Intro Into Magnetic Track Lights

What is Magnetic Track Lighting?

Out with fixed static lighting, in with the new Magnetic Track Lights System. Magnetic track lights offer a new approach to illuminating your home. The lightweight aluminum track can be installed in your ceiling, as a recessed track, or on it, as a surface track and can also be suspended! The track typically carries a low voltage of 48V and is safe for installation vertically on walls. Once the track is installed, you get an amazing array of fixtures to install on it. Installation is easy – just slot in the light and click it in. The light fixtures can be re-positioned to any point on the track. This is the epitome of track systems, which have evolved over the years – since 1961 – to culminate into this amazing modular and functional lighting system.

Here are some of the advantages of magnetic tracks:

1. Repositioning: Need to adjust the lighting as your furniture layout changes? Simply slide the fixtures along the track! Want to highlight a particular piece of art? Just move a spotlight!  Perfect for art galleries, retail and the discerning residential space.
2. Modular: Choose the exact light fixture you want and position it where you want. Change the layout of your lights without calling in an electrician.
3. Functional: Want to change the amount of light in a room? Simply add more fixtures. Want to reduce? Get dimmable light fixtures.
4. Smart: Fixtures can come with support for Smart home lighting systems and integrate with Google Home, Apple Siri, Samsung Smart things, Amazon Alexa and any standards compliant smart home system.

Installation Mounting Options

Magnetic track lighting shines (pun intended) in its ease of installation. The track itself mounts quickly using screws or suspension cables. Mounting options will depend on the type of surface to be installed on:

1. Recessed Installation: Perfect for drywall/gypsum installations. Can also work with ceiling boards and any standards compliant 9MM thick board.
2. Surface Installation: The most versatile installation option. Can be installed on concrete, wood, gypsum or metal.
3. Pendant Installation: Good option for extra high ceilings where you want the light fixtures to get closer to the working plane for optimum lighting. Also a good option to achieve an industrial look.

Magnetic Light Fixtures

Important attributes to look at when selecting a light fixture are:

• Control Options: How you’d like to interact with the lights. Options include simple switch on/off to smart systems that can integrate with your phone and the rest of your smart home
• Quality: Chip type, diffuser type and fixture build
• Use Case: Choose the right fixture for the right job. Illuminating a painting would do well with a spotlight while lighting up a lounge would be served well by a linear light.

Magnetic light fixtures can be controlled using a couple of options. Most commonly available options are on/off, DALI and smart.

• On/Off light fixtures are typically available in a specific Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) – 4000K by default and can’t be dimmed. They are typically controlled at the switch level – hence the on/off designation. They are relatively affordable.
• DALI light fixtures can integrate with any DALI smart system – an open protocol for controlling lighting system. DALI is however not common is residential applications and is relatively pricey. DALI light fixtures can be dimmable and CCT controlled (Colour temperature can be set)
• Smart light fixtures can integrate with your smart home system to provide dimming and colour changing (CCT) functionality. Smart lights can usually change from warm white (~ 2800K) to cool white (6000K). Additionally, each light fixture can be individually controlled – dimmed, colour changed or turned off independently of the next fixture.

The Quality of any LED lighting system depends on 3 things:

• LED Chip Quality: A variety of chips exist with different specifications that dictate the performance of the chip. The cheaper the chip, the worse off the performance of your light fixture. Primarily look out for:
  • Good CRI: Colour Rendering Index (CRI) has a direct influence on the colour of items that your eye perceives. Bad CRI and a red apple would look yellow and unappetising. Look for CRI >80
  • Service Life – Look for LED chips spec’d for at least 10,000 hours of lifetime before L70 – This means that you’ll have at least 70% of the light output after 10000 hours ~ 15 years of use.
  • CCT: If you are interested in colour temperature change, look for lights with good CCT performance curves.
• Optics: Once light has been radiated away from the LED chip, it’s the work of the optics to concentrate or diffuse the light into a usable beam. Optics play a huge role in the final lighting pattern achieved by a fixture.
• Fixture build: A Led light fixture may generate a non-trivial amount of heat during operation. It’s up to the aluminium fixture to dissipate the heat away from the LED to keep it within manufacturer’s recommended operating case temperature. You’d want to keep the LED as cool as possible – so a light weight fixture that doesn’t have the thermal mass to absorb and dissipate the heat generated will eventually lead to premature failure of the LED chip. In other words, don’t cheap out on the fixture aluminium heat sink.
• Electronics: The electronics used to manage electrical currents for a LED chip are a critical factor of the lifetime of fixture. Cheap electronics will fail earlier – capacitors will leak, resistors will heat up and break down, diodes will fail and the electronics won’t handle voltage fluctuation. This is the most common element of LED light failure.

The easiest proxy to all of the above is to simply look for a fixture that features one of the big names in LED chip manufacturing such as CREE, Bridgelux and Osram. Also lift the light fixture and feel the heft of it.

A variety of magnetic track light LED fixtures are available such as:

Pendants

• Pendants which come in a vast array of shapes and sizes and are perfect for suspension over kitchen counters, dining tables and nooks. They typically hang from the track with a variable suspension string that can be adjusted to fit the use case.
• Pendant variations come in through the fixture build, colour, shape, size and optics. 
• Pendants can be combined with other fixtures like linear lights for a lighting layering effect – linear lights for ambient lighting and pendants for task and decorative lighting.

Spotlights

• Spotlights are perfect for task lighting and accent lighting. They can be used in kitchens to provide extra lighting over work spaces, desks for extra lighting and illumination of your prized pieces such as sculptures and paintings.
• Spotlights are typically adjustable and can be angled around to light up a specific item.
• Some spotlights can have lens at the front to adjust beam spread for a diffuse or intense light beam.
• Spotlights can be combined with other fixtures like linear lights for a lighting layering effect – linear lights for ambient lighting and spotlights for task and accent lighting.

Linear Lights

• Linear lights are the workhorse of magnetic tracks. They offer a good solution for ambient lighting. They are frequently paired with grille lights for general illumination. Linear lights provide a smooth even light distribution for general lighting, while grille lights provide intense localized lighting.
• Linear lights are typically fixed and can only be moved around. Variations exist on size which is directly proportional to wattage/lumens.
• Linear lights can be combined with other fixtures like spot lights for a lighting layering effect – linear lights for ambient lighting and spotlights for task and accent lighting.

Grille Lights and Adjustable Grille Lights

• Grille lights are the other workhorse of magnetic tracks. They offer a good solution for localized task lighting. Grille lights can offer a minimalist look and especially trendy when paired with linear lights since they both disappear into the track. The LEDs in a Grille are recessed and hidden behind a grid-like structure, creating a clean and unobtrusive. Adjustable grill lights are a variation of grille lights which pop out of the track and have a hinge for adjustability. They can be used to provide localized lighting on a wall or other vertical surface. They are especially popular for wall washing.
• Grille lights are typically fixed and can only be moved around. Variations exist on size which is directly proportional to wattage/lumens.

Key Takeaways

Modular Lighting solution

Magnetic lighting are modern modular lighting system – add as many light fixtures as you want, whenever you want, however you want. You also get the versatility of re-arranging , adding or removing lighting fixtures without involving professionals. You get to choose the layout to use giving each installation a unique owners touch.

Safe Voltage

Magnetic tracks and fixtures run off a 48V system. This is a safe to touch voltage. Consequently, the tracks can run on a wall and on the ceiling safely without the risk of electrocution.

Variety in Lighting Fixtures

A variety of lighting fixtures is available for infinite variability in designing a commercial or residential lighting solution. The length and size of each fixture is primarily dictated by the total wattage of the light. More wattage typically translates to longer fixtures.

Smart Home Automation

Lighting fixtures for magnetic track lighting can be smart – dimmable and colour temperature changing. This means that you can have a smart magnetic track system that integrates with the rest of your smart home affordably. Additionally, each fixture is individually controllable. Integrating it with a smart home controller allows for automation – such as dim, turn off or change colour of the lights at specific times or when a sensor changes state. The system can also easily integrate with smart audio systems such as Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant and Home Assistant.

So, ditch the outdated fixed fixtures and embrace the modular light revolution. With its versatility, style options, and user-friendly installation, magnetic track lights transform the way you illuminate your space. Get ready to experience the magic of light, re-imagined.

FAQ

I am interested, What next?

Give us a call on +254 752 03 03 03, email us using contact@incredible.co.ke or use our contact form to start on your incredible journey to a stellar lighting system. We typically respond within 24 hours. We have wholesale prices and accounts for resellers available on request. We have the in-house expertise to help you design, purchase and execute your project with confidence. We have executed a variety of Magnetic Track projects in Kenya and across East Africa. You are in good hands.

Please leave this field empty

WANT MORE?

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE LATEST BLOG POSTS, PRODUCTS, PLUS SOME EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.