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Home/Magazine/How to choose a powerful outdoor spot?
Spots & Built-in · March 2026 · 6 min reading

How to choose a powerful outdoor spot?

Lumens, IP, lighting angle, power supply: the 4 criteria that decide whether your spot survives in winter.

C
Team Lumihome
Published on 12 March 2026
How to choose a powerful outdoor spot?

A good outdoor spot is not just an eye-catching one. Four technical criteria determine whether it will really last in time, resist the seasons and deliver the light you need.

1. Lumens, not watts

The wattage indicates the consumption, not the brightness. For the actual brightness, it is the lumen which counts:

  • 10 – 80 lumens: decorative tags, atmosphere
  • 100 – 300 lumens: terminals and aisle appliqués
  • 500 – 1,500 lumens: entrance, garage, parking
  • 2000+ lumens: projectors, large facades, safety

2. The IP index, the only guarantee of waterproofness

The IP is a two-digit code: dust, then water. For external use in France, aim at a minimum IP44. For ground lighting near a gutter or swimming pool, IP65 or more.

Lumihome publishes the exact IP on each product sheet. No marketing round.

3. Solar, 230V or 12V?

Three solutions, three cases of use. The solar is unbeatable for flexibility and zero cost but depends on the sun. The 230V guarantees constant power but requires a connection (and often an electrician). The 12V low voltage is ideal around the swimming pools and for secure self-installation.

4. Manufacturing quality

Failures do not come from LEDs — they come from joints, motion sensor (UV ageing), battery (12 to 24 months on cheap models) and foot (rust). stainless steel or heat-lapped aluminium, with replaceable lithium battery.

Recommended product

Spot outdoor LED picket DEC–GL5BC

230V · 300 lumens · IP65 · Hot white 3500K

View product →

In summary

For an outdoor spot that lasts: lumens adapted to your use, IP44 minimum (65 if direct exposure), consistent power supply with your project, and quality materials. Lumihome masteres the 4 criteria on the entire range.

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Eclairage Exterieur

Which IP to choose for your outdoor lighting

Lumihome Tips · 6 min reading
Which IP to choose for your outdoor lighting

 

Choose a outdoor lighting solution The main features of the design are the IP (Protection Index): an indispensable criterion that informs you of the degree of protection of your luminaire. So, what IP can be chosen for your outdoor lighting? Can you adopt the same protection index for an app that will illuminate an entrance and a terminal that will be installed on the terrace? You will be told everything you need to know in this guide, so that you can equip yourself with the necessary equipment. Right.  

 

Protection index: what is it? 

 

The protective index is indicated on the packaging of each luminaire. It is an international standard for the sealing of outdoor lamps. Composed of IP letters followed by two digits, it informs about the level of protection and resistance of the chosen lighting solution, to the intrusion of solid and liquid bodies. L的Ingress Protection is a code defined by IEC 60529 which aims to guarantee your safety and that of the equipment.

The first digit following the IP letters indicates the luminaire's resistance to solid body penetration. The second digit indicates the leakproofness of the luminaire to liquid bodies. 

 

Outdoor lighting: how do I choose my IP for maximum protection?

 

Your exterior lighting will have various functions and therefore very precise locations. Indeed, you can opt for spots for thelighting on your terrace, picket spots for your plant massifs and appliques for your entrance. That's why you will be prompted to choose lamps with different IPs.

Whatever the installation and function of your outdoor luminaire, it will naturally be in contact with various substances and solid bodies. It can be touched, trampled, or even dirty during a gardening session. It will also suffer the effects of various weather: rain, wind, hail, snow, etc., and daily hazards such as misdirected water jets or dust penetration of the maintenance sessions of your garden. It must therefore be perfectly hermetic. Of course, there is no question of However, we always recommend a minimum IP44 standard, which allows for an ideal seal against solid bodies of 1 mm diameter or more, and perfect protection against water projections on all sides (see table). 

 

Which IP chooses to illuminate a porch or entrance?

Lighting an entrance allows you to highlight your façade, but this lighting also has a useful and practical function since it is used to easily find the lock or your keys in case of late return to home. An IP44 app will suit perfectly. Lumihome led appliqués as the model Black Liberty Lumihome whose waterproofness gives it a durable and effective external resistance.

If you are sure that your app will be well protected from direct contact with rain and other weather conditions, you can even opt for an IP23.

 

Swimming pool lighting: which IP to choose?

The swimming pool is ideal for cooling off during hot summer days, but once the night falls, it also becomes an aesthetic element in its own right, thanks to its lighting. Indeed, the latter allows a certain enhancement, but it also aims to delimit the perimeter of the swimming pool and secure access.

To mark the ground around your pond, you will need to choose a lighting for swimming pool approaches IP64 minimum, which will be protected from dust, but also from water splashes.

If, on the other hand, your luminaires are intended to be placed inside a fountain, a water body or even a basin, it is standard IP68 that you will have to choose, like Lumihome's immersible LED fountain spot. It guarantees a leakproof against continuous immersion in pressurized water.

 

Ideal protection index for access lighting

 

The lighting of marking certainly has an aesthetic function, but it also allows to guide the inhabitants through the paths and paths, and to secure their steps.

Constantly exposed to weather, this lighting requires a sufficiently high IP. luminaires intended for the marking of accesses often take the form of terminals or spots, and are therefore also subject to the risks of spraying water and other watering systems. Therefore, we recommend a protection index equal to IP44. This index guarantees a resistance to heavy rains that good dust sealing, and is therefore perfect for lighting accesses.

 

What protection to achieve terrace lighting?

 

To welcome your friends and enjoy the long summer evenings, the lighting of the terrace is essential. It allows to highlight this practical element of your home, and to continue to live there once the night falls. Appliques, terminals, or spots picket, there are many solutions.

We recommend a protective index equal to 44 for your wall lighting and terminals. For floor lighting, you should choose a protective index at least equal to 64. Indeed, even in the case of a partially covered terrace, it is a place of life that is often prone to frequent cleaning and washing. A good protection is therefore required.

The protective index is therefore an essential criterion if you want to succeed in your outdoor lighting. It guarantees on the one hand your safety and that of your loved ones against various and electrical accidents, but it also allows you to use your product in a sustainable and efficient way. 

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