How to choose outdoor lighting: buying guide
- 15 May, 2023
- Home , Curiosities
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The summer season is approaching, the days are getting longer, and the desire to spend more time outdoors is increasing. Even if we can't always go out, we can certainly make the most of the outdoor spaces of our home during the day and also in the evening.
To enjoy gardens, terraces, patios, or balconies when it's dark outside, it is best to light them up properly: let's discover how to choose the right outdoor lighting by answering a few simple questions.
Where do you install your lighting?
Depending on where you intend to place the outdoor lamp you need, you will need to ensure that it complies with the provisions of standard IEC 70-1 (EN 60529) with the appropriate IP protection rating.
The IP value stands for International Protection and consists of two digits: the first indicates the protection index against solids (e.g. dust), the second against liquids (e.g. water).
Depending on where you want to place your outdoor light source, you will need to choose a lamp with a different IP protection rating. Let's see which one:
- IP44 protection rating is the minimum rating for a lamp to be used outdoors and potentially exposed to moisture and water splashes. IP44 is the rating normally used for temporary illuminations related to festivals and parties or for lighting installations covered by pergolas and awnings. Our ready-to-use LUMET festoon lights fall into this category and are perfect for temporary installation in the garden to light up your outdoor evenings with friends, or to beautify your balcony throughout the year.
- IP65 protection rating, on the other hand, is ideal for lamps exposed to water and rain, as it ensures a high level of waterproofing. In our range, the EIVA lamps are perfectly suited for this purpose, in all their shapes and combinations.
What function should the lamp you want to buy serve?
Outdoor lighting should be functional, highlighting specific areas if necessary, or creating a relaxing atmosphere if that's what you need.
For each function, there are different types of lamps:
- Outdoor wall sconces are an excellent way to illuminate the entrance of your home, making it safer, or the terrace where you want to spend more time. They create a soft light and are perfect for illuminating your outdoor dinners. The EIVA range of wall lamps includes solutions with or without lampshades, covering a wide range of styles and colors, perfect for fitting into your space.
- In a patio or porch, pendant lamps provide uniform and diffused lighting, perfect for relaxing outdoors at any time of the year. Discover the water-resistant EIVA pendant lamps to illuminate your outdoor spaces with style.
- String lights, on the other hand, are the ideal solution to create a special atmosphere on balconies of all sizes or under a pergola, to warm up your evenings and special occasions with diffused lighting in multiple areas. Check out the Lumet lighting system to create your own customized catenary according to your space and style needs, which, thanks to the IP44 protection rating, will be perfect for your lighting installations not exposed to the weather.
Whatever lighting you decide to choose for your outdoor spaces, it is important to avoid excessive lighting: always make sure that the chosen light does not blind you or your neighbors, and that it complies with the light pollution regulations of your municipality.
What type of electrical installation already exists?
The last aspect to consider when lighting the outdoor spaces of your home is the existing electrical installation.
Wall lights, ceiling lights, and pendant lights are equipped with a ceiling rose and must be directly connected to electricity by expert hands: make sure the space you want to illuminate is already prepared. Plug-in lamps, on the other hand, come with a plug. They are designed to be plugged into the nearest power outlet, giving you the flexibility you need in your installation.
You can find plug-in lighting either in the form of a lighting chain, with multiple light points along the fabric-covered electrical cable, or as a single pendant light, with a single light source that you can complement with LED bulbs and lampshades. In both cases, you can create your custom solution using the outdoor lamp components from our EIVA line: choose the length of the textile cable that best suits your needs and complete it with an IP65 socket, a ceiling rose, or an IP44 socket. If, however, you want to install a chain in your garden, the ideal solution is Lumet, which you can customize according to your needs and the style of your outdoor space.
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