42+ Best Garage Lighting Ideas

Last Updated on May 14, 2019 by Kimberly Crawford

Do you think your garage looks dull? Although one could attribute this to mere clutter, the lighting itself is also a factor. A poorly lit garage makes it more difficult to navigate around the garage and find what you’re looking for. Thus, you should look into garage lighting ideas for a change.

In this article

Finding Safe Lighting Fixtures

Safety should always be the top priority when buying garage lights. First and foremost, knowing how to assemble the lights effectively reduces the chances of short circuits and other problems that could lead to fires. Always follow the instruction manual and check online if you need more detailed explanations.

If you want to install multiple lights, the fixtures you buy must be designed to work as a series. And if you plan on hanging them, the ceiling must be high enough so that you won’t hit accidentally hit the lights. It is also essential that you have a way to adjust the height of the hanging lights in a convenient manner.

Second, check if the lights you want to get are certified by relevant authorities known as Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTL). One example of this is Intertek with its ETL Certification Program. Another NRTL is Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

Balancing Power and Brightness

Garage lights shouldn’t drastically increase your utility expenses. While it’s true that LED bulbs are the most efficient choice, they do not have the same energy consumption rates. You must always check the label to know how the number of watts — the lower it is, the more energy you save.

Also, there is no reason to use fluorescent lights in place of LED variants. The latter is more efficient than the former. Plus, a fluorescent light bulb in your garage could stop working in a year while an LED light will about remain four times longer. LED lights are mercury-free and have no UV light to hurt your eyes.

On the other hand, you get more brightness if the garage light has a higher watt level. Note that buying the brightest light isn’t always the smartest thing to do. It could be counterintuitive if it distracts you with reflections. The better choice is a set of lights with lower brightness to evenly spread the illumination.

Choosing the Temperature

Garage lights do not emit the same exact type of white. These differences are due to their color temperature, which is defined by degrees Kelvin (K) and is indicated in the label of the product. First, a color temperature between 2,700 and 3,000K would result in a soft white.

The next level is cool or bright white, which is from 3,500 to 4,100K. If you want to achieve the so-called daylight in your garage, pick one with a temperature between 5,000 and 6,500K. Simply put, you get a whiter illumination the higher the temperature is while a lower one brings out a bluer white light.

42+ best lighting solutions for your garage

If you don’t have a lot of space in your garage, you should opt for LED strips. These are compact lights and are easy to install due to their adhesive backing. Despite their size, you can expect to have them working well for as long as six years. Plus, they aren’t too bright nor too dull to light up a garage.