A Guide To Choosing Linear Pendant Lights
Linear pendant lights provide high functionality coupled with a sleek shape making them an increasingly popular option for lighting both home and office spaces. With so many options on the market, there’s guaranteed to be a linear pendant light to suit your every need.
In general, our linear LED pendant lights are supplied with:
- 2x Wire suspensions 3M – these can be cut to your desired suspension length
- 3M Electrical Cord (these lengths can be customised on request)
- Aluminium profile to your desired length
- LED Strip to wattage of your choice
- 1x LED Driver (2x LED Driver for Dual Shine)
- 1x Ceiling Plate (this will be the same colour as the set you purchase)
- Dimmer dial (if dimmable option selected)
- 14.4W warm - 1200 Lumens per meter
- 14.4W Cool - 1260 lumens per meter
- 24W Warm -1920 lumens per meter
- 24W cool - 2520 Lumens per meter
Our customisable linear LED pendants allow you to select the profile and length of your pendant, the wattage, the dimmability and the LED colour. This easy-to-follow guide breaks down all the different points of consideration to keep in mind when making these technical choices.
1. Feature or function?
The first thing to take into consideration with a linear LED pendant light is what purpose you wish it to serve within your existing interior space. If you have pre-existing lighting from downlights and/or you would like a linear LED pendant to serve primarily as a decorative feature, then a low wattage option would do the job. (14.4 non dimmable). If the surrounding surfaces are light in colour, this will also help to reflect some of the light, allowing you to settle for a lower wattage option.
On the other hand, if the linear LED pendant will be the primary light source in your space or you require it for task lighting e.g. hanging over a kitchen bench, you might consider going for a stronger wattage (24 Watts) with dimmers in order to give you full control. If your surrounding space is dark in colour e.g a black granite benchtop, this may absorb some of the light output. A higher wattage would, therefore, help to mitigate this issue.
That said, there’s no need to necessarily choose purely between feature or function. Another popular option is an up-down linear pendant in which light is emitted from both the top and the bottom light allowing it to be both a soft feature light and a task light. The uplight has a default wattage of 4.8W to provide ambient lighting whilst the downlight can still be customised to your needs. It comes with two separate integrated drivers into the linear itself. therefore two electrical wires are supplied to allow for two switches in order to turn either the up or down light off separately. Linear LED pendants can create both a stunning decorative feature whilst
maintaining full functionality. In general, tor full control we always recommend opting for 24 watts dimmable in warm or cool white.
2. Budget
The cost of linear LED pendants will vary greatly depending on your desired wattage. This is due to several factors such as the quantity of diodes and the strength of the power gear (driver) needed to run them. If minimising costs is a priority, 14.4Watts is a great option to save a few dollars as it is strong enough to provide enough task lighting for the kitchen without being super bright. You can get away without opting for a dimmable option but if you’re like us and enjoy a glass of wine and a chat around the kitchen bench, then dimmers are essential for full control in creating your preferred mood lighting.
Hot tip: A personal favourite amongst the team is warm white too!
3. Profile and Length
Linear LED pendants come in a wide array of customisable lengths and profiles to suit any project - with our most popular profiles being the slimline, the highside, Dual Shine, and Boxy light.
In terms of length, we always suggest going a touch shorter than the surface that the linear is being hung over (between 150mm-200mm per end) for the following reasons:
-Perfectly matching the length of your kitchen bench or office desk is almost always a recipe for frustration! From experience, we have found that a slightly shorter linear pendant creates the most aesthetically pleasing proportions for the eye.
-Having a slightly shorter linear pendant light also reduces the chances that it can be bumped or knocked around – especially if it is at head height.
Choosing a preferred profile is largely an aesthetic choice. We offer a variety of profile options including squared, highside and slimline as well as a variety of finishes including silver, black and white aluminium and timber.
For a decorative centrepiece in your space, you may decide to opt for a chunkier profile to give your light some ‘weight’ and substance. A slimmer profile would be suitable for those looking for an inconspicuous, streamlined option in a more contemporary setting.
Please note: The wire suspensions should always be installed at least 150mm from each end and should always be installed equal distance apart to ensure longevity. For timber LED pendant lights, we recommend having one wire suspension per metre to avoid warping over time. For example, a timber LED linear of 3 metres would require a wire suspension on either end and one suspension in the middle. Please specify when purchasing should you require additional wire suspensions as these are not included.
4. Let's get technical // choosing a ceiling plate
The ceiling plate provides a neat entry point for the cable to the driver.
Surface Mount Ceiling plates are a standard with any purchase of your Linear. A recessed plate is available in either black, white, or Silver at an additional cost . recessed options are in either square or round shapes.
The recessed ceiling plate features a spring-clip system that slips into your wall for a secure, sturdy and sleek finish. The Surface mounted option on the other hand will protrude from your ceiling by a couple of centimetres and is installed by drilling it into a metal bracket. The Surface mount option will not require as big a hole into your ceiling and is therefore a suitable option for those without remote access into their ceiling.
You can choose whichever ceiling plate option tickles your fancy but the following rule of thumb generally applies: A recessed ceiling plate provides a sleeker finish that will look inconspicuous and blend in more seamlessly to the ceiling for a minimalist effect.
That said, the choice of which ceiling plate to choose is largely dependent on the type of ceiling that it will be installed into. For example, concrete ceilings will require a flush mount ceiling plate which fits over a metal bracket that is drilled onto the roof.
The table below provides a quick summary on how to pick the right Linear LED pendant options to suit your space:
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HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT DROP-DOWN OPTIONS |
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Yes |
No |
|
|
Other functional lights in the space? |
14.4 Watt -24watt dimmable |
19.2W |
|
|
|
Light |
Dark |
|
|
Is the surface it is going over light or dark? |
14.4-24W |
19.2W |
|
|
|
Feature |
A bit of both |
Functional |
|
Feature pendant or functional light? |
14.4Watt |
24Watt |
14.4W-19.2W |
|
Dimmable? This allows for full control of the light. We suggest going at least 24W with this option |
No – You can forego the dimmer with low wattage options and/or purely decorative features. Keep in mind that this may limit the number of purposes that the light can comfortably serve. |
Yes – We recommend opting for the dimmable option with higher wattages as this will allow for full control. For example: task lighting can be turned into ambient mood lighting at the dial of a knob. |
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Frequently asked questions
How do I install my Linear LED pendant light?
The Linear LED pendant light will come with easy-to-read instructions for installation. Although simple to install, our linear lights must be installed by a qualified electrician.
I don’t have remote access. Are linear LED pendant lights still a suitable option for my home?
The LED Driver is typically installed behind the ceiling, directly above where the linear pendant light hangs. If you are unable to access your ceiling in order to install the LED driver (i.e. you have a concrete ceiling,) you still have a few options depending on your preferred profile. The simplest option would be to choose a linear pendant with a chunkier profile (dual Shine & Highside ) which has the driver concealed inside the aluminium structure. If you are opting for
a highside profile (in which the height is greater than the width) we have several slimmer drivers in lower wattages that could hide inside the aluminium profile.
If you require a higher wattage, you would then need to purchase additional drivers to compensate. Alternatively, it’s possible to install your LED driver in the closest accessible wall (preferably behind the light switch) and then simply run a cable to the pedant’s wire. If you’re installing a linear pendant into a new home, you’re also perfectly capable of hiding your driver neatly into a pantry or closet and running a cable. In the case of the slimline profile, there is, unfortunately, no way to hide a driver within the profile without compromising the integrity of the light source. You would, therefore, require to hide the driver in a nearby wall. That said, there are multiple solutions to the same problem. Feel free to chat with us about your project for a full break-down of all your options.
Do you offer customisable Lux Levels?
Please get in touch with us if you’d like to design your linear LED pendant light with a lux level that is not already displayed on our site.
Can I create a custom pendant light over 3M in length?
You certainly can! Chat to us about creating a custom pendant light crafted to your specifications. We also offer this linear pendant light which allows you to choose from lengths up to 5M.
Are your LED linear pendants C-Bus and Dinalight compatible?
Yes, please let us know if you are installing a linear pendant into a C-Bus or Dinalight home to ensure the right specifications are chosen.
The linear LED pendant light is a fantastic lighting option for the contemporary home. Its unobtrusive form allows it to blend seamlessly into any space without detracting from its surrounding environment which is why it has fast become one of our most popular products. This list is comprised of just some of the commonly asked questions we receive about linear LED pendant lights. Please keep in mind that each space is different when choosing your preferred Linear. For more personalised advice, please do not hesitate to contact our specialised staff to discuss linear LED options for your current project.
The following video provides a handy overview of what to consider when purchasing an LED linear pendant light.