LED spotlight: TOP-11 rating of the best LED lamp models of 2021 with tips on how to choose a spotlight

Traditionally, floodlights are used when it is necessary to illuminate a large area - warehouses, car parks, the area in front of the house. Previously, floodlights based on incandescent lamps were very powerful and bulky, which significantly limited their scope of application.

With the advent of compact halogen and LED light sources, the scope of applications has expanded significantly. Which type should you choose?

Types of spotlights by light source

• Halogen;
• Metal halide;
• Sodium;
• LED

Halogen

A halogen lamp is used as a light source; this is the same incandescent lamp, the bulb of which is filled with an inert gas, which increases its brightness and service life.

Metal halide

Built on the basis of a gas discharge lamp. They have very high brightness, but their operation requires a special lamp ignition unit and special operating conditions.

Sodium

Uses a gas-discharge lamp, but the flask is filled with sodium vapor which emits light.

LED

The light source is a matrix of bright LEDs. These devices have the most compact dimensions and a long service life.

Main conclusions

A spotlight is a device designed for external and internal lighting. There are LED, halogen, sodium and metal halide devices. Before purchasing, you need to choose the right lamp:

• determine the task that the lamp must cope with;
• calculate the required spotlight power and coverage area;
• study the offered assortment, taking into account the type of light sources used, expiration date, manufacturer, protection class, dimensions and additional functions.

Only after determining all the necessary criteria can you buy a lighting device.

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Features of operation of different types of spotlights

The most affordable ones are halogen, they have relatively low energy efficiency - 10-15 lumens/W. The service life of such a lamp is less than 1000 hours. It is most advisable to use them for periodic illumination of small areas, for example, a floodlight with a motion sensor in front of a gate.

Sodium and metal halide lamps have high energy efficiency - 80-120 lumens/W. At the same time, they are quite “capricious” to the ambient temperature, supply voltage, and require time to ignite and turn off. A short-term power outage and an attempt to re-ignite a lamp that has not cooled down can damage it.

LED spotlights are the most convenient and practical for both industrial and domestic use. Energy efficiency at the level of gas-discharge lamps, instant ignition and very long service life make them the most attractive. Ideal for lighting an area.

What is a spotlight and what is its purpose?

Spotlights allow you to illuminate a certain area with artificial light. They are used for different purposes. Main types of spotlights:

• industrial – illuminate factories, production facilities;
• street – illuminate roads and highways, playgrounds, stadiums;
• decorative - create artistic illumination of architectural objects and interiors.

Each specific type of floodlight requires its own characteristics to ensure operability and functionality.

According to the light source there are:

• halogen;
• LED;
• sodium;
• metal halide floodlights.

Halogen sources provide shadow-free warm light. They are used in decorative lighting and advertising billboards. They require a lot of power to operate and get hot. The advantages include low energy consumption and long operation.

LED floodlights are the most efficient sources with a long service life and a variety of color effects. They are more expensive than other directional light sources. They are reliable.

Sodium floodlights are more efficient than halogen and metal halide floodlights. They produce warm shades with a yellow tint, which is uncomfortable for the eyes. Unreliable.

Metal halide products contain a gas-discharge lamp. They have good color rendering and high light output. They heat up little and do not require special maintenance conditions. Used to illuminate large rooms.

Solar-powered floodlights form a separate group. The operation of the device is controlled by a controller (for example, a light sensor). It monitors the level of natural light and turns on the lamp as needed. A more complex design is a device with an adjustable controller. It additionally includes functions of turning on and off, adjusting the brightness and intensity of lighting.

According to the installation method there are:

• stationary;
• battery;
• hand portable;
• built-in

It is worth buying a spotlight taking into account the recommendations for selection.

Classification of LED spotlights

The choice of LED spotlight is made based on the tasks assigned to the lighting. The following classifications exist:

Power : from 10 to 500 W.

Brightness : from 700 to 34000 lumens.

IP protection class (Internal Protection):

IP20 - for indoor lighting. No protection from moisture and dust.

IP21 / IP22 - can be used in unheated rooms. Has protection against condensation formation.

IP23 - can be used in unheated rooms and outdoors. Has protection against condensation formation.

IP50 - dust-proof housing. Used in industrial facilities. No waterproofing.

IP54 - waterproof housing. Use in conditions with high humidity.

IP67 / IP68 - Full waterproofing up to the possibility of immersion in water.

By spectrum:

3700-4300 – warm white;

4500-5500 – neutral white;

6000 – cool white;

Material and additional options

Having become acquainted with the main technical characteristics, let us now turn to the material from which the case is made. Of course, none of the experts will recommend choosing a plastic case. This is very impractical and unreliable, given the degree of heating of certain types of lamps and natural factors.

It is best to choose a durable aluminum case that will last for a long time. Alloys of aluminum with other metals are also used. Here you need to be prepared for the possibility of corrosion, because unlike aluminum, other metals are not so resistant to environmental conditions.

As additional options, you can consider the presence of motion sensors in the spotlight. This will save energy consumption because it won't be on all night. In addition, the floodlight will increase the safety of the illuminated area.

Selection of spotlight power

The distance at which the LED spotlight shines depends on the power of the matrix. The level of illumination decreases exponentially. Therefore, the illumination area of ​​LED spotlights does not increase in proportion to the increase in power.

For movement in the dark, lighting at a level of 10-15 lux/meter is sufficient, for technical lighting - 75 lux/meter, for precision work - 100 lux/meter.

How much area can be illuminated with a spotlight?

The peculiarity of a spotlight as a type of lighting device is its large illumination area. To calculate the number of spotlights, you need to know the dispersion angle. We will not perform complex specific calculations. Let's just give specific examples. For example, for an area of ​​approximately 26 m², a floodlight with a power of 50-60 W is sufficient. Such lighting devices will illuminate a space within a radius of 5 meters. If you take these indicators as a basis, you can easily calculate the entire territory.

One more thing. The projector's passport indicates such characteristics as lumens. How do they affect the area of ​​illumination? Let's take the most common power of spotlight bulbs:

• 70 W includes 5600 Lumens, which gives a light range of up to 6 m;
• 100 W - 8000 lm, range 7 m;
• 150 W - 10230 lm, range reaches 8 m.

Test review of spotlights

Matrix

When manufacturing a spotlight matrix, cluster super-bright diodes or a large matrix with conventional high-brightness SOD diodes can be used. Which LED floodlight is best seen from their technical features.

This is
a spotlight with an SOD matrix , several hundred LEDs are installed on it. Such matrices are cheaper than a cluster of ultra-bright LEDs, but with a large number of light-emitting elements, a scatter in their parameters is inevitable. If one of the LEDs fails, it increases the load on the others. With comparable brightness of matrix and cluster devices, the price of the former is 30-40% less, but the service life is 3-4 times lower.

In cluster spotlights, the matrix is ​​made of ultra-bright LEDs of the 5050, 5630 series with the most identical parameters. The small emitted surface area provides a powerful, uniform flow of light. The effective life reaches 30,000 hours.

Matrix color temperature

The higher the color temperature of the LED, the higher the light output. At a temperature of 6500K and a power of 40 W, the luminous flux will be about 4000 lumens, at a temperature of 5000K - about 3600 lumens, at 3500K - 3000 lumens. Therefore, cold light is more effective for illuminating areas, although it has a blue tint. But for illuminating the work surface and reading, they are worse than the 5000K option, which produces pure white light.

Selection by installation method

Depending on the installation method, floodlights can be floor-mounted, wall-mounted, mast-mounted or under a console. Based on mobility, there are models of stationary installation and portable ones.

Architectural or stationary

They have a rigid fixation on a monolithic structure; the advantage of such spotlights is reliability and a precisely defined location of illumination. Suitable for situations where the lighting area is known in advance; thanks to the fastening, they do not move from their place due to gusts of wind or careless human actions. Most often they are installed on a wall, free-standing support structure or console. They are used for street lighting of entrances, gates, lawns and garden plots.

Rice. 4: Fixed installation floodlight

Mobile

Mobile spotlights can be transported from one place to another, they are easy to move and install due to a special stand or pin. Such devices are most relevant during construction work, where the lighting location or protected area moves both within one object and when changing objects.

Rice. 5: portable spotlight

Halogen or LED spotlight?

Which spotlight is better, LED or halogen, is a very pressing question today. Halogen lights are often considered as an alternative to LEDs. 25-30% lower cost, cheap lamps are the main motivating factors. But in the end, halogen spotlights are significantly inferior to LED ones. Their energy consumption is five times higher, and the service life of the light-emitting element is ten to twenty times less.

Within a year of regular operation, the cost of a halogen lamp will be several times higher than the operating costs of an LED lamp, making its purchase unprofitable.

Economical

First of all, of course, you need to focus on the cost of the spotlight. After all, for street lighting, fairly powerful lamps are usually used, which consume a large amount of electricity per night. The most economical ones at the moment are LED, induction and fluorescent lamps.

Types of spotlights

However, the last two types of lamps are more suitable for illuminating covered areas near the house, since they do not tolerate changes in humidity and temperature. These are one of the most expensive outdoor lighting systems for private use (illuminating the area around the house, cottage, paths, etc.). But all three provide minimal consumption with excellent light output, and usually fully pay for themselves within one and a half to two years (the longer they work, the stronger the economic effect).

If you want to choose not only a bright, economical lamp, but also a durable one, we recommend paying attention to LED and induction models. According to various estimates, their resource is very long - from 30 to 70 thousand hours of trouble-free operation.

In this sense, luminescent ones lose significantly - they can work up to 12 thousand hours, and as the phosphor burns out, they noticeably dim. In addition, they are very sensitive to power surges and frequent switching on. Because of this, it is not recommended to connect them to motion sensors, because otherwise, the device will exhaust its resource much earlier than the stated period.

How to choose a budget LED floodlight

There are products from several hundred manufacturers on the market. The price of their products may differ significantly from products from brands Philips, Osram, Hyunday. Of course, such giants make the best LED spotlights, but the brands Feron, Luna, and Jazzway have proven themselves well.

You can find domestically produced products a little more expensive than Chinese ones. When compared, the “Chinese” almost always have slightly overestimated data on luminous flux.

These are three budget options under $50. When testing all models, the actual luminous flux turned out to be 5-10% lower. The IP65 degree of protection implies complete protection against the penetration of condensation and dust. In this case, the connection of the body parts is overhead, fixed with screws, and sealed with a thin silicone sealant. This design is unable to meet the requirements of the specified degree of protection.

Most likely, over time, condensation will form inside the case. Manufacturers indicate the operating temperature range is -40 - +60 degrees, but the relatively small radiator area of ​​FERON in summer is not able to adequately remove heat, which reduces the real life of the LED matrix.

Based on operating experience, Foton brand products have proven themselves to be the best among budget models.

What points should you pay attention to when choosing a spotlight?

Housing material

In some models, the housing is made of stainless steel and the reflector housing is made of aluminum. For use inside domestic premises it is not critical, but when installed in an open space at the junction of metals there will be increased corrosion, which will not have the best effect on reliability.

Radiator thickness

Saving on a radiator worsens heat dissipation from the matrix and reduces its actual service life. When choosing between two identical models, choose one with a large cooling radiator.

Protection class

You should not save money by purchasing a spotlight without protection from dust and moisture if the device is planned to be used outdoors. It is better to find a case with protection class IP54/64.

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Protected

Protected spotlight

Another extremely important criterion for selecting a street spotlight is the degree of its tightness. Often, a special marking is applied directly to the device itself - IP with two numbers. The higher they are, the more protected (from exposure to aggressive environments) the device is. The first number characterizes the degree of protection from the penetration of dust particles under the housing, and the second - from the ingress of water (condensation). Below, as an example, is the marking of an LED spotlight.

In such models, all joints are sealed with protective gaskets and sealants. Just pay attention to the material and dimensions of the back of the lamp. It is responsible for heat removal and must be voluminous enough to effectively cool the hermetically sealed case. It is best to choose devices with a back panel made of thin metal; it ensures accelerated heat transfer. External lighting systems are also provided with additional anti-vandal protection, which reduces the risk of mechanical damage, vibration, etc. Often the body of street lamps is made of thicker metal; shockproof glass and metal gratings are used to protect the luminous element; connecting cables are laid in an additional layer of especially strong insulation. It is clear that such a device is more expensive, but for public places it is initially better to choose models with a high safety margin.

By illumination at coverage level

The degree of illumination of a spotlight depends on the ratio of the luminous flux to the area it illuminates, i.e., on the efficiency of the LEDs.
20 W LED spotlights are produced with a total luminous flux from 1100 to 2200 lm. The higher the numbers, the brighter the light. Manufacturers use different LED modules and technologies, so with the same power, spotlights have different brightness. Meteorite72 is the best online store for LED lighting! Products of the highest quality, impeccable service, the widest range, excellent prices, guarantee. View products >>>

A 20 W street spotlight with a luminous flux of 2000-2200 lm will illuminate about 6 m²; it is recommended to hang it at a height of up to 3 m.

An important characteristic of lighting is color temperature, depending on the level of which the light source is perceived by the human eye in this way:

• 2700-3000K - warm light with a yellowish spectrum, dim;
• 4000-4500K - neutral daytime, white;
• 6000-6500K - cool white light with a blue spectrum, bright.

Each type of light has its own purpose. For illuminating paths, gazebos, verandas, a warm one is suitable for steps, the entrance to a house, the area in front of a garage - with a color temperature of 4000-5000K. Soft light will give a beautiful look to a suburban area after dark, highlighting the elements of the landscape.

For colorful illumination, the devices are equipped with LEDs in three colors: red, blue and yellow. When adjusted and mixed using special equipment, hundreds of shades are obtained. It should be borne in mind that over time, LED crystals degrade and the light dims, so it is better to buy a spotlight whose brightness is higher than what you need today.

Types of lighting fixtures

Lamps on the market vary in power, design, and cost. Let's evaluate the popular types.

Incandescent lamps. Familiar, budget classic. However, it loses to the new generation of lamps in other respects: high energy consumption with a short service life, uneven light distribution. When it burns out, it can spark, which can lead to a fire. It heats more than it shines, so it is not suitable for a garage.

Luminescent. Known as fluorescent lamps. They are wall or ceiling mounted. The latter scatter light more widely. They are economical, give a uniform luminous flux, but voltage drops make them dim. They may flash during the process; in a cold room they do not always light up.

The main disadvantage: they contain mercury, the vapors of which, when the lamp is on, are dangerous to humans.

However, low energy consumption, good brightness, and long service life make fluorescent lamps one of the most profitable, but only conditionally suitable for a garage.

LED - new generation, the best garage option. Let's take a closer look at it.

Rating of the best street spotlights

Technical characteristics and lighting area

The technical characteristics of the best options include the following parameters that distinguish floodlights with worse equipment:

1. The material of manufacture is cast aluminum or high-strength and heat-resistant steel for the body, copper or aluminum for the radiator, transparent polycarbonate, reinforced glass, or reinforced fiberglass for the lenses.
2. The lamp glow should be at least 3000-5000 Lm (lumens).
3. Radiation temperature is not less than 4000 K (Kelvin).
4. The type of power supply - a solar panel allows you to use the equipment autonomously, far from civilization; the wires without a plug are thought out so that they can be mounted into the wall as successfully as possible when installing overhead, hanging options.
5. The flow opening angle is at least 120˚.

Artificial beam coverage area for:

1. Markings with 5000 lm cover an area of ​​500 sq.m., which is optimal for illuminating a large production area.
2. Parking lots can be used with a model with 2800 Lm – 120-200 sq.m. coverage.
3. For domestic needs, it is enough to choose a flow rate from 800 to 2800, 3000 Lm, then the coverage area will be from 12-25 sq.m. up to 200 sq.m.