How Do You Upgrade a Garage Light?
We're here to give you the straight-up answers about upgrading your garage lights. We're going to cut through the chaos of garage advice and give you the best info on how to upgrade the lights in your garage. Whether you're a mechanic carefully trying to repair and restore an antique car, a home gym enthusiast, or just someone who wants more visibility in their garage, we've got your back. With that said, what is the best way to upgrade the lighting in your garage?
Upgrading a garage light can be as easy as screwing in a new light bulb. You can replace your standard garage light bulb with one of STKR Concepts’ garage lighting solutions. The TriLight is a deformable direct screw-in replacement and the MPI has a screw-in hub and 4 light pods that branch off of it.
Some garage lighting varieties require an electrician to come out and install a new line and others have hard-to-manage installation instructions, while our STKR lights take only minutes to install. If you're looking to update your worn-out incandescent lights, read on. Let us show you how easy it is to upgrade your garage lights with specialized products from STKR.
What Kind of Lights Can I Install in My Garage?
With the market for home supplies being as saturated as it is, it can be extremely hard to find the right lights for your garage. Everyone is telling you something different – get something with a warm tint, get something with a cool tint, keep your lights close, keep your lights far away. The list of suggestions is nearly infinite, and every DIY’er is telling you something different.
Before you start jumping at the bit to get your new lights up and working, you've got to take time to decide what type of lights are best for you. There are two major kinds of lights that we supply – overhead lights and portable lights. Overhead lights are great for stationary work, while portable lights can be taken with you everywhere.
Overhead Lights
Overhead lights are a great selection for most people because almost every garage has at least one overhead light bulb socket. Even if you only have room for one new light in your home auto body shop, you can still illuminate the whole garage and keep your workspace safe and well-lit.
Overhead lights can be tricky to install. While some other brands try to sell you overhead lights that need an entirely new fixture to be installed into (think tricky recessed lights and long ballasts), 120volt wiring, possibly hiring an electrician, etc., our ceiling lights are as easy to use as twisting them into the socket and calling it a day.
Multi-Point Illumination (MPI)
The Multi-Point Illumination system (MPI) is the best option for anyone who is looking to upgrade the lights in their garage and wants to utilize an overhead light socket or two. We highly recommend the MPI for people looking to light up their garage because it makes the best use of your limited lightbulb sockets.
Our MPI is unique because it utilizes not just one, but FIVE individual lights out of just one lightbulb socket. The MPI is designed with one main light fixture that screws right into your lightbulb socket. This bulb is the brightest and should be installed at the center of your room.
Along with this central light, we've attached four satellite bulbs that wire into the main light. These smaller satellite units allow you to illuminate all four corners of your room. The wires stay taut towards the ceiling with our unique patent-pending cable management system.
How to Install the MPI
Installing the MPI system takes a short amount of time for a huge output of light. The first step to installing the MPI is screwing the main hub into the lightbulb socket of your choice. If you have multiple overhead lightbulb sockets in your garage, choose the most central one.
After installing the main hub, you should then install the four ceiling plates provided with the MPI installation kit. We've provided screws and anchors to make this easy. Once these plates are drilled in, twist on the four satellite pods. If any wire is left dangling, use the cable management system to tighten them flush against the ceiling.
Complete instructions are included in your installation kit. Make sure to clearly follow the package instructions and enjoy the 7500 true lumens of light in your freshly-brightened garage.
TRiLIGHT Motion Activated Ceiling Light
Along with the MPI, the TRiLIGHT Motion Activated Ceiling Light is – let's just say it – a piece of art. Much like the MPI, the TRiLIGHT Motion Activated Ceiling Light is designed with a central hub and multiple branching lights. However, with the TRiLIGHT, all three branching pieces are attached to the central unit, meaning that it can be installed with just one little twist into a lightbulb socket.
While not as broad-reaching as our MPI, the TRiLIGHT is a close runner-up. This one-piece light unit puts off 4000 true lumens of light out of just one socket and uses just 24 watts, while traditional 60-watt incandescent bulbs only give off 800 lumens. The three illuminated wings of the TRiLIGHT are fully adjustable and rotate to give your garage total illumination.
What's even cooler about this variety of TRiLIGHT is that it's designed with a built-in motion sensor that picks up movement from 360°. If anyone enters your garage from anywhere in the room, the TRiLIGHT will sense their movement and the light will turn on. This saves you time and effort if your garage only has one light switch, and you're trying to pull in at night.
You don't have to invest huge money into installing new lights in your garage. Don't even bother picking up the phone to call an electrician – save yourself hundreds of dollars and invest in a single unit like the TRiLIGHT.
How to Install the TRiLIGHT Motion Activated Ceiling Light
All you have to do is climb up onto a step stool or ladder, unscrew your old incandescent bulb, and twist in the TRiLIGHT Motion Activated Ceiling Light. Really – that's it!
If you thought the MPI was easy to install, you'll love how simple the TRiLIGHT installation process is. It only takes one step to get your garage fully illuminated with 4000 powerful lumens of light.
When shopping for a TRiLIGHT, be cautious of cheap copies. The TRiLIGHT revolutionized garage lighting, and a lot of unethical Chinese factories were quick to try and trick customers into buying a copy. These copies are cheaper, but they are not certified to UL safety standards and are built with substandard parts. They make false claims about the brightness, quality and warranty. Finally, and most importantly, they are a safety hazard in your home. Don’t risk harmful shocks or house fires with your family home.
TRiLIGHT ShopLight LED Drop Light
Like the TRiLIGHT Motion Activated Ceiling Light, the TRiLIGHT Shop Light is a three-winged, high-lumen overhead light that gives off omnidirectional light to your garage. What's unique about this style of the TRiLIGHT is that, while the TRiLIGHT Ceiling Light stays in one place since it's screwed into an overhead light bulb socket, the TRiLIGHT Shop Light can drop down from the ceiling or you can grab the handle use it that way too.
This version of the TRiLIGHT has all the benefits of a droplight (one that dangles from overhead) with the perks of a shop light (one that works like an ultra-bright portable flashlight). With a long power cord and a heavy-duty hook, you can hang this style of TRiLIGHT overhead until you need it closer, then you can unhook it from the ceiling and carry it around to inspect your engine or other projects.
Though it puts out slightly fewer lumens than the stationary TRiLIGHT Ceiling Light, the TRiLIGHT Shop Light can move up and down from your ceiling. It can also be moved around the room, so you can navigate your projects easier and more effectively.
How to Use the TRiLIGHT ShopLight LED Drop Light
This TRiLight replaces the age-old metal drop light found in the garage of car enthusiasts worldwide. With a light like this, you can hang it just about anywhere including hanging directly from the project you are working on. The design also lends well to a tripod scenario where you just set the TRiLight down on its side onto the handle and two the three wings to aim light from the ground at your work area.
However, suppose you're hoping to use it as an overhead light as well as a shop light. In that case, you should install a simple heavy-duty hook into your ceiling, making sure that you have ample space between the outlet you'll be plugging it into and the hook's location on the ceiling.
Once you've installed the hook on the ceiling and safely plugged it in, you've got yourself set up with a handy overhead light. When you're ready to take it down from the ceiling of your garage, simply make your way back up there with a stepladder and unhook, carrying it down to illuminate your next big project.
Portable Lights
While overhead lights are the best option for the overall amount of lumens, portable lights are a better option for people who know they're going to be moving around their garage and need to have a light on hand for close-up work and projects that require extreme brightness.
Don't worry – when we say "portable lights," we don't mean "standard flashlights." Forget about using a clunky plastic flashlight from the eighties, squished between your ear and your shoulder, trying to take a peek at your engine while getting a neck cramp.
Our lights take the pain in the neck out of portable lighting. Our top four portable lights are designed to be used hands-free, meaning you can just set them and forget them (until it's time to switch them off). For extreme brightness and ease of use, check out these four lights made just for people like you with projects to work on and tasks to complete.
Mobile Task Light
The Mobile Task light is one of the best options if you're looking for a light that you can carry around your garage. What makes it so unique is that it's nothing like a standard flashlight – it's designed to meet your needs and exceed your expectations.
The Mobile Task Light is shaped like one of the three wings of the TRiLIGHT and offers up to 1200 lumens of brightness for your projects and repairs. It can stand up on its own or be hung from a hook, making it much easier to use than a standard flashlight.
Another detail that sets it apart from standard flashlights that require big clunky batteries is that the Mobile Task Light is charged from a standard micro-USB port. Because it doesn't require an outlet except for when it's charging (which is infrequently), you can take this portable light outside or carry it around inside without having to worry about the charge.
How to Use the Mobile Task Light
Our Mobile Task Light is the perfect alternative to using a flashlight or a weak floodlight in your garage. This portable light gives you the maximum amount of brightness in a wee package. This makes it perfect for packing in your car in case of an emergency like a nighttime breakdown. Next time you're in your garage working on your car, throw one of these into your glovebox.
If you're looking to shed some light on a project you're working on in the garage, one of the best ways to utilize the unique features of the Mobile Task Light is to prop it up on any surface. You might stick it on the hood of your car, high up on a shelf, or even down on the ground when you're working underneath your truck. Because of the 180° swivel on the light head, you can angle it to meet your needs.
Another great way to use the Mobile Task Light is to hang it up on a hook. The tempered steel exoskeleton on this portable light makes it easy to hook it up somewhere without worrying about it dropping. Even if it does drop, that same steel exoskeleton will protect the brilliant LED lights inside.
FLEXiT Flashlight
Another one of our products that can be a great upgrade to your garage setup is one of the FLEXiT Flashlights. The FLEXiT Flashlight breaks the mold of the ordinary flashlight by making it bendable and hands-free. Instead of clutching a clumsy standard flashlight with one hand and trying desperately to work with the other, the FLEXiT allows you to work with both hands.
The FLEXiT Flashlight consists of two major components – the robust magnetic base that allows you to dock the light on most metal surfaces, and the flexible, bright lantern head. The FLEXiT allows you to manipulate the direction and brightness of the light, making this portable light a flashlight, floodlight, and lantern all in one.
We've created four different varieties of the FLEXiT, with settings up to 500 lumens – the FLEXiT Auto for when your car breaks down, the FLEXiT 2.0 at 200 lumens, the FLEXiT 4.0 at 400 lumens, and the FLEXiT Solar at 500 lumens, which can be left in the sun to charge for up to 70 hours of bright light.
How to Use the FLEXiT Flashlight
The FLEXiT Flashlight is the best alternative to your standard wall-mounted light or gooseneck lamp that you keep trying to angle in the direction of your car or bike. You're just not going to get the brightness you want out of an incandescent bulb – make the switch to LED ASAP.
One of the best ways to use the FLEXiT is to attach it to the underside of your car's raised hood while you're working on the engine. Instead of putting all your effort into trying to see what's going on in your car's recesses under the glow of a tiny 60-watt bulb, set yourself up with a FLEXiT light. You can move it around easily, and it won't get in the way, either.
The most helpful feature of the FLEXiT Flashlight is the malleability of the LED light head. Because it's made of a flexible and bendy rubber-like material, you can form it into any shape you'd like to get into the cracks and crevices that standard flashlights just can't.
Light Mine and Light Mine Professional
The Light Mine should be your upgrade for every flashlight in your garage and home, period. The Light Mine Professional's a 360° directional light in the shape of a landmine, about the size of a baseball, while the original Magnetic Light Mine is the size of a golf ball. This unique and handy tool is studded with 12 super-strong magnets that allow you to affix it to most metal surfaces with ease.
Another unique feature of the Light Mine Professional is its strength – at around 250 lumens, you'd be hard-pressed to find another flashlight that's this easy to handle at such a bright strength. It's great for when you need to look around in tight spaces but don't want to have to use a long flashlight.
The original Magnetic Light Mine is a bit smaller and less bright but allows you to have a great piece of safety equipment on hand. It's easy to drop one of these into your bag or purse and have it just in case of an emergency.
How to Use the Light Mine
The Light Mine (both the Professional and the Original) is as easy to use as the FLEXiT Flashlights. Because of the 12 magnetic studs that run along the outside of the Light Mine, it's easy to affix it at any angle to almost any metal surface.
If you're working underneath your car, you can bring it with you and have it stand up instead of trying to finagle a long, unwieldy flashlight or a clunky lantern. It can also be stuck up onto a metal shelf, toolbox, or other fixture in your workspace.
Another facet of the Light Mine Professional that's helpful is its four separate modes, including one to indicate a hazard. If you're stuck on the size of the road and need a hand but don't have traditional hazard lights, you can set the Light Mine Professional out by your vehicle to warn people that there's a breakdown.
Which Light Should I Pick?
Now that we've gone over your options for lighting in the categories of both overhead and portable lights, it's time for you to decide what kind of lighting you want for your garage. There are plenty of options for you on this list that vary from ultra-bright fixed lights (the MPI) to handy portable units (the FLEXiT and the Light Mines).
How many overhead lightbulb sockets do you have? Do you have places to stick magnetic lights? What about outlets? These are all important questions to ponder when you're looking at renovating your garage lighting.
You're also going to have to choose something specific to your needs. Not everyone does the same work in their garage. If you're a car enthusiast working on your latest restoration, you're likely going to need a main overhead light and a couple of shop lights. If you're more of a carpenter, you might like a few movable spotlights that can contour to the shape of your newest pieces.
Other than overhead lights and work lights, anyone may also want to consider a good headlamps. The FLEXiT Headlamps by STKR are among the best on the market, and arguably the most comfortable. Although some people feel they look silly with a headlamp, they are one of the most versatile forms of lighting anyone could use.
Now that we have discussed overhead lights, work lights and even wearable lights like a headlamp, let's go over the advantages of each category of light, shall we?
Advantages of Overhead Lights
Buying one set of overhead lights should be prioritized over purchasing multiple little lights (if you can handle it) because replacing one light is easier (and usually cheaper) than trying to replace four or five. However, see what works best for your garage. Lighting up your workspace is a great first step!
Higher amount of lumens
Overhead lights have a reputation for being the brightest lights available on the market today. They're the lights that are the easiest to power because they already have access to a high amount of energy through the lightbulb socket they screw into.
Good for garages with fixed objects
Overhead lights work best for garages with fixed objects because you won't need to move your light around if nothing else in the room is moving. If you're just looking to brighten up your garage for when you're pulling in at night and don't feel like you're going to be doing a lot of repairing and renovating, then you should choose just one or two overhead lights at high strength.
Kept high out of the way
If you have a garage with a low ceiling, pick screw-in overhead lights instead of portable lights. This will make the best use of your space because you won't need to keep moving portable lights around. It also means that you won't be (momentarily) blinded on the off chance you look into a light that's too close to your face.
Wider reach than most portable lights
If you have a large garage, overhead lights with a high lumen count help lay the foundation for a well-lit workspace. As previously mentioned, an overhead light should be the first purchase you make when updating your garage lights. This is because the overhead lights are the most effective and can fill up a whole room evenly. If you have more space to illuminate, then fill the space with portable lights.
Advantages of Portable Lights
If you've already chosen your overhead lights or don't have any room for an overhead bulb or fixture, then portable, or wearable lights should be your go-to method of illumination. Portable lights are great for people who move around their garage at a fast pace because you can take your light with you and don't have to worry about rearranging things in your garage to get the best light on something.
Easily movable
Portable lights are easy to move, making them the greatest choice for people working with small, intricate projects or projects further away from an outlet. Overhead lights are great for getting a general sense of brightness into the room, but when you're hoping to get some light specifically on the rear driver's side wheel well on your car, an overhead light isn't going to be much help. Try the FLEXiT for that one.
Good for car work (gets right up into the engine/undercarriage)
Portable lights like ours were designed with the DIY mechanic in mind. If you're frequently sliding underneath your vehicle to check out what's going on, you don't want to be stuck with a flashlight in your mouth because your overhead lights, uh, don't reach underneath cars. Take something like the Light Mine Professional with you for safety and ease.
Helps with close-up inspection
Besides being great for mechanics, our portable lights are also great for people who use their garages for small hobby projects like small machine construction, robotics, and miniature carpentry. When working with such small, important pieces, you need to have lighting on hand that contours to the parts and tools you're working with.
Easy to transport (take them camping/on the road)
What's nice about choosing portable lights over overhead lights alone is that you can bring them on the road with you. The Mobile Task Light is ideal for going on camping trips when you need to brighten the way to the toilet at night, while the FLEXiT makes illuminating outdoor gatherings a breeze.
Conclusion
Updating your old garage lights is just as easy as screwing in a bulb or two and getting on with your day. With so many options to choose from, like the 7500-lumen Multi-Point Illumination system to tiny yet strong Light Mines, what are you waiting for? Spruce up your garage today.