Top 10 Best LED Lights for Garage Workshop [ 2022 ] – Reviews and Buying Guide

In search of the best LED lights for your garage workshop? Then you must be aware of the factors that are going to influence your selection. Apart from choosing the right level of brightness, you’ve to ensure that the lighting boasts maximum efficiency, is safe to use, and has a budget-friendly asking price.

What is more, the weather in your area might also play its part. Provided it is too humid out there, you would have to pay special attention to the material of the lighting. That is, because, most LED lights are made of materials that don’t resist moisture and are, therefore, susceptible to corrosion.

Not sure you can do all this? Then you should leave the heavy-lifting for us. After taking into consideration all the factors mentioned in the previous two paragraphs, we’ve come up with a list of ten best LED lights for garage workshops.

Apart from that, this article will cover:

• Detailed Garage Workshop LED Lights Product Review
• Buying Guide
• FAQs
• Comparison table

Best LED Lights For Garage Workshop – Comparison Table

IMAGE	BRAND	DETAILS
BEST OVERALL	Tanbaby	See Price
PREMIUM PICK	FREELICHT	See Price
BEST VALUE	Barrina	See Price
	Hykolity	See Price
	Sunco	See Price
	Hypergiant	See Price
	HoneyBay	See Price
	Bbounder	See Price
	Lightdot	See Price
	AmazonCommercial	See Price

Best LED Lights For Garage Workshop Product Reviews

1. Tanbaby LED Motion Activated Garage Lights

Since this LED light is equipped with the motion-activated feature, you won’t have to pull any chain or press any buttons to bring it to life. Instead, once you walk into its sensing range, this model will sense your presence and lighten up your surroundings.

At the same time, you don’t have to worry about this product continuing to emit light hours after you have left the room. Within fifteen seconds of your departure from the scene, it will be turned off. However, if you want to take no chances, you can use its sensor in your wall switch to turn it off.

Some of you might find it challenging to comprehend that its motion-activation isn’t the only standout feature of this LED light. Its adjustable aluminum head, which lets you rotate the LED by 90-degree (and is, therefore, capable of providing 360-degree coverage), is equally brilliant.

2. FREELICHT LED Garage Shop Light

Once you compare this garage shop light with others in this review, three facts stand out. First, it is one of the most uber-expensive models in this review. That means that it might not be the most economical option for those of you who’re on a tight budget.

Secondly, those of you who can afford to pay its asking price can expect to get loads of benefits in return. It boasts a massive operating life of up to 50,000 hours, emits 4500lm of light to illuminate a medium-to-large sized garage, and is linkable to up to 4 light fixtures.

What is more, it comes with a 5-year warranty and has efficient and responsive customer service. Freelicht takes pride in the fact that its representatives are 24*7 online. Though, having seen what this model can do, we can say with confidence that the chances of something going amiss are pretty remote.

3. Barrina LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture (Pack of 6)

Do you have a small-to-medium sized working area which could do with illumination? If yes, then the Barrina LED T5 might be worth a shot. This model isn’t suitable for large working spaces because the 2200lm output of each of its six lights isn’t that huge.

However, provided your working area isn’t the biggest in your neighborhood, its relatively meager output shouldn’t concern you. After all, how many LEDs claim to save 65% on your electricity light, let you connect up to 8 tube lights, and come with 20’’ cords?

That is not all. Its working base contains a built-in on/off switch to let you release from the trouble of extending your arms and pulling the chain. The installation of this model is equally user-friendly as the presence of included snap joints makes hanging this LED a cinch.

4. Hykolity 5000K LED Shop Light

Coming from a brand that is famous for its lighting equipment, the Hykolity 5000K LED is one of the best garage lights on the market. It is a hanging LED light that comes with a chain to let you adjust its height according to your requirements.

However, if you don’t like hanging lights, there’s nothing to worry about. Simply remove this product’s chain and mount it onto your ceiling. Each of its four bulbs produces 3,700 lumens, which, though not the brightest on their own, combine to give you a fully-lit garage.

You don’t have to worry about its energy consumption either. This highly-efficient light consumes only 42W of power and boasts an amazing efficiency of 110lm/w. Also, since it is made of composite steel, you can count on this product to outlast its 5year warranty.

5. Sunco Lighting 10 Pack LED

In case you are worried about its relatively large asking price, you shouldn’t. That’s because the price listed on the package is not one but 10 lights. Consequently, if you have a big workshop or need more lights for whatever reason, the Sunco Lighting 10 Pack LED will prove to be budget-friendly

This product comes with both ETL as well as Energy Star certifications, which means it is highly energy-efficient.  Also, since it has a CRI of over 80, you can trust this LED to emit daylight color. It is protected by a frosted cover that empowers this unit to keep working in humid environments.

The combo of 4100lm and 40W, meanwhile, means that this product won’t jack up your electricity bills. Thanks to the connectors that come included in its package, you can connect this product with up to 4 LED lights. Also included in its package is the necessary hardware to let you install this LED on your own.

6. Hypergiant LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture (Pack of 8)

Although we’re talking about garage LED lights in this review, the Hypergiant LED T5 isn’t a one-trick pony. Its protective upper layer and corrosion-free construction allow you to use this product in your under-cabinets, onto your office’s ceiling, and even in your basement.

The presence of connectors, as well as connector cords in its package, means that you can use either to link-up up to 6 tube lights. This model boasts a considerable life span of up to 50,000 hours to let you know that you won’t be back in the market for its replacement anytime soon.

Furthermore, while it produces a lot of heat to emit 2200lm at a color temperature of 6,500K, the energy consumption of this product is a meager 20W. Though its 2200lm per fixture output isn’t huge by any stretch of the imagination.

7. HoneyBay Linkable LED Utility Shop Light

Are you unable to spend over the odds but still want to land a top-quality LED light? Then you’re in luck as the HoneyBay LED Utility Shop Light doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for its services. Instead, despite offering 4800lm output and 5,000K color temperature, it is still available in a budget.

Moreover, since it is made of a combination of aluminum and thermoplastics, this LED light can last up to 22.8yrs. The package in which it will be delivered to your doorstep contains a hardware kit. So you can look forward to its installation to be truly hassle-free.

Provided you’re a fan of daisy-chaining your lights, you’d absolutely love the way this linkable LED connects with others of its creed. It contains a built-in cord using which you can connect up to 4LEDs at once and that too without having to use any receptacle.

8. Bbounder 4 Pack Linkable LED Utility Shop Light

Starting with a glance at its design, this LED shop light boasts a 240* beam angle that allows it to illuminate a wide area. Its intensity of 4000lm per light and the 5000K color temperature indicate that this model is more than capable of emitting daylight.

Provided you’re a fan of energy savings, you can use the connectors in its package to connect up to 6 LED lights. It provides 4LEDs in the box, each of whom consume only 36W to weigh lightly on your electricity bills. Also, it comes with a respectable 5-year warranty.

Apart from the mounting hardware, its package includes a quick installation guide to ensure a fast and easy setup. The added nuts and bolts will come handy whether you want to mount it to the ceiling or are going to suspend it from the ceiling.

9. Lightdot 48inch 50W LED Shop Garage Light

Provided you came here looking for bright, energy-efficient and safe lighting for your garage, the 50W LED light fixture from Lightdot ticks all the boxes. You can mount this versatile option flush to the ceiling or hang it from the roof as well.

What makes this garage light a smart choice is its reduced energy consumption. That’s mainly because each of the four fixtures draws a relatively conservative 50W. Its ETL and DLC certifications further assure you about this LED’s energy-efficient performance.

Since its 5000 lumens of white light makes sure that you won’t need brighter light, Lightdot doesn’t give you the option to link this LED light with others. Apart from this not-so-subtle shortcoming, there aren’t many areas where this garage light leaves something to be desired.

10. Amazon Commercial LED Utility Shop Light

Though not as popular as some of the other models in this review, the Amazon Commercial LED shop light does come with all the bells and whistles. Its rugged construction ensures that you could get up to 50,000 hours of light from this model on 3hrs of usage per day.

Unlike some other LEDs on the market, this one won’t take a few seconds to warm up. As soon as you pull its hanging chain, it will start emitting 4500lm of daylight. Its 4000K color temperature means that you can trust this product to create a cold, white light.

Moreover, its Energy Star rating makes this product safe to use in damp locations. The ETL certification of this LED, meanwhile, serves as a guarantee of its energy-efficient performance. Each of the four LEDs come with a 60inch power cord and a plug to let you plug them in a traditional outlet.

Best LED Lights for Garage Workshop – Buying Guide

Here are the factors you need to keep in mind:

Type of LED Lighting

Regardless of their types, all artificial lights fall into three categories – task, ambient, and accent – and while you should have all of them for your garage, your budget might not all that. Hence why we are going to discuss all three of them separately here.

Task Lighting

Provided you regularly embark on intricate, detail-oriented projects in your garage, task lighting will meet your requirements better. They provide increased visibility by focusing the light on a specific area.

Assuming you end up using ambient lighting for your garage, install them in a way that the glare is kept at a minimum, i.e., the light should illuminate your working area from behind.

Ambient Lighting

Mostly available in daylight color, ambient lighting has a soft appeal and is mainly used to illuminate walls and floors. You might find it difficult to perform organizational tasks under its light.

For this reason, you might want to install these lights at the center of the ceiling. Make sure that the light is cast evenly across the floor and walls of your garage.

Accent Lighting

As far as its brightness is concerned, accent lighting falls between ambient and task lighting. It is mainly used to emphasize showpieces, i.e., souvenirs or a trophy collection. That’s why you should position them in a way that their light falls directly on the object you want to emphasize.

Type of Installation

Since you’re going to use your lights to illuminate your working space, you’d have two options when it comes to installation: recessed LED panels or suspended LED panels. Both of these have their positive and negative points which we’re going to discuss in this section.

Recessed Mounting

With this installation type, you’re either going to embed the lights into the ceiling or embed it into the walls. You can see ceiling-mounted installation types in usage in commercial spaces like offices and co-working spaces.

Recessed mounting comes handy when bright light is required to perform some intricate tasks beneath it. Unlike, say, LED lights which are suspended beneath the ceiling, those which are suspended won’t illuminate a large area.

Suspended Mounting

Such LED panels are suspended under the ceiling using a mounting body. This installation mechanism makes sure that the LED emits its light across space. Hence why it’s used in underground parking spaces.

All isn’t hunky-dory about the suspended mounting mechanism, though. Unlike recessed-mounted LED lights which focus more on brightness and less on the area that the light will cover, these lights do the exact opposite.

Waterproof or Water-resistant

In contrast to the belief held by the majority, there’s a massive difference between waterproof and water-resistant LED lights. While the former can withstand rain, the latter can only survive a few splashes of water.

Waterproof

How do you make sure that the light which you’re looking at is totally waterproof? By looking at its Ingress Protection (IP) rating. This standard defines the light’s degree of protection against both solids and liquids.

However, not all LED lights which are IP rated are waterproof. Only those which have the second digit of their IP rating at or greater than 5 can truly withstand rainy spells.

Water-resistant

Do you know while most people choose water-resistant LEDs? Mainly because they know that come what may, the LED lights in their garage would never be exposed to rain.

There’s another reason. Most waterproof LED lights cost enough to blow a hole in your pocket. That’s why if it isn’t too humid out there, you’d be better-served by water-resistant lights.

Material of Construction

Following are the materials garage LED lights are commonly made of:

Polyvinyl Chloride

Apart from being incredibly lightweight, PVC doesn’t interact with water or many chemicals that are used in garage fixtures. You might also find it useful to know that PVC LEDs are the most inexpensive. Having said that, it has the tendency to swell after coming into contact with paints and solvents. This is why we recommend that you never use PVC lights in freshly-painted surroundings.

Polycarbonate

When compared with PVC LEDs, those that are made of polycarbonate are far more durable. They have greater structural integrity and boast more impact resistance. The water- as well as the scratch-resistance of these light-emitting diodes is also top-notch. However, it is more expensive than PVC and is equally susceptible to reacting with paints.

Aluminum

LEDs that are made of aluminum do not react with paints and are totally waterproof. Their ability to keep moisture at bay means that they aren’t susceptible to corrosion, either. Also, unlike both the abovementioned plastics, aluminum doesn’t react with solvents or paints. Though aluminum LEDs are the most heavyweight of the three.

Lumens

As energy experts tell us, lumens indicate the light output of a bulb. The higher the number of lumens, the brighter the light will be. That means that when buying LEDs for your garage, it is lumens, not watts, which should be the focus of your attention.

But how many lumens are enough to lighten-up your working space? To find an answer to this question, you’d first need to determine your space’s room square footage. Here’s the formula:

Room Square Footage = Width of the Room x Length of the Room

Assuming that your room is 10 feet long and 10 feet wide, its room square footage will be 100 square feet. The number of lumens that you’d need to illuminate this room would be between 1,000 and 2,000 – provided space doesn’t have dark-colored walls, in which case you’d need more lumens.

Tip: Use this method to calculate how many lumens you’d need per square foot.

Must-have Features

Following are the features on which you shouldn’t compromise:

• Color Temperature: Measured in Kelvins and ranging between 2,000K and 6,500K, color temperature describes the light appearance. Provided you want your LED’s light to resemble daylight, make sure its color range falls between 4,000K and 5,000K.
• Certifications: The best LED lights for garage come with ETL and Energy Star certifications. While the former serves as a guarantee that the light is safe-to-use, the latter lets you know that it won’t increase your energy bills.
• Lifespan: Know that’s the one thing that’s common between all the lights mentioned above? Despite belonging to different brands, all of them are guaranteed to last 40,000 hours. You should avoid lights that don’t guarantee of lasting this long.
• Warranty: Almost all the LED lights that you see in this review come with a guarantee of at least five years. That should be the bare-minimum warranty period that you should demand when purchasing an LED light.
• High CRI: Short-form of Color Rendering Index, CRI tells how well the LED would showcase the full spectrum of colors. Its value ranges between 0 and 100, and higher value indicates that the bulb’s light will be close to that of midday’s.
• Simple Installation: Most of us don’t realize how much time and effort we could save if our LED lights come with easy-to-follow instructions and a base that would fit into most regular home fixtures.

FAQs and Answers

Q: How do LED lights work?

A: Without going into technicalities, Light-emitting diodes create light through a semiconductor material via the phenomenon of electroluminescence. This phenomenon produces light when electricity passes through the electrons inside the semiconductor, fills electron holes (an atom without any electron) and produce photons (light).

Q: How do LED lights compare with incandescent and fluorescent lights?

A: Here’s how LED lights compare with the other two:

• Energy Efficiency: When it comes to less power consumption, LEDs rule the roost. These lights consume 90% less energy than incandescent and 15% less energy than fluorescent/CFL lights. That means you should use LED lights if you want your electricity bills to nosedive.
• Lifespan: On average, LED lights last 15,000+ hours, CFL last 8,000+ hours, and incandescent light bulbs remaining shining for only 1,100+ hours.
• Environmental impact: Once again, the LED lights are head and shoulders above the rest. Not only do they use less energy (which means a lighter carbon footprint), but they also emit fewer toxins and are made from materials that can be recycled.
• Heat emission: Although most of us overlook the heat emission by a light bulb, we can continue to do it at our own peril. That’s because hot bulbs are a source of fire hazard and might end up increasing your cooling costs as well. Experts tell us that, unsurprisingly, LEDs emit less heat than their incandescent and fluorescent counterparts.
• Running Cost: According to calculations by the US Government’s Energy Department, if you light a six-foot tree for 12 hours a day for 40 days, LED lights will, at most, add $0.82 to your electricity bill.

Also, check out this handy lighting and energy savings guide that we put together for you.

Q: What is the difference between lumens and watts?

A: As you might already know, watts refer to the power consumption of a light bulb. Lumens, on the contrary, refers to the brightness. Though the reason why most people confuse watts with lumens is that there is a direct correlation between both. That means that the higher the watts of the bulb, the brighter will be the intensity of its light.

Q: What is it that separates soft light, warm light, and daylight LED bulbs?

A: Provided you’re a fan of reading brochures, you might have noticed that while some LED bulbs are marketed as ones that produce soft light, others might emit warm or daylight. So what is the difference between all of them?

• Soft Light: With its temperature ranging between 2,700K and 3,000K, soft light is typically yellow in color. It gives a cozy feeling and is therefore recommended for bedrooms, dining rooms, and living rooms.
• Warm Light: Also known as bright light, its color range lies between yellowish-white and blue. Its temperature range lies between 4,000K and 5,000K. You can use it for your garage, home office, or kitchens.
• Daylight: Boasting a bluish tone, daylight’s temperature range is between 5,000 and 6,500K. This light is best known for its ability to maximize color contrasts, which is why it is ideal for reading, applying makeup, and working purposes.

Q: Do LED bulbs contain mercury or any other hazardous materials?

A: At the cost of disappointing the naysayers, LED bulbs do not contain mercury or any other hazardous materials. That is precisely the reason why, when disposing of LED bulbs which are past their shelf-life, you won’t have to follow any unique protocol.

Conclusion

There you have them; ten of the best garage LED lights that money can buy. Apart from recommending you the ten best LEDs on the market, we have also introduced you to the buying criteria that guided us during the selection phase. Also on offer are the answers to questions which you may have in mind about LED lights in general, and their features in particular.

Now that you’ve so much information at your disposal, the onus is on you to select the best LED lights for your garage workshop. Good luck!