Invite a fascinating ambiance into outdoors

An outdoor hanging light is a suspended luminaire that hangs from the ceiling of a covered outdoor structure by a rod, cord, or chain. Often referred to as pendant lights, hanging lights are the most versatile of all decorative light fixtures that are available in a wide variety of shapes and styles and can be used to provide task, ambient, and accent illumination. Hanging lights can be as gorgeous as a chandelier, as modest as a wall sconce, or as functional as a floor lamp. This group of light fixtures are a stylish way to add character and usability to your outdoor living space.

Design concept

Outdoor hanging lights are usually mounted in porches, pergolas, porticos, stoops, and outdoor structures where the mounting point is 10 or more feet high or task lighting is needed in these spaces. They selectively brighten up a task area in these spaces or provide visually comfortable ambient illumination for safety, security or recreational purposes. The suspended light fixture is somewhat similar to a chandelier in the sense that they both serve the dual purpose of providing functional illumination and decorative accent. But unlike a chandelier that comes with intricate structures and delicate details, the design of pendant lights generally exudes a more relaxed spirit that is highly desired by those who want to create a pleasant atmosphere around their property. The sculptural and decorative qualities of outdoor pendant lights lend visual appeal to the otherwise monotonous outdoor covered structures.

Luminaire shapes

A hanging light is characterized by a single suspension device that hangs down to support a single luminaire. Nevertheless, the luminaire of a hanging light comes in a huge variety of shapes with shades being the primary design element. Globes, domes, cones, cylinders, bells, discs, teardrops, buckets, lanterns, bowls, wire cages, cubes, and exposed bulbs are just a portion of the shapes that can bring significant style to a space without detracting from its surroundings. Globe pendant lights contain the light source inside a spherical housing which allows the light source to radiate in all directions. Drum pendants conceal the light source with a short cylindrical shade typically made out of malleable or hardback fabric. A bowl pendant has a bowl-shaped shade that delivers a geometrically symmetrical aesthetic throughout the fixture. Dome pendants carry an industrial appeal and are great at providing downward task light. A disc pendant light is sleek suspension piece that will please anyone fond of geometry and minimalism. Lantern pendants which feature geometric frames and metallic finishes offer a bit of old-world charisma mixed with contemporary appeal. Bell or urn-shaped pendants are characterized by graceful curves that can pull visual interest and invite you into their pool of light. A linear pendant comes with several light sources that run along a single canopy for uniform illumination over a long span.

Design style

A myriad selection of designs and styles bring a fresh approach to illuminating any outdoor spaces. Pendant lights are available in an extraordinarily wide range of styles such as traditional, tiffany, art glass, rustic, transitional, and contemporary. From coastal romance to urban simplicity, the dizzying variety of designs will blow your mind. As pendant lights have switched to LED lighting, their aesthetic possibilities continue to grow. Outdoor hanging lights are crafted from a range of materials, e.g. glass, plastic, metal, fabric, paper, bamboo, and wood, which are chosen for durability as well as for their ability to help you decorate your space as you please. Some hanging lights offer versatility as a solo accent, or can be arranged in a group to create a unified look. Explore mixed finishes to command attention with dynamic groupings.

LED Lighting works wonders

The benefits of solid state lighting have led to a widespread adoption of LED lighting in new construction and retrofit applications. LED hanging lights drive energy savings and deliver advanced features through an integrated approach or a lamp-based design. Integrated LED pendant lights incorporate custom designed LED modules, rather than LED replacement lamps. The compact form factor and solid state nature of LEDs presents new design opportunities. Integrated LED luminaires are typically designed and engineered to extract best performance from each part, which means better thermal management, higher circuits reliability and efficiency, and more features and capabilities with embedded sensors and intelligence. The performance of lamp-based LED hanging lights depends on LED replacement bulbs which are usually designed with many compromises. Despite the lower efficiency, shorter lifespan, and limited dimming and control capabilities when compared with integrated system, lamp-based LED hanging lights still have a significant market share as it takes time to shift from the bulb-centric design to integrated design.