One such query is “Floodlights vs. Spotlights” what are they? And how to choose between them? Here we have the complete guide on the subject.
LED Floodlight Vs. Spotlight- A brief overview
Honestly, the difference between floodlighting and spotlighting can be explained in two words, Beam Angle. LED floodlights have a beam angle between 45 – 120°. Meanwhile, LED spotlights range between 25 – 45°.
What is a Beam angle?
The beam angle is a metric that determines the light spread from a source. A light bulb on the ceiling will cast a wide beam on the ground if it has a large beam angle.
By calculating the beamwidth (beam diameter), we can determine the minimum number of lights required for proper illumination.
Wider bream angles result in a more light spread, resulting in less intense lighting because the same amount of light is spread over a greater area.
How to Calculate Beam Width?
Using simple trigonometry, we can generate a simple formula for calculating beamwidth,
Beam Width = [0.0175] x [Beam Angle] x [Light Distance]
What are Floodlights?
Floodlights are high-intensity lights designed to flood a space with maximum illumination. Floodlights will commonly have a 45 – 120° beam angle, and since wider beam angles result in lower light intensity, manufacturers compensate by increasing the wattage of floodlights.
So, the critical characteristics of flood beam patterns are high diffusion, non-directional, and result in softer shadows. With such specific characteristics, the applications for floodlighting are limited.
Applications
Floodlighting is typically limited to outdoor and nighttime applications; the two most common applications for floodlighting are,
- Driveways
- Sports Stadiums
However, some niche cases can also use led flood lights, such as indoor lighting for large warehouses.
Benefits of using LED Floodlights
Floodlights are typically used for commercial applications, where convenience is the primary focus. But LED floodlights do have a few other benefits outside of convenience.
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What are Spotlights?
Spotlights get their name from the shape of their light spread, a sharp circular spot. For precise and sharp beam spread, the narrow beam angle needs to be less than 45°, though spotlights typically don’t go lower than 25°.
Contrary to floodlights, spotlights are directional, have concentrated beam spread, and result in sharper shadows. Spotlights are also less power-hungry and have both indoor and outdoor applications.
Applications
Spotlights are smaller than floodlights, making them useful for a broader range of applications.
Accent lighting is one of the key applications for spotlights, such as
- Statues
- Landscapes
- Concert Stage
- Etc.
But Spotlights are also used for illumination in applications with limited space for a light fixture, such as
- Billboards
- Rescue Vehicles
- Etc.
Finally, the everyday use of spotlighting is, highlighting specific areas or persons, like in a stage play, where you can highlight a lead actor from the background.
Benefits of LED Spotlights
Spotlights have fewer specific benefits than floodlights.
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Floodlight vs. Spotlight: Beam Angle Comparison
We talked about floodlights and spotlights individually, but now let’s make some side-by-side comparisons. First is the beam angle; let’s consider two identical led bulbs on a ceiling with the exact power requirement (wattage). The only difference between the two is their beam angle.
Since the two bulbs are identical, they produce the same amount of light. But the spread of the light will be different.
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Now let’s move on to a secondary attribute of beam angle, “Throw Distance.” In short, the throw is the distance a light beam can travel before fading away.
Consider the example of a car driving down a narrow road at night. The picture below shows the results of a spotlight vs. a floodlight.
The beam pattern for spotlights shows a greater throw distance because of the focused light. Meanwhile, flood lights’ beam pattern shows a shorter throw distance because the car projects light to the surrounding areas.
Which one is Better for your Application?
The simple answer is, “look at your application.” Floodlights are only helpful in a handful of scenarios, like sports stadiums and landscapes or driveways. So if your application aligns with these scenarios, you should choose floodlights and a spotlight for everything else.
Now for the longer answer. It would be best to look into the following factors for your applications.
Location
If you are in an indoor setting, your choice becomes limited. Floodlights are only valid indoors if you have a massive internal area, like a warehouse.
Coverage Area
The next most crucial factor is coverage area. How much light do you want for your application? Floodlights are the only option if you have a bigger venue (larger coverage area). But if it’s a smaller venue, you can use one or more spotlights.
Power Budget
The power budget is a lesser factor in determining your choice of lighting. But for decorative purposes, like landscape lighting or architectural lighting, it can help make the decision easier. Floodlights require a lot of power, and you may not have the proper electrical wiring to support higher watts of power. For those situations, using multiple spotlights is a better option.
Niche Applications
Finally, some applications demand one type of lighting, like emergency search operations on highways. Spotlights have a more oversized throw to cover the narrow road with light, and the smaller size allows them to be mounted on police vehicles.
Conclusion
Spotlights and Floodlights may seem similar at first glance, but the two couldn’t be more different when you look closely. Floodlights are broad and bulky, but they output a lot of light. While spotlights are small and sleek, they output less light, but all of the light is concentrated in a single beam.
We hope that this article has given you a better understanding of LED lights and the critical difference between spotlights and floodlights. If you want our recommendation for LED lighting solutions, we suggest RC Lighting.
We provide a broad range of lighting services, including LED spotlighting and floodlighting. Some of our most popular lighting solutions include indoor track spotlighting, architectural floodlighting, led light bar, and underwater led lights.
