{"id":3576,"date":"2026-10-21T14:26:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T06:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/?p=3576"},"modified":"2026-10-21T14:26:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T06:26:08","slug":"what-types-of-wall-washers-are-there-452b-0e7067","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/21\/what-types-of-wall-washers-are-there-452b-0e7067\/","title":{"rendered":"What types of Wall Washers are there?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, if you\u2019ve ever walked into a coffee shop with those warm, glowing accent walls that make you want to linger a little longer, or checked out a gallery where the art just pops off the walls (wait, no, lit<\/em>\u2014okay, that\u2019s 2024), you\u2019ve probably seen wall washers doing their thing. I\u2019m Jake, and I run a small lighting supply company that\u2019s been selling wall washers for\u2026 gosh, almost 7 years now. Not the fancy, big-box store junk that dies in a year, we\u2019re talking actual stuff that works. People always hit me up first with, \u201cWait, what even types<\/em> of wall washers are there? I thought they were just\u2026 lights on a strip.\u201d Nah, friend, you\u2019ve got more options than you think, and picking the wrong one is gonna leave your space looking flat\u2014like a pizza with no sauce (don\u2019t do that to pizza, or your walls). Wall Washer<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the basics: wall washers are lighting fixtures designed to cast uniform, smooth light across a vertical wall, right? No hot spots (those bright, overexposed splotches that make the wall look patchy) and no dark corners\u2014they\u2019re meant to make that wall look even, like someone smoothed out a sheet of light over it. But that\u2019s where the similarity ends. Let\u2019s break down the main types we actually stock and get questions about all the time.<\/p>\n

First up, LED Linear Wall Washers<\/em>. This is the workhorse, no cap. I\u2019d say 60% of our orders are for these, and for good reason. They\u2019re long, slim strips (usually 2 feet up to 8 feet, sometimes custom cuts if you need something specific) packed with tiny LED bulbs. Why LEDs? They use way less power than old halogen ones, last like 50,000 hours (that\u2019s over 5 years if they\u2019re on 8 hours a day\u2014yikes, I\u2019m not gonna use that many in a row), and you can get them in any color temp you want, from super warm (2700K, like a sunset) to cool (5000K, like office fluorescent but way nicer). We have two main sub-types here: hardwired and plug-in. Hardwired ones are for permanent installations\u2014like a new office build or a retail store\u2019s back wall. Plug-in? Perfect for renters, small cafes, or anyone who doesn\u2019t want to call an electrician. Just plug \u2018em into an outlet, mount \u2018em with the included brackets, and done. Wait, and don\u2019t sleep on the beam angle for these\u2014most linear wall washers have a 120-degree beam, which is exactly what you need to cover a whole wall without weird gaps. I had a guy come to me last month saying he bought a cheap linear from Amazon, it had a 60-degree beam, so half his wall was dark. Oops.<\/p>\n

Next, RGB\/RGBW LED Wall Washers<\/em>. This is the fun, creative one. RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue\u2014so you can mix any color you want, from neon pink to deep purple to that muted teal that\u2019s huge for restaurants. RGBW adds a white channel, which is key because pure color can look washed out if you need a solid, intense hue. These aren\u2019t just for parties, either\u2014hotels use them to match their event themes, museums use them to highlight exhibits without harsh white light, and even some modern homes use them for accent walls. The best part? Most of these have a remote or app control, so you can cycle through colors, set a fade, or even sync them to music if you\u2019re feeling extra. We sell both linear RGB wall washers and smaller, puck-style RGB units for people who only need to highlight a small section of a wall, like a fireplace or a headboard. One of our regular customers owns a bar downtown and uses these to shift from warm orange for happy hour to deep blue for late nights\u2014game changer for their vibe.<\/p>\n

Then we have Flood Style (Round\/Square) Wall Washers<\/em>. Wait, a lot of folks mix these up with spotlights, but no\u2014spotlights are for highlighting specific objects, flood wall washers are for covering a wider area. These are smaller, circular or square fixtures, usually mounted on the ceiling or a wall, not along the wall itself. Think of them like a focused beam of light that\u2019s spread out to cover a 90-120 degree angle, perfect for smaller spaces. A lot of people use these for bathrooms, entryways, or accent walls in living rooms where they don\u2019t want a big strip fixture taking up space. The downside? They can get a little hot if you get the wrong type, but we only sell LED flood wall washers now\u2014halogens are basically dead, and we\u2019re not gonna stock something that wastes energy or poses a fire risk. I always tell people to get ones with adjustable heads, so you can angle the beam exactly where you want it, not just stuck in one spot.<\/p>\n

Oh, and we can\u2019t forget Outdoor Rated Wall Washers<\/em>. This is the big one I see people mess up all the time. If you\u2019re lighting the exterior of your building, a patio wall, or a fence, regular indoor wall washers are gonna die within a season. Outdoor ones are IP-rated\u2014IP65 is our go-to, that means they\u2019re dust tight and can handle jets of water (like rain or a hose). They\u2019re built to handle temperature swings, humidity, even snow, so you don\u2019t have to take them down every winter. We\u2019ve had customers use these for restaurant patio walls, apartment building facades, and even backyard garden walls to make the outdoor space usable after dark. Pro tip: don\u2019t try to save a buck by using indoor ones outside\u2014one of our first customers tried that, his fixtures rotted in 3 months and he had to come buy new ones from us. Lesson learned.<\/p>\n

Wait, should I mention Surface Mount vs. Recessed<\/em>? Yeah, that\u2019s a sub-category that\u2019s super important, because it\u2019s not just the type of light, it\u2019s how you mount it. Surface mount means it sits on top of the wall (or ceiling), great for retrofits where you don\u2019t want to cut into drywall. Recessed is built into the wall, so it\u2019s flush, perfect for new builds or a clean, modern look. We have both options for every type of wall washer we sell. Recessed ones are a little more work to install, but they look way sleeker, no weird bulk sticking out. I helped a guy with his home theater last year, he wanted recessed wall washers around the screen to create that immersive glow, and it turned out way better than any big strip would have looked.<\/p>\n

Also, let\u2019s talk about what to avoid. Cheap, unbranded wall washers from random sites\u2014they use low-quality LEDs that burn out fast, have terrible beam angles that leave hot spots, and often don\u2019t have the IP rating they claim. We test every wall washer we carry, so you know you\u2019re getting something that works. Another mistake: getting a beam angle too narrow. 120 degrees is the sweet spot for most walls\u2014anything under 90 will leave gaps, anything over 150 might cast light where you don\u2019t want it (like onto windows or ceilings). And color temperature is key\u2014if you\u2019re lighting a kitchen, go for 3000K (warm white) or 4000K (neutral white, not too yellow, not too blue). If it\u2019s a gallery, 5000K is good for art, but if it\u2019s a cozy living room, 2700K is way more relaxing.<\/p>\n

Wait, a lot of people ask if wall washers are only for big spaces. No way. We sell small, compact linear wall washers (1 foot long, like a ruler) for tiny accent walls, like a shelf or a small section behind a desk. And for really small spaces, the round flood wall washers work perfect too. It all depends on what you need to light, and where.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Let me wrap this up quick, because I know I ramble. The main types of wall washers are: linear (LED, hardwired\/plug-in), RGB\/RGBW for color, flood-style round\/square, and outdoor rated IP65. Add in surface mount vs recessed for how you install them, and you\u2019ve got your options. The worst thing you can do is guess\u2014reach out, tell me what space you\u2019re lighting, how big it is, if it\u2019s indoor or outdoor, and I\u2019ll point you to the right one. No pushy sales stuff, just actual advice from someone who\u2019s been doing this for years. We\u2019ve got samples you can test, too, so you don\u2019t waste money on something that doesn\u2019t work for you. If you\u2019re tired of patchy walls or lighting that doesn\u2019t feel right, hit us up. Let\u2019s get your space glowing the way it should.<\/p>\n

Resell<\/a> REFERENCES<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Lighting Design Basics: Wall Washers and Beam Angles, 2023<\/li>\n
  2. LED Lighting Association: Commercial and Residential Lighting Fixture Ratings, 2022<\/li>\n
  3. Outdoor Lighting Industry Association: IP Ratings for Exterior Fixtures, 2024<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Zhongshan Flying Lighting Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    Zhongshan Flying Lighting Co., Ltd. is one of the leading wall washer manufacturers and suppliers in China. Please feel free to wholesale advanced wall washer made in China here from our factory. Customized orders are welcome.
    Address: No.99 North Shun Xing Road, Heng Lan Town, Zhongshan City, Guangdong, China
    E-mail: s9@flyinglighting.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.flyinglighting.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hey everyone, if you\u2019ve ever walked into a coffee shop with those warm, glowing accent walls … What types of Wall Washers are there?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":630,"featured_media":3576,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3539],"class_list":["post-3576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-wall-washer-48d2-0eaa7f"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/630"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3576\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bestslotsdeal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}