Recessed lighting is a smart lighting option for living areas with with low ceilings. They mount flush to your ceiling and create great room illumination with a minimalistic look and feel. Mounted higher than hanging lights, recessed lights can offer a better distribution of light. This type of lighting has become quite common in modern home lighting design but can create a bit of a challenge for homeowners looking for the best smart light bulbs for recessed lighting.
Choosing the Right Smart Light Bulb for Recessed Lighting
Light bulbs come in many shapes and sizes with a variety of different bases. Your recessed lighting can size and base type are important to note of before choosing the best smart light bulb for your project. You can refer to your recessed lighting can itself for this information.
For example, my living room has recessed lighting with a 6″ can. The base connection of these light cans is a standard, medium (E26). There are four size and shapes recommended for this lighting can: A19, BR30, R30, and PAR30.
Each bulb type has their own different maximum wattage to ensure that the can does not exceed dangerous levels of heat. Since LEDs do not emit a lot of heat, you may opt to increase from a 60W equivalent to a 100W equivalent smart light bulb.
Bulb Types: A19 v BR30 v R30 v PAR30
Which light shape is best? Choosing the best light shape really depends on the area you’re lighting and what you’re trying to achieve. Since budget may also be a concern, we’ve listed the lamp shapes from generally least to most expensive.
To further simplify things, we’ve dropped the numbers when describing the different bulb shapes’ properties. However, we don’t want to leave you in the dark when talking about lighting either, so we’ll briefly discuss what those numbers mean.
Each lamp has their own size and it is measured in eights of an inch. The numbers proceeding the bulb shape (i.e. A19) are it’s dimensions at the widest point. Breaking down the complex coding tells us an A19 bulb has an Arbitrary (standard) shape and is 19/8 inches at it’s widest point. Simply divide 19 by 8 and we know that this bulb is 2 and 3/8 inches in diameter.
A-series Bulbs in Recessed Lighting
Refrain from using an A-series lightbulb in recessed lighting. They can be used, but an A-series light will not create the best ascetics or lighting distribution. A-series lights are bulbs that are typically used for table lamps, hanging fixtures, or other general purpose lighting uses.
Reserve this “classic” light bulb for other uses as they are omnidirectional lighting instruments. Recessed lighting is designed to be directional lighting and using an A-series bulb would be a waste of light. If budget is a concern, these light types do tend to be cheaper than the later mentioned, which is why we’ve still given some consideration.
R-series Bulbs in Recessed Lighting
This series of bulbs features a mirrored coating toward the bulbs base to reflect light. R-series bulbs provide better directional lighting output than the standard A-series light bulb shape. These bulbs can be less expensive than BR-series and PAR-series lamps, but do not offer the same level of brightness.
BR-series Bulbs in Recessed Lighting
BR-series light bulbs also reflect light to maximize brightness. These bulbs have a bulged-shaped end which helps direct light outward. They can be a little bit longer in shape and sometimes protrude from recessed fixture but offer a soft-edged, wide angled light. This bulb shape can provide more than 45 degrees of light distribution.
PAR-series Bulbs in Recessed Lighting
If brightness is your main concern, then a PAR-series bulb is the best option for you. PAR-series lamps have a parabolic aluminized reflector on the inside directing light out. Be careful though, this series of light bulbs can distribute light at different angles from a narrow spot (5-15 degrees) to a wide flood beam (over 45 degrees).
Top Smart Light Bulbs for Recessed Lighting
Philips Hue White and Color BR30
| Philips Hue White and Color LED bulbs give you millions of options in one bulb. You can select a wide range of color temperatures from cool to warm or set the mood with colorful ambient lighting. All the control is in your hands when using your smartphone. They can also be paired with a smart hub and are Alexa friendly. |