Why Choose LEDs for High Bay Lights?

For years, warehouse, industrial, business and recreational settings have relied on high bay lights in spaces with ceilings ranging from 20 to 45 feet tall to provide sufficient light (no less than 10,000 lumens). High bay LED lights vastly improve upon conventional lighting options— including metal halide, high-pressure sodium and fluorescent bulbs—in many ways.

  • Lower Operation & Maintenance Costs. LEDs have a lifespan of more than 50,000 hours, which is four to forty times as long as their conventional counterparts. Not only does this equate to less expense over time on replacement bulbs, but it also means less time (and money) spent on actually changing the bulbs. Replacing high bay lighting bulbs often requires more time and special equipment, like scaffolding, catwalks and hydraulic lifts, to safely reach the light fixtures.
  • Outstanding Lighting Performance. One of the biggest draws of LEDs is the exceptional light quality they offer. Light quality is determined by measuring the color rendering index (CRI), correlated color temperatures (CCT) and the foot candle of a light source. By all measures, LEDs outperform conventional light sources. They are able to reflect object colors faithfully (CRI) while offering versatility in color “temperature” (CCT) and impressive light efficiency (foot candle). In addition to this, LEDs are almost instantly on, as opposed to their traditional lighting counterparts, which can take as long as thirty minutes to reach full brightness.
  • Unparalleled Energy Efficiency. The cost-saving energy efficiency of LEDs is often the driving factor for businesses to install high bay LED light fixtures. Losing only 5% of their energy to heat, LEDs require far less electricity to generate the same (or better) lumens per square foot (foot candles). In addition to this, most conventional warehouse and factory light sources are omnidirectional, which means they output light in all directions. Much of the light from conventional sources is pointed in areas that do not need direct illumination (like the ceiling). LEDs, on the other hand, waste less light by delivering direct light distribution. These two factors taken together make LEDs some of the most energy-efficient lighting options available.

What are the Different Types of High Bay Lights?

High bay LED light fixtures are available in many shapes and sizes, each offering different light qualities and coverages to suit your needs. The type of high bay lights you opt for will depend on your specific space and purpose. High bay LED light fixtures provide different beam angles, allowing you to select the optimal light shape to best illuminate your space. Here are some of the most popular high bay LED light fixture styles.

Round (UFO) High Bay Light Fixtures

Commonly called UFO high bays because of their saucer-like shape, round LED high bay lights have only one contact point with the ceiling, making them the easiest high bays to install. Round high bay LED lights typically provide a circular light beam angle of about 120 degrees. This fairly large beam spread allows for widespread, but powerful, illumination. These are an excellent choice for open areas, like factories, warehouses, sports arenas, grocery and wholesale retailers, and even aircraft hangars.

Warehouse Lighting offers a wide range of UFO high bay LED lighting fixtures from top names in the industry, including WareLight, MaxLite, Morris and others.

  • Our UFO high bay LED lights range in intensity from a gentle 78 watts all the way up to 220 watts, with voltages ranging from 120-277, and even 480v.
  • These LED UFO shop lights give you up to 100,000 hours of illumination.
  • They are also wet/damp listed, enabling you to use them in harsh conditions, like those seen in industrial laundries, processing plants and car washes.

Linear High Bay Light Fixtures

Linear high bay lights are commonly seen in grocery stores, wholesale retailers, warehouses and any other wide-open spaces with a lot of aisles or shelving. They provide ideal lighting for conference halls, event centers and fitness centers, too. Similar in appearance to a fluorescent T8, linear high bays are long, with varying widths to offer rectangular illumination to suit your space’s needs. They can be mounted directly to the ceiling or hung with chains or cables, depending on your needs.

We offer a wide selection of linear high bay LED light fixtures from the most trusted brands in the industry, such as Texas Fluorescents, WareLite and more.

  • Our linear LED high bays are available in a wide variety of wattages, voltages, lumen outputs, color temperatures and dimensions to accommodate any space where they are needed.
  • In some models, linear high bay LED bulbs last for up to 50,000 hours.

High Bay Vapor Tight Fixtures

Sealed and gasketed to protect their internal parts from fumes, dust, moisture, rust and corrosion, LED high bay vapor tight fixtures are commonly used in locations that see a lot of dirt or moisture. In fact, because they are sealed to block out moisture and particulates, they are easily cleaned with a hose or pressure washer. They are typically linear in form, available in 2-, 4- and 8-foot lengths. LED high bay vapor tight fixtures are often installed in car washes, parking garages, industrial kitchens, bakeries, food processing plants, swimming pools and spray down bays.

Warehouse Lighting carries the highest quality LED high bay vapor tight fixtures from the most trusted manufacturers on the market.

  • Each of our LED high bay vapor tight fixtures is sealed in a watertight IP67 rated enclosure, making them IP67 Dust and Liquid and UL Wet Location compliant.
  • We use only the highest quality components in our fixtures and back each of our ballasts with a 5-year warranty.

Designing a Warehouse Lighting Layout

As you begin outfitting your space with high bay LED light fixtures, the first step is figuring out what type and how many high bays you will need. To do this, you will need to consider the size of the space that you’re lighting, how tall the ceilings are, and how you will be using the space. Different purposes will require different lighting styles.

  • Storage — Typically, storage rooms are just used to house goods. Enough to see what’s what, around 300 lux, is all that’s needed.
  • Warehouses — Ample light is needed to see the items in the warehouse and to keep employees safe. No less than 500 lux is generally required for warehouse lighting.
  • Retail stores — A brighter environment will allow customers to see your products better and make the space feel clean (and safe). Aim for around 800 lux.
  • Sports arenas — Lighting standards for sports arenas are set by the governing bodies for each sport (associations, federations, etc.). Depending on the class level for your sports arena, your lighting needs will vary. Lighting requirements can be as low as 75 lux and go as high as 750 lux.
Ceiling Height Ideal Lumen Output High Bay Spacing
20-30 feet 22,000-35,000 lumens 15-25 feet
31-40 feet 35,000-47,000 lumens 19-29 feet
40+ feet 47,000+ lumens 30-40 feet

These estimates give you a sense for what and how many high bay LED lighting fixtures you will need, but each space and purpose will require a unique lighting layout.

Trust Warehouse Lighting to Keep You Illuminated

At Warehouse Lighting, we pride ourselves on carrying only the best lighting fixtures manufactured by the most trusted brands around. We know how important reliable lighting is and will help you select the best LED high bay lights for your unique lighting needs.

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