The Astana CTC is a 700mm close-to-ceiling light with a fabric-detailed rimin beige or grey integrated 56W giving 3,850lm, with3000K / 4000K / 5000K and TRIAC dimming.

This is the largest and brightest ceiling fitting we have reviewed inthis programme.

3,850 lumens will light a large living room, an open-plan space or a big bedroom on itsown which is what a fitting this size is for. At 700mm it isalso a major visual object: set it out centred and square, because at this diameterbeing off-centre reads immediately from anywhere in the room.

It weighs 6.2 kilograms, and it sits flat against theceiling. Nothing on our page said so. A close-to-ceiling fitting puts its whole weight on themounting plate and the ceiling surface, with none of the leverage relief a suspensiongives. 6.2kg on plasterboard needs a proper fixing tell yourelectrician the figure before the ceiling is opened.

It dims properly and that is why to choose it over an oyster

TRIAC dimming, on an ordinary wall dimmer, with thefull range rather than fixed steps.

That is a real distinction. The Thalia and Lyric oysters givethree steps 100%, 50%, 20% from the switch you already have, which isbrilliant for a retrofit. The Astana gives you every level in between, if you arewilling to have a dimmer fitted. At 3,850 lumens, that continuous control is worthhaving: the difference between a room at 30% and a room at 20% is exactly the difference this fittingis bright enough to make.

Three colour temperatures, set at installation

3000K warm for living rooms and bedrooms the right answer in mosthomes. 4000K neutral for a kitchen or a study.5000K cool, which belongs in a garage or workshop.

Decide before the electrician leaves. Our recordflags the Astana as colour changing, which overstates it the setting is madeat the fitting, at installation, and cannot be changed from a switch, an app or aremote afterwards. On a 700mm fitting in the middle of a ceiling, getting that changed latermeans getting the fitting down.

The fabric rim, and one thing to know about it

A fabric detail around a large illuminated disc is what stops the Astana readingas a panel. It gives the edge texture and a soft transition where aplain acrylic rim gives a hard line, and it is why the fitting suits aliving room or bedroom rather than looking commercial the same reason theArema, in acrylic, reads cleaner and more architectural.

Fabric on a ceiling collects dust. Not quickly, and notvisibly at first but on a 700mm rim it eventually shows, particularlyin beige. Plan to run a vacuum brush attachment around it when theroom is cleaned. The grey hides it longer.

Beige or grey

• Beige warm and soft, and it sits with timber, linen and warm paint. Rightin a bedroom or a living room.
• Grey cooler and quieter. It reads as aneutral architectural object, disappears against a white or grey ceiling, and showsdust less.

115mm projection on a 598mmcanopy, so the mounting plate is nearly as wide as the fitting useful on areplacement, because it will cover most of what came off the ceiling. It isClassI earth required andIP20 indoor and dry locations only.

Where it works

• Large living rooms and open-plan spaces 3,850lm on its own.
• Big bedrooms, dimmed on a wall dimmer.
• Replacements the 598mm canopy covers most marks.
• 6.2kg flat against the ceiling a proper fixing.
• 700mm centre it carefully, and expect to dust the fabric.

Specifying it

700mm across, projection 115mm, canopy598mm, 6.2kg, iniron and fabric, beige or grey. Integrated56W LED giving 3,850lm, included, with3000K / 4000K / 5000K set at installation, andTRIAC dimming across the full range. 240V,ClassI earth required,IP20 indoor and dry locations only. Warranty is three years, as a replacementwarranty.

Supplied and supported by Lights For You.

Questions

Will it light a large room on its own?

Yes 3,850 lumens across 700mm is the largest and brightest ceiling fitting we have reviewed, against 2,7502,790 for the 500mm oysters. It will carry a large living room, an open-plan space or a big bedroom.

How heavy is it, and does that matter?

6.2kg and yes, because it sits flat against the ceiling. A close-to-ceiling fitting puts its whole weight on the mounting plate and the ceiling surface, with none of the leverage relief a suspension gives. On plasterboard that needs a proper fixing; tell your electrician before the ceiling is opened.

How is it different from a Thalia or Lyric oyster?

The dimming. The oysters give three steps 100%, 50%, 20% from the switch you already have, which is brilliant for a retrofit. The Astana gives every level in between on a TRIAC wall dimmer. At 3,850 lumens that continuous control is worth having.

Can I change the colour temperature later?

No. Our record flags it as colour changing, which overstates it the setting is made at the fitting during installation. On a 700mm fitting in the middle of a ceiling, changing it later means getting the fitting down. Decide on the day.

Does the fabric collect dust?

Eventually, and on a 700mm rim it shows particularly in beige. Run a vacuum brush attachment around it when the room is cleaned. Grey hides it longer.

Beige or grey?

Beige is warm and soft and sits with timber, linen and warm paint right in a bedroom or living room. Grey is cooler and quieter, reads as a neutral architectural object, disappears against a white or grey ceiling, and shows dust less.

Will it cover the marks from my old fitting?

Probably the canopy is 598mm on a 700mm fitting, so the mounting plate is nearly as wide as the light itself. That is unusual and useful on a replacement.