Lighting selection is an indispensable part of decoration. Some will plan the lighting by themselves, while others will leave it to the designer. In today’s home life, lighting is not only responsible for the role of lighting, but also plays a role in creating an atmosphere and the finishing touch.

Do you know the difference between downlights and spotlights? Hey, today we will systematically understand the difference between these two lamps.

Downlight: A small light fixture that emits light vertically downward.

Spotlights: lamps with adjustable direction, focusing on a small area, play the role of accent lighting. In terms of “type”, the downlight is fixed downward, and the spotlight is adjustable in direction.

When it comes to downlights and spotlights, in the lighting design of modern home improvement, these are the leaders in creating a home atmosphere, especially spotlights, which are often seen in museums, exhibition halls and other places. For beginners, they are similar in appearance and can easily be confused together. What is the difference between the two?

If you only look at it from the outside, it is really difficult to distinguish the difference between the two. First of all, you have to start with their respective characteristics.

Downlight

In commercial lighting and home lighting, it mainly provides uniform, comfortable and soft functional basic lighting. When laying out lights, the spacing between lamps, the illuminance and uniformity of the ground, and the matching degree between the lamps and the ceiling should be considered. It is more suitable for local medium-intensity lighting and auxiliary lighting, such as dining tables and bar counters.

Spotlight

It is often used for accent lighting to illuminate objects to be highlighted. For example, commodities, decorative paintings, handicrafts, etc., can produce clean and clear light spots, and focus on objects to enhance the effect. Generally, the volume of spotlights is smaller than that of downlights.

General Lighting vs Accent Lighting

Downlight: Soft and comfortable light, generally used for general lighting or auxiliary lighting, can form floodlight in a certain space, evenly illuminate the entire space.

Spotlights: make mood lights, generally used for accent lighting or decorative lighting, mainly highlight the illuminated objects through small-angle strong light, such as TV walls, paintings, display cabinets, etc., which can better express the color and texture of objects, Enhance the beauty and enhance the contrast of light and dark in the space.

For lamps of the same power, the larger the beam angle, the smaller the central light intensity, and the softer the light spot. On the contrary, the smaller the beam angle, the greater the central light intensity, and the stiffer the light spot.

Non-adjustable vs Adjustable

The direction of the light source of the downlight is generally not adjustable and can only be fixed in one direction, which can evenly illuminate the entire space. The direction of the light source of the spotlight is generally variable, and the illumination angle can be adjusted freely according to the needs, focusing on lighting and highlighting the local area.