Downlight Beam Angle
The beam angle is the amount of light that spreads from the light and can be measured in degrees. Most have a beam angle of 45° because they are recessed. By contrast, a regular light bulb would have a 360° beam angle.
Because they are recessed, we recommend selecting downlights with a wider beam (of 60°) if you want soft diffuse lighting e.g. in the living room. If you are looking at downlights for the kitchen, however, a narrower beam (of 25°) angle is preferable because it will give you a concentrated light, perfect for when you need to illuminate surfaces and focus on smaller details within the room.
Whatever the room size it always looks better with pools of light instead of glaring light in your eyes, it will create much more ambience in your space.
Generally, if you're unsure about which beam angle to choose, anything from 60 to 120 degrees works fine in the majority of cases. Below is a photo to help you visual beam angle.
Downlight Spacing for Beam Angles
Before installing, make sure you think of beam angle when considering how far apart to space them.
If you are using a wider beam you can generally space the downlights 1.2 to 1.5 metres. If you are using a concentrated beam light, try spacing them 1 metre away from each other.
When you install the recessed downlights in your room, calculate the total needed then space them exactly the same apart throughout the room.
