Named for the thin aluminum or tin “can” surrounding the lightbulb, can lights were the most common recessed lighting option for many years. While they are more difficult and expensive to install than some other kinds of recessed lights, can lights offer greater flexibility, as they can work with a variety of different lights, including LED, halogen, incandescent, and compact fluorescent bulbs.

Wafer lights get their name from their slim profile. Unlike can lights which sit inside deep holes in your ceiling, wafer lights fit into very shallow recesses, making them much easier to install. Most wafer lights only work with LED bulbs, so they don’t provide the flexibility that can lights do. But they cost less to install and most homeowners prefer LED lights anyway, so they've become quite popular.

Whether you elect to have can or wafer lights installed, you’ll likely want them fitted with LED bulbs. LED bulbs are much more energy efficient than most other lighting options, which not only helps protect the planet but also reduce your power bills. Additionally, LED lights typically have a high color rendering index, making the colors in your home appear the way they should.

Unlike some other lights, LEDs can be integrated into smart home systems. This will not only give you the chance to control your lights from your phone, but is will also give you the ability to program your lights to automatically operate in different ways at different times. And because many LED lights are dimmable and capable of producing different light colors, the options are endless.