Beam Angle and Beam Spread - How to Choose the Right Lighting for Your Room

For awhile I was confused, thinking that beam angle and beam spread were somehow different, because lighting manufacturers like to use different terminology.  But, the reality is that beam angle and beam spread are the same thing!  It's a simple display of how the angle of light spreads across a floor.

You'll see Beam Angle (how we'll refer to it) mostly referring to Halogen and Halogen Replacement LED light bulbs.  The beam angle can also be important in LED integrated ceiling fixtures (downlights, recessed lights, disc lights, etc.) because it will help you to determine how much of the room will be illuminated.

Beam angles are generally broken into the following categories:

When selecting lighting, it's important to determine if you're focused on ambient lighting or large area lighting.  Pendant lights, for example, tend to use spot lighting (<22º).  Ceiling mount spot lights or recessed lights lean more towards flood lights (>23º).

To make sure you're getting the right angle for your project, use our advanced filter option to narrow down the best beam angle for your fixture.