So far, summer isn’t losing its grip – weather remains warm to hot all around, but still, the fact is, cooler months are on their way. As such, it’s a perfect time to get out there and get the garage ready for some indoor projects.
One of the greatest things you can do for your garage is install useful lighting. A number of bright lights are out there to help, but are they the best for what you need? If your garage is a simple two- or three-car garage, some of the lights will be bright enough to require sunglasses and sunscreen, which sounds funny, but isn’t fun to live with. So, here are a few of the top choices.
Hexagon Garage
One of the most popular lighting options in a long time, these hexagon-shaped LEDs provide a pop like few others. While they look pretty cool, they really do shine brightly, so consider the size of your garage before buying a whole ceilings worth. That said, the company offers dimmable lighting solutions. For a more customized look, they also offer colored lights, and the opportunity to actually build your own lighting look. Take a look here: Hexagon Garage Lights
Primelights.com
If you’re looking for something a little more classically styled, Primelights.com has a flurry of options, including lighting solutions for larger warehouses, barns, outdoors, and much more. They specialize in LED lighting, providing a solution for seemingly every need. All of their garage lights are UL approved and listed to withstand the strange temperatures garages often sustain, from very cold to very hot. Learn more here: LED Light Fixtures & Commercial Shop Lights
Hexglow.com
Another option in the omni popular world of hexagon lights is Hexglow. With their own unique connectors and aluminum housing, Hexglow lights also offers dimmable solutions and colored lighting, even colored borders, they also offer unique geometric design kits, which offer styles outside of the usual hex design. It seems with these new hexagon lights, the sky is the limit. See more here: HexGlow® Hexagon LED Lighting
Obsessed Garage
A company heavily focussed on all aspects of how enthusiasts use the garage, Obsessed Garage also offers a multitude of unique, stylish illumination solutions. One of our favorites is the Ultimate Lighting package, with seemingly plug-n-play LED lights that affix to the ceiling and are controlled by an app on the phone. Something we like, the lights are covered in an opaque material, which helps diffuse the light in multiple directions and softens it slightly. The company has decided that 5000K lumens is the ultimate level of light for a garage environment. With packages for singe, double, triple, and bigger garage spaces, there is something for everyone. Learn more about their products here: Obsessed Garage
Alcon Lighting
For those looking to illuminate art on the walls, or highlight special nuances of the garage, Alcon Lighting has some very good solutions for both in the home and in the garage. One of our favorites is the 5-Inch Wet-Rated Adjustable Micro-Optic Trimless Recessed Light – a mouthful for sure, but the bottom line is, it focuses light on specific areas and is flush-mounted, so it takes up no space on the wall or ceiling – it simply becomes part of the substrate. With a multitude of other options, Alcon also offers special dimmers and electronic solutions to make the experience even more flexible. You can literally design your lighting. Find them here Trimless Linear Recessed Micro Optic Light – Alcon Lighting 15301-5-TL
The Gallery of Lights
While space is at a premium in most garages, it’s important to use lighting systems that are recessed or at least nearly flush. Gallery of Lights offers some unique solutions, including this 6-inch LED Downlight, which is flush save for the gimballed light. Angling it to illuminate art or other details in the garage would be a fun nuance. Find them here Recessed – LED | The Gallery of Lights
What are the benefits of LED lights?
- Less power needed, generally about 40% more efficient than even fluorescent lights.
- No heat generated.
- Constant, even flow of light.
- No buzzing and flickering.
How do I pick garage lights?
Geography is major.
- How moist is the area where you live? If you’re in a humid or an area by the ocean, it’s important to think about wet-rated lighting, corrosion-resistant fixtures and hardware, and lights resilient against those elements.
- Does your area get very cold or hot? Again, consider lights that will function in those areas – sometimes, fluorescent lights won’t even work in ultra cold areas, and conversely they suffer in exceedingly hot areas too.
Consider how you’re using the lights.
- What do you need the lighting for? Are you doing bodywork? Are you a mechanic? Are you detailing cars? Are you just chillin’ and enjoying company? All of these might be important to know before designing your lighting. Detailers and bodyworkers might want to install lights on the walls, and need to consider diffusing them so the softer lighting doesn’t create harsh reflections. Mechanics need not only a broad spectrum of lighting, but flexibility, so keep in mind portable lights. For relaxing – the sky’s the limit, but we recommend softer lighting with color options and dimmers. Maybe even some artistic directional lights to highlight art on the walls.
