Garage and Workshop Lighting

What makes good workshop lighting?

A workshop asks far more of its lights than a living room or bedroom. You need enough brightness to see fine detail, an even spread so you are not working in your own shadow, and fittings that keep out dust and damp. Start with general light from the ceiling, then add focused light where the close work happens: over the bench, the vice or the side of the car.

Our garage and workshop lighting range is built for that kind of space. Most fittings are LED-integrated, so there is no bulb to change at the top of a ladder, and many also suit commercial premises.

Which type of garage and workshop lighting do you need?

Battens are the usual choice for lighting a garage from above, and many of our fittings are LED battens. A batten is a long, slim fitting that usually mounts to the ceiling and throws a wide wash of light, so a single batten can cover a work area and a line of them will light a longer garage evenly. Most of our battens are rated IP65, which suits a detached or unheated space.

Beyond battens, we stock outdoor wall lights to go beside the garage door or along a side path, plus some other wall lights and a few ceiling lights for a finished garage. Many fittings are emergency lighting, designed to give light when the mains supply fails, which is worth considering for a windowless workshop or a commercial unit.

What IP rating does workshop lighting need?

An IP rating tells you how well a fitting keeps out solids and water. The first figure covers dust and the second covers water, so IP65 means dust-tight and protected against jets of water, while IP66 stands up to more powerful jets. A heated, attached garage that stays dry can take a lower rating, but a detached or unheated garage, a dusty woodworking shop or anywhere you hose the floor down calls for IP65 or above.

Most of our garage and workshop lighting is rated IP65, and many fittings go to IP66, so there is plenty of choice for a damp or draughty space. Condensation forms quickly in an unheated building on a cold morning, and a sealed fitting keeps that moisture away from the electrics.

Which colour temperature is best for workshop lighting?

Cool white and daylight are the usual choices for a workshop. A crisper, bluer white makes it easier to read fine markings, follow a cut line and spot small parts on the floor. Most of our fittings give a cool white light and many offer daylight. Warm white is softer and suits a garage that doubles as a gym, games room or place to unwind, and many fittings offer that too.

If you cannot decide, look at the CCT-adjustable models. Many of our fittings let you set the colour temperature, so you can choose the white that suits the job. When several fittings share a space, keep them to the same white so the room looks even.

How much garage and workshop lighting do you need?

Measure the space and note the ceiling height, then mark where the work happens. Compare fittings by lumen output rather than wattage, because lumens tell you how much light you actually get; a bench or a car bay needs noticeably more than a walkway or a storage corner. Our fittings range from low-wattage models for a side door to high-output ones for a large unit.

For an even spread, run battens in rows along the ceiling, spaced so their light overlaps, and place a batten directly above the front edge of the bench so the light falls on the work, not behind you. A taller workshop is usually better served by fewer, more powerful fittings than by a crowd of small ones.

What to check before buying garage and workshop lighting

Start with the IP rating and the colour temperature, then look at the light source. The majority of our fittings are LED-integrated, with the light source built in, while some take a G13 tube or a standard E27 or B22 lamp; check the cap and whether a lamp is supplied before you order. Most fittings are non-dimmable, so if you want to dim, choose a dimmable model and pair it with a compatible dimmer switch.

Finish and material come next. Most of our fittings come in white to sit quietly on a painted ceiling, while many are grey or black, and many have a plain industrial look. Most use polycarbonate, a tough, lightweight plastic, and many use metal.

Fitting garage and workshop lighting

We recommend having any lighting fitted by a qualified electrician. In England and Wales, certain electrical work, such as adding a circuit to a garage or outbuilding, is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, so it is worth using an electrician registered to self-certify. They can also check that the supply to a detached garage will carry the load you plan to add.

Mount fittings where a ladder, an open tailgate or a length of timber will not catch them. To clean, switch off at the mains and wipe the diffuser with a damp cloth.