Anyone wishing to make rooms appear larger and highlight intriguing design elements should consider recessed lighting as an excellent alternative. Instead of dangling from a cable or being mounted on a lamp, recessed lighting is inserted into voids in a wall or ceiling.
Recessed lighting trims come in a variety of sizes and designs to accommodate any user’s budget, requirement, and desire. Sizes range from three to six inches, with four and six inches being the most common choices. Choose between 4 inch vs 6 inch recessed lighting
4 inch vs 6 inch recessed lighting, what is the difference?
Finding the ideal light is not that simple because you need to talk with your architect to build the greatest lighting system that will illuminate the majority of your home.
You should pay more attention to the size of the can than the overall size when determining the size of your recessed lighting. When the trim is taken off, you may measure the housing to obtain precise measurements.
Therefore, when we discuss 4-inch and 6-inch recessed lights, the size of the can is everything.
Myths about the recessed light
Several speculations are spread around people about the recessed lights. Below are the most common false premises:
4-inch lights are brighter than 6-inch bulbs
For simple lighting fixtures, 600 lumens is the minimum suggested output. That many lumens were previously infrequently produced by 4-inch fixtures using R20 or MR16 incandescent light bulbs. Thanks to developments in LED technology, the majority of 4-inch LED recessed lights now meet or surpass this requirement.
4-inch recessed lights are insufficient for general lighting
The lens’s beam angle, not the recessed light’s size, determines the spread or dispersion of light. A 4-inch and 6-inch open light with the same beam angle is compared in the image above. Make a mental note of the top of the wall, where the light cone starts. The difference between the two sizes is minimal if any.
You ought to use the same size of furniture all across your house
Style should be consistent, but size and type should be decided on an individual basis. Mixing 4-inch and 6-inch recessed lights in the same space is quite acceptable.
What three categories do recessed lights fall under?
Recessed lighting comes in three main categories: in-ground lighting, wall lighting, and ceiling lighting.
Ceiling lights
The most typical kind of recessed lighting is ceiling lighting. They are employed to create general lighting and homogeneous lighting. A vast space may be illuminated evenly by recessed lighting due to its wide beam angle.
Wall washing
They can even be utilized for “wall wash,” as well. When a huge wall surface is lit from a wide angle, the wall-washing effect is produced, which will enlarge the appearance of your room.
The most effective technique to cast light on a wall surface is to employ the proper recessed lighting fixtures.
Accent lighting is provided by recessed wall lighting, which is mounted on the wall. They are frequently used to draw attention to artwork or other wall decorations.
Floor lighting
The floor has in-ground lighting placed. They offer accent lighting and can be used to draw attention to specific regions or objects in space. Additionally, outdoor lighting frequently employs in-ground lights.
4 inch vs 6- inch recessed lighting
4 inch is the most common kind of recessed light. Small spaces with low ceilings, like restrooms and hallways, are perfect for it.
Additionally, you can position them on the room’s boundaries to provide all the necessary lighting. They are ideal for reducing power usage and are also less expensive than other varieties of recessed lights.
Meanwhile, 6-inch recessed lighting is frequently utilized in rooms with high ceilings that are big. The majority of them are installed as overhead lighting. Due to their bigger diameter and the abundant lighting they create, your living rooms will be perfectly lit.
To give focused light and brighten the space, they can be placed in the center of the room. This makes a focus light.
Occasionally, 6-inch recessed lighting might be more energy-efficient than 4-inch ones.
Can two different recessed lighting sizes be used in the same room?
In order to generate effective illumination, it is feasible to employ two recessed lights of different diameters in the same room. However, it’s crucial to take into account the room’s general design and the required amount of light.
Your primary objective is to achieve balanced lighting, and in order to do so, you must correctly identify the different lighting layers in your room.
Remember! If your space is large enough for 4-inch recessed light, there is no need to install larger ones.
For a unified appearance, it is typically advised to utilize recessed lighting of the same size throughout the space. If it better matches your demands, you can use recessed lighting of various proportions.
General lighting
For general lighting in modestly sized spaces with low ceilings, 4-inch recessed lighting is preferable.
In larger rooms with higher ceilings, 6-inch recessed lighting performs better than general lighting. For overhead lighting, use larger recessed lights to increase the brightness in your space.
Accent lighting
Accent lighting is a kind of lighting that is used to draw attention to a particular item or region in the room. Typically, it shines brighter than the room’s ambient lighting.
Since they may be focused on a particular object, 4-inch recessed lighting is frequently used for accent lighting. This lamp size also has a greater selection of custom trimmings, making it appropriate for situations requiring task lighting.
Accent lighting can also be achieved with 6-inch recessed lighting, but their general illumination may not be as strong.
Final comparison
There are several considerations you must make if you find yourself forced to select between 4-inch and 6-inch recessed lighting. You can use these elements to determine if you need 4-inch or 6-inch recessed lighting.
If the space is available and you need to decorate your home, you can pick either of them. Select the larger option, nevertheless, if you want to lighten a greater space.
The question of whether to purchase 4-inch or 6-inch recessed lighting arises since each property has its own interior design. You can choose 4-inch recessed lighting if you want to highlight a piece of art on your wall or if you want to focus light on a specific area of your wall.
When selecting between the 4-inch and 6-inch recessed lighting sizes, the location where the lights will be mounted plays a significant role. Wider spaces may operate best with recessed lighting with a larger diameter. However, installing 6-inch recessed lights is impossible if you have limited space because they won’t fit.
Conclusion
If you want larger recessed light in your home – install larger recessed light at home. Comparing 4-inch and 6-inch recessed lighting can be great for this aim. Your decision between the two solutions should be simple given the criteria we’ve stated above. In general, 4-inch recessed lights and 6-inch versions are relatively similar. The diameter of the lit region below the light source and the size of the can are the key variations. Even better, you can use both versions in the same space.
Wonder how to make black led lights, read our article.
FAQs
How do you choose between 4 and 6 recessed lights?
4-inch lights will cost less money and use less energy. When it comes to price, size does matter.
The standard in the industry is 6-inch lights. The majority of regular-sized rooms are best served by 6-inch lights, which are also preferred by builders since they are simpler to find.
When lighted with 4-inch LEDs, small places may seem like large rooms. Most people envision 6-inch recessed lighting when they think about recessed lighting. The problem is that employing 6-inch lights in a small area gives the walls a tight, unscaled appearance. 4-inch lights avoid this while maintaining a dispersed appearance.
The lights are more efficient at 6 inches. If you want a light that can sufficiently illuminate everything, go for one that is 6 inches in size.
When can you use 4-inch recessed lights?
Installing a larger recessed light is unnecessary when the 4-inch recessed lighting will provide the same amount of light. 4-inch recessed lighting works well above the kitchen sink, next to objects, or atop a plant.
Don’t install it in dark spaces and large rooms such as stained wood cabinetry or a bathroom. In addition to producing a concentrate light, it also brightly illuminates the space where it is installed. As a result, you will be able to clean your cookware, see it well, and ensure that it is spotless if you need to.
Is 4 recessed lights enough?
In a space with 8-foot ceilings, 4-inch recessed lighting can light should be able to illuminate around 16 square feet around it. This means that the lamp will stop providing the necessary quantity of light for working in a kitchen after you move away from it by roughly 4 feet.
How big should my recessed lighting be?
The 6-inch recessed light is the most popular size. The interior diameter of the housing (trim removed) is roughly 6 inches, and the normal ceiling cut-out size for 6-inch housings is 6-3/8 inches. Decorate the house with 4-inch recessed lighting.
