What are the Best LED Lighting Supply Lights for Warehouses and Distribution Centers?

There is no “one-size-fits-all” best warehouse light. But there is a lighting solution that should be the best choice for your space, whether you need indoor or outdoor lighting solutions.

Understanding your warehouse’s purpose goes a long way toward narrowing down the most efficient light fixture option. We will ask a few simple questions and might create a free lighting plan.

LED Lighting Supply can offer you the best warehouse high bay LED lights for your needs. Our energy-efficient LED warehouse lighting solutions will provide bright light output and balanced, even lighting with LED energy efficiency savings on your lighting bill. will provide bright light output and balanced, even lighting with LED energy efficiency savings on your lighting bill.

What are the Benefits of Using LED Lighting Supply Lights in a Warehouse Environment?

Here are a few reasons why LED Lighting Supply fixtures are more suitable for warehouses than HID Lighting and fluorescent lighting in commercial and industrial facilities:

• Energy Savings: LED Lighting Supply warehouse lights will reduce energy consumption by 50-90% over traditional lighting solutions, reducing energy costs.
• Reduced Maintenance: Our LED high bay light fixtures will dramatically reduce maintenance costs with 10+ years of maintenance-free lighting.
• Nothing to Dispose: Unlike fluorescent tubes that contain mercury, there are no additional costs to dispose of our LED lights at end-of-life.
• Lighting Controls: LED Lighting Supply LED warehouse lights work well with motion sensors. Lights are only at full power when needed. These are perfect for unoccupied areas of the warehouse.
• Ready when you are: Our LED lights are Instant on, instant off - no waiting for lights to achieve full power.
• Better Quality Lighting: Our LED lights provide consistent high quality lighting and produce no annoying humming or flickering.
• Wattage Adjustable: Many of our warehouse LED lights have toggle switches to adjust the power output.
• Color Adjustable: Many of our lights have toggle switches to select between 3000K and 5000K.
• Voltage Options: You can choose from standard voltage 100-277V or high voltage 277-480V. Drivers automatically adjust to the incoming voltage.
• Emergency Backup (EMBs): Some of our warehouse lights are equipped with Emergency Backup Batteries so the lights stay lit when the power is shut off.
• Life Expectancy: Our lights will last for many years with zero if any, maintenance.
• Commercial and Industrial Grade Fixtures: LED lighting supply lights for warehouses are built rugged and will last for years
• Warehouse Racking: Lighting options available to light up warehouse aisles and racking

What are the Different Types of LED Lighting Supply Warehouse Lights?

• UFO Warehouse Lights: Our LED UFO Warehouse Fixtures are a perfect replacement for Metal Halide / HID light fixtures. Our industrial high bay fixtures are high impact rated and waterproof. These are perfect for higher ceilings. High Power and high voltage are available.
• Linear Warehouse Lights: Our LED Linear Warehouse Lights are a great replacement for fluorescent / T5 fixtures. These rectangular LED lights offer great light distribution at ceiling heights up to 40 feet tall.
• Dimmable Warehouse Lights: Many of our UFO or Linear style warehouse fixtures come with a dimmable LED Driver. The drivers are typically 0-10V or 1-10V trigger dimmable and work with a 0-10V dimmer. Dimmable warehouse fixtures work well with motion sensors. Some warehouse lights with a dimmable LED Driver are not dimmable if equipped with a motion sensor, as the motion sensor uses dimming wires.
• Warehouse Lights with Motion Sensors: We offer both microwave motion sensor options and PIR (infrared) motion sensors. Microwave motion sensors are a newer technology that is not affected by dusty environments. So if your environment is dusty, choose a microwave motion sensor option. A motion sensor equipped with LED Warehouse Lights needs to be equipped with a dimmable LED driver.
• Wattage Adjustable Warehouse Lights: These LED Lighting Supply warehouse lights have onboard toggle switches that allow you to choose the wattage and lumen output. This will allow you to customize the light output to meet your needs on location. Our warehouse shop lighting is available in wattage adjustable formats.
• Color Adjustable Warehouse Lighting: These LED Lighting Supply warehouse lights have onboard toggle switches that allow you to choose the color temperature. Typical options are between 3000K and 5000K. 3000K is a warm inviting light where as 5000K is a light that resembles the color temperature of metal halide fixtures. 4000K is a good choice if you like the light output of fluorescent fixtures.
• LED Warehouse Lights with Emergency Backup: These warehouse lights have either onboard EMB packs (linear fixtures) or external EMB units (UFOs) that can provide up to 90 minutes of light when the power supply is interrupted.

How Many LED Warehouse Lighting Fixtures Do You Need?

This question is hard to answer. Only because there are no two warehouses that are the same. There is a path that almost guarantees finding the best High Bay Lights for your warehouse. Here are the steps to finding the best light:

1. Start by determining how much light you need or want in your warehouse. You’ll want to have a light measurement of lux, lumens per square foot, or foot candles.

2. Ask us to create a lighting plan. If it’s a new warehouse, give us the CAD or scaled layout and your desired light levels (or we can recommend them).

If you are looking to do an LED warehouse lighting upgrade in an existing warehouse, provide us with a layout or dimensions. If there are existing light locations, tell us where they are. We will use different types of lights to achieve the results needed. The lighting plan will show you how bright the light levels are, the light balance, and the number of fixtures used to produce the light. It will also tell you what type of fixture we used.

This is the best formula for creating a successful outcome and determining how many lights you need. We can help you find the best LED warehouse high bays based on your requirements. In the end, using LED Lights in your warehouse should provide bright illumination, uniform lighting distribution, and significant energy savings over traditional lighting options.

How Many Lumens are Best for a Warehouse?

Lumens are a function of the amount of light each fixture produces. Deciding based on lumens or watts is not a good approach.

Always start by thinking of the foot candles needed. This will determine how well-lit your warehouse will be. Here are some simple guidelines to start with.

Replace Metal Halides and High-Pressure Sodium with LED High Bay Lights:

• 250 Watts HID: 10,000 to 15,000 LED lumens
• 400 Watts HID: 15,000 to 25,000 LED lumens
• 1000 Watts HID: 40,000 to 60,000 LED lumens

Replace F54 T5 HO Fluorescent Tubes:

• 4 tube F54/T5/HO: 10,000 to 15,000 LED lumens
• 6 tube F54/T5/HO: 15,000 to 25,000 LED lumens
• 8 tube F54/T5/HO: 24,000 to 40,000 LED lumens

* Actual lumens needed will be dependent on mounting height and required light level.

What Mounting Options Are Available for LED Warehouse Lights?

There are several options.

• For UFO lights, we offer eye hooks, pendants, and in some cases, ceiling mounts.
• For panel-style lights, we offer wire/chain and pendant mounts on some lights.

All our UFO Lights use a wire/whipcord so your electrician can wire them into a junction box. You can add a plug to the service end of the whip if your facility uses plugs instead of junction boxes.

For Linear LED High Bay Lights, your installer will wire into the junction box on the fixture.

Need Help Choosing the Right Warehouse Lighting? Talk to an LED Warehouse Lighting Specialist.

With so many options and fixtures available, it's hard to decide which option is going to meet your needs and requirements. The sales engineers of LED Lighting Supply are experts in LED lights for warehouse applications. Use our experience and tell us your needs, and we will provide you with the best LED warehouse lighting options for your project or application. We can provide you with a free lighting plan to make sure the area is well-lit and the lighting is balanced.

Completed Commercial Warehouse Lighting Using LED Lighting Supply Lighting

LED Warehouse Lights FAQ

What are the Benefits of Using LED Warehouse Lights Over Fluorescent and Metal Halide Fixtures?

LED warehouse lights are significantly more energy-efficient with energy savings of 50% or greater and have a longer lifespan with no bulbs or ballasts to replace and dispose of. They provide a higher light quality and can reach full brightness instantly. They work well with lighting controls like motion sensors.

Why are LEDs Better than Fluorescent Lighting for a Warehouse?

Many of the same benefits listed above apply here. Cost savings and maintenance savings are large. But the benefits of fluorescent tubes include:

• No humming ballasts, and no flickering/strobing tubes.
• No expensive recycling costs with LED.
• Environmentally Friendly. They do not contain mercury.
• Works perfectly with motion sensors with no lumen degradation.

What Type of Lighting is Best for a Warehouse?

To choose the right LED warehouse lights, consider the required brightness (foot candles), color temperature, mounting height, beam angle, durability, and whether you need dimming or motion sensors.

However, there is no one standard 'best light', but there is a light that is best for your needs. A lighting plan will sort out the selection of the perfect light, providing you with the light levels and light balance you need.

Can LED Warehouse Lights be Integrated with Sensors?

Yes, LED warehouse lights can be integrated with motion sensors and dimming options. This allows you to turn off or down the lights when the area is void of activity.

What is the Difference Between UFO and Linear High Bay Lights for Warehouse Applications?

UFO high bay lights are round and ideal for open areas with high ceilings, offering a wide light distribution. They are the perfect replacement for metal halide fixtures. Linear high bay lights are rectangular, and suitable for aisles and narrow spaces, providing more directional lighting. They are the perfect replacement for fluorescent fixtures.

How Many Lumens Do You Need for a Warehouse?

We would recommend a range of 30 lumens per square foot (for storage areas) up to 100 lumens per square foot (for assembly and production areas). The amount of lumens varies by the use and task of the area.

What's the Best Way to Avoid Shadows with Industrial Warehouse Lighting?

Shadowing is caused when the light levels in between lights dip significantly so that it’s noticeable to the eye. This is caused by having the lights installed too far apart or the optic on the light being too tight and therefore does not light up a large enough space under the light.

A lighting plan will determine if the light chosen will cause shadows. You can avoid shadowing by creating a lighting layout and choosing the light that will give you the best combination of foot candles and light balance - uniform illumination. Our team helps design high bay lighting plans and provides a range of options suitable for different types of warehouses.

Do Linear Fixtures Give Better Light Coverage than UFO Fixtures in a Warehouse?

Yes – there is a slight advantage due to the design of the fixture. Groupings of LEDs in UFO fixtures are typically close together. Strips of LEDs are installed in linear fixtures and tend to have a wider spacing arrangement.

However, this advantage becomes less clear at higher mounting heights. In fact, in high-ceiling warehouses, UFOs have the advantage. Installed narrow beam optics can better focus the light on the floor where it’s needed.

How Much Light Do You Need for a Warehouse?

This depends on how the warehouse is used. Warehouses used primarily for storage need less light. A warehouse used for manufacturing needs more.

You measure High Bay LED light levels in terms of foot candles on the ground. Foot candles are a result of the lumen output a fixture has and watts produce the lumen output. The more lumens per watt, the better your energy savings will be. And energy savings will mean lower utility bills.

At the lower end, you should try to hit a target of 20 to 30-foot candles. Depending on what your needs are, you can always increase that. The goal of many of our warehouse lighting plans is to achieve proper lighting with an average of 30 to 40-foot candles and balanced light distribution.

How Far Apart Should You Mount LED Lights in a Warehouse?

This depends on the mounting height of the fixtures. The lower the height, the closer the fixtures need to be to each other. The higher the fixture, the further apart they can be.

The goal is to avoid shadows between fixtures and hot spots (too much light) under a fixture.