Lighting track

Measure the linear run to be covered, then choose the system: three-phase to separate the switching, 48 V for a slim profile. A lighting track is an electrified profile onto which adjustable spotlights clip, powered along its entire length, which lets you move the light without redoing the wiring.

• What is a lighting track?
• What are the different types of track?
• Where to install a track in the home?
• Length and section
• Installing the track
• Three-phase or 48 V?
• White, black, grey, silver
• Mistakes to avoid

What is a lighting track?

This is the track's first job: moving a spotlight thirty centimetres forward to light the worktop rather than the wall, without drilling a second time. The profile is screwed to the ceiling or the wall, connected to the mains at one point, and the spotlights clip on wherever you want, then swivel. The light is set by the angle, not by the number of holes.

Ceiling lighting track: how does it work?

Power arrives at the end of the profile, and the current runs to the other end, where an end cap closes the circuit. Each spotlight plugs onto the track via its adapter, which provides both the electrical contact and the mechanical fixing: you turn it a quarter turn and it holds. It stays powered everywhere, so a light point added later needs no wiring. The mains connection is made with the power off, by a professional if the circuit does not yet exist. Find the profiles on their own in three-phase tracks.

Lighting track with 3 switchings: what is it for?

A three-phase track carries three separate circuits, controlled by three switches. You switch on the worktop alone while cooking, the table alone at mealtimes, the circulation alone in the evening. The Track three-phase lighting track comes in 1, 2 or 3 m, in aluminium, in black, white or silver. Its Track DALI three-phase lighting track version adds control of the track and the spotlights from a lighting management system, useful when the room serves several moments of the day.

What are the different types of lighting track?

The profiles fall into families that do not mix: a spotlight designed for one will not clip onto another. The table below summarises what distinguishes each system and what to check before ordering.

Recessed track or surface track: what is the difference?

A surface track stays visible under the ceiling: it is fitted to an existing ceiling, without major work, and becomes a visible line. The recessed model, such as the Track recessed three-phase lighting track, aligns with the surface and shows only its spotlights. It requires a suspended ceiling or a recess, so a project planned further ahead.

Magnetic lighting track: do not confuse

A magnetic track holds its luminaires by magnetism. The three-phase and 48 V tracks in the selection use mechanical adapters: you clip, you lock, the contact is made through copper strips. The two gestures look alike, the systems are not interchangeable. To start from the luminaires rather than the profile, see track luminaires.

Where to install a lighting track in the home?

Anywhere you want to direct the light, provided there is a power supply close to the run. The track covers all three uses at once: general, accent on a wall or an object, and task lighting for reading or cooking. That is what makes it practical in a room whose use changes during the day.

Kitchen lighting track: follow the worktop

Place the profile parallel to the worktop, about 60 to 70 cm in front of the front wall so that the light falls on the worktop and not into your back. The spotlights tilt towards the watering can, the chopping board, the sink. A 2 m track covers a standard kitchen run, a 3 m one follows a large open kitchen. Complete with the spotlight track if you prefer an already equipped set.

Living room, hallway, dressing room and small dry room

In a hallway, a short length is often enough, with spotlights aimed at the walls to avoid your body's shadow on the floor. In a dressing room, the aim is to see inside the wardrobes: direct towards the fronts and the top of the clothes. The living room takes a longer run, with black track spotlights to highlight a wall. In a WC and in a toilet room without a shower, a short track fitted to the ceiling does the job, the room staying dry.

How to choose the length and section of a lighting track?

First measure the linear run to be covered, then take the nearest length among 1, 2 or 3 m, keeping space between the spotlights: packed together, they double up the light and heat up for nothing. The section is decided by eye and according to the space available on the ceiling.

What length for a worktop or a hallway?

Count the distance between the first and the last point to be lit, then add the margin for the fixings and the end cap. A 1.80 m worktop calls for a 2 m track; a 3.50 m hallway is handled in two lengths joined by a connector. The available lengths are 1 m, 2 m and 3 m across the selection.

74 × 54 mm or 26.2 × 28.7 mm section: what is the gap?

The 74 × 54 mm profile makes a statement: it becomes a design element on the ceiling, suited to large rooms. The 26.2 × 28.7 mm one almost disappears, for a clean ceiling. In between, the 26.2 × 53.7 mm and 26.2 × 77.7 mm sections balance presence and discretion.

The Track 48V 48 V lighting track, 74 × 54 mm section suits large rooms, the 48 V lighting track, 26.2 × 28.7 mm section suits ceilings you want to forget.

How to install a lighting track on the ceiling or on a wall?

Draw the profile in pencil, hold it in place, mark the holes, then put it back once the brackets are in place. The connection is made with the power off, and the profile is closed before the power is restored. An hour is enough for a straight run.

Fixing a track to the ceiling or to a wall

The screws depend on the substrate: plug and concrete screw in a solid ceiling, special plasterboard fixing in a plasterboard sheet, wood screw in a joist. The track carries its own weight plus that of the spotlights, so the fixings follow the manufacturer's instructions. On a wall, check the height: a profile fitted too high lights the ceiling, too low it gets in the way.

T, X and flexible connectors: which connector for which run?

The T connector opens a perpendicular branch, the X connector crosses two lines, the flexible connector changes angle and follows a slanted wall. Allow for their actual dimensions: the T connector for Track three-phase track measures 9.9 cm long, the X version 16.6 cm, and the DALI models 15.6 cm and 28 cm. To bring the light down over a table, see a spotlight on a suspended track.

Three-phase track or 48 V track: which to choose?

The question is settled by use, not by the data sheet. Do you want to switch zones separately, or a profile that disappears into the ceiling? Note in passing that an LED track emits nothing by itself: it is the spotlights clipped onto it that light, the profile only carrying the current.

Three-phase, three circuits for three uses

Three-phase is used when the room lives at several rhythms: worktop, table, circulation. Three switches, three moods, a single track. It comes in surface, recessed and DALI versions. See the three-phase track collection for the profiles and connectors.

48 V, a slim profile for clean ceilings

48 V runs on low voltage, on narrower profiles, and is chosen for discretion. A three-phase spotlight does not clip onto a 48 V track, and the reverse is also true. Each system keeps its white track spotlights or its black spotlights, with no possible mixing.

White or black lighting track: how to match it to the room?

The finish is decided with the ceiling and with the spotlights, not separately. A black track and white spotlights are immediately visible; a uniform set reads better. The selection offers black, white, grey and silver.

Black, white, grey or silver lighting track: what to choose?

Black highlights the design of the profile and the spotlights, and disappears on a dark ceiling. White blends into a light ceiling. Grey and silver act as an intermediary when the room already mixes several metal shades. What matters is the match between the track and its black clip-on spotlights.

Matching the light in a coral-coloured bedroom

On a coral wall, aim the spotlights at the side walls and the ceiling rather than straight at the colour: a direct beam hardens the colour and deepens the shadows. Stay with warm light, around 2700 to 3000 K, and lower the intensity in the evening. The track then simply supports the room.

What mistakes to avoid with a lighting track?

A run noted on a plan avoids most rework. The costliest mistakes are the ones discovered during assembly, when everything has been ordered.

Mixing systems, the most common mistake

A three-phase spotlight does not clip onto a 48 V track, and an adapter from one brand does not always fit into another brand's profile. Order spotlights and track from the same family, checking compatibility before confirming. For a coherent set, compare tracks equipped with spotlights and profiles on their own.

IP20 and maintenance: what that allows

The tracks in the selection are IP20: dry rooms only, not a bathroom or a very damp room. Maintenance is done with the power off, with a soft cloth on the profile, without abrasive product on the contact strips. A spotlight adjustment is made with the track de-energised.

Secure payment, tracked delivery, returns, Designix customer service, and a 2-year warranty across the selection. To equip a run, start with the profile that suits you in projectors and pendants to fix onto the profile, then complete with the adapters and connectors. The whole range is in our lighting range, and choosing a fixture is prepared with the lighting guide.

Frequently asked questions