High Bay Lighting VS Low Bay Lighting

1. Brief introduction

Commercial lighting is a growing market valued at over $8.2 billion.

Large commercial buildings, warehouses, industrial plants and their high ceilings require specialized lighting setups to provide adequate lighting.

This begs the following frequently asked question: High Bay vs Low Bay Fixtures: What’s the Difference?

LED high bay lights are now the preferred alternative to fluorescent lights, but they come in several varieties.

Two that are most useful for large spaces with fairly high ceilings are high bay and low bay lighting fixtures.

There are several similarities between the two types, such as they are both installed on high ceilings.

The important thing to remember before buying them is that they also have some differences that make them special for special cases.

Read our high-bay vs. low-bay lighting comparison guide to learn what these fixtures do and how to choose between them.

2. What is Bay Lighting?

Bay lighting is usually a high bay light illuminating a large area with a high ceiling.

Application examples include warehouses, commercial buildings, retail locations, and stadiums.

Bay Lighting has two main categories of industrial and mining lights.

The main feature used to differentiate them is the ceiling height, but they also have other similarities and differences.

2.1. High Bay and Low Bay Lighting

(1) Both high-bay and low-bay lighting fixtures are used to illuminate large areas and are installed on high ceilings to provide stronger light while reducing glare.

(2) Ceiling height is the best way to compare high bay and low bay lighting.

Low bay fixtures are only available for 12-20 foot ceilings.

High bay light fixtures can illuminate ceilings 20-45 feet high.

(3) The intensity of their lights is also different.

Low bay lighting is less than 100 watts, while high bay lighting can exceed 100 watts.

(4) High-bay lights and low-bay lights also use different suspension methods.

Low-bay lighting is suspended from chains or hooks.

High bay lights can be hung from the ceiling using hooks, chains or pendants, or they can be attached directly to the ceiling like troffer lights.

2.2 Manufacturing Industrial High Bay Lights

The manufacturing process for each type is also different.

Low bay lighting fixtures include reflectors or lenses to spread the light and reduce glare.

High-bay fixtures require special reflectors made of aluminum to flow light down to the floor or a prismatic assembly to diffuse light and illuminate shelves and other elevated objects.

There are many varieties of high bay lights. They can be used in LED, induction, metal halide or fluorescent light fixtures. Types include circular, linear, architectural and grid mounts.

High bay lights are used in a wider range of applications including industrial and manufacturing facilities, warehouses, gymnasiums, community or entertainment centers, airport hangars, and department stores or other commercial buildings.

3. The difference between high bay light and low bay light

(1) Installation height

High bay lights are used to illuminate spaces where the ceiling is 20 feet above the floor and about 40 feet above the floor.

Additionally, in order for these lights to operate efficiently from this height, they require specially designed reflectors (for HPS/MH bulbs) and lens angles (for LED high bays).

This is done to ensure that the light hits the floor evenly and is not wasted.

High bay lights, on the other hand, are suitable for ceilings below 20 feet from the ground.

Specifically, the ceiling can be between 12 feet and 20 feet.

Therefore, these lights are mainly used in homes, public buildings and retail businesses.

(2) Application

High bay lights are used in industrial and commercial spaces, an example is the lighting of industrial and mining warehouses.

Some application areas for high bay lights include storage facilities, factories, warehouses, airport hangars, municipal facilities, schools and university gymnasiums.

Still, low bay lights can still be used in some of these locations, but it’s still worth pointing out that some of its applications include warehouses, refrigerated storage, gas stations, retail stores, restaurants.

(3) Beam angle

High bay lighting uses common beam angles such as 60°, 90° and 120°.

The narrow beam helps produce a more focused beam, providing high light levels on the floor.

In contrast, the wider beam angle allows for excellent light distribution in large open areas with low roof heights.

In addition to this, the low bay light has a beam angle of 120°.

For low bay lights, the beam angle is used to spread the light further to maintain the desired lighting level, and this beam angle helps direct the light to a specific location.

(4) Installation

High-bay lighting fixtures can be hung from chains or pendant lights, hung from the ceiling using hooks, or fastened directly to the ceiling.

A range of fixtures are available for high bay lights, some of which include grid mounted high bays, linear high bays, circular high bays and architectural high bays.

The consideration for using a high bay light is that it can illuminate vertical surfaces as well as floors.

Vertical lighting is important in some warehouses because it helps pick items from the shelves.

(5) Unique distinction

While there are differences between high bay lights and low bay lights, their unique difference is the ceiling height they are installed on.

For heights below 20 feet, low bay lights are suitable, while high bay lights can be used in spaces where the ceiling is more than 40 feet from the floor.

There are technical differences between the two, which are in their lumen output and the direction of the light.

Lower lights will require less lumen output as they tend to lose less light.

In this case, low bay lights use fewer lumens than high bay lighting, so they don’t have to act as hard.

The high lumen output of high bay lights can be attributed to the fact that they are mounted farther apart, so they need to be compensated for in order to reach important areas and prevent shadows.

Also, the angle of the reflector or lens may be different because different heights require different directions and light positions.

For example, a high bay light will utilize a reflector that ensures the light is diffused downwards and outwards to provide visibility in the space despite the great distance it is installed.

4. How to choose the right workshop lighting

High-bay and low-bay lighting fixtures are very popular in commercial and industrial settings.

The choice between the two depends on the area in which they will be installed and the desired level of brightness.

Additionally, choosing one over the other can significantly impact the safety of the facility as well as the operational efficiency of the workplace.

That being the case, there are some differences between high bay lighting and low bay lighting that differentiate the two and give them an advantage over the other.

Knowing the difference between high-bay lighting and low-bay lighting can help you choose the right type.

There are other factors to keep in mind, such as light bulbs, power sources, and energy usage.

(1) Configuration

The configuration affects the quality of the product. Generally, the light beads and power supply are asked. A good light bead with a good power supply can make the LED high bay light run stably for a long time.

The LED high bay lights sold by LedsMaster are equipped with Purui light beads and MEAN WELL power supply, and the light beads and Kerui are optional.

Brand-name, high-quality, LED high bay lights produced by Langliang Lighting have a luminous life of up to 50,000 hours.

(2) Power

There are often manufacturers on the market that use 80W to falsely mark 100W or even 150W high bay lights. Of course, new buyers cannot see them, but they can see the actual power as long as they are connected to the meter. The virtual standard power directly leads to insufficient light, so it will actually affect the work of the factory workers behind.

Obviously, choosing a reliable lighting brand can avoid such problems. The LedsMaster lighting power supply is true and reliable, and there is no falsehood. It is deeply trusted and loved by customers.

(3) Material and type of radiator

Generally speaking, the higher the purity of aluminum, the larger the radiator area, and the better the heat dissipation effect.

If the heat dissipation of the high bay light is not good, it will generate high temperature within a few hours of operation, and the heat will continue to affect other accessories such as light beads.

Aluminum alloy is used as raw material to ensure its heat dissipation performance. In principle, the greater the power, the greater the light mode.