LED Lights for Basketball Courts

What is the Best Light for Basketball Courts?

LED lights are replacing HPS, mercury vapor, metal halide, and fluorescent lamps as the go-to for basketball court lighting because they are more energy saving, and they last much longer which makes them the obvious lighting choice.

When you think about LED Lights for basketball courts, you have to separate indoor courts from outdoor courts.

For indoor courts, LED UFO High Bays work well. They provide powerful balanced lighting from above. The lights are also impact resistant and can handle hits from a ball.

For outdoor courts, there are two options. LED Parking Lot Lights with either Type 3 or Type 5 optics as well as LED Flood Lights are used to light up basketball courts and sport courts. These lights are commonly referred to as LED Sports Lighting.

What are Sport Court Lights?

Sport Court Lights are outdoor lighting fixtures designed to light up sport courts. Sport Courts are multi-purpose hard playing surfaces, that can include basketball, tennis. pickleball, roller hockey and other sporting events.

LED Lighting, like LED flood lights, are designed to light up outdoor sport courts.

How Do Lights Differ for Outdoor Versus Indoor Basketball Courts?

Indoor courts are lit from above and are far easier to light up and create the proper lighting balance. Outdoor courts are perimeter pole mounted.

How Do You Calculate Basketball Court Lighting Levels?

We can provide a free lighting plan to show light placement, light levels and balance across the court. There is no need for you to try and calculate this yourself.

I Need to Replace Existing Metal Halide Fixtures. What LED Lights for Basketball Courts do you recommend?

We can replace your metal halide or high pressure sodium fixtures, 1 for 1, and can match the fixture type. So, if you have high bays, flood lights or parking lot lights, we can replace 400 Watt and 1000+ Watt fixtures with LEDs.

Are Linear or UFO Style Lights Better For a Basketball Court and Why?

Of the two different types of High Bay LED Lights, we would recommend UFO fixtures for one main reason. UFO fixtures are impact rated at IK08 or higher, and can survive a ball hit. We have two high impact linear fixtures available (here and here). But most aren’t rated for impact like UFO fixtures are.

I Have an Indoor Basketball Court with a Mounting Height of 25 Feet. How Many Light Fixtures Do I Need?

That depends on the light levels you are trying to achieve. Using 24 of our 150 Watt HBC UFO fixtures mounted 25 feet high produces 85 foot candles. Lighting’s even and balanced across the entire court. Your requirements may be different. We can create a free lighting plan to determine the right number of fixtures for your space.

Are LED Lights for Basketball Courts Impact Proof?

Many of our fixtures have been impact tested to IK08-IK10. IK10 has the highest impact rating. We offer both High Bay LED Lights, LED Parking Lot Lights and LED Flood Lights with this high impact rating. IK08 is ideal for basketball courts.

Do the Lights Come with a Power Cord?

Some do, and if that is important, reach out to us and we can help you find a fixture with a cord.

Where Should You Place Lights Around the Perimeter of an Outdoor Court?

Every court is different, and every court has their own requirements. Creating a lighting plan removes all the risk and guesswork from this process. We can suggest pole locations. Or use your existing poles and find the best light that will give you the best results. If you need poles you we can also supply poles for your basketball court or any sport court

Should I Install a Safety Cable for Lights Hung Over a Basketball Court?

Yes, we recommend this for safety.