of the beam, more even light effect, but retaining directionality
Wide beam (about 50º to 80º)
Washes a wider area with a softer, gentler light effect
Minimal shadows and uniform light effect to create overall illumination in a space
