The adoption of dimming LED lighting for new installations is rising fast, but with a vast retrofit market to address, there is an opportunity for further growth of the user experience can be optimized. Here are our top tips for getting the best LED dimmable drivers.

One rule for successful dimming LED lighting might sound obvious but it is a common misconception that any LED lights can be dimmed with a LED dimmer. In reality, the driver circuitry must be designed with dimming function in mind. Therefore, it is essential for us to choose lamps that the manufacturer describes as “dimmable” for LED dimmable driver.

2. Do stick to recognized brands

There is a lot of variation in the performance of LED dimmable driver. In particular, the achieve brightness range and stability of output are the features most likely to disappoint with unbranded lamps. In addition, some manufacturers are happy to label their LED drivers as dimmable even if they can’t change the brightness. Therefore recognized brands are also more likely to offer better product warranties, longer lamp life and more customer support.

3. Do ask manufacturers about compatibility

More established lighting brands publish compatibility data on their websites. Dimmer switches are tested with various loads and the lamp performance graded. These grades are a useful reference point and can help when choosing a LED dimmable driver. It can be confusing though, when navigating the websites of international brands, to find LED dimmable drivers listed that are not available in the China. If in doubt contact the company to ask for their recommendations.

4. Do choose a LED dimmable driver designed for LED lighting

Sophisticated LED dimmable drivers are available to deliver the best possible performance from dimmable LED lighting. Some have several dimming modes to enable smooth dimming across the diverse driver technologies in the market. The brightness output a lamp produces from the same power input varies markedly between brands. For this reason, some manufacturers now include an adjustable minimum brightness setting so the user can access the full brightness range for a given lamp. An adjustable minimum brightness also ensures that any instability a lamp might exhibit at its lowest level of illumination can be avoided.

5. DON’T buy your luminaires without first selecting a LED dimmable driver
Like all LED dimmable drivers, those designed for LED lighting have minimum and maximum load recommendations. Design your lighting installation to ensure you don’t exceed the maximum load. Splitting the load across more than one LED dimmable driver could provide a solution and give greater control by allowing light levels to be zoned in a multi-functional space. It’s important to select a LED dimmable driver that can control the total wattage and quantity of lamps you want to dim.