The right garage lighting makes a huge difference in how enjoyable it is to use your garage space.
Whether you need a way to see your tools when working on dark winter afternoons in your garage, or you have a basement workshop that has too many shadows, garage lighting is the way to go.
Unlike that one-lightbulb-and-a-rusty-chain situation, garage lighting lets you efficiently illuminate an entire area brightly.
There are a lot of choices out there. In general, GearingOut leans towards LED lighting, since fluorescent bulbs need to be changed frequently, can fail in sub-zero temperatures, and are significantly less energy efficient.
The goal is usually to get as much brightness as possible while consuming less energy and costing less. However, whether extra features like dimming switches are important to you may vary.
We included a few types of lights here to help narrow down a good choice for you based on the type of work you’ll be doing, what kind of space you need to light, and how big it is.
Table of Contents
7 Best Garage Lighting Choices
Our Top Pick: Fuliconn Deformable LED Garage Light, 60W
- Brightness: 6000L
- Power Required: 60W
- Color Temperature: 6000K
- High Points: Adjustable, very bright and flexible, durable
- Low Points: Can get hot, doesn’t work well in low-ceiling rooms
Why this is a Top Pick:
This is a “deformable” type light that can be shifted to direct the LED panels upward or downward. There are three lights per fixture, providing the flexibility to direct light towards the darkest parts of the room.
This light is especially useful if your goal is illuminating a specific dark spot in your workshop or garage, but it does a remarkable job lighting the whole thing.
It’s also easy to install and doesn’t require any extensive construction work to get in place. It’s made of durable aluminum alloy that should last for years.
What Reviewers Say
Reviewers are impressed by this model’s power and durability.
In addition to being very bright, it also has great “candle power” or reach – it still looks bright from far away. One light can light an entire garage or workspace, which can make this choice less expensive than cheaper bulbs that you’ll need a lot of to reach the same brightness.
It isn’t very durable when it comes to the elements, especially water, so it’s definitely not an indoor-outdoor choice, but for the average garage, this should be a great choice.
Features and Considerations:
The light comes with a motion sensor function, which can save electricity. However, it’s not that sensitive, so you may want to shut it off if you plan to be working in solitude without moving, since it’s annoying when it keeps turning off while you’re working under a car with your low profile floor jack, for example.
The higher your ceiling is, the bigger the space the light will be able to cover, since the flaps will only be able to be angled so far. Though it will work in most garages, it’s best suited for spaces that have higher ceilings relative to their area.
Best Mid-Range Option: Hykolity 5000k LED Shop Light
- Brightness: 3700L
- Power: 42W
- Color Temperature: 5000k
- High Points: 5-year warranty, comes in pack of four, aluminum LED, easy to install
- Low Points: Some quality control issues.
Why this is a Top Pick:
This light comes in a pack of four, making it an affordable option compared to single-bulb options. It’s also very bright, energy-efficient, and easy to install.
The manufacturers also offer a five-year warranty, which can offset any potential quality issues.
What Reviewers Say:
Due to the price point, brightness, and versatility, this is a popular choice. It’s bright and inexpensive for what you get, making it a fan favorite.
There are some variations in quality; the material looks a little cheap and can get dented easily during shipping or installation, though this isn’t obvious after installation.
Features and Considerations:
The four lights come with 5-ft. extension cables which makes it easy to link multiple packs together if you have a large space to light.
It’s also possible to convert the pendant mount to a surface mount by screwing directly through the frame to install directly on a surface, though it takes a little more effort than just hanging them on the included chains.
Best Surface Mounted Option: OOLED Flushmount Light
- Brightness: 4000L
- Power Required: 48W
- Color Temperature: 5000K
- High Points: 5-year warranty, Energy Star Certified, long-lasting, can be linked or hung
- Low Points: Hard to hook up dimmer, have to be hard-wired
Why this is a Top Pick:
If you want to mount lights directly on your ceiling or under a cabinet and hard-wire the lights to make them more permanent than plug-in models, this is a good choice.
It’s made of powder-coated steel that’s durable and long-lasting.
What reviewers Say:
This is a popular option for people looking for a cost-effective way to add permanent light fixtures to their garages.
There are some wiring quality control issues that can make it annoying to install the wiring initially. There can also be slight light leakage on the top that can be fixed with opaque tape; it’s easier to cover the gaps with tape before fully installing the lights.
Features and Considerations:
There is a 55” extension cord with a two-prong AC cord included to link multiple lights together; you’ll only need to hard-wire the first one, though it’s possible to wire all of them.
Most spaces will require more than one light. For example, a 15X15 ft. garage would typically need four bulbs, according to the company’s guidelines. This can become an expensive option depending on the size of your space, but should be a durable and highly energy-efficient method of lighting your space once it’s in place.
Best for the Budget: Barrina LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture
- Brightness: 2200L
- Power Required: 20W
- Color Temperature: 6500K
- High Points: No need to mess with wiring, plug and play installation, 3-year warranty, comes in pack of six
- Low Points: Almost too bright/cool, can feel like an operating room, don’t work well in high-ceiling garages
Why this is a Top Pick:
This is one of the lowest-maintenance, easiest-to-use options. Because the bulbs are so light, you’ll just need a simple bracket screwed into the ceiling, without worrying about locating studs or other considerations.
In short, the lights are very bright and inexpensive for the value you get.
What Reviewers Say
Reviewers report being impressed with the brightness and durability at the price point; replacing incandescent fluorescent bulbs with these often results in significant energy savings.
They’re also user-friendly and very easy to install.
Of course, you do sacrifice some features for the cost; these lights, though bright, can have an almost clinical feeling because they’re so white, and don’t have strong power; they’re brightest a few feet away and don’t do as great a job lighting large areas to the same level of brightness.
Features and Considerations:
They come with a cord to connect the lights together, but it’s not quite long enough for flexibility when mounting them; you’ll need to place them end-to-end to use the included cord, or buy your own.
They do come nicely packaged and protected from damage during shipping.
They’re particularly effective for lighting specific, small areas, such as placement directly over a worktable or bench or under an overhead cabinet. The size makes them very easy to hide.
Another Good Budget Pick: BBounder 4 Pack Linkable LED Light
- Brightness: 3600L
- Power: 36W
- Color Temperature: 5000K
- High Points: Linkable, inexpensive, all hardware included, 5-year warranty includes online 24/7 support, energy efficient
- Low Points: No surrounding shell; just the bulbs. Not as bright as other options.
Why this is a Top Pick:
This is one of the cheapest options, at less than $15/light, and it comes in a four-pack of easy-to-install bright white lights.
It will perform even in the coldest temperatures, has multiple options to configure on/off switches, and the company is widely known for good customer support.
What Reviewers Say:
This is also a plug-and-play option; reviewers report that it is a straightforward, easy-to-use option that installs in minutes and is easy to stack.
Even if you have a very large room, you can achieve adequate lighting just by linking a lot of these together and it works well.
Features and Considerations:
Of course, these lights aren’t quite as powerful as more expensive options; you will probably need more of these bulbs to match the brightness of a stronger options.
Higher-ceiling rooms in particular will probably still seem dark. However, if you have a small basement room or don’t need it to be that bright, these are a good option.
Best for Indoor/Outdoor Lighting: LED High Bay Light
- Brightness: 14,000L
- Power Required: 100
- Color Temperature: 6500K
- High Points: wide applications, extremely bright, 5-year warranty, solid, heavy-duty construction
- Low Points: Takes a lot of power, requires high ceiling
Why this is a Top Pick:
Most of the options on this list cannot be exposed to the elements. If your workshop is partially outdoors, or you just want something that’s as bright as possible, this is a good pick.
It will light outdoor areas, indoor warehouses, large workshops, and other areas that have very high ceilings and need a lot of light.
It’s also simply more powerful – it comes in several levels of brightness that draw varying amounts of power, but it’s hard to beat the 33,000L offered by the biggest light.
What Reviewers Say:
This is a “bay” light similar to those used in factories and warehouses; it was originally for industrial applications, so it’s exceedingly durable, has a built-in heat sink to avoid the need for a fan, and provides by far the most brightness of any option of this list.
It looks solid, and the metal casing and glass cover are heavy-duty and seem reliable.
Features and Considerations:
This is not the best choice for a small garage or basement workstation, as it’s powerful enough to light most of a stadium.
If, however, you have a large home workshop or your garage has very high ceilings, or you know the light will be in rain, snow, or other environmental conditions, this is a solid choice.
Best Motion-Activated Light: Striker Concepts 0034 TRiLIGHT
- Brightness: 3000L
- Power: 24W
- Temperature: Not provided
- High Points: Quick no-tool installation, can be dropped on concrete without breaking, 50,000-year average longevity, adjustable
- Low Points: Some QC issues with alignment, soldering looks questionable
Why it’s a Top Pick
If you want a motion-activated light, it’s important to find one that’s exactly sensitive enough. You don’t want to be flailing around in the dark every time you forgot to move for a minute. You also don’t want a passing mouse to turn the light on every few minutes.
This light does a good job of treading that line, and it’s also a bright, adjustable light on top of that feature. Even if you’re working under your car or doing otherwise stationary activities, it does a good job of staying lit.
What Reviewers Say:
Reviewers call this a highly functional motion-sensitive light. It’s also easy to install and durable enough to land on concrete without shattering.
In some cases, the motion sensor has malfunctioned and becomes too sensitive. It’s also sometimes had some quality control issues in the manufacturing itself, with some of the parts looking misaligned. This usually doesn’t significantly impact its performance, however.
Features and Considerations:
Overall, this is a great option for garage lighting, but can also be a great, cost-effective lighting solution for attics, storage areas, and other rooms where you don’t go very often.
