White LED floodlights

A white LED floodlight casts a white light, with no coloured tint, directed at the area to be lit: facade, driveway, terrace or garden. The white housing blends into a light render, and the white itself varies from one model to another, warm, neutral or cool.

• What kind of light does a white LED floodlight give?
• Where should a white LED floodlight be installed?
• Which wattage and colour temperature should you choose?
• Which IP rating for a white LED floodlight?
• Motion sensor, dimmer or solar: which version is best?
• How do you install a white LED floodlight on a wall or on the ground?
• Floodlight, ceiling light, wall light or chandelier: which white LED fitting for each room?
• How do you look after a white LED floodlight?

What kind of light does a white LED floodlight give?

A floodlight does not fill a room, it hits a precise surface. The beam draws a cone on a wall, a trunk, a driveway or a car, and stops where you have aimed it. That is what sets a floodlight apart from ambient light diffused from the ceiling.

The white housing plays an optical role as much as an aesthetic one. On a light facade, an overhang or a rendered wall, it almost disappears. On a dark wall, it stands out more and becomes part of the composition. The LED floodlights in this family are usually fixed to a wall plate or an adjustable bracket, so you can aim them without moving the housing.

The white of the housing says nothing about the colour of the light. Three whites exist: warm, around 3000 K, neutral, around 4000 K, and cool, around 6500 K. These are two separate choices, to be made one after the other.

Where should a white LED floodlight be installed?

A white LED floodlight is installed where light needs to be projected without lighting the whole room: facade, entrance, driveway, terrace, garden, poolside or garage. The choice depends above all on exposure to rain and on the surface to be covered.

On a facade, over an entrance or a gate

The floodlight goes up high, under a canopy or as a wall fitting, and sweeps downwards. On a gate or an entrance, a model that switches on by itself as you pass saves hunting for the switch with your hands full. Watch out for glare: a floodlight aimed at the street mainly lights up the person opposite. Outdoor floodlights are set once and for all, angle included, aimed at the ground or the wall.

In the garden, on a terrace or along a driveway

To light a garden, the fixing changes everything. A wall plate suits a terrace against the house, a ground spike marks out a driveway or a flower bed. A wide beam bathes an area, a narrow beam highlights a trunk or a wall. An adjustable spike model takes seconds to set and follows the plants as they grow.

Around a pool or in a garage

Around a pool, choose a watertight model and a sealed or plate fixing, never submerged. For garage lighting, a wide floodlight on the ceiling lights the workbench and the floor without casting shadows.

For a pool, other solutions exist, in particular concrete pool blocks, which sit on the coping and withstand immersion.

Which wattage and colour temperature should you choose?

The colour temperature sets the mood: warm white for a terrace, neutral white for a driveway or a garage, cool white for a work area. The wattage and beam angle are then chosen according to the distance between the floodlight and the lit surface.

Warm white, neutral white or cool white: what does each look like outdoors?

Warm white, around 2700 to 3000 K, gives a soft, slightly golden light that warms a light render and suits a terrace. Neutral white, around 4000 K, stays crisp with no dominant tint and suits driveways, garages and workshops. Cool white, around 6000 to 6500 K, lights strongly and leans slightly blue: useful on a car park or a work area, harsher near a table. If you want a mood colour rather than a white, look instead at RGB floodlights.

Wattage and beam angle: matching the light to the surface

Think in distance before thinking in wattage, for the 20 white LED floodlight references in this collection. A floodlight placed three metres above the ground covers a wider area than the same model fixed at six metres, but lights it less strongly. A narrow beam picks out a wall or a trunk and leaves the rest in shadow; a wide beam bathes a whole driveway but stops sooner. Use the tilt adjustment to fine-tune without changing model.

Which IP rating for a white LED floodlight?

The IP rating indicates the floodlight's resistance to dust and water. IP44 is enough under a canopy or in a garage, IP65 is required for an exposed facade, a garden or a terrace, and a higher rating for submerged areas or those cleaned with a jet.

IP44, IP65, IP68: what these ratings change

The first digit concerns solids, the second liquids. IP44 protects against water splashes: under a canopy, in a garage or a covered entrance, that is enough. IP65 withstands water jets: essential for anything left outside in the rain. IP68 withstands prolonged immersion. Watertight models are therefore preferable as soon as the floodlight is no longer sheltered by a roof.

Seaside and pool area: what to check

By the sea, salt attacks the fixings as much as the housing: check the screws and rinse with clean water once or twice a year. Around a pool, distinguish the surround, merely wet from splashes, from the submerged area. For pool lighting, a surround floodlight is fixed to the wall or the coping and never enters the water. A white finish stays discreet on light coping.

Once the IP rating and colour temperature are settled, the model is quick to choose: the collection grid shows the rating and finish of each one. The white finish comes in several housing formats, so it is up to you to see which lines up with your wall.

Motion sensor, dimmer or solar: which version is best?

A motion sensor switches the floodlight on as you pass, handy for an entrance or a gate. A dimmer lets you adjust the brightness, useful for a terrace. A solar or rechargeable version avoids running a power supply into a garden or an isolated outbuilding.

Automatic operation with a motion sensor

The sensor becomes essential where you do not want to leave the light on continuously: driveway, gate, outbuilding, garage surroundings. It becomes a nuisance on a terrace where you sit, because it switches off during the meal. Compare models with a motion sensor and their adjustment range: some let you set the duration and sensitivity. A photocell completes the system by preventing it switching on in broad daylight.

Brightness adjustment, solar power or battery

A dimmable floodlight can be set low to keep watch in the evening and turned up a notch when work is needed outside. Solar floodlights suit places with no power supply, provided the panel gets the sun. Rechargeable versions can be moved and work as well under a shelter as on a building site.

How do you install a white LED floodlight on a wall or on the ground?

A white LED floodlight is fixed to a wall plate or an adjustable bracket, then set for height and angle before tightening. It is better to aim at the ground or the wall to avoid glare, and to leave the electrical connection to an installer.

Height, direction and fixing the bracket

Place the housing high enough for the beam to cover the area without hitting the eyes: above a door, under a roof overhang, or at the top of a facade wall. Drill the bracket, offer up the floodlight, set the angle while it is still loose, then lock the position. Mark a pencil reference before tightening, it saves starting again. Free-standing floodlights are planted straight in and moved with the seasons.

Connection and points to watch

Connection to the mains is done with the power off, with a correctly tightened cable gland to keep it watertight. Check that the housing seal is properly in place after fitting. For anything involving the consumer unit, call in an installer: they will confirm the cable size and the start of the circuit. A badly tightened floodlight goes out of adjustment at the first gust of wind.

Floodlight, ceiling light, wall light or chandelier: which white LED fitting for each room?

An LED floodlight lights a directed area, mainly outdoors. An LED ceiling light diffuses general light from the ceiling, an LED wall light lights a passage or a wall, and an LED chandelier brings a decorative piece above a table or in the centre of a living room.

In the living room and on the ceiling

In a living room, a ceiling light diffusing downwards lights without glare and suits low ceilings. A high ceiling takes indirect light that washes up the wall. Then spread one point per area actually used, reading, table, desk corner: stacking sources in the same place creates crossed shadows. A chandelier takes the central spot when height allows.

In the bedroom, entrance or stairwell

In a bedroom, you want soft, non-glaring light, with a discreet white finish on a light ceiling: see bedroom lighting. In an entrance or a corridor, a wall light aimed at the wall or the floor marks the way, and on a staircase it repeats step after step. In an all-white room, choose above all the colour temperature: a warm white makes the space cosier, a neutral white stays crisp. For the rest of the house, browse all our light fittings and the floodlight family.

Some models adopt a deliberately industrial silhouette, such as industrial-style floodlights. On the buying side: secure payment, tracked delivery, returns possible and Designix customer service for any question before ordering.

How do you look after a white LED floodlight?

A white LED floodlight is looked after with a soft cloth and regular cleaning of the glass, which keeps its full brightness. Check once a year that the bracket is secure and the outdoor seal is in good condition, and never clean the housing with a pressure washer.

The glass is dusted with clean water and a microfibre cloth, with no abrasive product that would dull the white. On an exposed facade, the light housing gets dirty like a wall: a wipe with a sponge in spring is enough. Tighten a bracket that moves, the direction always ends up shifting. A rusted screw is replaced before it jams the adjustment.

Last step before ordering: note the real exposure of your location, the type of fixing you need and the surface to be covered, then browse free-standing floodlights or outdoor models with a sensor depending on your setup. The right floodlight is the one that lights the useful area, not the one that reaches furthest.

Frequently asked questions

To compare formats, ratings and fixings, open outdoor floodlights and RGB outdoor floodlights if you are looking for a mood colour: the grid shows the specifications of each reference. Secure payment, tracked delivery, returns and Designix customer service.