Carrie 5 Light E27 Round Pendant Light 45cm - Polished Chrome

Five E27 lampholders sit evenly spaced around an open ring of polished chrome, 45cm across, each hanging on its own flex. The frame comes on its own, without shades, and that is what makes it useful: the shades are yours to choose, so the same ring can read pared back under narrow drums or soft and full under wide cotton ones. Left bare, the bright ring and the hanging cords have a plain, workshop-like clarity to them. The drop adjusts across a wide span, so it can sit up close to the ceiling or fall well down into a room.

We reach for this one over a long kitchen table, where a single pendant tends to leave the ends dim, and it does good work in a hall or above a stairwell landing, where a cluster of small shades has more character than one large one. It suits anyone who has already found shades they like, or who wants the freedom to swap them later without changing the fitting. With suitable lamps and a compatible dimmer, the light can be brought down for evenings; we would fit warm white LED lamps rated no higher than 20W each.

The frame is finished in polished chrome throughout, bright enough to pick up the colour of whatever shades you hang from it. Keep it looking right with an occasional pass of a clean, dry duster over the ring and the cord grips, and a little glass cleaner on a soft cloth where fingermarks build up; no scouring pads and no solvents. It carries a one year warranty. The Carrie range runs from small flush ceiling fittings through linear bars to round rings like this one, in satin nickel and antique gold as well as chrome, so a whole house can be kept to one family. Shades and lamps are bought separately.

How many shades will I need?

Five, one for each E27 lampholder. They can all match, or you can mix sizes and colours if you would rather the ring looked collected over time.

How high and how low can it hang?

The drop runs from 270mm at its shortest to 2270mm at its longest, measured from the ceiling, with the body of the fitting itself standing 210mm tall.

Which lamps suit it best?

E27 LED lamps up to 20W each. The shape you choose depends on the shades: a globe or a decorative lamp if the shade is open, a standard GLS if it is enclosed.

Can it be dimmed?

Yes, provided you use dimmable lamps and a dimmer switch matched to them. A dimmer is not supplied with the fitting.

Is it suitable for a bathroom?

No. This one is for dry rooms only, so keep it to kitchens, dining rooms, halls and bedrooms rather than anywhere it will meet steam or splashes.

How heavy is it?

The frame weighs 3.3kg before any shades or lamps are added.