Beam Patterns (Flood, Spot, Combo, Trapezoid)
A beam pattern describes how a lamp distributes its light: flood beams deliver wide, short-range illumination; spot beams project a narrow, concentrated beam over distance; combination beam lights provide both from a single housing.
Choosing the right beam pattern matters more than raw wattage: the same LEDs aimed through different optics either light a wide working area or reach far ahead of the machine — rarely both.
The four common patterns
Flood (wide beam, typically 60–120°) — Broad, close-range coverage. Good for viewing wide angles at a moderate distance: cab, fender and reverse mounting locations, loading areas.
Spot (narrow beam, typically 10–30°) — A focused, long-distance beam that lights the path far ahead. Ideal for roof-mounted forward lighting on machines that travel.
Combination (combo) — Spot and flood optics within a single housing, giving reach at the centre and spread at the edges.
Trapezoid — A low, wide pattern shaped for travelling at moderate speed on roads without blinding oncoming traffic.
How to choose
Match the pattern to the mounting location and task: floods around the machine, spots ahead of it, combos where one lamp must do both. Our LED work lights range covers all four patterns; LED driving lights handle the long-range road-oriented duties.
Shop related products
Related terms
Raw lumens state the theoretical output of the LED chips; effective lumens state the light that actually leaves the lamp after optical, thermal and electrical losses. Effective lumens are the honest number to compare.
Color Temperature (Kelvin)Color temperature, measured in kelvin (K), describes the tint of white light: around 3000 K is warm (yellowish), 5000–5700 K is neutral daylight white, 6000–6500 K is cool white. Most machinery LED work lights ship at 5700–6500 K.
Not Sure Which Light You Need?
Tell us your equipment and operating conditions — our engineers will recommend the right light.
