Stop guessing how much light your garage needs. Picking the right high bay light can feel like a shot in the dark, but it doesn’t have to be. Forget about just picking a wattage like 100W or 150W and hoping for the best. This guide breaks down the simple math to choose the perfect UFO high bay for a 1, 2, or 3-car garage, ensuring you get bright, even coverage for any task without wasting energy.
The Big Misconception: Wattage vs. Lumens
For years, we were trained to think about brightness in terms of watts. A 100-watt incandescent bulb was brighter than a 60-watt one. Simple. However, with modern LEDs, this thinking is outdated and misleading. Wattage only tells you how much energy a light uses, not how much light it produces.
The metric you need to focus on is lumens.
Lumens (lm) are the true measure of a light’s brightness. The more lumens, the more light fills your space. The real magic of quality LEDs is their efficiency, measured in lumens per watt (lm/W). A high-efficiency fixture can produce the same lumens as an older, less efficient one while using significantly less power. For instance, many modern LED high bays offer 140 lm/W or more, a standard of efficiency supported by guidelines from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Key Takeaway: Don't shop for watts. Shop for lumens. A 100W high-efficiency LED fixture can easily outperform an older 150W or even 250W metal halide light, saving you money on your electricity bill.
How Much Light Do You Actually Need?
The ideal brightness for your garage depends entirely on how you use it. Are you just parking cars and storing holiday decorations, or are you running a full-blown workshop for car detailing, woodworking, or repairs? We measure this brightness level in lumens per square foot (lm/ft²), also known as foot-candles.
From my experience setting up dozens of workshops, I’ve found these levels to be the sweet spot:
| Activity Level | Recommended Brightness (Lumens/Sq. Ft.) | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| General Purpose & Storage | 50 - 70 lm/ft² | Provides clear, comfortable visibility for parking, navigating, and finding items without being overwhelmingly bright. |
| General Workshop Tasks | 80 - 100 lm/ft² | Excellent all-around task lighting for woodworking, mechanical repairs, and other hobbies. It reduces eye strain and makes it easier to see what you're doing. |
| Fine-Detail Work | 100 - 120 lm/ft² | Essential for activities like auto detailing, painting, or intricate electronics work where color accuracy and spotting tiny imperfections are critical. |
Choosing the right level is the most important step. It’s better to have slightly more light that you can dim than not enough light to work safely.
A Step-by-Step Guide to the Perfect Garage Lighting
Ready to do some simple math? Follow these steps to get a precise recommendation for your space.
Step 1: Calculate Your Garage's Square Footage
First, measure the length and width of your garage and multiply them to get the total square footage.
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Formula:
Length (ft) x Width (ft) = Square Footage (sq ft)
Here are some common garage sizes:
- 1-Car Garage: ~12 ft x 22 ft = 264 sq ft
- 2-Car Garage: ~20 ft x 24 ft = 480 sq ft
- 3-Car Garage: ~32 ft x 24 ft = 768 sq ft
Step 2: Calculate Your Total Lumen Requirement
Now, multiply your square footage by your desired brightness level from the table above.
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Formula:
Square Footage x Target Lumens/Sq. Ft. = Total Lumens Needed
For a standard 2-car garage (480 sq ft) that will be used as a general workshop, you'd calculate:
480 sq ft x 90 lm/ft² = 43,200 total lumens
Step 3: Adjust for Ceiling Height
Ceiling height is a critical factor that many people forget. The higher the light source, the more diffused the light becomes by the time it reaches the floor. A good rule of thumb is to increase your total lumen target for higher ceilings.
- For ceilings 12 ft or lower: No adjustment needed.
- For ceilings 13-17 ft: Increase your total lumen target by 15%.
- For ceilings 18 ft or higher: Increase your total lumen target by 20-25%.
If our 2-car garage has a 15-foot ceiling, we’d adjust our target:
43,200 lumens x 1.15 = 49,680 total lumens
Step 4: Choose Your Fixtures and Wattage
Now you have your final lumen target. The last step is to choose the fixtures that will meet that goal. High-quality UFO high bays, like the Hyperlite Hero Series, offer various lumen outputs. For example, a 100W Hero fixture produces around 14,500 lumens.
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Formula:
Total Lumens Needed / Lumens per Fixture = Number of Fixtures
Using our example:
49,680 lumens / 14,500 lumens/fixture = 3.42 fixtures
Since you can't install a partial fixture, you round up. In this case, you would need 4 fixtures to ensure bright, even coverage. While three fixtures would get you close, a four-fixture layout provides superior light distribution and eliminates shadows between vehicles or in corners.
Sample Layouts for Common Garages
Here’s how this works out for typical garage sizes, assuming a 12-foot ceiling and a general workshop use case (90 lm/ft²).
| Garage Size | Sq. Footage | Total Lumens Needed | Recommended Fixtures (using ~14,500lm/fixture) | Corresponding Wattage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Car | 264 sq ft | 23,760 lm | 2 Fixtures | 2 x 100W |
| 2-Car | 480 sq ft | 43,200 lm | 3 Fixtures | 3 x 100W |
| 3-Car | 768 sq ft | 69,120 lm | 5 Fixtures | 5 x 100W or 3 x 200W |
This table gives you a great starting point. For spacing, a common heuristic for UFO high bays with a 120-degree beam angle is to space them at a distance roughly equal to the ceiling height. For a 12-foot ceiling, placing fixtures about 10-14 feet apart gives you excellent overlapping coverage.
Beyond Brightness: Final Checks
Before you buy, consider these final points:
- Color Temperature (CCT): 5000K provides a crisp, daylight-white light that’s excellent for detail-oriented tasks and color accuracy. 4000K is a slightly warmer, neutral white that some find more comfortable for general use. Ensure any lights you choose conform to industry standards like ANSI C78.377-2017 to guarantee color consistency.
- Installation & Safety: A common mistake is overloading a single electrical circuit. A standard 15-amp circuit should not exceed about 1,500 watts. Plan your layout accordingly. Always choose fixtures that are safety certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, which you can verify in databases like the UL Solutions Product iQ Database. This ensures they meet standards like UL 1598 for luminaire safety.
- Durability: Garages can be dusty and sometimes damp. An IP65 rating, defined by the IEC 60529 standard, means the fixture is completely dust-tight and protected against water jets. This is a must-have for long-term reliability.
Key Takeaways
Choosing the right high bay light is about planning, not guessing. By switching your focus from watts to lumens and following a few simple steps, you can create a perfectly lit garage that’s both functional and energy-efficient.
- Think in Lumens, Not Watts: Lumens measure brightness; watts measure energy use.
- Define Your Need: Decide on your target brightness (lumens per square foot) based on how you use your garage.
- Calculate, Don't Guess: Use the simple formulas to determine your total lumen requirement based on your garage size and ceiling height.
- Choose Quality Fixtures: Select certified, durable fixtures that meet your calculated lumen needs and space them properly for even coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many high bay lights do I need for a 2-car garage?
For a typical 2-car garage (around 480 sq ft) used as a workshop, you'll need approximately 43,200 lumens. This can be achieved with three 100W/150W UFO high bays (each producing ~14,500 lumens). If your ceilings are over 12 feet or you do very detailed work, consider using four fixtures for better coverage.
Is a 100W LED high bay bright enough for a garage?
A single 100W high-efficiency LED high bay (around 14,000-15,000 lumens) is often perfect for a 1-car garage. For larger spaces, you will need multiple 100W fixtures or higher-wattage models to achieve adequate, even lighting.
What is better for a garage, 4000K or 5000K?
This comes down to preference. 5000K is similar to natural daylight and is excellent for task-oriented workshops where color accuracy is important. 4000K is a neutral white that is bright and clean but less stark, which some people prefer for general-purpose spaces.
Can I put my high bay lights on a dimmer?
Many high-quality UFO high bays are dimmable, but they typically require a specific 0-10V dimmer, not a standard residential one. If you want dimming, make sure to purchase a fixture that is 0-10V dimmable and use a compatible wall switch. This information is usually detailed in lighting control terminology guides like NEMA LSD 64.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Electrical work can be dangerous. Always comply with your local electrical codes and standards, such as the National Electrical Code (NEC), and consult a qualified electrician for installation.