What Should You Know When You Choose LED Step Light?-Part I

Step lighting can take any staircase from dangerous and dull to safe and stunning. Whether you’re lighting stairs in the foyer or the basement, up to the porch or down to the patio, step lights add that perfect finishing touch.

There are five points for help you how to choose a good led step light.

1. Light Source

When it comes to step lights, there are several light sources to consider. LED step lights have become a very popular choice. This is largely because LED step lights use small amounts of electricity to provide the perfect amount of light for stairs and hallways at night. They do not give off as much heat as some other sources, have attractive and varied appearances, and can go indoors or outdoors.

While LED is a very popular choice, there are also incandescent, halogen, xenon, and even fluorescent step lights out there.  If you want to see how LED compares to other common light sources, use the infographic as you choose your step lights. Knowing what light source you prefer will make your decision easier.

2. Type of Installation

The kind of installation you want to perform will also determine the kind of step lights you buy. If you simply want to retrofit a step light into a hallway power outlet, for example, your choice will be limited to step lights that fit into wall boxes. If you want recessed step lights where there were none before, you can find plenty of lights to fit that bill, indoors or outdoors. If you want outdoor step lights with minimal installation effort, there are battery operated and solar options that are a breeze to install – no wiring required. The important thing is to determine what kind of installations you are able to perform in your space. This will also make your decision making process simpler.

3. Size and Shape 

Step lights come in lots of shapes and sizes! Many step lights are designed to fit perfectly in a standard power outlet gang box and so are the size of a power outlet cover plate. Retrofit step lights often come with alternate face plates to allow the user to install them either vertically or horizontally, according to the gang box. Another common shape is the brick-sized step light. These are common outdoors but work inside as well. Some other interesting options are small, circular step lights, LED tape or rope (often used to run under railings), and path lights that get staked into the ground. Heck, if you want to get funky with it, you can even use solar LED party torches to illuminate outdoor steps! Now that you have a sense of the various shapes and sizes, think about what might work best for you.