Need help choosing best led garage lights for my new workshop setup

Tried 3 different setups in my workshop before landing on the ontel beyond lights. Really solid brightness for detail work and the adjustable panels let me direct light exactly where needed. Surprisingly easy install for someone with basic DIY skills

Basic 4ft LED shop lights from any big box store offer best bang for buck. I mounted six in my similar sized space in grid pattern, total cost under $200. Make sure they're linkable to minimize wire runs

Buy once, cry once. After 3 rounds of "budget" garage lights that flickered/failed, bit the bullet on commercial grade. Spent $450 but haven't touched them in 5 years while my neighbor's replaced his twice. Look for die-cast aluminum housing and proper diffusers - these matter more than the LED chips themselves

Temperature matters WAY more than most realize. Those ultra-bright 6500K cool white lights will drive you insane after an hour. Go with 4000-5000K range for workshop - bright enough for detail work without the harsh operating room vibe. Made this mistake and had to replace everything

your ceiling height is the key factor. at 9ft, you need minimum 100 lumens per square foot for woodworking, 150+ for automotive work. calculate total space (24×20=480sqft) so aim for fixtures totaling 48,000-72,000 lumens combined. specs matter more than marketing names

Tried 3 different setups in my workshop before landing on the ontel beyond lights. Really solid brightness for detail work and the adjustable panels let me direct light exactly where needed. Surprisingly easy install for someone with basic DIY skills

SHADOWS are workshop enemy #1. Better to have more lower-lumen fixtures spaced properly than fewer ultra-bright ones creating harsh shadows. Test this: hold wrench under single bright light vs multiple less bright sources - difference is night and day for seeing details

Skip ceiling lights entirely and invest in portable task lighting instead. Ceiling fixtures always end up putting shadows exactly where you're working

My setup: modest ambient overhead lighting + quality task lights I can position directly on what I'm doing

Don't overlook the wiring! Many garages only have 1-2 outlets on a single 15A circuit. Adding several high-draw LED fixtures can overload. Check your panel before buying - may need electrician to add dedicated circuit which adds $200-400 to project cost

Garage insulation dramatically affects lighting needs. My uninsulated space requires roughly 30% more lumens in winter than summer due to light absorption by dark, cold surfaces. Factor this in if you live somewhere with temperature swings

Tested dozens of options for my classic car restoration. Surprisingly, the Hexagon Garage Light outperformed fixtures costing twice as much. Adjustable panels provide perfect coverage under car and the color accuracy helps when matching paint and finishes

One feature worth paying extra for: instant-on at full brightness in cold temperatures. Cheap LEDs dim significantly below freezing and take minutes to reach full output. Crucial if you live anywhere with real winters

Three $25 linkable shop lights from Harbor Freight + white paint on walls and ceiling = perfectly lit workspace for under $100. Stop falling for marketing gimmicks and 8-blade "deformable" lights that'll break in a year

The most overlooked specification when choosing workshop lighting is the Color Rendering Index value. Standard LEDs with CRI 70-80 make it nearly impossible to distinguish similar colors (critical for wiring or woodworking). Invest in high-CRI (90+) fixtures for accurate color perception, especially if doing finish work or painting

positioned my lights AFTER setting up workshop layout rather than standard grid pattern. mapped shadow zones while doing typical tasks, then installed fixtures specifically to eliminate them. unorthodox approach but zero regrets

Converted old fluorescent fixtures to LED instead of buying new. Retrofit kits cost half as much as new fixtures and reuse existing wiring. Took about 20 minutes per fixture with zero electrical knowledge 

Installed proper LEDs and my persistent headaches disappeared. Turns out fluorescent ballasts were emitting high-frequency flicker my eyes couldn't detect but my brain sure felt. Worth every penny just for the quality of life improvement

Installed those fancy "solar tube" skylights alongside LEDs. Natural light during day, electric at night. Best decision ever. Even basic models dramatically reduce energy costs, and watching storms roll in while working on projects adds unexpected joy to garage time 🌧️

Work on cars professionally all day, still spend evenings on personal projects. Proper garage lighting non-negotiable for detail work. Eyes aren't getting younger, adequate illumination safety issue as much as convenience

Started woodworking channel, didn't anticipate lighting being biggest challenge. Garage lighting upgrade improved video quality more than camera investment. Content creation teaches unexpected lessons about production fundamentals

Converted garage into workout space during pandemic. Good lighting motivation factor somehow - dark garage encourages skipping exercise, bright space inviting. Psychology of environment underestimated in fitness discussions