Flood lights have come a long way in the past couple of years with LED technology. When LED's were first introduced they were very useful and good for lower brightness, products like globes or LED strip lights achieved this. This was because they were not as efficient as they are now. If the manufacturer turned the brightness up on the LED's they simply would burn out. I know first hand that manufacturers lost a lot of money in testing the early developments of LED flood lights because they would burn out within a year. Rest assured, they now perform more efficiently and last considerably longer. In this blog I will run through which LED flood lights to purchase and which specs to look out for before buying. 

LED Chips - As discussed earlier with the LED chips, I can easily say SMD LED flood lights last much longer then COB LED flood lights. The difference is SMD uses many little LED chips rather then one big LED chips, as you can see in the image below, running SMD chips means that they can operate at much lower temperature which avoids burning out the LED flood light. 

Wattage - It is very important to get right the brightness and coverage for the application. Each flood light is different, with some running more efficiently than others. With most LED products you should work off the lumens and not the wattage. LED flood lights can jump large amounts each wattage, so they will roughly all the do the same job. A rough guide to work off would be the following:

 

Beam Angle - Now this point is more just a consideration for you to make, as almost all LED flood lighting has a wide beam angle of 140°. We have had many customers say there flood light turned out much brighter than expected and lights up the neighbours backyards which may not be wanted. Try and install the  flood light in a central spot of the building or using two smaller LED flood lights on either side. The higher up the LED floodlight is installed, the more the beam angle will be increased.

 

Sensor LED Flood light - Almost every LED flood light model now comes with the option to have a sensor included, or to wire up an external sensor to the flood light. Having a sensor LED flood light is a great option because it will save power and it also allows you to change the sensitivity and time the flood light stays on for. Another sensor LED flood light option is to get a dusk to dawn sensor so that the light will only come once dark and turn off at sunrise. 

IP Rating- Always look to go with a minimum IP54 LED flood light, preferably a higher IP rating of 65 to avoid water and dust getting into the fitting. Because LED flood lights are built in, once they die you will need to replace the whole light, so make sure you get a high IP rating.

Brand - Buying lighting from quality brands is crucial and as discussed in the last point about the LED's being integrated, you want to make sure you buy something that will last. Flood lights can vary a whole heap in price and quality and can easily become confusing.

Colour Temperature - This is an important consideration to make as it will change the application considerably. If you are looking to have the application as clear and bright as possible, then look to go with around a 5500k kelvin, this will give off a pure bright white colour. This LED flood light temperature will suit carparks, sporting fields or work environments. If you want the application to be more warmer then look to a 4000k, this will give off a natural colour of light which will suit almost every application. If you want your area to have more mood and ambience then look to go with a 3000k warm white, this will give off a relaxed look. 

 

 

 LED flood lights are a practical solution for throwing lots of light with good coverage. Most LED floodlights include a DIY plug, so you can actually install yourself. Nearly all LED floodlights also include an arm bracket, so you can point to the desired direction