What is Linear Lighting and Where Can it Be Used?

Linear lighting is lighting that has an elongated shape, as opposed to being round or square. They often come in the form of light channels and tubes or strip lights. They are a good option for illuminating large spaces due to their wide light spread and their ability to be connected and extended indefinitely. Linear light fixtures can be installed in three main ways—mounted on surfaces, suspended in air, or built into, or ‘recessed’ in, surfaces. Regardless, they are a popular choice in many spaces, such as offices, gas stations, elevators, and more. Read on to discover their applications in detail.

The Development of Linear Lighting

In the early days of the 1950s, linear light channels came only in fluorescent tubes. They were used mostly in industrial spaces, as they required lighting that could illuminate large spaces. When users recognized the efficiency of this design, linear lighting became more widely implemented in various facilities, such as offices, retail spaces, showrooms, gas stations, and even elevators.

Back then, a common problem with fluorescent tubes in the past was that lighting was often interrupted, and light lines had dark spots in places where two fixtures connected. This is because fluorescent light bulbs were big, and that technology was not so advanced for the creation of sleeker light fixtures.

In the early 2000s, linear LED lighting overtook fluorescent tubes in popularity after its introduction. Unlike fluorescent tubes, LEDs allowed for continuous and smooth lighting lines due to the compact size of LEDs. At 5mm, lighting gaps could be bridged easily with no interruption.

LEDs also have a host of other benefits compared to traditional lighting solutions, such as a longer service life, lower energy consumption levels, higher energy efficiency, and a greater variety of colors to choose from. These advantages mean that, naturally, many opt for LEDs as their choice of luminaire in linear lighting.

Types of Linear Lighting Fixtures

There are three main types of linear lighting fixtures: surface mounted, recessed, and suspended. Each carries unique traits, and it is important users understand what their differences are before installation.

Surface Mounted Linear Lighting

For a more traditional look, surface mounted lighting is the way to go. This is when linear light fixtures are directly mounted onto ceilings and walls, and it can be considered a ‘classic’ implementation as it is one of the oldest.

Despite being an older concept, surface mounted lighting is still very popular. This is because linear light fixtures are constantly getting updated in terms of style and functionality. With the use of LED lights, fixtures are now more compact than ever before, especially with LED iBond’s very own internationally patented ‘sandwich’ system.

The system is comprised of a 6mm panel made of two Aluminum Composite Panels (ACPs) that ‘sandwich’ our own high-quality LEDs. At such a slim size, fixtures spawned from this technology are not bulky in the least. When mounted on ceilings and walls, they provide much cleaner lines than chandeliers, pendant lights, and drop lights.

Surface mounted lighting is perfect for spaces with exposed ceilings and spaces in which there is little room between the structural ceiling and the dropdown ceiling, where recessed linear lighting is impossible to install.

Recessed Linear Lighting

For a sleeker look and where minimalism is a priority, offices can opt for recessed linear lighting. In ambient lighting, light channels are implemented recessed into the ceiling, wall, or even floor.

This is a popular solution for modern office lighting, especially in workplaces with lower headroom or those that want a more clean and minimalistic design. Since lights are ‘sunken’ into ceilings, walls, and floors, these lighting fixtures offer clean, uninterrupted lines. For busy and crowded offices, the lack of protruding wires also creates a safer environment.

Additionally, recessed linear lighting can be installed as task lighting. Light tubes can be built into the edges of desks and shelves in the main office space. They can also be built-in under cabinets in office kitchenettes. Just as in the case of ambient lighting, this implementation gives spaces a modern feel.

Suspended Linear Lighting

Suspended linear lighting is a lighting channel that is suspended in the air. Usually implemented on ceilings as ambient lighting, suspended lighting is most frequently used to light up a room.

In offices with high headroom, suspended linear lighting can be hung from ceilings to create a sense of depth and dimension. Suspended light fixtures can also be customized to different lengths and arranged in specific patterns to make office spaces more unique.

Although recessed lighting seems like the natural choice for users who prefer minimalistic designs, it is not the only option. Here at LED iBond, we have created the plane, a unique luminaire that incorporates a magnetic suspension system. The Plane enables bi-directional light output in warm or natural white light. Specifically, its light output is in the 3,000-4,000K range on the Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) scale.

The CCT scale measures the tone of white light a light bulb emits, from warm (<3000K) to cool (blue >4,000K). Between the two is a true neutral white, which seeks to simulate daylight. CCT is measured in degrees Kelvin (K).

The Plane, at 6,5mm, is an extremely slim lighting panel. With an integrated power supply, no extra cables are needed either. This allows users to create a clean and elegant space.

Where Can LED Linear Light Be Used

Linear lighting application scenario

Now, linear lighting is not only used in the office field, designers apply it to high-end commercial space, home space, industrial lighting and others, constructing different light and shadow effects.

It is suitable for bars counter, kitchens, couture, wine cabinets, stairs, stores, reception hall, metope, bookcases, toilet, bedrooms, dance room, display cabinet, aisles, suspended ceilings and other places.

Linear lighting effect of different scenes applications

• Linear lighting art effect

The use of linear lighting as artistic installation and lamps is also highly aesthetic, with detailed and uniform light freely changing and combining in space, bringing basic lighting effect, but also revealing great artistic influence, showing its unique charm and spatial feeling.

• Office space – linear lighting applications

Through the changes in linear lighting, it gives the space flexibility, but also gives a simple, clear and comfortable feeling. As a functional, customizable product, linear lighting will become the first choice of designers in office space design.

• Commercial space – linear lighting applications

Linear lights are also widely used in commercial spaces, through the light can easily create the overall atmosphere, in the design of space, light is an essential decorative elements.

• Application of aisle space

Through clever changes of light and shadow, the contrast between light and dark, the whole building is full of interest and vitality, bringing excellent visual effects.

The lighting design can be used to create a free, dynamic and imaginative space, and it can also weaken its own presence by concealing its form, gradually spread out along the corresponding space outline, and create a unique geometric or curved shape together with the wall.

• Application of Home

With its beautiful appearance, abundant specifications, strong customization, flexible installation, energy saving and environmental protection, LED linear light has become an important means to achieve the lighting effect”see light without light”. With light as the pen, outline the intensity of the texture of the space.

If you need help or have doubts about the led strip light, contact us.