Top 5 LED Light Fixtures for Residential Garage Workshops

What Are Garage and Shop Lights?

LED garage and shop lights are intense, energy-efficient lighting solutions for garages, workshops, pole barns, workbenches, under-cabinets, and other residential purposes. These lights are durable, with waterproof and weatherproof options available. Ensuring uniform, sufficient illumination throughout your garage or shop can increase safety and productivity. Keep reading to learn about the fixture types, benefits, how to choose the type and amount of fixtures you need, installation tips, and more. 

Benefits of LED Garage and Shop Lights

There are many benefits to using LEDs in garages, shops, and barns, including: 

• Energy-Efficiency: LED garage lights have a higher level of energy efficiency compared to traditional lighting, saving you money on replacement costs and maintenance over time. 

• Instant On: LEDs immediately power on, compared to fluorescent and metal halide fixtures, which require a ‘warm-up’ period. 

• Warranties: Our products feature multi-year warranties, with certain products featuring 5 or 10-year warranties. 

• Motion Sensors: We carry garage and shop lights that feature motion sensors. Motion sensors power lights on when activity is detected and off after a period of inactivity.  

What Types of Lighting Should I Use in My Garage or Shop?

There are various shop and garage light fixtures available to choose from. 

Screw Base Bulbs

Screw base bulbs provide a higher lumen output and can be installed in high bays, wall packs, and more. Our screw base bulbs come with E26 and E27 bases. Corn bulbs feature multiple rows of LED chips around the bulb, resembling a corn on the cob. 

LED screw base bulbs are an effective option, with simple installation to provide energy-efficient lighting throughout your garage. Use these bulbs to replace existing bulbs and increase the quality of your lighting. 

High Bay Lights

LED high bay lights are used to provide powerful, broad light output. Our UFO high bay lights have a round shape and can easily replace existing metal halide fixtures in larger, open spaces. Our linear high bays feature a rectangular shape and are ideal for emitting illumination in narrow spaces or down aisles. 

High bay lights provide the most intense lighting in this group. With durable construction, the ability to operate in higher temperatures, and longevity, these lights are great for illuminating pole barns. 

Linear Light Fixtures 

Linear light fixtures encompass a group of different types of strip light fixtures. Available styles include standard, vapor-tight, pull chain, wraparound, and under-cabinet fixtures. Most commonly used in garage workshops for task lighting. 

These lights have an adaptable design, making them suitable for a wide range of applications. Shop standard pull-chain strip lights for benches, wraparound fixtures for your garage or barn, or strip kits to retrofit an existing fluorescent strip light housing. 

LED Retrofit Kits 

LED retrofit kits allow you to upgrade existing lighting fixtures by swapping out a bulb or a tube, instead of requiring an entire fixture replacement. This is a cost-effective solution for replacing outdated lights while keeping the traditional fixture housing. 

A benefit of these kits is that they can be used in multiple housings, including troffer lights, vapor-tights, and strip lights. Our kits with magnetic backings are a pain-free installation for updating the task lighting above your workbench or cabinets. 

How Do I Choose the Right Fixture for My Application?

Consider the factors below to assist in choosing the fixture you’ll need for your installation.

• Consider the purpose of the light. Different fixtures will serve different purposes. For example, you may use corn bulbs or high bay lights for general overhead lighting, compared to linear light fixtures, which are better suited for task lighting. Retrofit kits may be flexible for either, depending on the fixture they’re retrofitting: troffers (overhead) or strip light fixtures (task). 

• Choose your fixture based on the needed CCT. Installing a cool white (5000K-6500K) increases focus and provides better visibility. Installing a natural CCT (4000K-4500K) is suitable for lights used as overhead lighting. 

• LEDs require less power to emit the same amount of light as a traditional fixture. If you need LEDs to replace existing fixtures, shop based on the metal halide or fluorescent wattage equivalency. This allows you to shop for lights based on the amount of lumens and not the wattage. 

How Many Fixtures Will I Need?

Garage workshops should have uniform lighting throughout for the best visibility and to reduce eye strain. Do this by installing the necessary number of fixtures, with the appropriate spacing between each. One factor in determining this is the size of the area and the ceiling height. The farther a ceiling is from the ground, the farther apart you’ll space your fixtures, meaning a lower number of light fixtures. 

You will also need to consider your fixture's lumen count. The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) recommends that residential garages and workshops have 20-75 Footcandles or 215-807 Lux. You can use these recommendations to calculate the amount of lumens in your space by multiplying the recommended footcandles by the room's square footage. For example, if your workshop is 600 square feet, and you multiply that by the minimum recommendation of 20, you would get 12,000, meaning fixtures in this shop should at least have a combined 12,000 lumens. 

What to Know for Installation

The most important piece of installation is understanding your fixture's installation type. Certain fixtures are plug-and-play, allowing for simpler installation without additional wiring. Other fixtures may require a more elaborate installation, with a ballast bypass or complex wiring setups. However, the required installation hardware is typically included with the fixture, and most product pages feature a User Manual, which provides the installation and safety notes needed.

Install lights in accordance with the electrical codes in your area. If you’re unsure about completing the installation yourself, we recommend reaching out to an electrician for assistance.   

Shop Now

Now that you know the fixtures you need for your residential garage or shop, shop our extensive product line here. For specific product questions or more assistance choosing the product for your application, contact our team of product support specialists at 866-590-3533 or by filling out our online form.