Whether you have an entertaining area that needs ambience or a rose garden to illuminate, the right combination of exterior lights can really boost your enjoyment of your space. If you’re thinking of upgrading your current set-up, you probably already know there are lots of options to pick between. In this blog, we’ll break down the differences between flood lights, spotlights and security lights and describe which lighting style best suits your needs.

Flood Lights

Let’s start with the big guns: flood lights. Offering the largest illuminated field, flood lights create a broad wash of lighting. Flood lights diffuse lumens across a large surface area using a wide-angle lens. In lighting, the more concentrated a beam is, the brighter the light will look. Because they have a wide-angled beam of light, a 50W flood light will be less bright than a 50W narrow light.

With this in mind, you can light a wider space with flood lights, but you’ll need to place the light closer to the subject. This large lit zone is why flood lights are a common choice for parking lots and work sites.

Usually, the wide lighting of flood lights is from a beam angle of 45 degrees and above, but keep in mind that this isn’t a regulated number. Flood lights can have an angle of anywhere from 45 degrees to 130 degrees plus.

In your home, flood lights are perfect for up-tree lighting, architectural lighting, and illuminating outdoor dining areas. You might like to go with flood lights to highlight your house's facades or brighten sculptures and art. With lots of different LED flood lights on offer, it’s easy to run these exterior lights without racking up a high energy bill.

Many people associate flood lights with rectangular landscape fixtures. While many of these bulbs are indeed flood lights, you can also get flood lights in round heads. To make it easier to tell the different round-headed lights apart, we make sure to call out the style in the name of the product.

Spotlights

Now for a spotlight on spotlights. The opposite of a flood light, an exterior spotlight has a very concentrated beam of light. Using a narrow-angled lens, the lumens from a spotlight are focused into a small area. This allows you to be very specific about what you’re illuminating. To help you compare flood lights and spotlights, you can think of a flood light like a torch, and a spotlight like a powerful laser.

You’ll often find spotlights on police and search and recovery vehicles, in art galleries, and on theatrical stages, as they’re excellent at brightly illuminating a focus area.

In order for spotlights to create this ultra-concentrated beam, they need to have a lens angle of 45 degrees or less. Very narrow angles are useful for lighting flagpoles and tall trees, as the narrower the light, the further away you’ll be able to illuminate. An angle of around 6 degrees can provide light for up to 5 metres away.

At home, you might find spotlights handy in the garden, particularly above work areas like your BBQ or outdoor kitchen. You can also use spotlights as outdoor accent lighting; these slim lights are favourites among lighting designers

Due to their narrower scope, you’ll often find that spotlights are energy efficient. This is particularly true if you choose an LED style.

Security Lighting

If you’re trying to secure the best lights for keeping your home burglar-free, you’re probably in the market for some security lighting. While they’re sometimes sold specifically as ‘security lights’, in truth, there’s no particular style of light made for protecting your home. You can get both flood lights and spotlights as security lights, depending on your needs.

Aiming to deter break-ins, security lighting will shine a light on anyone on your property who shouldn’t be. Essentially, security lights indicate that someone is home (whether that’s true or not), and let any would-be burglars know they’ll be easily spotted by people on the street if they have a go at your locked doors and windows.

Cutting down on both light pollution and the subsequent neighbour annoyance, lots of homeowners prefer security lighting with sensors. Using a clever motion detection device, sensor lights only switch on when someone is moving around your property. This is handy as an instant indicator to anyone inside the house that there’s someone outside (sometimes a criminal, more often the pizza delivery man). It also works like a big stoplight, saying, “Hey, we see you!”.

Floodlights make excellent backyard security lights, as they’ll give you a sense of safety by illuminating the majority of your space. Spotlights are great for doorways, lighting up the area you need to see the most — and deterring any pesky lockpickers. We recommend a helpful middle ground and investing in some bunker lights. These wall lights are perfect for illuminating the walk up your front path and will make it easier to get your key in the lock in the middle of the night, while also offering the security you need.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that most burglaries take place during the day when you’re out of the home. If you’re feeling particularly worried about safety, consider exploring our range of home security systems (or our surveillance cameras if you want the best).

Shop the Best Range of Outdoor Lighting from MJS Electrical Supplies

Whether you’re lighting the facade of your home, highlighting a tree in your yard, or warding off thieves, we have the outdoor lighting you’re looking for. From licensed electricians to DIY-ers, we’re here to offer the best advice and customer service to everyone. Contact MJS Electrical Supplies today to find out more about exterior lighting, or browse our extensive range online.