Retrofit Can vs. Canless Recessed Lighting: Which is Best for Your DIY?

Thinking about renovating your kitchen or bringing some upgrades into your living room? then you may find yourself wondering whether you should choose a retrofit can light or a canless recessed light for your project. As a seasoned electrician, I'm here to help you figure out which type of recessed lighting fits your needs. Each option has its pros and cons, and there are some important key things to know before you start your DIY project, let's dive in!

What is Retrofit Can Lighting?

Retrofit can lighting or sometimes called "can lights" or "downlights" are recessed lights that go inside can shaped housings in your ceiling. These cans or housings hold the recessed light securely in place and provide a socket or base to connect your retrofit can light to. So essentially, those cans in your ceiling are there so you can easily remove the old bulb or fixture and connect or “retrofit” a new LED can light.

If you've already got "cans" or housings installed in your ceiling, you're in great shape! All you need is the diameter (size) of the housing and base type (typically TP24 or E26)

Try this Retrofit Kit

5/6 Inch Black Retrofit Adjustable LED Recessed Downlight

$32.99

★★★★★

For 5 inch or 6 inch cans with an E26 base. Installation only takes a few minutes.

View Product

What is Canless Recessed Lighting?

Unlike retrofit can lighting, canless recessed lighting is used to add light into areas for a newly constructed building. So, this type of lighting is great for new construction projects or DIY projects that may want to incorporate all new lighting. Our canless recessed lights do not require a can or fixture to hold the bulb in place and instead connect directly to your wiring, also eliminating the need for an additional electrical box. The end result is an ultra-thin lighting design that requires only a few inches of ceiling space to install, making it perfect to add lighting almost everywhere in your home or office.

SHOP NOW

How to Install Retrofit Can Lighting

Because retrofit can lighting is intended to be used as an addition to current lighting options, this specific type of LED lighting often requires existing housing. The housing of a light refers to the main component where electrical parts are stored. If your DIY project does not have existing housing and you still want to use retrofit lighting, you’ll need to determine the size of the housing that will fit in your ceiling prior to installing a retrofit can light. This installation process is ideal for DIY projects working off of current construction sites or are only renovating lighting areas that already exist. Simply remove the existing lamp, connect the E26 or GU 5.3 base of the retrofit unit to the current fixture's socket, secure the clips, and you're good to go—no fuss, no extensive rewiring needed.