Reviewing the Best Drop Ceiling Lights for Suspended Ceilings

If you decide to go with LED flat panels for your drop ceiling lights, you'll have one more decision to make. Do you want edge-lit or back-lit panels? In edge-lit panels, the LED lights are positioned on the sides of the panel for a thinner profile. The result is an LED light that's a bit more expensive and uses a little more power. Back-lit panels feature LEDs located at the back of the frame so that the LEDs can shine directly through the diffuser. The absence of a light guard means the illumination doesn't need to be directed – also, there's no glare.

Much like the flat panel design, troffer lights illuminate indoor spaces and are available in three sizes: 1x4, 2x2 and 2x4.

Troffers use diffusers, lenses, parabolic louvers, reflectors and baskets to manage brightness and suffuse glare to provide illumination that's evenly distributed. These components enable the fixture to provide direct lighting (focused on the ground) or indirect illumination (pointed toward the ceiling).

Where are recessed lights used? They're ideal for decorative applications, task lighting and area lighting. Sometimes referred to as "can lights" or "LED high hat lights," the best recessed lights have been used in many residential, commercial and office design plans. Interior decorators use recessed lights to provide ambiance to new construction or remodeled spaces.

Like other drop ceiling lights, wafer lights are used in both commercial and residential settings. While their narrow depth enables them to be flush mounted easily, they can also be surface mounted to ceilings or walls.