Best Recessed Garage Lights

Heather Clouse
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Here you’ll find the top 5 best recessed garage lights for your garage. If you’re looking for the best recessed ceiling lights for your garage, then this roundup is right for you!

Recessed lights have been around for decades now. But with the advancements in technology, recessed lights have become a lot more convenient.

There are now LED powered and motion lights that can be used for illuminating your space as well as controlling things from a remote.

But not all recessed lights are the same, and some are much better than others. To help you choose the best recessed lighting for your garage, we have compiled this chart of the top five recessed garage lights for you to choose from.

As always we will go over why you’ll need them, the benefits of certain features, and where you can buy them.

NameCategoryProduct
TORCHSTAR Essential Series 12-Pack 12W 6 Inch Recessed LightingBest OverallTORCHSTAR Essential Series 12-Pack 12W 6 Inch Recessed Lighting
SAYHON 11 inch Ultra-Thin Square Recessed LightingBudget PickSAYHON 11 inch Ultra-Thin Square Recessed Lighting
4" Swivel Round Trim Recessed Lighting Kit 10-PackUpgrade Pick4" Swivel Round Trim Recessed Lighting Kit 10-Pack

1. TORCHSTAR Essential Series 12-Pack 12W 6 Inch Recessed Lighting

Our rating: 9 / 10

TORCHSTAR Essential Series 12-Pack 12W 6 Inch Recessed Lighting

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Pros:

  • Energy efficient
  • Long lifespan
  • Easy to install
  • ETL and Energy Star Listed
  • Plenty of light
  • Low on the electric bill
  • Brighter than incandescent bulbs
  • Airtight seal
  • Fireproof
  • Rated for damp locations

Cons:

  • Bulbs are expensive
  • Bulbs will flicker for the first 15 or so minutes

Thankfully, LED lights are affordable and easy to find everywhere these days. That means that you can easily replace your incandescent bulbs with these LED lights!

They are guaranteed to be of exceptionally high quality. They last from 40,000 to 50,000 hours, which means that you won’t have to replace your bulbs anytime soon. They are also more energy efficient. They use 50% less energy as compared to incandescent bulbs.

These recessed harbor lights can be installed in any environment. The special frosted surface is durable and shatter-resistant. So you won’t have to worry about them breaking.

2. TORCHSTAR Premium 10.5W 4-Inch Ultra-Thin LED Recessed Light

Our rating: 8 / 10

TORCHSTAR Premium 10.5W 4-Inch Ultra-Thin LED Recessed Light

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Pros:

  • ETL Certified
  • Very dimmable
  • Minimalist design is great for bringing down the glare from the ceiling
  • Black color blends well with ceilings
  • Extremely energy efficient

Cons:

  • Pricey
  • You will most likely have to hire an electrician to install these
  • Can’t quite match the brightness of can lights

6 x 10.5W LED Recessed Light, 10.5W each

These lights are the latest in the LED Recessed Light market, and just slid in right under my wire. If you are interested in upgrading your ceiling lights to something that give off a more natural light, but keep the same design as your can lights, these LED recessed lights are an awesome choice for you.

The use of LEDs allows you to be able to dim them, which is great for things like reading or setting the mood for a gathering.

3. TORCHSTAR 4 Inch LED Slim Recessed Lighting

Our rating: 8 / 10

TORCHSTAR 4 Inch LED Slim Recessed Lighting

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Pros:

  • High-quality LED lighting
  • Not a lot of hard work is required to install these lights, they can be done in less than an hour
  • The dimmable feature is great, this means you can change the illumination level of the light as per your need so it is easy to turn off the lights when not used
  • Good quality material used in the making of these lights ensures that the lights will last for a long time to come
  • No electrician required
  • The 5-year warranty
  • Safe for use in wet locations
  • The lights are designed to save up to 90% energy
  • The bulb life is about 50000 hours
  • The size is 4 inches

4. SAYHON 11 inch Ultra-Thin Square Recessed Lighting

Our rating: 8 / 10

SAYHON 11 inch Ultra-Thin Square Recessed Lighting

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Pros:

  • The mounting bracket is extremely adjustable
  • The bulbs have a very long 0.09 inch lead, which gives them a wide beam angle
  • You can adjust the brightness of the lights with a dimmer
  • Available with different light color options

This is a great bulb. It’s much closer to natural sunlight than any other LED bulb I’ve seen. I love the diffused daylight it provides and the fact that it doesn’t seem to bother the plants.

The bulbs have a very long 0.09 inch lead, which gives them a wide beam angle, so you can get a lot of light from a single bulb that will cover 180 degrees. The mounting bracket is extremely adjustable, letting you tilt on any angle.

What’s also nice about this light is that it comes with an LED dimmer so you can adjust the brightness of the lights with a dimmer.

5. 4" Swivel Round Trim Recessed Lighting Kit 10-Pack

Our rating: 7 / 10

4" Swivel Round Trim Recessed Lighting Kit 10-Pack

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Pros:

  • Available in white or almond color
  • The recessed lights have a continuous lighting angle of 360 degrees
  • CSA certified, UL listed
  • Waterproof, heatproof, and perfect for any room in the house

The CSKIT4 recessed light kit is one of the most popular choices in lighting for recessed panels. It comes with 10 4 inch junctions, 10 clamps which have 1/4 inch screws, a rail support bar, and wire connections. It takes less than 5 minutes to install.

The CSKIT4 seems like a simple light kit, but it’s really the best recessed lighting kit, at least as far as quality, durability, and cost are concerned. The CSKIT4 recessed lighting kit is best for mounting inside a ceiling. You can use it inside your kitchen or bathroom.

It’s great for using as outdoor recessed lights too. An added bonus here is that the lights are easy to install and just as easy to remove. This makes it really easy to move these.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What type of lighting is best for a garage?

A good lighting system for any garage is one where you can see what you’re working on and any potential dangers such as open sockets. It’s also a good idea to have plenty of light for when you walk into your garage at night.

For these purposes, light emitting diode bulbs (LEDs) have advantages over halogen bulbs. For one thing they produce a brighter, white light that is more practical for working on tasks. At the same time, LED emitters cool more quickly than halogens; less heat is produced which is important in spaces packed with a lot of stuff, not to mention the health benefits. Another important consideration is bulb lifespan: Halogen emitters need to be replaced every 6 to 12 months while LED emitters can last up to 50,000 hours.

Can you put recessed lights in a garage?

Absolutely. Not only is it the easiest way to free up floor space in a garage with a low ceiling, recessed lighting is also the most efficient, cleanest, and safest way to light your garage.

Garages are frequently spaces where banged up items are stored. If you install a recessed light without any additional protection, it will be vulnerable to damage from tools or other objects that are stored above it. A tiny bit of protection is all you need in this case. You can use a piece of thin wood cut to fit the housing of the light, or, if you're handy, you can build your own protective structure out of a few scraps of wood and screws.

What are the best LED lights for a garage?

The best way to find the best LED lights is to go with the brightest light. Keep in mind that the brightness of the bulb (in lumens) will not be displayed on the packaging. You will need to pay attention to the watts. Generally speaking, the brighter the light, the higher the watts will be.

For safety reasons, you will never want to go over 300 watts in your garage to be in compliance with electrical codes. You might be able to get away with just 200 watts, but there is no reason why you should settle for anything less. Also note that as the watts go up, so does the price of the bulb. It’s an all-or-nothing situation, but it’s worth it.

Which recessed lights are best?

Deciding how to light your garage is a big decision. Losing a ton of light because you went with a cheap set of lights is worse. With many brands on the market, it's hard to reason which are real contenders. Preference plays a big role in deciding the best recessed light to use for your garage.

$$$- Where price is of the utmost concern, the Luxolite A17 may be the best option to consider. $$$$$- For a more rugged, indestructible option, the Daytona LTD may be the best choice. $$$- The lowest cost option that nearly every professional reviewer has come to consensus on is the Westinghouse RL-11. $$- If you are looking to be as versatile as possible with your choice, the …

Conclusion

Whether you are thinking of redoing your old driveway for an elegant , yet functional way to protect your vehicle, or are thinking of installing a new garage entry, you may be considering using the best recessed garage lights.

A recessed garage light gives you a clean, well-lit and wide-open floor space to work on. These lights are often multi purpose lights, fulfilling the roles of task, accent and general lighting in your garage.

Our Recommendation

NameCategoryProduct
TORCHSTAR Essential Series 12-Pack 12W 6 Inch Recessed LightingBest OverallTORCHSTAR Essential Series 12-Pack 12W 6 Inch Recessed Lighting
SAYHON 11 inch Ultra-Thin Square Recessed LightingBudget PickSAYHON 11 inch Ultra-Thin Square Recessed Lighting
4" Swivel Round Trim Recessed Lighting Kit 10-PackUpgrade Pick4" Swivel Round Trim Recessed Lighting Kit 10-Pack