How To Select Led Track Lights For Your Shop
Lighting is unquestionably one of the most important aspects of enhancing a shop’s aesthetics. Aside from their versatility, stylish appearance, extreme brightness, and long lifespan, LED track lights are one of the most popular types on the market today. Not only in the commercial sector but LED track lights are now found benefiting the residential sectors as well.
One of the major advantages of track lighting is that individual light needs no power supply, and power is run through the wires inside the track. This makes fitting, installation, and repair a lot easier. Moreover, the adjustable angle of track lights lets you create an ambiance with strong illumination, and the LED lights can last for 10,000 hours straight.
Various factors might confuse you while you’re buying the LED Track Light for your shop. Thus, let’s delve into further details so that you can make an ideal purchase:
Types of Track Lighting:
Though there are various forms of track lighting available in the market, you need to select the right one for your shop. Here are types of LED track lights and their distinct features:
Track heads:
Wherever you need the directional lights, track heads come first! These track heads can be used for wall wash fixtures and spotlighting as the head can be adjusted as per need. Track head lighting further has the following types:
- Gimbal head: The gimbal head can move up to 180 degrees, and the spotlight beam can fall precisely wherever you want, i.e., towards a piece of art on the wall or a design feature in your shop.
- Tornado head: Another type is the tornado head which gives a professional look. The tornado head has strong support and can be adjusted sidewise.
- Step head: Step head contains more of a traditional look and creates an ambiance with an abundance of light with a wide opening mouth.
Track Pendant:
Track pendants have limited options when it comes to adjusting the angles. Track pendants fall towards the ground and look more attractive and stylish than the track heads. LED Track pendants can be employed where you need task lighting, i.e., in the kitchen or an office.
Magnetic Track Lighting:
Magnetic track lights are housed in Aluminum and require no tools for installation. The adapters can be installed via magnets for which the track is housed on the wall with screws.
How to choose the right LED tracking?
As mentioned earlier, various factors play a role in choosing the best LED track lighting that must be considered before you make a deal! Let’s delve into further details:
Brightness and Tone- Lumens play a role!
Wattage rating and brightness are both correlated, and you need to keep an eye on both! No matter if you’re buying the LED track lights for decorative purposes or commercial use, you’d still want the light to be bright and cheerful. Thus, the power rating between 4 to 6 watts is considered ideal, and the higher the rating will be brightness. Moreover, 400 to 800 Lumens LED track lighting is considered useful for task lighting or office lighting.
Bulb Type- CFL vs. Halogen vs. LED:
Knowing the difference is the first step when choosing the right bulb for your LED track lights. Thus, here is what you need to know about CFL, halogen, and LEDs.
Halogen bulbs are considered least efficient as these are not economical in terms of energy. A 29W halogen bulb can produce 450 Lumens of brightness, while a 9W CFL and 7W LED bulb can do the same. In terms of cost, halogen bulbs can cost you around $600 per year compared to an LED bulb that costs around $142 only. Moreover, the rated bulb life for a halogen bulb is 4.2 years, the CFL bulb is 14 years, and the LED bulb is 34 years. Consider choosing the LED bulbs over the other two types!
Choose the right setup- Beam angle and Fixtures:
Before you make a purchase, always consider choosing the right fixture or setup. The lighting fixture that illuminates the artwork or a painting is different from the fixture used for task lighting purposes. Also, the track system must be compatible with the fixture type!
Next comes the beam angle, which plays a significant role in creating the perfect ambiance. In order to illuminate an object with evenly distributed light, the beam angle is important. If your object is 1m away and has a 1m diameter, the beam angle of your LED track light must be between 50° to 60°. Moreover, a 3m distance and 1m object diameter requires a beam angle of 15° to 25°.
Track System- 1 Circuit or 3 Circuit:
Before you make a full track LED lighting setup, you’ll need to calculate not only the length of the track but the number of track LED lights. The LED light track rail system can have a linear track or T-connectors. Moreover, you can choose from the H-wiring, J-wiring, or L-wiring system for your LED track lighting system.
| Single circuit system | H-wiring system | The Halo wiring system contains three wires which accompany each other at a junction with a clip. |
| J-wiring system | Juno wiring system contains one wire on either side of track or rail. | |
| L-wiring system | This Lightolier system for track lighting contains one wire on both sides of the track with clips at the junction plate. | |
| Three circuit system | Three circuit system enables you to install three lighting configurations on a single track and is best-suited for professional buildings. |
Correlated color temperature (CCT):
Do you know light’s color can be measured in Kelvin degrees too? The Kelvin range of about 2700K to 3200K can be regarded as a warm white color, while from 4000K to 5000K can be regarded as neutral white. On a bit of a cooler site, a blue-white or daylight color is between 5000K to 6500K. Thus, make sure to choose the right correlated color temperature as per the location or the ambiance you want around you! The cool colors promote wakefulness, while warm colors give you a relaxed feel.
Colour Rendering Index (CRI):
Color Rendering Index is the ability of light to translate colors into vision. The CRI value can range from 0-100, with 100 being the excellent score. Color rendering is more important commercially and for the business-related buildings to truly reveal the colors or artwork around!
| CRI (90-100) | Excellent and truly vivid colors |
| CRI (80-90) | Good quality colors |
| CRI (60-80) | Moderate |
| CRI (<60) | Poor color rendering |
5 Tips to choose the right fixture- LED Track Lighting at its best!
Before you install the right LED track lighting configuration, plenty of factors can influence your decision. First, you must choose the proper layout- either your lighting track is straight or flexible, either you have a single or three circuit system, either you’ll install them directly or suspend them to the ground. Then come the five tips for choosing the best you can!
1. Choose the right Track Lighting System and fixtures:
The track lighting systems included:
- 3 circuits 6 wires DALI or 0-10V dimmable track lighting system.
- 3 circuits 4 wires common track lighting system.
- 2 circuit 4 wires tracking system.
- 1 circuit 4 wires tracking system.
- 1 circuit 3 wires tracking system.
- 48V Low voltage Magnetic tracking system.
Track lighting system requires the correct type of fixture, which should be compatible with the layout and trail system. Also, keep in mind the kind of bulb you’re using and where you’re going to install these LED track lights.
2. Shop versatile and superior LED Track lights:
Make sure all your tracks, track heads, accessories, and track lighting power connectors are of good quality. You’ll not love to change the power connectors or the bulb now and then. Moreover, you can choose from various types of LED track heads and types of installation (direct to ceiling, magnetic, or suspended) depending on your place. GS Light is one of the best LED manufacturers right now!
3. Select the right LED bulbs:
As mentioned earlier, the right kind of bulb can save you hundreds and thousands of dollars annually. Between the CFL, Halogen, and LEDs, the LED bulbs are the clear winner in terms of first-purchase cost and maintenance. You can click here for LED shop lights!
4. Choose the right angle for your led track spotlights:
In order to get the perfectly illuminated ambiance, you must choose the right angle. Make sure to choose the appropriate angle and distance from the object to distribute the light widely. A 1m for an object with a 1m diameter needs the beam angle to be adjusted. if you don`t know what exact beam angle need you can choose the 10°-60° zoomable LED track lights, see below picture.
5. Dimmable or not of LED track lights?
No matter what type of ambiance and atmosphere you need around you, it’s always better to choose dimmable LED drivers. These 0-10V dimmable DALI drivers will not only protect the bulbs against voltage fluctuation but allow dimming with 1% accuracy. the dimmable function can be more comfortable and save energy. click here to know more details about the 0-10V and DALI dimmable products
CE and IECC requirement- Pick the best-LED track lights for your place!
CE and IECC have formulated certain principles for the installation and insulation of the LED bulbs. As per the CE rules and regulations, the LED bulbs must have a CE-approved mark currently being sold in the European Union. Make sure to check the mark before purchasing the light bulbs.
Applications of LED track lighting:
Accent Lighting- Turns shops and offices into elegant places!
One of the most common applications of LED track lighting is in the shops and offices where you need to highlight your logo, brand name, or any art. Use an LED track fixture and wisely adjust the beam angle to spread the light and illuminate the desired object correctly.
Task Lighting- Showrooms, hotels, and art museums:
Not only can you highlight any art piece or a brand logo with the LED track lights, but you can also utilize these as task lighting. Use the suspended fixture to install the LED track lights in your hotel or showroom to have an intense illumination underneath and perform the tasks.