The right lighting for your workbench is essential for getting the job done efficiently, and as well as possible. Poor lighting can not only make things harder, but you may also end up straining your eyes. From wood work to car parts, proper task lighting will make a world of difference.
At The Lighting Outlet, we have over a decade of experience helping customers fit out their residential and commercial spaces, including garages and work benches. We also have a number of work spaces in our warehouse for completing intricate tasks, so we have first-hand experience of what works well, and what does not. We've tried, tested and tweaked over the year to get our ideal setup.
We’ve picked out our favourite workbench lighting options to get you started - from the purely practical to lighting fit for a showroom.
Things to consider
- How many lumens
- Colour of light
- IP ratings
- Maintenance
- Natural light
Lumens
Lumens are a measure of how bright a light is. The number of lumens you’ll need for your workbench is proportional to its size, and it’s pretty simple to work out when you know. For workbenches we recommend between 500 and 750 lux (1 lux is 1 lumen per square metre).
For a 2x1m bench, you’d therefore need 2 x 750, which would be 1500 lumens. The rest of the room can be ambient lighting. As an example, two HV5527T downlights above the bench would give you a good amount of lighting.
Positioning of the lighting
We've all had that annoying experience where your own shadow continually gets in the way of what you're doing. This can usually be remedied by careful placement of lighting. For example, the two downlights mentioned above should be spaced evenly towards either end of the workbench, rather than directly above where you'd likely be working.
If you're limited with your positioning, a portable light can provide an extra helping hand. We like having one of these as a backup anyway.
Colour/ temperature of light
For workbenches, we’d suggest 4000K lights, similar to what is used in offices. These are not too bright but will help to keep you focussed on the task at hand.
IP ratings
If you work with liquids or have fine dust particles flying around, it would be worth considering IP ratings for any lights close up on your workbench. IP, or ingress protection, is a measure of what the fitting is designed to withstand. For overhead lights these are unlikely to be necessary unless they will come into contact with the liquids or dust.
Another factor to consider is the space more generally. If your space is in an area which can get damp, such as a garage or shed, choose IP44 as a minimum.
Maintenance
Lights with separate globes may seem on paper to be more hassle, but they will actually save you time, and money. If an integrated light fails, the whole fitting needs replacing whereas a simple bulb change is quick and easy. Alternatively, go for a plug and play option that is easy to replace.
Whatever you opt for, choose a good quality brand with a decent warranty policy. Ultra cheap brands are often cheap for a reason.
Natural light
One thing to always consider is the natural light source in your room, and making the most of them if you can. However, be sure to consider where the light will be at different times of day, and don't forget winter vs summer. You might find a space next to the window gives you lots of lovely light, but it might be too warm to work at in the summer months without additional cooling or you might get shadows falling in inconvenient places and still require additional lighting.
