Best LED Light for your Garage or Workshop: 8 Lights reviewed head-to-head and hands-on

I reviewed 8 lights (2 from Lithonia Lighting, 3 from Commercial Electric, 3 from Amazon: Barrina, Hykolity, and Hyperikon) to see what the best 4 foot LED shop light is. After unboxing each of them, mounting them, turning them on, and comparing them side-by-side, this is my take on the best overall and best in several subcategories.
The 8 LED lights reviewed in this video are:
Lithonia Lighting MNSL L46 1LL 120V 40K 80CRI - one lamp
Lithonia Lighting MNSL L48 2LL MVOLT 40K 80 CRI - two lamp, high lumen output
Commercial Electric 1001 391 348
Commercial Electric 1004 060 730 - color changing
Commercial Electric 1001 391 103 - high lumen output
Hyperikon 912021003-4Pack (amzn.to/32Txwhv)
Barrina B01HBT3BVM (amzn.to/3cBUEpi)
Hykolity B07XQDP5X9 (amzn.to/3avGNyP)
This video may contain affiliate links.
Shop Warrior is a product of Glass Pixel Company.

[@robertsyourrelative]

I bought a bunch of Barrina light and they came with meter-long cords. I wanted some half-meter cords. I called their Customer Service (very easy) and not only did they say no-problem but they sent me 8 free 4ft lights with half-meter cords, free. I couldn't believe it. Some of the best customer service I have ever experienced. I have been using them for about two years and not one failure.

[@437conoy]

We have a heated garage and we use it often to eat in for larger gatherings, including Thanksgiving and Christmas. Having light temperature options could be nice as you can switch to a warmer color during gatherings so it's not so harsh.

[@otistheyellowdog]

Thanks! I appreciate you sharing this. It feels better to go into a project when you are well informed.

[@shopwarrior1835]

Glad it was helpful! Quite welcome.

[@shawnleegregory]

I bought the color changing ones you threw out first (they were the only kind that Home Depot had in store). I’m glad I did because my wife did not like the initial color they put out! It was good to be able to change the color and make the wife happy. I linked 7 of them together in my two-car garage and they look fantastic.

[@hawkiconoclast]

To answer your question on that switch: Photographers such as myself would like that color temp switch option. Good vid, thanks

[@shopwarrior1835]

Ahhh, makes sense. That's two reasons I've heard now for the switch: plant growing and photography. Thanks for sharing!

[@capturemediainc8763]

#truth

[@David-hm9ic]

The selectable color temperature of the Commercial Electric light you eliminated right away would be appreciated. I would not change the color periodically; just set it once and leave it there. The advantage is that many lights are not available in the color temperature I prefer which is 3000K-3500K. The benefit is that that color temperature blends well with quartz lights. I was a professional photographer for many years so that's important to me. Overall, this was a discussion of specs and prices and not a useful review of the lights. I got the same information by reading the sellers' websites.

[@howardhelms4877]

I have 36 feet of Hyper light on each side of my garage ceiling with white tin fantastic lighting. Has been in stalled for two years with now problems. Great light for the price

[@mastertech5036]

You may want to know there are a lot of complaints on Home Depot reviews on the Commercial Electric lamps. They simply don't work out of the box or burn out with in a few weeks/months. I've gone through my share of bad lamps. I just have one installed in my closet! Don't use it a lot, but have gone through 4 lamps in the last year... I just keep sending them back to Home Depot. My old florescent light was there for 20 years! Decided to replace all my lights with LED's & that's when my troubles started. After the last light burnt out, I decided to open up the LED strip & try to determine the problem. After opening, I found a high voltage DC switching power supply board on the strip. On my 3 Ft power strip, there are 170 LED's: 2 LEDs at a time are connected in parallel & these (85 packets) are connected in series. The board outputs 282V DC, so it's not recommended fooling with these! On my last defect light, the board only output 166 VDC! Not enough to light up so many LED's. There is a chip on board that drives the switching power supply... that may be the problem. Anyway, too costly to try to repair or modify the board. For $15 & a 5 year warranty, just swap it out!

[@duanecalhoon3322]

I had an issue with my barrina lights, they replaced them very quick with no bad issues,,, they are super bright in my 1500sq shop

[@johngeorge6373]

I really like my Hyperlites in my new shop.

[@lovevwltd7114]

The colour temp switch would be very helpful for those detailing paint on cars.

[@shopwarrior1835]

Thanks for sharing! I had no idea.

[@MarylandDevin]

Agree, that's the reason I was looking up a video like this. Then he said that, and I realized this is not the video for me. However, I did skim the video to see them in action, and was disappointed again.

[@sandmandave2008]

That would not be helpful! Why would you ever use the 3000K or 4000K for auto paint when sunlight is closest to 5000K. The only possible reason for a shop to have variable K options would be if white light bothers the person working where they would rather work in 3000K and turn it to 5000K to match or mix paint. Even then, it would be more practical to have 5000K or 6000K lights above a paint mixing / matching bench and the other K of choice for the rest of the shop. I agree with shop warrior, it's stupid.

[@lovevwltd7114]

@@sandmandave2008 the different temps of light show different paint defects.

[@sandmandave2008]

@@lovevwltd7114 there are much easier ways to see paint defects without climbing a ladder to change the color, besides you won’t see the defects from overhead lights. Those that know what they are doing simply use a handheld led flashlight.

[@randy7068]

I was waiting for you to turn on the lights for comparison.

[@ZunarZulfiqar]

Thanks so much for making this video. Literally, exactly the information I was looking for. I wanted a quality hefty light as I want to make custom wooden enclosures for them and didn't want to use a crapy light. I like the Hyperikon because of its size. Would you happen to know of any other lights similarly sized but built with higher-end materials?

[@shopwarrior1835]

Welcome! From what I've seen, the lights with higher-end materials are also much bigger in size, like the Lithonia and Commercial Lighting brand lights.

[@lunacyworks]

Had to laugh at the light you eliminated! My #1 requirement is to be able to change the color Temp ever so often. This is because part of the space is used for various purposes. The 3k is for normal passing thru use. The 4k for daily use without too much harshness, and 5k when doing precise work and need sharp and clarity, it also helps when trying to do color matching. On area i found this helpful is in part of the garage is a laundry machine and this allows the light to be switched to 5k to help with spotting stains etc.

[@shopwarrior1835]

Ha! Well there you go - a good reason to buy color-changing!

[@sandmandave2008]

I suppose this comes down to the individual. I have no problem working under 6000K light and since I work with color a lot I prefer it so I don't have to be switching stuff. CRI is another big factor that you didn't even mention.

[@PaulLadendorf]

Good review. Thanks. One point of contention: It's not a little bit more for the commercial electric. They're twice the price.

[@NegatingSilence]

I just spent 4 hours trying to decide what colour temperature to get for the basement and the best thing I could use is a light that changes based on circumstances. Now I know which one to get.

[@shopwarrior1835]

Good idea!

[@brentjohnson6654]

Thanks for the review. do you know if either of your top pics have RF noise or radio? These would be going into a radio room with 2 way radios.

[@freddiedavis3685]

Question, how can I dim the Commmercial electric LED Strip light? I installed 12 lights and want to dim tgem.

[@sgibbsk2735]

Thank you for pointing out the color temperature "switchability" function. It is exactly what I need for determining stain and paint color for projects that will be placed in different lighting environments. Please tell me how to privately send you my shipping address so you can send me the one you flipped off.

[@donho526]

Well the Lithonia could use the 3,4,5k switch because the Lithonia I bought at Lowe's came in 4k and I really wanted "daylight" at 5k.

[@jimporter]

The manufacturer made it changeable to save on the need to make single Kelvin lights which then need to be shipped, stored etc, overall a cost saving for them. Some marketer or buyer sees it as being a customer benefit/feature rather than a manufacturer/retailer benefit/feature and charges more for it.

[@traviscarr6536]

You left out the 5000 n 10,000 lumen braun LED’s from Harbor Freight. Cheap and work very well. The 10,000 are linkable also.

[@captnjaygreybeard6394]

Any recommendations on linkable, fixtures with replaceable tube led tube lights? Or they don't exist because they want to sell them, lol.

[@shopdoc]

Any idea how the longevity for these lights are? I bought 18 Barrina 8ft lights 2 years ago and they are almost all out. I think I have 4.5 still working. Honestly they were a waste of time and money and now I have to do it all over again.

[@Joy11009]

Temperature change is good for indoor plant growing, different plants need different temperature settings.

[@AimingWanderously]

The one you eliminate first off is one I seek out. i want one that adjusts to a warmer, incandescent-type light temperature. Not everyone likes the bright daylight lights.

[@FHTMCRT]

I signed up for the Free Tools from Shop Warrior so that I could get the spreadsheet you created for the lights your reviewed. You sent me an email, but there was no link included.

[@mattcarolina]

So for a 16x20 garage wouldn't it be easier to throw 4 of those 2 bulb 4ft fixtures in my ceiling since I want a lot of light, I guess I'm confused about why you went from 2 bulb to 1 bulb fixtures, please help! I'm needing to purchase lights for the garage its being built now and I'm at that point I need to get them to the builder asap, I was going to use 4x 4ft 2 bulb fixtures from lowers or HDepot I was going for the Lowes version because it is brighter... it wouldn't be too much for a 16x20 work space? Do I need more? I am building a bench along the back or side and will put a light over it in the future or link in more of the 4 ft'ers if I can and need to

[@shopwarrior1835]

My garage came with one light fixture with 2 bulbs. I replaced that with 6 LED bulbs/fixtures. So, overall I added 4 bulbs to my garage and spread them out so the light is where I need them. As for you starting with 4 x 4 foot fixtures, I think that should be a good start. I don't think you would regret adding more. If I were doing my garage again, I probably would add another 3 bulbs.

[@HDBoyWonder]

A helpful review. It’s a nightmare comparing these products. However, doesn’t Lithonia Lighting offer a 5K option? It would be more helpful to separate or limit the discussion to 5,000K products, which probably are more popular in most shops today. But count me as a new subscriber. Thanks for the info.

[@jsully23]

No pics or footage of them installed???

[@elili8016]

The Amazon one does not hold well in the garage if you live in a hot place. Last around 6 months and then they start flickering then going out.

[@Jackman66666666]

It's Jeff from blow out!

[@RigginTheRod010]

I was expecting a light test. Kinda odd testing without the physical test but ehh. Which has the ability to hang with chains?

[@shopwarrior1835]

Ya, I didn't show the light tests in this video. I do have a video for each light though where I go in-depth and do a light test. See my LED Light Playlist.

[@RigginTheRod010]

Dang it where was this video when I was searching? I ended up with the Bbounder 4ft lights. From Amazon. Basically Chinese lights. They're pretty good about 3500lm

[@shopwarrior1835]

Nice! Haven't heard of that brand.

[@charleschi843]

This is like explaining a sandwhich to someone. Just let me taste it. Turn those lights on!

[@shopwarrior1835]

Right! Haha, I did turn the lights on in my videos covering each individual light. I just didn't include that in this overall review. I probably should have! Thanks for the feedback.

[@whobuddywantsit]

Do these come with chains to turn them off and on.

[@shopwarrior1835]

No, none of these come with pull chains. Some of them come with a cord to plug in the wall that have on/off rocker switches.

[@davidpower1843]

Anyone know where you can buy the hyperikon? Seems they’re gone from Amazon

[@shopwarrior1835]

You can also get them from Home Depot's website: www.homedepot.com/p/Hyperikon-T5-4-ft-50-Watt-Equivalence-Integrated-LED-White-Shop-Light-4000K-4-Pack-HyperFixtureT5-4F40T/311077335

[@colossalbigfoot256]

Isn’t Hyperikon double the lumens than Barrina?? I’m leaving this video and changing my cart from a 6 pack of Barrina to a 6 pack of Hyperikon. I guess Hyper should thank you and I thank you for providing helpful info..

[@rexvaughn986]

I have had 2 out of 5 of the commercial electric lights go bad in my garage in less than 3 years. Both of them failed where they start blinking or only partially light. I think I will lean towards something that I can change out the bulb in the future.

[@bfullsyou]

What do you call these workshop, strip lights, now? You didn't mention the difference between a fixture with replaceable LED T8 tubes versus these non-tube types. If the light goes out in few years with the ones demonstrated, one needs to go find a matching fixture instead of replacing a lamp tube.

[@nighttruck70]

the color temperature is probably for growing plants.

[@shopwarrior1835]

OH! Do different color temperatures work better for certain plants?

[@JuiceBanger1]

@@shopwarrior1835 6400k for the vegetative growing stage, 8000k or similar for the flowering stage, my friend says....

[@stveichman3329]

For a head to head Review I thought it was kinda funny how you never showed any of the light output of the lights.You stated some of the lights didn't look like they were up too the task ,But really, they are going to be mounted to a garage. LOL

[@shopwarrior1835]

Ya, good point. I certainly considered it and I show the light output in the individual light review videos. But, I didn't include it in this video because it's really hard to capture the lights on camera. The camera doesn't show the light well so it's hard to see any difference in the video.

[@itchyblanket5508]

Why are there no dimmable led shop lights?

[@JohnSmith-xq9we]

Can barrina shop lights be dimmed...cant find an answer

[@57ashdot]

@1:30 color change is useful for hydroponics applications. Now you know :p

[@shopwarrior1835]

Ahh, there we go. So, I'm assuming different plants grow better under different frequencies of light?

[@57ashdot]

@@shopwarrior1835You want light with more blue spectrum for young plants/ seedlings (think t5 shop light). Yellow-shifted light for flowering plants. Your goal is trying to simulate the natural spectrum of the sun at various times of the year.

[@garyoa1]

For ceiling lights, sure. But if you want to light up a work bench... none of the above. You want a hanging light as close to the bench as it can be without getting in the way. Those are usually in the $20ish range. Remember, the higher the light, the less light you get. Preferably one with a shield that reflects the light down on the work bench. That's why you still see them around and most pro work benches have them. Nothing lights like them. Of course I'm talking about fine work like soldering electronics or tearing apart intricate equipment. If you aren't doing that... ceiling would be acceptable.

[@shopwarrior1835]

Agree! These are best for the ceiling - not for right over a bench unless you suspended them right above the bench.

[@mikesavad]

The idea about color changing is so you can have 3000 or 4000k in the kitchen. 5000k in the shop, and so on. Not just change it when in the mood. Like right now all I can find is either 5000k, which is great for the shop, terrible for a bedroom. Or 6500k which is supersonic blue.

[@HiddenBlessingsHomestead]

If you were growing with them you might want to change the light temperature.

[@bivica.fivigum]

At the end of the day, they're all bent metal and plastic. What matters are the quality of the drivers and diodes, which are made by other manufacturers. Commercial Electric (not a real company, but a made-up house brand of Home Depot) is built by the lowest bidder and uses the worst (cheapest) drivers and diodes available.

[@aayotechnology]

So which brand do you recommend?

[@bivica.fivigum]

@@aayotechnology Universal, Eiko, Satco, GE, Philips

[@capturemediainc8763]

Have you looked at the Habor Freight single 4’ LED shop light? 5000 lumen at $20 on sale. Seems most of the ones you tested are a bit less as far as brightness. Or the Walmart version which is also 5000 lumen at $22 with a 3 yr warranty and 50k working hours. Just saying.

[@oatesequineservice]

The Walmart ones are junk

[@tejael1]

I have the barrina 6500k and it interferes with my garage door remotes car handheld and keypad.

[@shopwarrior1835]

whoa, really? I've never heard of LED lights interfering with garage door opener.

[@sandmandave2008]

@@shopwarrior1835 I have, in fact some of the brands have reviews where they even mention that and how they interfere with radio reception.

[@bradleykornele]

Any with replaceable bulbs

[@shopwarrior1835]

You can buy T10 size bulbs which are LED and put them in a regular T10 size light fixture with some modifications.

[@shopwarrior1835]

You can buy T10 size bulbs which are LED and put them in a regular T10 size light fixture with some modifications.

[@grantsdad177]

Would be nice if you ya know actually turned on the lights and compared them considering companies are not held to any standard when listing their lumens and can just blatantly lie

[@TexasGrown1978]

5 $ is nothing to have the option of Kelvin temp. You get better diodes for one if it's truly variable also anyone using them for plants like seeds or clones Kelvin is huge on nodel spacing and what time of season they think it is. Not sure they put out enough ppfd to grow anything sun demanding but you could winter plants that way.

[@shopwarrior1835]

That's good to know! Thanks Patrick.

[@MrBod4life]

just so you are aware auto paint industry uses various kelvin ratings to color match the car's paint.

[@douglasthompson2740]

PS: You will never hear anyone say, "I have too much lighting or too bright of lights in my shop!!"

[@imdeplorable2241]

And, now HYPERIKON is out of business. Beware of cheap LED lights. Their Lumens are lower and they will flicker or blink. If you already have fluorescent fixtures, consider removing the ballast and wiring the fixtures for "double-ended" type B LED tubes. In that scenario, one end of the tube is the "hot" (black) and the other end is the "neutral" (white).

[@A2ZGeek]

Do we not thinks it pronounced hipiericon? Not hyper icon.

[@MSGarrett1]

I wouldn't trust the lumen outputs advertised by the manufacturer. Even though you'd think this to be an objective measurement, they differ GREATLY from 1 manufacturer to another, making lumen comparisons between different manufacturers impossible unless you measure them head to head with a lux meter

[@captnjaygreybeard6394]

People can not test the light in the store, so they can set the colour when they get it home.

[@shopwarrior1835]

That's a good point Jay

[@douglasthompson2740]

Careful making choices based on "Lumens". Manufacturers just plain grossly lie about their products and how many Lumens they put out!! Wattage and amps seem to be a much safer nomenclature. For myself in a shop setting I want 6500K or even 7000K if I can get it. I have several dozen Barrinas in my shop both twenty watt and forty watt (which I like but are almost twice the price). Having that many spread out cuts down on shadows and gives a hospital like illumination that is helpful doing detail work or if your eyes are getting older.

[@shadowcodr]

What an idiotic reason to eliminate a light. The temp change feature is great. I use it all the time.

[@seanallard3659]

i think Hypericon is out of buisness

[@ImBatman83]

It’s sad that the method of elimination is “made in China”, “no support”. The CA company that makes the Amazon light is out of business. Where is the support now? Guess what, you can still buy the other two 🤔. What is not made in China nowadays? Everyone is howling about Made In America but when they see the price, they run. Even made is America is not always good quality. I need someone that will actually test these lights and tell us which one lasted and which is the brightest. I don’t care where they are made as long as they work and last. Period.

[@WASTED__POTENTIAL]

The thumbnail says "tested." Did I miss the tests? Are you really just basing this on aesthetics and marketing numbers?

[@robcossin4690]

Do NOT try to purchase Hyperikon: Is hyperikon out of business? Yes, as of June 30, 2020 they have shut down. Unfortunately those with warranty issues will be out of luck.

[@ReadeMoore]

You honestly didn't know why anyone would want the option for different color temperatures? For color accuracy and preference in light color. And it would be a simple thing to look up when setting out to make a review video about LED lights. I don't think I can trust your opinion on these matters if color temp didn't even seem worth investigating before making a video.

[@Loompius]

Lmao, changing colour tone would be awesome. Also who cares what the light fixtures for and finish looks like. Are you starring at your lights when they're on? How would you even notice.

[@Miketheconservative]

You’re reviewing bright lights yet your lights aren’t all that bright.

[@jeremytolbert9633]

Ugh. Lisp

[@psdaengr911]

A review of the "best lights" offered by stores has a built-in bias. Best is a measure of performance There are objective light metrics: brightness, color, reliability, life and price that can be used to determine best, but only after best is defined - and only after measurements have been done. Prices, advertising claims and buyer reviews are not objective performance metrics. The review didn't state what criteria were used for selection. The best performing products may not have been selected for comparison and a sample size of one each from one source is inadequate to determune product qualitiy. . An out of the box review cannot determine the best perfomance.. Initial impressions have nothing to do with performance. I bought LED lights that initially worked great but whose lighting performance deteriorated after a few hours and failed in a fraction of the time implied in their energy savings statements. I purchased others seemed mediocre but which performed reliably and consistently, lasting longer than the average operating lifetime of LEDs.

[@bussottiguitars1998]

That was a stupid & a non-researched comment. Artist’s and workers need certain Kelvin temps for different project; Artist that does charcoals on one day and acrylics the next….huge difference across the 3-5k range. I would suggest you retract or research, erase and then repost. Zero credibility you gained so early in your post.

[@SunDevil31]

What happens when they burn out? You gotta put in a whole new fixture??