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Lighting DesignLED High Bay Lights
High bay light fixtures are used to illuminate large indoor spaces with high ceilings. They’re designed to produce a bright, quality light from high ceilings ranging from 20 feet to 60 feet. High bay lights are typically hung from the ceiling with hooks or chains but can also be mounted with pendants or directly to the ceiling. LED high bays deliver a powerful, high quality light source that rivals or exceeds traditional light sources such as Metal Halide. They are proven to lower maintenance costs and reduce lighting bills by 50% to 80%. Get Your Free LED High Bay Lighting Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
We spoke to first time buyers and long-term customers to find out their most commonly asked questions when it comes to buying high bay lights. If you couldn’t find an answer to your question below, feel free to call us at (888) 423-3191 and a dedicated lighting expert will help you find the best light for your needs.
General
What Is Considered High Bay?
High bay fixtures are commonly used in industrial and some commercial applications.
Today’s high bays are typically one of two styles:
- Round style UFO – these are a good replacement for metal halide fixtures
- Rectangular style linear high bays – these lights are a great replacement for fluorescent/T5 fixtures.
Choosing a certain style comes down to personal preferences. Both options produce the same light coverage and levels in most applications.
How Do You Choose High Bay Lights?
The best way to choose the right high bay light when there are existing fixtures is to replace a 400 Watt Metal Halide with 15,000 to 30,000 LED lumen output. You should replace a 1000 Watt Metal Halide with a 40,000+ LED lumen output.
The specific output can be determined by understanding the following factors:
- What is the current wattage?
- How many fixtures are there?
- How high are the fixtures mounted?
- What is the space used for? (This will help determine the amount of light required)
If the installation is new or you’re not sure what are the right answers to these questions, then we recommend making a lighting plan to determine the right high bay. Scroll to the bottom of this page to request yours!
What Is the Difference Between a High Bay and Low Bay Light?
Old Metal Halide High Bays all had a dome on them (the term high bay was used because they were tall). The dome was used to direct the light downwards. Today, the light from LED fixtures shines down so the dome is not needed. Nowadays, the term ‘low bays’ refers to a low-profile, lower powered fixture mounted at a height below 20 feet.
High Bay
Low Bay
What Are the Best LED High Bay Lights?
The high bays you see on this page are hard to beat. They are all high-quality, robust, and powerful fixtures designed to deliver years of premium and maintenance-free lighting.
If you’re wondering what the best high bay light for you is, we’re here to help.
This can be determined by performing a lighting plan and finding that perfect light that delivers the required foot candles for your space and provides an even and balanced lighting. What’s more, if this light is backed by LED Lighting Supply’s warranty and post-sales support, you can rest assured you have purchased a great high bay for your facility.
How Do You Size High Bay Lights?
Sizing a high bay is understanding the number of lumens you need collectively to produce the foot candles you require at your facility. It is important that you understand that purchasing a light based on the lumens it produces and not the watts it consumes is the way to go.
A lot of buyers who come to LED Lighting Supply’s website are searching for lights based on watts, not lumens. Across LED lights, lumens produced can vary greatly for fixtures that consume the same number of watts.
The size of the light you need is the one that delivers the foot candles you require on the floor. A high bay lighting plan takes away all the guesswork in finding the right sized light for your needs.
In terms of physical size, round UFO high bays can range from 9 inches to 15 inches in diameter. Panel high bays can be as long as 48 inches and vary in width between 10 inches and 24 inches.
Do I Need High Bay Lights?
High bays are used in industrial applications and some commercial applications where:
A lot of light is required
The environment is extreme, damp, or dirty
Mounting height can vary and is 20 feet or above
Reliable light is required
They are used in factories, warehouses, and similar
Commonly used at gyms and other sporting locations
If your ceiling height is below 20 feet, high bays are too powerful and we recommend you use a shop light or a low bay light.
Do LED High Bay Lights Get Hot?
LEDs are designed with heat syncs to reduce the operating temperatures of fixtures. They run a lot cooler than Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium Lighting. Fluorescent lighting does not typically run hot.
LED high bay lights do produce heat, however, that heat is relatively low when compared to the one metal halide bulbs emit. If you touch a metal halide bulb that has been turned on for a few hours, you risk being burnt.
Are LED High Bays explosion proof?
No. But we do offer Explosion Proof Class 1 Div 1 and Class 1 Div 2 High Bays. Click here to view these lights.
What's the hottest temperature you can install a LED High Bay in?
Some of the high bays on this page have an upper rating of 140F. But if you're needing a fixture that can handle more than, we offer a family of lighting fixtures with an upper temperature rating of 212F. Click here to see our high temperature LED Fixtures.
Before You Buy
What to Look for When Buying High Bay Lights?
The main features you should look for include:
- Wattage / Lumens / Lumens per watt – how powerful and efficient the high bay is
- Color temperature
- Color rendering index (CRI) - the quality of the light
- Voltage range - make sure it matches your needed voltage
- Beam angle - does the light you're looking to buy has any, and what do you need
- Mounting - consider whether the unit matches your needs
- Warranty and who services it: this is where LED Lighting Supply excels.
A few more things to consider before you buy high bay lights:
Look for good product reviews and make sure the company is reputable
Find a vendor that understands your requirements and provides professional recommendations based on them
You like how the product looks
The product has a 5+ years warranty.
How Many LED High Bay Lights Do I Need?
If you are converting your existing lights over from metal halide or fluorescent to LED, chances are we can do a 1-for-1 replacement. For new lighting layouts, it's important to go through the following steps:
1. How many foot-candles do you want on the ground?
2. What is the physical space of the area?
3. Are there any obstructions?
From there, we can create a lighting plan that will model this area. This plan will not only tell you how many lights you need but will also tell you where they should be located and what's the optimal distance between them.
The lighting plan will show you the average, minimum, and maximum foot-candle readings in the space and will tell you how balanced the light is (look for a low average/min ratio).
Do You Have Stock Available?
Yes, our main warehouse is in Nashua, NH, but we have other products located in other warehouses across the country.
How Quickly Can You Ship High Bays to My Location?
Shipping times for in-stock products range from same-day delivery to 5 business days, depending on the product.
Do High Bays Come with a Plug?
Our high bay solutions come with a bare whip /power cord ranging from 4 feet to 6 feet. We do not supply a plug because the requirements can vary from installation to installation.
Most industrial installation wires go directly into a J-box and do not require a plug. If a plug is required, we can quote an optional plug.
What Do You Have to Replace 400/1000 Watt Metal Halide?
We have many options that can replace 400 Watts and 1000 Watts metal halides. Typically, these are the basic parameters:
To replace 400 watts metal halide: 120-200 watts LED producing 15,000 to 30,000 lumens
To replace 1000 watts metal halide: 240-500 watts LED producing 40,000 to 65,000 lumens.
The actual wattage required will ultimately depend on:
- How many fixtures are there
- How high are the fixtures mounted
- What is the space used for – to determine the amount of light required.
Do You Offer Bulk or Contractor Discounts?
Yes, we do, and if you are a contractor or have a large facility that requires lots of fixtures, please call us and ask for a bulk discount.
Fixtures And Fittings
What Are the Best Applications of LED High Bay Lights?
Large open spaces are perfect for LED high bays, these include:
Recreation Centers
Industrial Facilities
Manufacturing Facilities
Can You Use High Bay Lights in a Garage?
No. These would be very bright and far more than what you need. Consider a low bay, shop light, or vapor light for your garage.
Are LED High Bay Lights Good as Outdoor Security Lights?
No. There are far better fixtures that can do a better job.
For outdoor security lighting, consider using:
How High Do High Bay Lights Need to Be?
Any ceiling with a height of 20 feet or higher is good for installing high bay lights.
Installation
How Do You Mount a High Bay Light?
High bay lights come with these common mounting options:
Eye Hook
Pendant Mount (typically ¾ inch)
Cable Mount (used on panel style high bays)
Surface mount – mounted to the wall or ceiling
How Do You Layout High Bay Lights?
The best way to figure out the layout is to create a lighting plan. This takes out all the guesswork of trying to find the best layout and the best light to match the layout.
How Can I Wire LED High Bay Lights?
Wiring is pretty simple. There are typically 3 main wires that the high bay uses:
Line
Neutral
Ground
Optionally, there are two low voltage dimming wires that allow you to control the light levels with a 1-10V dimmer. Make sure the LED high bay light you purchase has dimming wires if you plan on dimming the fixtures – not all of them do.
However, we highly recommend hiring a licensed electrician for any high bay LED installation.
Lighting and Dimming
Do You Have Any Dimmable High Bay Light Bulbs?
Yes, we have many dimmable high bay lights. On the specification of each light, we identify if the fixture is dimmable. They are all 1-10V dimmable and are controlled by 2 low voltage dimming wires.
How to Dim LED High Bay Lights?
Assuming the high bay is dimmable, then you would hook the high bays together, daisy-chaining 2 low voltage wires from high bay to high bay. The low voltage wires would be run to a separate 0-10V LED dimmer switch and the switch would control the light levels of the high bays.
Optionally, you could install a motion sensor on the high bays. These motion sensors work in conjunction with the dimming features of the high bay and will dim the light when there's no activity in the area.
Do You Sell a Dimmer to Work with These Lights?
We do, and we can recommend a dimmer switch.
How Well Does the Motion Sensor Work on High Bays?
Motion sensors works on high bays, however, for best results, make sure your high bay light is dimmable. That way, you can control the light level of the ‘dimmed’ state when there's no activity in the area.
Otherwise, all you can do is turn the light on and off if the fixture is not dimmable. Make sure the motion sensor is compatible with the high bay you have purchased.
How to Change High Bay Lights to LED bulbs?
It's really easy. Our high bays are designed to be a 1-for-1 replacement for metal halide and fluorescent lights. Here are the basic steps:
- Turn off the power
- Disconnect or unplug the existing high bay
- Hang the new LED high bay
- Wire in the new high bay, or attach a plug and plug it in
- Turn on the power.
Are LED High Bay Lights Harmful?
No. They do not contain mercury or other harmful products, and they are not manufactured using harmful products. They do not require special recycling procedures at the end of their lifespan, unlike metal halide and fluorescent lights.
Get your free lighting plan
Founded in 2008, LED Lighting Supply has been providing high bay lighting solutions to facilities across the country for more than a decade.
Whether you need a free lighting plan or have questions about LEDs, our expert lighting team will help you make the right choice – whether that’s for a school gym or a 1,000,000 square foot facility.
Contact us for a free lighting plan or to discuss your LED lighting goals.
