Sep 10, 2026
From IP20 to IP65: Choosing the Right LED Downlight for Each Environment
Bathrooms, retail ceilings and covered outdoor areas need different downlights. What IP ratings, cut-out sizes and anti-glare options actually tell you before you order.
Every project mixes environments: a dry lobby, a steamy bathroom, a covered entrance. Using one downlight everywhere either overspends on protection where it is not needed - or under-specifies where it is. This guide maps the ARTLITE downlight families to the environments they are built for, so the schedule writes itself.
IP20: the workhorse for dry commercial ceilings
The BZ-DL-S commercial COB family covers 10W-50W, from 1100lm to 5000lm, with cut-outs from 75mm to 195mm and beam angles of 15°, 24°, 36° or 60°. Six trim finishes - white, black, silver, gun black, gold and rose - let the ceiling hardware match the interior scheme. Osram/Bridgelux COB chips at CRI90 and drivers from LiFud, Eaglerise, Philips, Osram or TRIDONIC keep the specification defensible; Triac, 0-10V and DALI dimming plus emergency kits are options.
Deep anti-glare for screens and shelves
Where people stare at monitors or merchandise, the source must sit deep. The BZ-DL-A-3 deep downlight recesses the LED well inside the housing and comes in eight sizes from 9W to 40W, covering cut-outs from 80-85mm to 200-205mm with a comfortable 90° beam. It is the family to walk through open-plan offices, classrooms and hospital corridors.
IP65: bathrooms, kitchens and covered exteriors
The BZ-DL-W waterproof family seals the fitting against steam and driven rain: IP65 with SMD or COB options, a wide 110° beam (60° on the -03 anti-glare variant), and THD below 15% for clean power on larger installations. Sizes run from 7W to 40W with cut-outs from 75-80mm to 205mm, so a wet-room ceiling can share the same visual language as the dry rooms around it.
A downlight that survives a bathroom is not automatically better - it is just sealed. Specify the rating the room needs, and spend the difference where the client will notice it.
Cut-out planning: the detail that delays projects
Cut-out drift is the classic site delay. Across the range, hole sizes repeat deliberately - 75mm, 95mm, 120mm, 145mm, 170mm, 195mm, 205mm - so one ceiling grid pattern can host several families. Confirm the ceiling contractor's hole schedule against the datasheet before ordering, and keep adjustable heads (30° tilt on the L-2 series linear downlights, for example) for positions where the final furniture layout is still moving.
Send the ceiling, get the schedule
The fastest way to a correct downlight schedule is to send the reflected ceiling plan with environment zones marked. ARTLITE's team returns a family-by-family schedule with cut-out sizes, outputs and options through the contact form.
