Lighting guide

Best COB Lights for False Ceiling: A Simple Guide

By S.A Traders, Golconda · Updated 31 October 2026

COB lights are the small, bright downlights you see in modern false ceilings. This guide explains in plain words how to pick the wattage, beam, colour and cut-out size, how to space them, and which mistakes to avoid before the gypsum or POP ceiling is closed.

What is a COB light?

COB means “chip on board”: many tiny LEDs packed into one small, bright chip. A reflector or lens in front of the chip shapes the light into a clean beam, like a mini spotlight.

In a false ceiling, COBs are fitted into a round hole as recessed downlights, used as tiltable spots to light a wall, or mounted as surface cylinders where there is no false ceiling. See all our COB, spot and track lights.

COB vs SMD panel light

An SMD panel light has many small LEDs behind a flat milky cover, so it spreads light wide and evenly. A COB sends its light down in a beam, which gives brighter pools of light and more depth in the room.

• Panel: wide, even light; a good main light for bedrooms, kitchens and offices; can look flat on its own
• COB: focused light with a more premium look, and less glare when the chip is set deep; great for living rooms, TV walls, dining tables and showrooms
• COB: you usually need more fittings than panels to light the same room evenly
• Many homes use both: panels or a cove strip for everyday light and COBs for focus. Our false ceiling lighting guide compares panel, COB and strip lights

Which wattage? A rule of thumb by room

These are rough starting points for a normal 9–10 ft ceiling, not fixed rules. The right number also depends on the ceiling height, wall colour, how bright you like it and what other lights are in the room.

• Accent only (TV wall, artwork, niche): 7W–10W, one per object or one every 3–4 ft along a wall
• Bedroom (10 × 12 ft) with COBs as the main light: about 4–6 COBs of 7W–10W
• Living room or hall (12 × 16 ft) with COBs as the main light: about 6–9 COBs of 10W–12W; fewer if you also have panels or a cove strip
• Kitchen: 10W–15W COBs above the counter, about 2–3 ft apart, so you don't work in your own shadow
• Passage or corridor: 7W–10W, about one every 4–5 ft
• Double-height ceilings and shops with ceilings of 12 ft or more: higher wattage (18W–24W or more) with a narrower beam, so the light reaches the floor

A quick check: if COBs are your main light, plan roughly one 7W–12W COB for every 20–30 sq ft. Not sure? Send us the room size on WhatsApp.

Beam angle: narrow, medium or wide

The beam angle tells you how wide the cone of light is. Check it on the box or ask us before you buy.

• Narrow, about 15°–24°: a tight pool of light for a painting, niche or showcase, or for a high ceiling
• Medium, about 36°: the most useful all-rounder at home; good for washing a wall or lighting a counter
• Wide, about 60° or more: softer, wider light when COBs are the main light under a normal ceiling
• The higher the ceiling, the narrower the beam you need. Under a low ceiling, narrow beams make small bright circles on the floor

Colour temperature: warm, neutral or cool white

• Warm white, 3000K: cosy and slightly yellow; living rooms, bedrooms, dining and a hotel-style look
• Neutral white, 4000K: clean and natural; kitchens, study tables, offices and wardrobes
• Cool white, 6500K: bright and slightly blue; shops, godowns and work areas

Keep one colour per room so COBs, panels and strips all match. Can't decide? Tap any COB light below, open “In your space” and drag the Warm ↔ Cool slider to see the same room in 3000K, 4000K and 6500K.

Also look at CRI, which tells you how true colours look. CRI 90 or above makes skin, clothes, food and paint look natural; for example, the WIIZ Platina lists CRI ≥ 92.

Check the cut-out size before cutting the ceiling

The cut-out is the round hole the carpenter or POP worker makes in the false ceiling. Every COB model has its own cut-out size, and it often changes with the wattage.

• Choose the exact model and wattage first, then cut the holes
• Read the cut-out size (in mm) on the box or ask us. For example, the WIIZ Platina lists a cut-out of 55–95 mm across its wattages, and the WIIZ Glaze Series lists 55–145 mm
• Check the depth too: deep anti-glare COBs need more space above the ceiling, so make sure ducts, beams and AC pipes are not in the way
• Use a hole saw of the right size. If the hole is too big, the spring clips can't hold the light properly

Spacing tips

• For general light under a 9–10 ft ceiling, start with COBs about 3–5 ft apart: closer for narrow beams, further apart for wide beams
• Keep them about 1.5–2 ft from the walls. To wash a wall or curtain with light, bring them to about 1–1.5 ft from it and space them 3–4 ft apart
• Line COBs up with the furniture (centre of the TV unit, along the kitchen counter, around the dining table) rather than just a grid on the ceiling
• Avoid putting a COB right above the head of the bed or sofa, where you look straight up into it. Move it a little forward, or use a deep anti-glare model
• Put COBs on a separate switch from the panels and cove lights so you can change the mood

Driver basics

Most recessed COB lights work with a small driver box that sits above the false ceiling on a short wire. It turns the 230V supply into the steady current the LED chip needs.

• Leave the driver where it can be reached through the hole later; never plaster it in
• Keep drivers away from heat and water. In bathrooms and open balconies, use a light made for wet areas, like the IP65 WIIZ Aqua
• If a driver fails, replace it with one that matches the light's current (mA) and wattage, not just any driver
• Want dimming? You need a dimmable COB with a matching dimmable driver and dimmer. Ask us before you buy
• Where the voltage goes up and down, surge protection helps. See drivers, controllers and sensors

Common mistakes to avoid

• Cutting the holes before choosing the light
• Only cool white COBs in a living room, which can look harsh at night
• Mixing 3000K and 6500K lights in the same room
• Narrow beams spaced too far apart, leaving dark patches between bright circles
• COBs placed close to a wall by accident, making uneven patches of light on it
• Too many high-watt COBs in a small bedroom; it is easier to add a lamp later than to fix glare
• No access to the drivers, so a small repair means breaking the ceiling
• Different brands or series in one room, so the shade of white doesn't match

Frequently asked questions