Why is another manufacturers light cheaper even though it looks the same?
But appearances can be deceptive. Many recessed LED lights look similar and it is difficult to make a comparison online based on a picture alone. The price of LED lights is the sum of several things. Lights made of high-quality materials and parts usually cost more than low-quality ones, as is the case with products in general. Features such as dimmability, moisture protection and ease of installation also have a cost.
Colour rendering and the importance of the LED circuit
The LED circuit used in the light contributes to the price. High-quality LED circuits, that have high CRI, are naturally more expensive than LED circuits with poor colour rendering index and high variation between circuits. Also, the amount of light output from a 3W circuit, for example, affects the price of the LED circuit (LED efficiency). In most cases, a light with a higher efficiency is more expensive.
At LedStore, we focus on colour rendering, so that the lighting shows the colours of the interior as they are, without distorting them. We have a colour rendering index of over 90 in our panel luminaires and over 98 in our best models. We’ve seen a lot of panels on sale with a colour rendering index of less than 80, which is fine for warehouses, but once you’ve carefully chosen the colours for your interior, it’s not worth installing it in residential or office spaces. Better LED circuits cost more, which also increases the price of the light.
Material of lights
There are also differences in materials of lights. The body of the LED light needs to be of high quality for the cirquit to cool donwn properly and not break. Our light bodies are always made of metal, mostly aluminium, but you can even find plastic spots on the market. It goes without saying that a plastic body doesn’t cool the LED as well as an aluminium one. Competition in the LED market is fierce, so some manufacturers are driving down prices by using plastic instead of aluminium.
Serviceability and ease of installation
The number of interchangeable parts and connectors increase the price of the LED light. Also e.g. the possibility to link the transformer can increase the price. This is natural, as the more parts and joints a light has, the harder it is to manufacture, which increases the price. However, the fact that the light has the ability to be linked can significantly reduce the cost of installation. If the light can be linked with quick connectors, installation is even faster (no need to open screws) and the wiring can be simplified, further reducing the installation price. Of course, this may not necessarily be the case if the contract price is agreed in advance, but for most renovation projects, the time and method of installation of the lights is important.
Separate driver connected to the luminaire via a quick connector makes maintenance easy. The transformer is the first part of the LED light to fail if something breaks. So it is good that it is replaceable. Electronic drivers are consumable parts.
Price and features of LED lights
Led lights are now available with a variety of features. LED lights are dimmable, moisture-proof and also have adjustable light colour temperature. Some of the features come on the side (damp-proofing is often standard) and some are more expensive to implement. Our LED lights are mainly dimmable and for dimming we can use inexpensive “old-style” rotary dimmers. Rotary dimmers are relatively inexpensive to buy, so it is also worth considering the potential additional cost of dimming and colour adjustment to the lighting. For example, CCT lights require, not only a light, but also a control unit and a button to control the unit. You can compare the total price of CCT controllable package to a price of a standard dimmable light and a dimmer, and then decide whether you are willing to pay the difference for the extra feature? It is therefore worth considering the lighting needs and requirements for different spaces at the design stage. When ordering, you should also make sure that light price includes all the necessary parts, such as the driver. We include a driver in all our luminaires, except for led strips, where the driver requirement is calculated by the number of metres used.
We also offer DALI-compatible lights (on special order), whose control options are easy to modify in the system. In most cases, DALI is relatively inexpensive as a system (for its features), but the lights for the system are usually a little more expensive than lights with only the basic dimming. In these, the price is higher because of a more expensive driver, while the rest of the light body remains the same. It can often be that savings on one area result in costs on another. It is always worth asking for a total offer for a package, which usually allows you to negotiate the price.
