At EdisonReport, we attend major lighting tradeshows worldwide to identify standout products each year. This annual recognition highlights the industry’s most compelling innovations.
Seeing products firsthand across multiple events provides valuable perspective across markets and applications. It allows for direct comparison, hands-on evaluation, and repeated exposure as products evolve. As a result, this process remains informed, independent, and experience-driven.
In 2025, your humble editor attended Light Middle East, LEDucation, LightFair, Euroluce, ArchLIGHT Summit, IALD Enlighten Europe, IALD Enlighten Americas, IES25: The Lighting Conference, NALMCO Annual Convention, Boston Lights, NYControlled and the Beacon Awards. LightTrades™ 2025 presents a curated Top 10 selection, recognizing excellence regardless of how—or where—products launched.
A special thank you goes to this year’s jurors: Jim Baney, IALD, CLD, LEED AP, Partner at Schuler Shook; Katie Czub, Assoc. AIA, IALD, IES, LC, LEED AP BD+C, Studio Leader and Senior Associate at Fisher Marantz Stone; and the recently retired Jim Toole.
LightTrades is not pay-for-play. Manufacturers cannot pay to submit products for consideration.
Sylvania Group, OptiClip Terra
OptiClip Terra features replaceable LED modules housed in luminaires made from 60% recycled paper. The housing fold without glue and fully recyclable.
The modular design simplifies maintenance and reduces waste. Sustainable packaging and eco-friendly printing further minimize environmental impact.
Judges Comments:
The judges viewed the Sylvania OptiClip Terra as an exciting step forward in sustainable fixture development. They were impressed that a luminaire made from recycled paper could offer meaningful durability, calling it a compelling example of how environmentally responsible materials can be pushed into new territory. The panel described the product as groundbreaking, noting that its ambition may inspire others to pursue similarly challenging innovations in sustainability. While acknowledging that a performance would need to be evaluated in person, the judges applauded the effort to create a fixture composed entirely of recyclable materials.
selux, Vaz
VAZ™ is a modern outdoor bollard designed for pedestrian and landscape environments. It balances safety, durability, and architectural presence. Suitable for campuses, parks, pathways, and transportation hubs, Vaz delivers long-term performance with a clean visual profile.
Judges Comments:
The judges praised the Selux Vaz for its strong functional performance, noting that Selux products consistently deliver reliable results. They highlighted the fixture’s clean distribution and appreciated how effectively it performs as a lighting tool across a variety of applications. While they acknowledged that aesthetics can be subjective from project to project, the panel agreed that Vaz offers solid technical capability and would be a valuable solution wherever its form factor aligns with the design vision.
Organic Lighting, Fortacast
FortaCast™ inground lines deliver low-energy illumination for urban environments like crosswalks and transit areas. The system offers a 40-year lifespan and resistance to floods, fire, and catastrophic events.
Lighting elements can be fully replaced without removing lenses or fixtures. This design provides cities with a durable, low-maintenance solution.
Judges Comments:
The judges responded favorably to Organic Lighting Systems’ Fortacast, noting its versatility and thoughtful design. They were impressed by its depth and construction, which offered more substance than expected while still allowing flexibility in the field. One judge highlighted the product’s ability to curve on-site — a meaningful advantage over systems that rely on fixed radii or pre-formed segments. The panel agreed that this adaptability creates far more opportunity to respond to specific site conditions. the judges felt the product delivers strong value as a durable, flexible solution for illuminated wayfinding integration. One judge was particularly pleased to learn that it is resistant to salt water.
Nichia — Cube Direct Mountable Chip
Nichia’s Cube Direct Mountable Chip uses horizontal light distribution to create soft, low-glare illumination. It enables lighter, more efficient luminaires without sacrificing output.
The technology supports weight reduction, material savings, and improved sustainability. It also expands design possibilities in compact form factors.
Judges Comments:
The judges viewed the Nichia Cube Direct Mountable Chip as a promising step toward reclaiming the soft, wide, ambient quality of light once inherent in legacy sources like fluorescent and incandescent lamps. They noted that while LEDs have long been constrained by their directional, pinpoint nature, this innovation offers OEMs and fixture designers a new raw material—one capable of producing a broader, more diffuse beam. The panel appreciated that this technology could expand possibilities in applications where the typical 120-degree LED beam has been limiting, allowing designers to better fill the spatial “gaps” left when replacing older sources. While small in scale, the chip represents meaningful progress toward softer, more versatile illumination, and the judges felt it could inspire fresh approaches to reflector design and luminaire development.
Luminii, Nova
Nova is the smallest motorized downlight in the RCL by Luminii portfolio. It features next-generation electronics, wireless control, and high-output optics in a compact footprint.
Designed for luxury hospitality, residential, retail, and cultural spaces, Nova offers 6° beams with trim and trimless options. It delivers motorized precision where traditional fixtures feel intrusive.
Judges Comments:
The judges responded enthusiastically to the Luminii Nova, noting its striking appearance and the appeal of integrating motorized functionality into a compact fixture. They appreciated the dynamic movement the system offers, describing the motorized activity as both engaging and thoughtfully executed. The panel also highlighted the scale of the Nova, praising its ability to deliver the benefits of a motorized luminaire in the smallest form factor within the product family.
Lighting Services Inc — LZ ZOOM Full Color Series
The compact, stemmed LZ ZOOM spotlight adjusts its beam from 5° to 50°. Using a COB LED, it delivers 25,000 CBCP at 5° with just 19 watts.
Compatible with CONTROLTrack™, it supports 0–10V, DMX, and Lutron EcoSystem protocols. RGBL options with smooth zoom further expand creative flexibility.
Judges Comments:
The judges saw the Lighting Services Inc. LZ ZOOM Full Color Series as a highly capable, problem-solving tool, especially for specialized applications such as museums and galleries. What stood out was its unusually broad feature set—its smooth beam quality, impressive zoom range, and refined controllability—allowing designers to achieve effects that most museum-grade track heads simply cannot match. While not a fixture intended for every project, the panel appreciated that in the right environment, its versatility could make it an invaluable asset. They noted that although the advanced capabilities may come at a premium, the performance and flexibility offered by the LZ ZOOM make it a compelling option when precision, adjustability, and high-quality beam control are essential. They especially liked 5 degree optical performance.
Fluxwerx, Speak
Speak is a recessed LED system offered in single, double, and triple configurations with 3-inch and 4-inch diameters. It features precision optics with multiple beam spreads and adjustable or fixed modules.
Designed for commercial, hospitality, retail, and institutional spaces, Speak delivers glare-controlled illumination. It also offers strong color quality, multiple CCTs, and flexible serviceability.
Judges Comments:
The judges found Fluxwerx Speak to be a fresh and compelling reinterpretation of the multi-head category. They admired its advanced optical system — described as a distinctive “donut” form — which delivers both visual comfort and a uniquely modern aesthetic. The panel appreciated how the design inherently shields portions of the luminous surface, reducing glare and enhancing viewing comfort from multiple angles. While they noted it may be used selectively rather than universally, the judges viewed that as a strength, highlighting Speak as a standout option for projects seeking a refined, futuristic alternative to more conventional multi-head fixtures.
Filix, Tria
The TRIA system is a modular outdoor lighting solution available in three scalable sizes: S, M, and L. It adapts easily to diverse environments.
Combining clean design, smart technology, and advanced engineering, TRIA allows flexible height, configuration, and control. Importantly, upgrades and reconfigurations can occur without major structural changes. The system supports both small installations and complex sites.
Judges Comments:
The judges praised the Filix Tria for its impressive versatility, noting how its modular “kit-of-parts” approach allows it to function as a pole light, bollard, camera-integrated unit, or other site-specific configuration. They admired its flexibility across technologies and applications, calling it a true workhorse for exterior environments. The panel also appreciated its distinctive aesthetic — particularly the sculptural “peel-away” detail — and felt the system offered designers a wide palette of options. While some noted that its bold form may appeal more to certain clients than others, the judges agreed that Tria stands out as a beautifully executed, highly adaptable solution for contemporary site lighting.
Bold Lighting, Ghost
Ghost Recessed Trimless is an optical system designed to disappear into a narrow 1-inch slot. Deeply regressed optics create the impression of a slim void.
The system offers trimless or trimmed gypsum options and uses indirect reflectors with double-focus lens technology. Together, these elements deliver glare-free illumination. Ghost supports fixed or adjustable downlights, single or double wallwash, and multiple optical configurations within a compact profile.
Judges Comments:
The judges saw Bold Lighting’s Ghost as an exciting, well-executed slot system with strong potential for precision-focused projects. While not revolutionary in a crowded linear slot market, Ghost stands out for its versatility. The system delivers downlighting or single- and double-sided wall washing within a clean recessed profile. This optical flexibility, paired with a refined aesthetic, makes Ghost a compelling option for targeted applications. Although better suited to specific use cases than broad adoption, the panel agreed its thoughtful engineering makes it a noteworthy addition to the category.
Amerlux, Grid Cove Series
Amerlux’s Grid Cove Family is a fully integrated grid-to-grid cove lighting system that seamlessly fits standard grid ceilings. It combines a vertical ceiling transition, crisp knife-edge detail, and high-performance illumination in one easy-to-specify fixture.
Equipped with Amerlux’s proprietary Wide Asymmetric optics, Grid Cove delivers uniform ceiling and wall illumination. At the same time, it provides ample light to surfaces below. This allows designers to elevate grid ceilings with refined aesthetics and comfortable indirect light.
Judges Comments:
The judges praised Grid Cove for bringing drywall-quality detailing to acoustic ceilings. They noted its ability to expand design flexibility in healthcare, office, and grid-ceiling environments. Several judges emphasized how the system simplifies uplight detailing that typically requires extensive coordination. They also highlighted the refined vertical glow and consistent ceiling illumination achieved through thoughtful low-angle projection.