What are Downlights?

Downlights are designed to set lighting in a downward direction, just where it’s needed. They are usually LED bulbs set in pressed steel or an aluminium can with a decorative bezel. More common finishes are chrome or brushed steel. They’re held to the ceiling with spring clips or compression clips.

Downlights can be fitted in any room and are particularly popular in the kitchen and bathroom as they are now widely available with an IP rating and are also fire rated.

Most downlights are available as recessed or surface mounted. If you do choose to have your downlights recessed, this means they fit into the ceiling leaving just the bezel the bulb on show, keeping the lighting interior very minimalistic and modern. If you choose a surface mounted option, these are fitted on top of the ceiling or wall, leaving some of the side on show, as well as the bezel and the bulb.

Some downlights are LED integrated, meaning there’s no need to purchase the bulb separately, as this is fixed into the unit and is not interchangeable. This may be seen as a disadvantage as the complete unit would need to be changed if something goes wrong, however there are a lot of pros to choosing an integrated downlight.

Integrated downlights are said to last a lot longer than your average LED bulb. This is because integrated LED downlights are explicitly designed to dissipate heat effectively, allowing the LED to operate under cooler temperatures. With a cooler system, the downlights are less likely to overheat, giving them a much longer life expectancy.

Downlights also have a temperature or light colour which will let you know what colour of light will be projected. For example, some may have a warm white light, which is an orange/yellow light, while others could be cool white, giving off a white/blue light. You can read more on light colours and temperature here.

There is usually a cut out confirmed on the instructions or specifications of the listing. This cut out is the hole required in the ceiling for the Downlight to fit into. Once the hole is cut, the fitting can be pushed in, with the bezel rim sitting flush to the ceiling. The spring clips usually clamp over the side of the ceiling hole, to secure the fitting in place.

Downlights have become more popular over the years, as modern interior is becoming a lot more minimalistic and simplistic. Less is most definitely more when it comes to modern interior. 

Browse through our range of downlights below to find the perfect fix for your home interior. We also have a range of spotlights available, some are highlighted below, but you can see our full range in the lighting section of our site. Not sure if you want a spotlight or downlight? Check out this guide for more details.