High-Bay UFO Lights

How do I pick the best high-bay UFO lights for garages?

Ian Mutuli
Updated on
Ian Mutuli

Ian Mutuli

Founder and Managing Editor of Archute. He is also a graduate architect from The University of Nairobi, Kenya.
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High-bay UFO LED lights are great for spaces with high ceilings because they use less energy and give off enough light for large spaces. Furthermore, the lights have a fast start time and cost less for the user over their long lifespan. UFO high bay lights are great for use in industrial spaces, gyms, warehouses, airport hangers, and spaces with high ceilings that regular lights can not light up.

Finding the right LED high bay light is hard because they come in different lumens, watts, sizes, and colors. The search for UFO LED high bay lights will not be daunting anymore because I will discuss my best choices, the different types available, how to choose high bay lights, and answer your toughest questions.

My first pick is the HYPERLITE UFO high bay light because it looks elegant for use in commercial spaces. Furthermore, the light is compatible with a reflector, giving me close to twice the amount of light for each light. Second, on my list is the VCMAG, which is friendly to the eye and great for long exposure to workers. Third is the BFT which gives me over six years of continuous work.

But first, what exactly is a UFO high bay light?

What is a UFO High Bay Light?

Image Source: idesuk.com

LED high bay lights are lights made for use in spaces with high ceilings between 20 and 40 feet of height. High bay lighting is impossible using regular lighting, which is not powerful or bright enough to work for a high ceiling. UFO high bays have their name coined after the stereotypical UFO ship, which has a saucer-pan shape and emits light from beneath.

UFO LED high bays have a higher energy efficiency compared to regular light fixtures. Furthermore, the high bay lights are more cost-effective compared to the regular lights, hence cheaper over time.

Here are the best UFO high bay lights in more detail.

5 Best High Bay UFO LED Lights

1) HYPERLITE LED High Bay Light

Sale
HYPERLITE LED High Bay Light 150W 21,000lm 5000K 1-10V...
  • Unbeatable Illumination – This 150W high quality and powerful...
  • Fast & Easy Installation - The effortless 3-minute installation...
  • Solid & Durable – This amazing UL certified lamp features an...
  • Beautiful & Unique Design – The lightweight, low profile and...
  • 5-Year Warranty – Hyperlite offers it’s customers an...

HYPERLITE UFO lights are the best options for almost all scenarios; you can install them in a barn, shop, warehouse, and surely in a garage, being this a very common scenario of installation. The light comes with a hook to make the installation easy in a lot of cases, especially where there were lights before.

Image Source: hi-hyperlite.com

HYPERLITE has 21000 Lumens, making it one of the brightest lights I have seen in the market. I prefer the light for wide illuminations and very high ceilings because it can achieve just the right beam angle one needs. HYPERLITE is dimmable, which allows me to go for the brightness I need.

HYPERLITE is compatible with a reflector, making it easy to achieve more brightness without using any extra money. The light has a water and dust-resistance body, which makes it perfect for use in an industrial space and showrooms that guests frequent.

Pros:

  • Solid and durable
  • Fast and easy installation
  • Beautiful and unique design
  • Sufficient illumination
  • Five-foot power chord
  • Plug for direct power sourcing
  • Dimmable

Cons:

  • Dimmers need to be ordered separatel

2) VCMAG UFO LED High Lights

VCMAG UFO LED High Bay Light 150W 21,000lm 5000K...
  • 【High Brightness & Bill Saving】 - This LED high bay light...
  • 【Large Beam Angle & 5000K Daylight】 - This High bay LED Shop...
  • 【Widely Application】- This ufo led high bay light fixture...
  • 【Long Lifespan & Durable】 - Built with hollow design heat...
  • 【Easy Installation】 - This LED retrofit features a...

VCMAG features high-quality LED chips with only 150 watts of power. VCMAG stands apart from the lights I have seen in many industrial spaces with its 140LM for every Watt. The light gives out a brightness that old fixtures with 600 watts would give, saving a lot of energy in the process.

Image Source: vcmagdirect.com

VCMAG gives me daylight brightness of up to 5000K, which makes the transition between day to night smooth in my warehouse. 5000K is also friendly to the eyes, and the occupants under VCMAG do not experience irritation from the LED light.

VCMAG has good heat dissipation for the 50,000 hours it is meant to work. The light has a hollow design and an aluminum housing to keep the heat away.

The spaces where one can use the VCMAG include garages, labs, showrooms, warehouses, gyms, shopping malls, and other large spaces that could use enough lighting.

Pros:

  • Daylight-bright
  • Wide application
  • 50,000hr lifespan
  • Good heat dissipation
  • Affordable
  • Saves energy
  • Easy installation

Cons:

  • Can not be daisy-chained with other lights

3) BFT LED High Bay Lights

BFT LED High Bay Light 240W UFO 5000K 36,000LM,1-10V...
  • ????【Dimmable】BFT UFO LED high bay light have a 1-10V...
  • ????【Energy Saving up to 80%】240W energy-saving LED high bay...
  • ????【Long service life】The low-bay lamp has an ultra-high...
  • ????【Widely used applications】High bay led shop lights have...
  • ????【Reliable 5-year warranty】BFT LED high bay lights provide...

BFT gives me 36000 lumens, which translates to 150 Lumen output for every Watt, higher than the average light. Furthermore, BFT reduces my electricity bills by almost 80% compared to the old lighting fixtures that take up all my electricity bills.

Image Source: nerdtechy.com

BFT has a dimmable function, which is a feature that helps me save more energy during the day when I do not need too much light. The light further has no electromagnetic interference, canceling out any eye strain, making it the most comfortable light to use for working at night.

With a lifespan of up to 70,000, BFT exceeds most lights in the market and is useful in most spaces, including malls, garages, warehouses, and more. BFT is water and dust-proof and will stay functional for all of its lifespans.

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Easy to install
  • 70,000 lifespan
  • Dimmable
  • Bright light fixture
  • Reliable
  • Waterproof
  • Energy efficient
  • !20 degree beam-angle

Cons:

  • Fixed temperature

4) SHINEWOO UFO LED High Bay Light

UFO LED High Bay Light 150W 21,000lm 5000K Daylight...
  • 【High Brightness & Bill Saving】 - This LED high bay light...
  • 【Large Beam Angle & 5000K Daylight】 - This High bay LED Shop...
  • 【Widely Application】- This ufo led high bay light fixture...
  • 【Long Lifespan & Durable】 - Built with hollow design heat...
  • 【Easy Installation】 - This LED retrofit features a...

SHINEWOO is a great pick for a commercial space or shop because of the daylight-level light output. The light further has a large beam angle which makes it ideal for large spaces.

Image Source: sears.com

SHINEWOO has a 50,000-hour lifespan, which is enough to serve you for close to six years of continuous use. This makes the brand one that I can rely on compared to other brands.

The SHINEWOO light is easy to install and uninstall, further reducing my costs of running the lighting. I use the light in my garage, but it has an array of other possible uses, and there are no limits to who or cannot use the light.

Pros:

  • Long lifespan
  • Easy to install
  • Daylight-bright high lumen
  • Large beam angle
  • Affordable

Cons:

  • The light is not dimmable

5) BEULT 100W High Bay Light

100W UFO LED High Bay Light 15000lm 5000K IP65 UL...
  • 【 High Brightness & Bill Saving】- 150LM/W output, 100W high...
  • 【Wide Beam Angle & Daylight】 - High bay LED Lights designed...
  • 【Widely Application】- ufo led high bay light fixture be used...
  • 【Lifespan & Durable】- 154pcs SMD3030-LED chips and CE...
  • 【5 Years Warranty】- We are devoted to providing our customers...

BEULT is a 100W light that uses significantly less energy than most lights on the market today. Furthermore, the light is dimmable, which is a feature that saves me even more electricity. BEULT has a high brightness of 5000 lumen, which is equivalent to daylight, and a lifespan of 60 000 hours, more than 10,000 hours more than the average light in the market.

Image Source: thenile.com

BEULT is easy to install and has a plug-and-play design that makes changing the light a breeze. The light is UL-approved, making it a trustworthy option to serve my needs.

Pros:

  • Easy installation
  • Affordable
  • 120-degree beam angle
  • Decorative round high bays
  • UL certified

Cons:

  • The light needs an electricity plug and can not be chained to another light

How to Choose LED High Bay Lights

Image Source: ledworld.com

Buying high bay lights requires a slightly different approach compared to buying normal lights. Here are a few things to look at when choosing high bay lights.1Wattage and Lumens

Lumens give the measure of light emitted by a bulb. This is the amount of visible light one sees with their naked eyesight. Wattage is the amount of power consumed by that same bulb. When the wattage is high, there is a chance that the lumens will be high as well. Lumen ratings are slowly being included in the packaging alongside the wattage, which is the only rating normally on the package.

a) Temperature

High bay lights have different temperatures. When we say temperature, we mean the light can either be warm or cool. Light temperature is measured in Kelvin, often denoted as "K", and ranges between 1000 and 10000. To put it into perspective, daylight lies between 5000k and 6500k.

Other than the temperature in Kelvin, we can group the lights into two; warm and cool. Warm lights come off as yellow, while cool lights are bluish or white.

When choosing the lighting temperature for your space, you can go for a warm or cool tone. Most industrial spaces have a white color temperature.

b) Control

Having control over the high bay LED or fluorescent lights is great because the lights are too high up, and reaching them might be difficult. Getting remote-controlled lights is more convenient compared to fixed lights.

The controls that you should have on your light include dimmable features which allow you to reduce the brightness during the day to save on energy. The lights can have motion sensors to turn on automatically when there is someone or movement in the room compared to when there is none.

Lights that allow you to change the temperature give you a wide option of what ambiance you want to achieve in your space and are one of the best garage improvement tips.

c) Lighting Fixture Compatibility and Installation

Image Source: thearchitecturedesigns.com

You can get the best high bay lights in the market, but if they are not compatible with your fixtures, it will be hard to get them to work until you get the right light fixtures. For instance, if you get bulbs with pins for a port with rings, they will not fit.

Most lights nowadays come with hooks to make them easy to install. In an industrial space, all you might need to do is just hang the light where the old high-pressure sodium fixtures once were.

d) Lifespan

How long you can expect the bulb to serve you is a big deal and should be a major factor when getting LED UFO high bay lighting. This is vital because most people get UFO high bay lights in bulk, and it would be costly to change all the bulbs all at once, depending on the lighting design. For that reason, getting bulbs with an extremely long life is the way to go.

When looking at the lifetime a bulb has to offer, look at the warranty the company is offering against their product. Other than giving you the security and confidence to buy the product, warranties are helpful when the product does not do what it said it would.

e) Cost

People seldom buy UFO lights individually. This is because the UFO lights are used in industrial settings where they are used in groups. Therefore, the cost becomes a huge factor when buying in bulk.

f) Beam Angle

Image Source: iquarklighting.com

The beam angle is the amount of area a bulb will light on the floor. If the angle is small, then a smaller area will be lit, and vice versa.

For high bay lights, there are angles you can go for, including 60, 90, and 120 degrees, lighting a wider area, respectively.

The beam angle will influence the number of lights you will get for your space. Lights with a wide angle need to be wide apart as each light covers a wider area and vice versa. You would need more lights with a small beam angle to cover a similar area with lights having a wide beam angle.

g) The dimensions, especially the height

It means you have to know at what height the lights will hang down. Knowing this information, you can check what wattage will be appropriate for you. Remember, if your application has different heights, you will probably need different wattages in the same building.

h) Brightness

We can measure light in footcandles, which is a term that is equivalent to 10.67 lumensIf you know how bright (in footcandles) you want your garage to be, you can get the right high bay lights for you. Remember, low bay lights will not have a similar footcandle count when raised to a higher ceiling. A higher ceiling will need a higher lumen output to match your brightness needs.

For a start, having two lumens for every cubic foot will work out. If you want a bright space, you can upgrade this to three.

i) Finish and Design

The design of the light you choose might not have a direct impact on whether you can see it or not but may affect your business. UFO LED high bay lights are mostly used in industrial spaces, where you may have clients walking in occasionally. If you have stylish and neat high bay light fixtures and lights, you have a chance at making a good impression. This is especially the case when you are in a car dealership or similar products where you have to showcase your products.

j) Reflectors

Having lights with reflectors adds to the brightness. Furthermore, if the reflectors are removable, you have the option of having them on or off.

Why UFO High Bay Lights are Beneficial

Image Source: stouchlighting.com

There are many other lights one can choose from, but there are advantages that UFO lights bring to the table which makes them more preferable.

i) Efficient

UFO high bay lights give a high-quality light output which is useful for large warehouses and hangers. UFO lights work are affordable to run and use much less electricity compared to other types of lights. Furthermore, UFO-led high bays get rid of the need for giant metal halides as they have beam angles that take care of the floor space to be lit.

ii) Cheap

UFO lights use less than 50% energy that other lights would use, making them cheaper to run compared to other lights. If you know how to run lights using solar, then you are better placed to save more energy using high bay lights. Furthermore, the options we provided above are affordable to obtain.

iii) Long Lifespan

LED technology ensures that lights last longer than other forms like fluorescent lights. UFO lights can last years without the need to change them.

iv) Safe

UFO high bay lights are not harsh to the eyes. Furthermore, the lights are not too hot, making them comfortable to be around. The lights are high up, and the chances of accidents are low.

Frequently Asked Questions About High Bay UFO LED Lights

1) What is a UFO high bay light?

The shape that LED high bay lights have might be the reason why they are referred to as UFO lights. The shape is similar to what we associate with alien ships and unidentified flying objects, also known as UFOs.

The lights are high bay because they are used in spaces with very high ceilings like airport hangers, warehouses, malls, and more spaces.

2) How long do LED high bay lights last?

Most LED high bay lights have a lifespan that averages around 40,000 and 60, 000 hours, which is an average of about six years. If used correctly and well maintained, the lights can live up to their lifespan.

3) What is the advantage of high-bay LED lights?

LED lights have a lot of advantages. First, the lights can last up to 10 times longer than fluorescent or CFL lights. Furthermore, LED lights do not emit any heat.

LED lights have other advantages, including?

  • Dimmable
  • Energy efficient
  • Affordable in the longterm
  • Durable
  • Safer
  • Bright

Final Thoughts

Industrial lighting is vital to keep operations going on in factories and warehouses. High bay lights are great for the industrial space because they are safe, efficient, cheap, have a long lifespan, and work with most high bay fixtures. Getting high bay lights for your garage remodel is not hard, given the reviews we have done above.

Ian Mutuli

About the author

Ian Mutuli

Founder and Managing Editor of Archute. He is also a graduate architect from The University of Nairobi, Kenya.
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