LED Floodlight VS Spotlight, Which One is Better

Floodlight and spotlight are popular options for outdoors due to their high efficiency and lower energy cost. But, it seems to be confusing for the difference of floodlight and spotlight. You may wonder which one is better for your application as well. We would like to introduce floodlights and spotlights, and the difference between them. Hope this post can help you.

Firstly, we have to keep in mind that floodlight and spotlight are two kinds of light patterns, which refer to the lighting projection. In some conditions, there is a combination of floodlight and spotlight. As a result, we can fully take their essence and discard the dross.

What is floodlight

A floodlight has a broad beam spread and high lighting intensity. It is an artificial light that has a beam spread range of 45 degrees to about 120 degrees. Floodlight is highly diffuse and non-directional, resulting in soft, transparent shadows that fade slowly when illuminating objects. It is able to illuminate larger spaces with the broad beam angle. Floodlight is mostly used in larger areas, such as driveways, stadiums, warehouses, sport fields, etc. It can light up the area completely during low-light conditions.

What is spotlight

A spotlight has a narrow beam spread that is less than 45 degrees. Most of the beam angles of the spotlight are no wider than 25 degrees. Therefore, a spotlight is more concentrated than a floodlight, and it is easier to control the particular direction where you want. 

The spotlight is often used for decorative lighting. The concentrated illumination highlights the displayed items and creates different atmospheres. Both indoor and outdoor settings use spotlights, like gardens, adverting, exhibitions, fairs, statues, and so on.

The difference between floodlight and spotlight

Illumination form

Floodlight is highly diffuse and scattered. It projects light in all directions, illuminating the whole scene within the range of the lighting. However, the spotlight has a concentrated effect, so it can be directed more precisely. When a qualified spotlight is turned on, it can focus on specific objects and eliminate glare.

Beam angle

The beam angle, also called beam pattern, is the main difference between floodlight and spotlight. It is the degree of width that light emits or distributes. In other words, it is the angle formed between opposing points of the beam axis where the intensity drops to 50% of max intensity.

The beam angle of the spotlight is narrow, and it is generally less than 45 degrees in width. Floodlight provides a wider beam angle that is larger than 45 degrees and up to about 120 degrees.

But, only knowing the beam angle is not always beneficial; knowledge of beam width in feet from a given distance would be more helpful for the selection. There is a formula that can help you in this possibility.

Angle of beam x 0.018 x Distance from light bulb = beam width

For example, if you have a floodlight in 120 degrees at a distance of 10 feet from a light bulb, you can know the width of the beam with the following calculation:

120 degrees x 0.018 x 10 feet = 21.6 feet wide

Or if your spotlight has a beam angle of 40 degrees and will be 20 feet away from a light bulb, the width of the beam is 14.4 feet. Here is how you can calculate the width of the beam:

40 degrees x 0.018 x 20 feet = 14.4 feet wide

Application

Floodlight is used for illuminating larger areas, such as driveways, warehouses, sports fields, parking lots, etc. Spotlight is used for highlighting small areas, such as display objects, adverting, exhibitions, fairs, statues and so on. In simple terms, floodlight is suitable for lighting larger areas, while a spotlight is fit for lighting up a specific spot.

Which one is better for your application

The choice of floodlight or spotlight depends on your needs. Please note that neither floodlight nor spotlight should be used separately. As both of them have advantages and shortages, a combination of floodlight and spotlight will be more helpful to improve the illumination effect and increase visual interest. Every part of a space has its own requirement of illumination.

For example, the hall and aisle of an exhibition require flood and evenly lighting to brighten the space, but the displays need more clear and obvious lighting to distinguish themselves from the background. Thus, knowing the requirement of the application is really important for your choice. Figure out what lighting effect you really want and then make a decision to choose the right fixture for your application.