First, determine the wattage that you need. LED lights are energy-efficient. Because a lower wattage bulb produces less electricity, this is why wattage matters. Although lower wattage bulbs will produce a dimmer light output, most can still match standard bulbs in terms of light output.

A basic halogen downlight consumes about 55 watts. However, an LED alternative might use only 5.5 watts to 16. This is how exterior-mounted downlights can be compared to a regular bulb.

Another component to consider when selecting a bulb is lumens. This is how light is measured from the source. An LED downlight, for example, is the amount of light that illuminates one square foot of surface located one foot from the source. Did you know that the brighter a bulb has, the more lumens it contains?

The efficiency of your downlight is shown in lumens per watt. The wattage of downlights can vary in luminosity. It depends on the type and frequency of use of the LED chip, the structure of the case, and how efficient the heat sink is in removing the heat from the bulb.

The beam angle is another important aspect to consider when selecting an LED downlight. It determines how much light will be spread over the area where the bulb is situated. A narrow beam will give off a concentrated light that is often used for accent lighting. If you desire a gentler light output, choose a wide beam instead.

LED downlights can be set to either warm or cool white depending on the color temperature. This linear scale measures light's color in degrees.