Track Lighting

Single-circuit, three-circuit or magnetic track: which do you need?

Single-circuit track carries one mains circuit, so its heads switch on and off together, which suits a simple run over a kitchen island or down a hallway. Three-circuit track carries three separate circuits in one rail, and the adaptor on a head picks which one it uses, so groups of track lights can switch or dim on their own. That makes it a common choice for shops, galleries and large open-plan rooms.

Magnetic track is a low-voltage system fed by an LED driver, such as the 48V drivers we stock, with heads that hold on by magnet and move without tools. Depending on the system, track can be surface-mounted, suspended or set flush as recessed track lighting. Whichever you choose, a head fits only the track it is made for: single-circuit on single-circuit, three-circuit on three-circuit and magnetic on its own magnetic track, so check the system named in the title before you buy.

Choosing track light heads: spotlights, pendants and linear

Spotlights are the classic track light, a compact head you can aim at a picture, shelf or worktop. We stock many track spotlights, from integrated LED heads to ones that take a GU10 lamp. A narrow beam picks out one object, while a wide one washes a whole surface. Pendants hang below the track over a dining table or island, and we stock track pendant lights and pendant adaptors.

Linear heads, including ones made for magnetic track, are long bars that spread light evenly along a desk or corridor. Most of the range is finished in black and many fittings come in white: black track lighting draws a crisp line across a pale ceiling, while white ceiling track light fixtures blend in.

LED track lighting and dimming

Most of what we stock is LED track lighting with the LED built in, so there is no bulb to change. Many other heads take a GU10 lamp, which lets you choose the brightness and shade of white.

Many of our track lights are dimmable and many are not. Dimming depends on the head and its driver, and each product page states whether a fitting can be dimmed. Beyond a dimmable head, a mains run needs a compatible dimmer switch, a low-voltage run needs a dimmable driver and a GU10 head needs a dimmable lamp.

Kitchen track lighting

Kitchen track lighting works hardest over the worktops. Run the track parallel to them, just in front of the wall cupboards, and angle the heads so the light comes from in front of you, because light from behind casts your shadow on the worktop. Over an island, pendants or a short run of spotlights give task light and a focal point.

Many of the lights we stock are suited to kitchens, and on three-circuit track the worktop spotlights and island pendants can run on separate circuits. Keep heads clear of the hob, where heat and steam rise.

Planning a run: lengths, connectors and cutting track to length

Sketch a track light ceiling plan first, marking where the supply comes in and where you want the light. We stock track in several lengths and many connectors, joiners and couplers: straight joiners link rails end to end, and L-shaped connectors turn a corner. A run also needs a power feed and an end cap to close the far end, while a magnetic run needs an LED driver sized for the total wattage of its heads.

Many rails can be cut to length with a fine-toothed hacksaw and finished with an end cap, but only cut one whose product page says so. Cut before fitting, never on a live run, and file the end smooth before the cap goes on. Where a rail cannot be cut, combine standard lengths with joiners.

Track lighting kits: the simplest start

A kit is the simplest way to try track lighting in one room. We stock a few track kits, including ones that pair a length of track with a set of GU10 spotlight heads, so the parts are made for each other. Check the product page for what is in the box and whether lamps are supplied.

A kit is also a system you can grow with more heads or rails of the same type, as long as the total load stays within the track's rating. For a high ceiling, we also stock suspension kits that hang the track lower.

Track lighting in bathrooms

Most of our track lighting is rated IP20, which means dry indoor rooms, not the damp zones around a bath or shower. A few fittings carry IP44 or above, but the rating needed depends on the zone around the bath or shower. The closer a fitting sits to water, the higher the rating it needs.

If you want track in a bathroom, choose a fitting rated for the zone it will sit in and have a qualified electrician confirm the zone and fit it. In England and Wales, work near a bath or shower can be notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, so use an electrician registered to certify it.