When to Choose a High Bay or Low Bay Light (Revised 2022)

What is a Bay Light?

Before we get into the differences between High Bay LED Lights and low bay lighting, you should first know what bay lighting is. Bay lights are light fixtures that are used to illuminate relatively large areas and they require a high-power wattage. Most often, they are mounted on ceilings that are 12+ feet high and produce over 8000 lumens. Bay lighting is available in two different styles, with two drastically different applications.

You’ll most often hear these commercial lights and industrial lights referred to by two different styles, otherwise known as high bay lighting and low bay lighting. There are many differences between these two, which we’ll go over in detail later. But for now, just know that High Bay lights are typically found on ceilings over twenty feet and Low Bay lights are most commonly used for ceilings between 12-20 feet.

Within these two categories, you’ll find several different variations of both styles, each suited to a different purpose. These high-powered lights are widely used in commercial and industrial facilities across the country. But, choosing which one is right for your facility can be tricky, especially when they appear so similar on the surface. Here, we’ll break down the key differences between both, their many variations, and suggestions for different applications.

Bay lights come in many shapes and sizes, but the most popular versions are circular UFO LED Lights and rectangular (or square) shaped Linear High Bays. Lighting specialists find the right light fixture for your space by determining the total coverage required and taking the desired aesthetic into account.

High Bay Lighting Basics

Because these lights are so similar, in this case, it’s more helpful to discuss them in terms of where they can commonly be found.

A High Bay is a tall vertical ceiling space, with a vast open area beneath it. Any light designed to be installed and illuminate this area is a “High Bay Fixture”. Super powerful lights and wide beam angles make it perfect for illuminating high bay areas.

As far as the actual installation goes, the spacing of high bays must be equal to their mounting height. What this means is that at a 25-foot height, the light fixtures should be spaced 25 feet apart. Even so, a photometric study is an ideal way to determine the best layout for your space.

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Low Bay Lighting Basics

Now that you’re familiar with what high bay lights are, it’s time to look at their counterparts, low bay lighting. A low bay is a space where the ceiling is between 12- 20 feet high.

Typically, LED Lights used for low bay areas are between 10,000-20,000 lumens. Since they are mounted so much closer to the ground than high bay lights, they do not require a powerful LED light to properly illuminate the space.

If you were to use a light with higher lumens, you’d likely find that the light would be much too bright.

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High Bays

1. Height of installation

Although we’ve already mentioned this a couple of times, it’s worth going over in detail because it is the most noticeable difference. For your lighting to correctly suit your space and do its job, noting the ceiling height is extremely important.

Choosing the wrong type, whether it’s too powerful for a low ceiling or vice versa, will result in poor light distribution and an unworkable environment.

High bay lighting is specifically designed for spaces with ceilings anywhere from 20-40 feet high.

To function properly, they are the more powerful versions of the bay fixtures we offer. On average, they produce between 15,000 to 60,000 lumens. High Bay lights also can be outfitted with optics if needed to ensure the light is directed to the floor, and not on the walls.

These extra steps ensure that the fixture can evenly illuminate the space without wasting any shine.

2. Application

LED bay lights are widely used in industrial and commercial spaces. These lights are hardy and virtually maintenance-free, making them a no-brainer for facility managers. But high bays and low bay lights have very different applications. To give you a general idea of what each light does best, we’ve listed some options.

Some areas of application of high bay lights include:

Manufacturing Areas
Warehouses
Airport Hangars
Storage Spaces
Sports Gymnasiums

3. Wattage and Power

The amount of power you use will vary greatly from high bay and low bay applications. Using a powerful fixture in a low bay/low ceiling application will make the lighting too bright. Not using a powerful bay fixture in a high bay application will have the reverse effect. The lighting will appear dim and underlit.

Typical high bay wattages range from 150 to 200 Watts to replace 400-Watt Metal Halides, and 240 to 400 to replace 1000-Watt Metal Halides.

4. Beam Angle

Although it is often overlooked, choosing the ideal beam angle for your LED fixture is very important. This can be defined as the “width” of the light that is produced by the lamp and is measured in degrees.

Note: LED Lights use optics to control beam angles, whereas old technology like Metal Halide uses reflectors to control beam angles. It is not common to find reflectors on an LED Indoor Fixture.

Beam angles for high bay lighting are usually either 60, 90, or 120 degrees. This relatively narrow beam produces a highly concentrated shine.

This is extremely important in high bay lighting because it ensures that the light doesn’t dissipate before it reaches the ground.

5. Mounting

Mounting methods apply more to the application of the light than the fixture, but there are still noteworthy distinctions between mounting high bay and low bay fixtures.

Both fixtures can be suspended from chains or hooks, or they are mounted directly to the ceiling. But their opposing settings play a huge role in determining how they are installed.

High bay lighting fixtures can be hung from the ceiling using chains, pendants, hooks, or by mounting them directly. In addition to traditional mountings, high bay lights can also be used to provide lighting to vertical surfaces.

6. Input Voltage

In commercial and industrial spaces, the input voltage is typically much higher than what you see in a home residence. It is very common to see voltages up to 277 Volts in a commercial space, and voltages up to 480 Volts in an industrial space.

7. Color Temperature

Color Temperatures can vary significantly. The most common range of temperatures is between 2700K and 6500K. The lower the number, the more yellow the light (also described as warm lighting). The higher the number, the bluer the light is (also described as cool lighting).

Use a Lighting Plan to Ensure a Good Fit

With all this information, you should have enough knowledge to make the right decision on lighting for your facility. But, if you want to get more specifics on how many lights you need and where they should be installed, things become a little less clear.

So, how do you determine what is the best fixture for your location? How do you know how many you should get, and the best places to mount them for an even distribution? A little thing called a photometric lighting plan will answer all of your questions and more.

We can produce a free lighting plan to help. It’s generated by using specialized software and it will allow you to see what your different lighting options are.

The report will show you everything from how bright the area will be, how well the light is distributed, and what light suits your space best. This free software plan ensures that you’re confident in your decision and makes choosing the lighting for commercial and industrial facilities a breeze.