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LED high bay lights are specifically designed for large spaces with high ceilings—typically ranging from 20 to 40 feet. Whether you're lighting a warehouse, manufacturing facility, gym, or any other expansive area, choosing the right high bay lighting is essential to ensure efficiency, visibility, and cost-effectiveness.
As LED technology continues to evolve, it has become the go-to lighting solution for many industrial and commercial applications due to its energy savings, long lifespan, and environmental benefits. However, selecting the right LED high bay light involves more than just picking the brightest bulb. Here are seven key factors to consider before making your purchase:
Before selecting any fixtures, start by evaluating your facility’s layout and lighting needs. The type of space will determine how much brightness is necessary. For example:
A storage room may only require lighting at 30 foot-candles.
A warehouse might need 50 foot-candles for even visibility.
Retail stores often require up to 80 foot-candles to properly showcase products.
By understanding your environment and its requirements upfront, you'll ensure that you choose lights with the right specifications.
Wattage measures how much energy a light uses, while lumens indicate how much visible light it emits. The higher the ceiling, the more lumens you'll typically need. Here's a general guideline:
Ceiling height 10–15 ft: 10,000–15,000 lumens
15–25 ft: 16,000–25,000 lumens
30–35 ft: 36,000+ lumens
Matching the right lumens to your ceiling height will ensure sufficient light output without energy waste.
Once you know how much light you need, the next step is to determine how many fixtures are required. Many reputable lighting manufacturers offer free photometric layouts, which help calculate the optimal number and placement of lights. This planning can prevent over-lighting or under-lighting and reduce installation and energy costs.
LED high bay lights generally come in two main designs:
UFO high bay lights: Round and compact, ideal for industrial spaces and areas exposed to dust or moisture. They’re often used as direct replacements for traditional metal halide fixtures.
Linear high bay lights: Long and rectangular, ideal for warehouses, supermarkets, and workstations. They provide more uniform light distribution and are perfect replacements for traditional fluorescent T5HO and T8 high bay fixtures.
If you're working on a new build, you'll have more flexibility in choosing between the two. For ceilings higher than 35 feet, UFO high bay lights are typically the better choice due to their stronger light output and beam angles.
In industrial and commercial settings, you may encounter higher voltage levels. While most LED high bay lights are designed to auto-adjust to input voltage, it's important to confirm that the product supports your facility’s voltage range. Common options include:
100–277V
277–480V
347–480V
Make sure your chosen lights are compatible with your electrical infrastructure to avoid performance issues.
Color temperature, measured in Kelvins (K), affects how "warm" or "cool" the light appears:
Below 3000K: Warm white—ideal for residential or relaxed environments
4000K–5000K: Neutral to cool white—suitable for most commercial/industrial uses
Above 5500K: Very cool/blue—can be harsh and may cause discomfort over long periods
For industrial applications replacing metal halide lamps, a color temperature around 5000K is typically ideal, providing bright and clear visibility.
CRI measures a light’s ability to accurately reveal the colors of objects:
CRI 70+: Acceptable for general industrial lighting
CRI 80–90: Recommended for tasks where color accuracy matters, such as manufacturing or inspection
Higher CRI lighting helps improve visual clarity and can reduce eye strain in detail-oriented environments.
With a wide range of LED high bay lights available on the market, choosing the right one requires thoughtful planning. By considering your space layout, light output needs, voltage, fixture type, color temperature, and CRI, you’ll be better equipped to make a decision that balances efficiency, performance, and long-term value.
Remember these seven factors, and you’ll be well on your way to illuminating your space effectively and economically.