Your garage lights suck. It’s easier to fix than you think

As I prepare my new garage for my new shop I thought I would tackle the absolutely, hilariously bad, lighting situation. As you know, in any workshop the quantity and quality of lighting is SO important to safety and efficiency. There is no way that the original single bulb fixtures were going to work in there so I set out to find a better way. Oh and it had to be quick and easy since my time has been a precious commodity lately.

That is where I came across the wide world of wacky LED fixtures on Amazon. There seems to be an explosion of Chinese-produced tri-fold fixtures that are now widely available. I began researching the different types, models, brands, and configurations. When installing LED shop lights there are a couple of considerations:
Lumens (measure of light output)
Color Temperature (measured in K, dictates how "cool" or "warm" the light is)
Color Rendering Index (CRI for short, dictates how realistic or color-accurate objects look when illuminated)

For lumens I wanted to shoot for as many as I could. Typically LED fixtures put out anywhere from 100-110 lumens per Watt, where as conventional incandescent bulbs put out about 10 lumens per Watt. For color temperature I know that I like 5000K for a shop. This would be a bit too "cold" for an indoor house light, but I think works really well when building things. Finally, you should always shoot for a CRI above 80. Anything below 80 will cause your projects (and belongings) to appear color-distorted and can throw you off when you're doing things like painting.

With all of the specs laid out I could use that to help weed through the options on Amazon. Since all of these lights utilized an existing lampholder fixture (E26/27), I knew they would be my fastest option, assuming they worked. Below you will find the TOP 3 options I came across:

Top LED (E26) Fixtures on Amazon:

I purchased a total of 8 fixtures and installed 7 of them in my 3-car garage...WOW what a difference! Per the product page, each fixture puts out 9,000 lumens so my garage (in theory) is now lit by 63,000 lumens total! They were a breeze to install and assuming I just re-used my existing 4 ceiling fixtures...would have taken a whopping 5 minutes to complete.

Links to those products:

Supplies I used in the video (affiliate links help support the channel!):

Shop Nation Links:
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#shoplights #garagelights #ledlights #LED

[dougdiplacido]

I am an electrical contractor and you really made changing light bulbs interesting and entertaining. I subscribed.

[DudeosoTTV]

I do love that you're willing to cover complex stuff and approachable stuff. There are often simple solutions to simple problems!

[brianeaves]

The irony of a 10 minute video for a 5 minute job is not lost on me LOL. I love it. Looking forward to seeing more projects in the new shop!

[Golfexpertbelieveme]

Im so glad that you finally upgraded your lighting. It was difficult to see you from my car across the street at night with that horrible old lighting. Much appreciated

[KemDIY]

I’ve had these in my garage for a year or so and I LOVE them. It’s almost embarrassing how bright they are. Lol. Many of my neighbors have also upgraded to these.

[TEAMUSA]

I changed the video speed x2 and i was able to learn how to light my garage in 5 minutes.

[crossgrainwoodproductsltd]

I bought some very similar with the 3 wings and put one in my "single car" garage and the difference is incredible. The other went into my half basement and I can see things now that I wish I hadn't, lol. You really should be doing this on a network. You are very good at explaining and doing things with humor too!

[TCRC]

I bought these from the local retailer on a whim a month ago and thought "Meh, they're kinda expensive but let's try 'em out." One of the few things I bought that I thought was a gimmick but actually does a really good job.

[MK]

I bought one those for my garage about a year ago. It's makes a world of difference! I highly recommend those.

[kylelathrop]

I just want to say that this video is truly illuminating. I have struggled with lighting issues in the past, your expertise has illuminated different options on my illumination needs.

[CasualBuilds]

I've always wondered how those lights performed. Thanks for putting together this video, Travis!

[SJ]

I ordered this after your recommendation - amazing. We only have one light fixture in our two-car garage, and it was very inadequate. Not being handy like you, and not having access to the space above the garage, we couldn’t add additional fixtures - BUT, just one of these lights has made a world of difference. Thanks for the tip.

[dalecain]

I had 4 bulb fluorescent lights in my kitchen and changed the bulbs to LEDs and wow what a difference it made. Those lights for your garage are great and yes it’s a cool upgrade and easy to accomplish!

[stevenrayhoward]

Absolutely fantastic! I have read a number of (less than appreciative) comments. All I can say is: "They totally don't get it!" It's not just about how to change a light bulb, it's about how a great guy took his time to spend HOURS videoing (recording) a phenomenal amount of footage, editing, digital splicing, audio management, etc. to put this video together in addition to the research and investigation into the final selection PLUS the before and after results. I VERY much appreciate what you have done. Thanks! I did, however, purchase a different model... 140 watts, 18, 500 lumens 6000K daylight (and a pair of sunglasses). Only needed one for the one socket in the ceiling of our house garage... I think it instantly killed all vermin that possibly had taken up residence! LOL Thanks again! -Woodprobie

[ACETradingclub]

Literally the moment you said “is this guy making a video about changing a light bulb “ I was thinking the same damn thing!!!

[kasper]

i purchased that same fixture a few months ago. Its amazing the difference it made in my garage. I no longer have to bring a flashlight out to the garage anymore

[andresrivera]

Dont know how I ended up here but I wasnt planning on upgrading my garage lighting since i had recently changed the light bulbs to LED but daym just had to buy this thanks for the video

[sambas]

These lights are amazing! Bought one the other day and will never go back!

[johnchavez]

Was laying around Flippin through youtube and saw this video and I'm ordering some of these today! Thanks for sharing this video I was looking for a lighting option for my little workshop without having to break the bank and this is it

[ruffneckranch]

Have had mine installed just over a year. No issues and damn bright! Good choice!!! But now I want to add a few more, thanks Travis! Ha!