The Best Garage Lighting Ideas

It might not be the most beautiful topic, but today we’re going to discuss the best garage lighting ideas for your home.

An important, but sometimes overlooked home element.

three bay garage in white home

So, with that said…

Are you ready to upgrade your garage space?

Whether you plan to use your garage as a work area, a space for DIY projects, a home gym, or storage, poorly lit garages are not only difficult to work in, but they can be a hotspot for accidents. 

Most garages don’t get a lot of natural light.

Therefore, good lighting is usually needed to make your space more functional.

Read on for the best garage lighting ideas to transform a dark garage into a safer, brighter workshop. 

Choosing the Best Lighting for Your Garage

Check out the garage lighting fixtures below to help you choose the best option for your own garage. 

LED Garage Lighting

Consider swapping out fluorescent lights or your older incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient LED lights.

LED light bulbs can cut as much as 90% of the energy consumption of a comparable incandescent bulb.

This type of bulb is not just better for the planet either.

They last longer, and LED tube lights provide instant, evenly spread light.

These lights also brighter than traditional fluorescent bulbs.

You can find great options for led shop lights and a recommended led garage light by scrolling through to the bottom of this post.

PRO TIP: Install a screw-in, multi position LED light bulb in your current lighting fixtures.

This is an easy and affordable upgrade. 

Then simply enjoy the bonus light output and energy savings.

Strip Light Fixtures

Strip lights are simple to install and come in various sizes so that you can customize your overhead garage lighting with the square foot of your space.

These will work well to illuminate garages with high ceilings.

There are plenty of LED strip light fixtures if you’re looking for a more energy-efficient lighting choice. 

PRO TIP: You can quickly upgrade to LED with a conversion kit if you already have fluorescent strip lights.

garage door lights

High Bay Lights

These lights work exceptionally well to illuminate large garages with very high ceilings.

High bay lights are usually the best option for a commercial or multi-storage garage. 

If you opt for high bay lights, consider avoiding fluorescent lights.

Because a fluorescent fixture usually can not function below 50 degrees.

Motion Activated Lighting 

Motion sensors are probably the most popular type of lighting for a garage.

These lights, as the name implies, trigger the light to turn on each time you enter the garage, in order to keep your hands free.

A motion sensor in a storage area, work areas, and near appliances are especially helpful when your hands are full.

Also, if you’re one to forget to turn your lights off at the end of the night, the sensors will turn the lights off for you. 

Task Lighting or Work Lights

While the light on your garage door may offer decent general lighting, task lighting is best if you’re trying to accomplish a specific chore.

These light bulbs work well when you need good lighting when working on a project and need the best visibility.

If you’re looking for a bright light, task lights will be your best option to ensure you get enough light in what may be an otherwise dark garage.

Task lights are portable, bright lights that usually hang from the ceiling, making them a great option if you have a work area with low ceilings. 

Wraparound Lights

Wraparound lights are another great option for garages with low ceilings.

These lights don’t hang as low as task lighting, meaning you don’t have to worry about them getting in the way of tools, ladders, or any other items you might move around your garage space. 

What is the Best Color Temperature For Garage Lighting?

Now that you have a better idea of the different garage light fixtures, learn what color temperature will work the best with the interior of your garage.

Color temperature is a way to describe the light appearance (the color rendering index for lights goes from warmer and more yellow to cooler and bluer).

As a general rule of thumb, when it comes to artificial lighting, aim for a temperature in the area of 5,000K. 

The light produced by a 5,000K light bulb will be slightly blue but not too glaring or harsh on the eyes.

This is an important factor, especially for a work space station. 

Pro Tip: Some tube lights, strip lights, and other fixtures come with adjustable color temperatures.

This is a good option because you can bounce through the range and choose the color temperature which works best for the task at hand. 

Garage Lighting Conclusion

Hopefully you found a lot of great ideas on which garage light fixture is right for your space.

Be sure to scroll through to the bottom here where we’ve rounded up some of the best garage lights on the market.

If you’re looking for even more home improvement inspiration and lighting ideas – be sure to check out these other posts by clicking on the titles below:

And, if you’re focusing on all things outdoors for your home, don’t miss this long time favorite post on our backyard fire pit!

Finally –

design lovers! have you joined our fun and very helpful design Facebook group?

In this group – members share their own spaces with photos and design questions from their homes.

Then, everyone chimes in with our best advice!

We also spill our best sources and tips – it’s SO great for sourcing hard to find items and pieces.

cheat sheet

Lastly, to help you even further with your home projects, download my FREE DESIGN CHEAT SHEET, because it’s loaded with all sorts of quick tips and handy measurements I know you’re going to find so helpful.

SIGN UP TO GRAB THIS BECAUSE IT WILL BE SUPER HELPFUL!

And, this way you’ll be subscribed to this blog, it’s the best way to stay up to date with the great house tours and even more helpful style advice.

SHOP THE BEST GARAGE LIGHTING OPTIONS HERE:

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