Understand lumens, ceiling brightness, beam spread, tilt, and color options to make a wise choice on a common fixture that can range from $75 to $750 or more.
In Outdoor Spaces: Damp- or wet-rated recessed adjustable downlights are great for outdoor spaces, like this pool house. Here they illuminate the bar top, highlight the timber framing, and provide plenty of light for playing board games in front of the fire.
While recessed downlights are not the best choices for places such as closets or garages, they can transform other areas of a house—if they are chosen wisely. In this article, lighting designer David Warfel explains what to look for in a downlight using four criteria: ceiling brightness, beam spread, color, and tilt. He profiles 14 specific downlights in five different price categories (from under $75 to over $750), evaluating them in terms of those four criteria.
A Lighting Design Staple
Recessed downlights are to lighting designers what hammers are to carpenters; there are hundreds of options from terrible to terrific, and everyone has their favorite—ask me about the 30-year-old Estwing I received as a wedding gift and still use today. But every so often it’s good to look at what’s new. Rapid advances in technology make this critical in lighting; yesterday’s fixture may be plain bad compared to what can be purchased today.
Recessed adjustable downlights are not the best light fixtures for closets or garages, which need light spread out in every direction, but they can do almost everything else. So if you’re a downlight hater, you’re likely a victim of bad fixture choice or placement. Even a great downlight in the wrong place leads to discomfort and cavelike interiors.
A Great Room All Around: Recessed adjustable downlights have nearly limitless uses and can be tucked into slots for a more modern look. Note highlights on the tall curtains, the art on the second floor, and the vases by the fireplace.
I use recessed downlights in nearly every room of a home, though applications vary depending on the goal. In a kitchen, I recommend placing downlights over countertops for the best light possible. In living rooms and great rooms, recessed adjustable downlights can highlight stone fireplaces, illuminate art on the wall, and provide what designer Michael Maines calls “walking around light.”
And great rooms are not the only rooms with art to highlight; adjustable downlights can highlight the walls in bedrooms, offices, hallways, and more. I recommend drawing an imaginary line from 66 in. above the floor (about average eye height, where most art is centered) up to the ceiling at a 25° or 30° angle to find the right location to install downlights. Get the right fixture, then align it with a vertical surface (art, cabinets, shelves, stone, etc.) and watch the space come alive.
What About Watts?
Watts, the measurement of electricity we’ve used for a century to describe light output, is no longer a particularly useful measure because the creation of light in LED fixtures and bulbs is far more complex than it used to be. The good news is that most LEDs are pretty energy efficient. You just have to learn a new unit of measure.
Lumens is a measurement of light output akin to volume of water coming out of a hose. And just like a hose can deliver water as a gentle rain or a strong surge, light fixtures can deliver lumens in a variety of ways. Look for lumens and the option to change the beam spread from wide to narrow. Downlights with 800 to 1000 lumens are good for most applications. Consider 1200 to 2000 lumens for rooms with very tall ceilings.
If you keep reading, you’ll see lumen ratings listed as fixed numbers or as “up to” a certain number. That’s because the lumen rating of a fixture isn’t always fixed. Some lower-cost fixtures have switches that allow you to select from several lumen packages, and some high-end fixtures allow you to specify the fixture to be built with a few different lumen packages. This means you can tailor the light output of a fixture to its location and use.
In the Bedroom: Recessed adjustable downlights are a go-to for lighting art, stone, and wall hangings in rooms with flat ceilings. The artistic wall hanging above this bed is illuminated by two adjustable downlights; sometimes cross-aiming is needed to cover larger objects.
Beyond Lumens
For this article, I reached out to some of my favorite fixture manufacturers and ran samples through a series of observations. Beyond lumens, I looked at each fixture’s ceiling brightness (and potential for glare), beam spread, tilt (or adjustability), and light-color options. I also considered repairability.
At the End of a Hallway: Recessed adjustable downlights allow tilting to focus the beam on art, wall finishes, stone fireplaces, and cabinet fronts. Here, a single recessed adjustable downlight helps draw the eye to the end of the hall.
Nearly all of the fixtures presented have replaceable components that increase the likelihood of these lasting for decades. Whether you purchase one of the downlights shown here or something else, it’s wise to look for fixtures with modularity and replaceable drivers, the little transformers that step line voltage down to the low voltage needed for LEDs. Drivers are more likely to fail than the chips—but if the fixture is built right, they can be more easily replaced.
Terminology
I use some terms you’ll need to know when comparing downlights. In a few instances I reference a fixture’s color rendering index, or CRI. The CRI is a measure of how well a light fixture displays the color of what it is illuminating compared to natural light. The index goes from 0 to 100, and the higher the number the better.
I also refer to a fixture’s optics. The optics are the components of the fixture that are responsible for how much the light spreads out, and in which direction. Different fixtures achieve these characteristics in unique ways, and describing them all would require a short book, so I have used optics as a general term. Finally, regress is how far up into the housing a light source sits. A higher regress may help reduce ceiling brightness and glare.
You may notice regress in some of the photos in this article where the bulbs look off-center. Adjustable downlights generally come with either below-the-ceiling adjustment or above-the-ceiling adjustment. For the latter, the bulb moves out of the center of the downlight when it tilts. The good news is that when the light is on, no one looks at it.
I attempted to give each fixture a fair and detailed review so that you can decide which may be right for your projects, but I do have some favorites. The Entra CL from Visual Comfort is a surprising value. Liteline’s 4-in. Luna Dim to Warm is an affordable starting point. And DMF’s Artafex 2-in. is the first pinhole fixture (a fixture with a trim that substantially reduces the visible opening in the ceiling) I have seen that still allows substantial tilt for aiming.
Just like hammers, every one of these fixtures is a tool with strengths and weaknesses that make them perfect for one job—and a pain for others.
What to Look for in a Downlight
When choosing downlights, you need to find a fixture that pushes enough lumens for the task you need to accomplish, and also one that fits your budget. But those shouldn’t be your only considerations. Here are four additional important criteria.
Ceiling Brightness
Pushing a lot of light out of the ceiling can be quite useful, but if you can see the source, you may also experience uncomfortable glare. Pros favor low-glare fixtures for their “quiet ceiling” appearance, meaning you notice the room more than the fixture itself.
Beam Spread
Just like squeezing the garden hose concentrates water into a strong stream, concentrating light can push it farther. Most pro-level fixtures feature interchangeable optics, allowing you to get the beam spread just right for the application.
Color
For a good 20 years, we have been forced to choose a single color temperature of white light, such as 2700° Kelvin warm white. Better fixtures now offer warm-dimming (as the light is dimmed, its color temperature becomes warmer), tunable-white (the color temperature is adjustable), and full-dynamic-color (a range of hues and shades) capabilities. Warm-dimming fixtures are my current baseline (with dimming capabilities from 0.1% to 100% the most preferable), with tunable-white fixtures my favorite step up.
Tilt
Recessed adjustable downlights, my favorite downlight tool, allow me to point light at art, fireplaces, cabinet fronts, and other wall features. More tilt means I have more flexibility to hit the feature just right, and high-performing fixtures feature at least 30° of tilt without cutting off light.
Downlights for Under $75
Sadly, most homes use $20 disk lights for illumination everywhere. The first step toward higher-quality light is a higher-quality fixture, but that means spending more money. These fixtures are a step up from disk lights, but they still emit more glare than I like.
WAC is a leading manufacturer, and a high level of quality shows up even in its most affordable fixtures, like the Lotos. This fixture has good tilting ability and a nice, soft-edged beam that is best used when tilted toward walls and cabinets. The Lotos comes only in fixed white, but a tiny switch allows the installer to choose between 2700°K, 3000°K, 3500°K, 4000°K, and 5000°K color temperatures. Not sure which one to choose? Start by setting all the fixtures to 3000°K, and then ask the homeowner—at night—how it feels.
American Lighting • Axis 3-in. • $55 • 1000 lumens
I use a lot of American Lighting linear (strip tape) light, and sometimes I use the company’s Axis 3 series downlights when a low-cost option is needed. This fixture features decent tilting ability and five easily selectable color temperatures ranging from 2700°K warm white to 5000°K cool white. The Axis 3 has more ceiling brightness potential (which can cause glare) than the WAC Lotos, but it packs a serious punch at 1000 delivered lumens. That can be great when you need a little more light or are planning for aging eyes.
Lusa Lighting • Adjustable Trim 3-in. • $65+ • Up to 950 lumens
Lusa offers cost-conscious entry-level fixtures from DMF Lighting, a manufacturer of some great fixtures at higher price points. I wanted to love the Lusa downlight as well, but the extrawide 90° beam spread limits its use to whole-room illumination and makes the tilt option less useful. The Lusa fixture does offer warm-dimming capabilities, a rarity at this price level. That can go a long way toward making a space feel more comfortable at night, so if you are using straight downlights, this is a great choice. The modularity and simple housing make installation clean and quick.
Downlights Between $75 and $150
Stepping up to this budget category will lead to a noticeably better experience. These fixtures offer lower glare and more warm-dimming options than lower-cost competitors. However, there are some trade-offs that keep the prices this low.
Liteline • Luna 4-in. • Dim to Warm • $100 • 650 and 850 lumens
Liteline offers a wide range of quality products, and the Luna series of downlights have warm-dimming capabilities and lower glare at prices that are hard to match. The regressed reflector is surprisingly quiet (less glare) for a fixture only a few inches deep overall. Liteline advertises dimming only down to 10%, but it looked good enough for most folks on my test dimmer. I saw no visible cutoff when tilting to 30°, so this would make a decent art light. One note: the Luna RA4 has more tilt than the Luna RA3.5, so stick with the larger size.
American Lighting • Warm Dim 3-in. • $130 • 800 lumens
American Lighting’s warm-dimming downlight is a hefty piece of equipment due to its solid-aluminum heat sink that should protect the LED chips for years to come. I wish the fixture were a little smaller, but I was pleasantly surprised at how little glare it produced. The warm-dimming curve, or measurement of how quickly the light turns amber, looked great and should support relaxing evenings.
Visual Comfort • Entra 3-in. CL • $150 • Up to 1300 lumens
Visual Comfort, previously known in the industry as Tech Lighting, offers quality downlights at a wide range of prices. The Entra CL is its most recent addition. This fixture offers the widest array of choices of those I tested at this price point, meaning you can customize trim color, reflector finishes, and beam angles to get just the right effect. My business partner complains about the dimming performance, so test this fixture with your gear first, but it has a surprising number of options for the price.
Downlights Between $250 and $400
This category is where true luxury lighting begins, with higher CRIs, more optic choices, and better dimming. There are smaller, nicer fixtures out there, but only the most discerning homeowners may notice the difference.
DMF Lighting • M Series 4-in. • $275 • Up to 1000 lumens
If DMF made a hammer, it would be my trusty Estwing. The M Series put DMF on the map for the fixtures’ modular construction, excellent mounting brackets that make installation a breeze, and easily replaceable light modules. Want a different trim? No problem. Need a different beam spread? Sure thing. We have specified thousands of these fixtures, which make a great base fixture for quality builders. I have only one complaint: The adjustable module can be a little bright to the eyes, so use a hex-cell louver accessory to cut down on glare
WAC Lighting • Ocularc 3-in. • $275 • 860 lumens
WAC’s entry in this category is a solid performer with a nice articulating tilt feature that keeps the beam of light centered, which is great for aiming at art on the wall. This is a nicely built fixture with a smallish housing that will fit in places its bigger cousins cannot; that can be handy when ceiling joists are tightly packed. The Ocularc ships with filters that spread out the beam, so you always have what you need on-site. (Don’t throw those filters away when unpacking; they are very thin and can be easily missed.)
Visual Comfort • Entra 3-in. • $300 • 980 lumens
The original Entra was Visual Comfort’s first attempt at a more affordable downlight, and the company’s expertise shows throughout. The Entra has plenty of trimmed and trimless options, includes interchangeable optics in the box, and is a solid performer. It may be surprising that the Entra CL, a newer and lower-cost option, has more optics and finish choices than its higher-priced Entra cousin, but this happens with surprising frequency when innovation is fast-paced. That makes it hard to choose, but the Entra has a quieter ceiling (lower glare) than the Entra CL. For me, lower glare is key.
Downlights Between $400 and $600
These fixtures offer more optical accessories and trim and finish options, as well as a better performance level overall. To save money, we use fixtures from this category in primary spaces and go down a level for secondary areas.
DMF Lighting • Artafex 2-in. • $400 • Up to 1000 lumens
Available with an incredible 98+ CRI light source and featuring a compact housing and modular construction, this fixture is a standout for how it disappears and how it performs. The cross-beam optics mean you can fully tilt the fixture and still get great light out of a pinhole trim, something not possible in yesterday’s downlight. I was amazed when I tested it, and that does not happen to me very often. I am going to be saving my pennies for this fixture in tunable white with a Wheat Haze trim.
WAC has downlights at nearly every price point, and the Aether 3.5-in. offers a decent performance and a somewhat shallower housing than many others. The source regress, or how deep in the ceiling the light itself sits, is good and reduces glare at the ceiling. I am disappointed that this fixture is not available in warm-dimming or tunable white, so I lean toward the others in this category.
Visual Comfort • Element 3-in. • $500 • Up to 1225 lumens
This fixture put Visual Comfort on the downlight map and is a mainstay in fine homes across the country. Element is a high-quality fixture with great adjustability, a ton of optic options, interchangeable trims that allow for a truly custom look, and a super-quiet ceiling. You can raise and lower the entire optical engine inside the housing, a pro-level adjustment that can help dial this into perfection. Take some time to play with rotation and tilt before you hang the fixture; it’s easier to figure that out on the ground than on a ladder.
Downlights for $750 or More
Most homeowners will be more than satisfied with lower-cost fixtures, but for art collectors or interior designers, these pricier, more flexible options may be right. Both of these fixtures require a sophisticated digital control system, so get some pro help.
WAC’s Aispire brand offers top-of-the-line fixtures, and at around $500 less than the Ketra (right), the Atmosphere seems like a bargain. The fixture is very well built and has easy adjustability that latches automatically in place. I particularly like the 4000°K to 1800°K tunable-white version that allows me to pick exactly the right color of white for the time of day and for cabinets, wall finishes, and flooring. No more white cabinets that look yellow under light—the Atmosphere fixture can pull the yellow out to make everything look just right.
Ketra • D3 3-in. • $1200+ • Up to 1100 lumens
Ketra’s light source is beautiful, and it wowed me when I first encountered it nearly 10 years ago. Acquisition by Lutron slowed fixture development but introduced rock-solid controllability, so Ketra’s venerable D3 is still a solid performer and fantastic for anyone who wants light to be perfect. Smart controls allow users to synchronize with daylight or amp up the vibrancy of artwork and finishes. I may never have the cash for these in my house, but our team specifies hundreds for high-end luxury homes. Allow extra time for aiming, as the D3 can be finicky.
Note: Pricing for fixtures fluctuates and varies depending on trim finish and optical accessories. I have combined online prices and MSRPs to create estimates of these fixture costs.
— David K. Warfel; lighting designer, author, and educator. Photos and rendering courtesy of the author, rendered by Weber.
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Great question! This has become much easier with better products - virtually every product listed in the article is either inherently IC-rated (for direct contact with insulation) or comes with an IC housing option. One caveat is that spray foam, if applied after light fixture installation, can sometimes be an issue so it is best to check with the manufacturer or box around them. But for other types of insulation, you can typically pack right around the housings.
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One essential consideration in choosing a ceiling light is not mentioned here. How difficult is it to get an effective air seal at the ceiling?
Great question! This has become much easier with better products - virtually every product listed in the article is either inherently IC-rated (for direct contact with insulation) or comes with an IC housing option. One caveat is that spray foam, if applied after light fixture installation, can sometimes be an issue so it is best to check with the manufacturer or box around them. But for other types of insulation, you can typically pack right around the housings.