Linear lighting: sizes and how to choose

Written by Engin Demirel · Electrical technician, master instructor · 12 years of experience

Short answer: Linear lighting gives a continuous line on a ceiling or wall. Choose in this order: mounting (recessed, surface, suspended, wall), body section, optic (a diffuser for soft general light, a lens for directional light), then length and power. Narrow sections suit corridors and kitchens; 50–100 mm suits offices and shops. Take exact cut-out sizes from the product page and plan before the ceiling closes.

Mounting types

Recessed: flush with the ceiling, needs a suspended ceiling or plasterboard void.
Surface: screwed on, for concrete ceilings.
Suspended: tables, islands, high ceilings.
Wall: see wall light types.
Under-cabinet: see kitchen lighting.

Body sizes

Examples from our Lamptime models:

Recessed: LR14 33×35 mm, LR13 50×35 mm, LR12 75×36 mm, LR11 100×50 mm.
Surface: LS16 34×80 mm, LS15 50×80 mm, LS14 75×90 mm, LS13 100×100 mm.
Surface with lens: LS11 34×80 mm, LS12 50×80 mm, LS10 140×42.5 mm; round LS20 Ø70 mm.
Wall: LW10, two-way LW20, under-cabinet LW12.

Exact lengths, power and cut-outs are options on each page. See the full linear lighting category.

Diffuser or lens?

Opal diffuser: soft, even, low-glare. Offices, corridors, living rooms.
Lens: directional, reaches further. Shops and high ceilings.

For screens, consider glare: office and shop lighting.

Power and colour

Choose power per metre by target lux: lighting calculation.
3000 K at home, 3000–4000 K in offices and shops: lumens, watts and colour.
Dimming: models with a DALI option, see dimmers and dimmable LED.

Profile and LED strip

For custom lengths and corners, aluminium profile with LED strip is another route. We offer Molled Aybars profiles in 12 V (MOL2554) and 24 V (MOL2550) with the MOL2573 driver and touch, hand, presence and door sensors. See cove lighting and driver sizing.