A Full Guide to Different Types of Recessed Lighting - AiDot

Are you looking for an easy and effective way to update your home's lighting? Recessed lighting is a quick and popular choice to make any room look more modern and inviting. It offers an attractive and effective solution for illuminating any area, from a bedroom to a kitchen, bathroom, or living room. But, with all the different types of recessed lighting available, it can be overwhelming to select the right one.

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In this article, we'll provide a full guide to different types of recessed lighting so you can make the right decision when choosing what works best for your space.

Part 1. What Is Recessed Lighting?

Recessed lighting, also called can lights or downlights, are ceiling fixtures with a trim that fits into an opening inside the ceiling. The light fixture itself sits "recessed" inside the ceiling, making it virtually invisible from below. Overall, recessed lighting offers aesthetically pleasing brightness while maintaining a contemporary look that won’t quickly become outdated.

Pros

• Offers plenty of design options in terms of fixture shape, size, wattage, trim color, and more.
• The lights are imperceptible from below, which creates a clean look.
• Adaptable to many types of decors, including rustic or modern styles.

Cons

• Multiple lights are needed for optimal coverage and intensity.
• Professional installation is recommended for best results.

Part 2. Types of Recessed Lighting

When it comes to choosing the right type of recessed lighting for your needs, there are six main considerations.

1. In Terms of Housing

When considering different types of recessed lighting, housing is an important factor to consider. Depending on the installation area and existing space in the ceiling, there are three primary types of housing:

• New Construction Housing—This type of housing requires access to the entire ceiling cavity for installation. As such, it’s best used for new construction projects where the ceiling has yet to be installed. New construction housings can often fit into shallow ceilings and thicker ones due to their low profile design.

• Remodel Housing—Remodeling housing is efficient and straightforward, as they require no access to studs or joists for installation. They can easily fit through pre-existing holes left from previous fixtures installations or remodeling projects, making them an ideal choice when working with existing drywall. All that's needed are a hole saw and some 2 x 4 lumber.

2. In Terms of Light Bulbs

Different types of light bulbs can create different textures, shadows, and colors, so it’s important to choose the right type.

• Incandescent Bulbs—An early form of lighting device that is less efficient and has a shorter life span compared to other types.
• Halogen Bulbs—A type of bulb that uses an enclosed filament combined with halogen gas, providing brighter illumination and increased longevity compared to incandescent bulbs.
• Compact Fluorescent (CFL) Bulbs—Recognized for their energy efficiency, these lights utilize a gas-filled tube with a phosphor coating, need a ballast, but contain mercury.
• Light Emitting Diode (LED) Bulbs—The most recent advancement in bulb technology offers stellar performance without any mercury content. Award-winning LEDs are longer lasting than other types and boast higher levels of efficiency too.

3. In Terms of Can

When considering types of recessed lighting, one important factor to consider is whether to go for canless or canned fixtures.

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• Canless Recessed Lighting—A popular choice for highlighting artwork, providing bright spots, and illuminating tasks like cooking or reading. Easier to install than canned fixtures as it clips directly into the ceiling hole with no additional wiring or mounting required.
• Can Recessed Lighting—Consists of tin or aluminum housing which contains LED bulbs and halogen lamps designed to disperse light evenly with minimal ambient glare. Requires additional wiring and mounting before installation, making them take longer to install than canless varieties.

4. In Terms of Trim

There are several types of trim available for both canned and canless recessed lighting, each tailored to fit specific needs or design preferences:

• Baffle Trim—A classic style featuring narrow grooves along its edges that block out extraneous light, yet provide adequate illumination below. Commonly used in modern interiors for subtle accent lighting effects.
• Reflector Trim—Designed to increase brightness by directing more energy into one concentrated output beam; perfect for task-specific areas requiring focused luminescence.
• Adjustable Trim—Features movable elements such as louvers to customize the direction of the light emitted, perfect for when more control is needed over directional settings.
• Decorative Trim—An ideal choice to inject a touch of charm into any lighting setting; characterized by intricate patterns and elegant designs to transform the atmosphere of any room.

5. In Terms of Size

• 4-inch Recessed Lighting—These lights provide adequate illumination in limited spaces. Installation is easy, fitting most 3-5 inch deep ceiling areas without added work.
• 6-inch Recessed Lighting—The high coverage area and wider diameter design make this ideal for hallways or stairwells. Added depth allows flexibility when mounting on deeper ceilings or up to 10 inches in installation depth.
• 8-inch Recessed Lighting—The largest size offered is perfect for high entryways or larger commercial settings needing bright light that won't irritate eyes from a lower angle. This size accommodates generous space between fixtures even when meeting safety regulations with fixture placement.

6. In Terms of Color and Temperature

• Soft Light—Soft light is the perfect addition to any bedroom or living room, emitting a low-intensity yellow hue of K–K that creates a warm and comfortable atmosphere.
• Bright Light—Recessed lighting, such as daylight bulbs ranging from K-K with cool blue tones that mimic natural sunlight, is an ideal solution for task-oriented spaces like kitchens, offices, or workspaces.
• Daylight—Daylight bulbs are ideal for brightening up any space both during the day and night. Creating bright white light around K–K, these high Kelvin-rated bulbs make objects appear crisp and clear, making them a popular choice in commercial settings such as retail stores.

Bonus 1: Check Some of the Best Recessed Lights in !

With AiDot Smart RGBWW Recessed Lights, you can upgrade your home lighting and make it smarter! This revolutionary recessed light is packed with all the features you could want and more. The best part is, controlling your lights has never been easier with its AI Dot App which allows you to adjust multiple lights from different rooms simultaneously. This innovative and user-friendly product offers several features:

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Replace all your existing bulbs in an instant with this smart and energy efficient LED lamp which can be adjusted to the desired color. The app control opens a world of possibilities. Turn all your lights on in one go, or dim them for more ambience.

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• 【Energy Star &ETL Certified】The dimmable LED can lights use the new generation of LED chips with higher lumens and lower power. (600LM in K, 700LM in K) consumes 10 Watts, which equals to 75W incandescent lamp, 50,000 Hours Lifespan saves up to 85% in energy costs. The high CRI will appear more vibrant for your life.
• 【Far Beyond Standard LED Specification】CRI: 95.5; SDCM(MacAdam ellipse):<4, Power Factor: 0.967. The high-quality components ensured the color temperature consistency and accuracy of all the countless LED recessed light 12 pack. More info about the professional parameter, please check detailed description page for Electrician & Contractors.
• 【Easy to Install】The low profile Ultra slim 4 inch recessed lighting is suitable for house retrofit and new decoration: Cut a hole in ceiling with the attached 1:1 hole template; Connect the Jbox to the cable; Use spring clip to fix it on the ceiling. Hassle-free, the installation can be completed in minutes.
• 【Safe and Durable Material】These IC Rated Lights are permitted to be in contact with insulations in ceilings, meaning the aluminum junction box is thermally protected. It only requires as small as 2 inches ceiling spaces, fits various ceilings, and joists. Recessed can is no longer a limitation for your choice.
• 【Wide Application】Compatible with most switch, meets kinds of needs in applications such as kitchen, living room, bedroom, workplace, common areas, outside soffits, garage, basement, new construction, even damp locations such as bathroom and pool soffit.

Bonus 2. FAQs About Recessed Lighting

1. What is the most common recessed lighting?

LED recessed lighting is one of the most commonly used types of recessed lighting, providing bright, uniform illumination while consuming less energy than other alternatives. The longevity of LEDs makes them an ideal fit for locations.

2. What is the difference between downlights and recessed lights?

Downlights and recessed lights are both lighting fixtures but differ in their effectiveness. Downlights create an indirect light effect, typically used for bathrooms, kitchens, or living rooms. Recessed lights offer direct lighting and are often seen in retail stores or industrial locations.

Conclusion

Recessed lighting is an excellent way to update any home's interior and can be tailored to fit a specific space or budget. There are many different types of recessed lighting, from housing options to construction types, trim styles, size variations, and color temperatures all of which must be considered before making your purchase.

The AiDot Smart RGBWW Recessed Lights provide cutting-edge features such as voice commands and group control that can help you truly customize your lighting experience. With so many options available, you'll have no trouble finding the right type of recessed lighting for your home!

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There are pros and cons to each kind of installation.

I usually prefer a real can light with a separate trim. You just have a lot more options.

I just wired a house using Feit recessed lights similar to the ones in the link. They were not color selectable, just daylight. The homeowner wanted something that would not have a step baffle look. I have used those same can lights on numerous occasions, but I don't use them all the time.

For the outside, he wanted some RGB so he can change colors for the holidays. It's a three-story house and there are cans on the first level and wrapping around the third level. Same trims as above, but they connect with a Wi-Fi app to be able to change the colors.

We also put dimmers throughout the house before I realized fight also makes Wi-Fi compatible dimmers. I don't know if they work through the same app as the RGV trims oh, but that would be awesome if they did. However, we used Lutron dimmers and the homeowner does not know (at least yet) smart dimmers are available.

One significant advantage that a traditional can with retrofit trim offers is the variety of lumen output. Feit and other companies make trims that look exactly the same but having Lumen output options.

The ones looking like what's pictured in the link come in to different brightness has – 850 lumens and lumens. Anytime you have a stairwell or closet or pantry, or even the kitchen, it's nice to put in the brighter trims.

The canless lights are not downlights. They are edge-lit, so they light the space differently. For me, I see a clear advantage in using those if you have short ceilings. A down light will produce a lot of light spots on the floor, whereas The edge lit panels will like the space a lot more evenly. Additionally, they don't glare in your face so much when you walk under one.

The junction boxes are supposed to be mounted, and when I'm wearing a brand new house using them I always Mount the J box very close to where the light is going to be cut in later. But when adding them on a remodel, it's almost impossible to mount from underneath the drywall. I've never met anyone who mounts them in a remodel application.

For what it's worth, I have recently raised my price for using them in new construction applications. Because you have to lay out call the lighting so you know where to put the wires and then you have to lay out all the lighting again on the finish so you know where to cut the holes. It's either that, or use the flat metal pans so the drywaller can cut the holes for you. Either way, I just don't like them for new construction I'm retired but always purchased all of my hi hat luminares from supply houses that stocked quality made in USA Ligholier brand. Very large selection and great service. I replaced a drop down trim lens that was over 30 years old for a replacement in my own home. No problem. Try getting a replacement part a year later from POS cheating lack of quality control communist China luminare. Last place that I worked at had over a hundred drop in cheating china 2 by 2' luminares. They had several broken pieces and oops sorry can no longer get parts for these higher end LED'S from China . Ended up removing a dozen from a conference room and reusing old ones for parts. Never cared if customer supplied their own luminares. Would tell them if they purchase razor sharp halo frames from China at big box stores or anything other then Ligholier would charge at least #10 or more per luminare. Last time I looked at the two big box stores they are getting like scum bag Walmart & WW Grainger in wanting to only sell inferior garbage made in communist China. No thanks. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever! Reputable large supply house stopped selling cheaper toggle bolts & nuts & , bolts, flat washers etc made in cheating china due to high # if returns & complaints