Choosing an LED Floodlight: Power, Beam Angle and IP Rating
A floodlight is built to light a wide area from a single point: a car park, a garden, a warehouse, a building site, a façade. Three things decide the choice — power, beam angle and protection rating. Our collection holds 8 products and every one of them has a published price.
Choose the Power to Suit the Area
Our catalogue holds options between 10 W and 100 W.
- 10–30 W: a doorway, a small garden, an entrance path.
- 50–70 W: the corner of a car park, a medium-sized courtyard, the inside of a store.
- 100 W and above: a large yard, a façade, high mounting points.
The higher the mounting point, the faster the light reaching the surface falls away; a power that is enough at 3 metres for a given area falls short at 8 metres.
Beam Angle
A wide-angle floodlight lights the near area evenly, while a narrow-angle model carries the light further. In façade lighting a narrow angle washes the surface upwards, whereas in a car park a wide angle gives even light with fewer fittings.
IP Rating and Mounting
Every floodlight used outdoors must have an adequate protection rating. The mounting bracket has to be fixed so that the beam angle can be adjusted; a bracket that is not tightened turns over time and the fitting ends up pointing the wrong way. Aim the floodlight so that it does not shine straight at neighbouring windows or at the road.
Heat
In high-power floodlights the body works as a heat sink. Closing off the back of the fitting or sinking it into a tight recess traps the heat and shortens its life.
Budget
All 8 products are priced: from 6.05 EUR to 29 EUR, with a median of 24 EUR.
How Many Floodlights Are Needed?
Using two medium-power floodlights instead of a single powerful one gives a better result in most areas: when the light arrives from two directions, shadows soften and no dark corner is left. Lighting an area from its corners is generally more efficient than lighting it from the middle, because the light also reflects off the walls. Hanging a single fitting on a tall pole is the solution that looks cheapest and produces the most shadow.
