Lighting a Workshop, Store or Warehouse: LED Battens, Dust-Proof Brackets or High Bays?
Choose by ceiling height first, then by how dirty or damp the space is. As a general guide, below about 4 m in a clean, dry room such as a shop, office or store, an integrated LED batten or a T8 bracket is enough: the MAX M-T8120S-40Y gives 2,800 lumens from 40W and links end to end for aisles and corridors. Where there is dust, water spray or insects, as in a car wash, workshop or covered parking, use a sealed dust-proof bracket such as the MAX M-PD120B-70 (4,400 lumens). Once the roof is above about 5 to 6 m, battens stop reaching the floor and you need high bays: a 120 degree fitting for open halls, a 45 degree UFO for tall racking aisles.
Start with lumens, not watts
Watts tell you what a fitting draws; lumens tell you how much light it gives. As a general rule of thumb, not a standard, aim for roughly:
| Space | Rough target at floor or bench |
|---|---|
| Bulk storage, godowns, covered parking | about 100 to 150 lux |
| Picking aisles, shop floors, car wash bays | about 200 to 300 lux |
| Workshops, assembly benches, garages | about 300 to 500 lux |
One lux is one lumen per square metre on the working surface. Some light is always lost to walls, dust and height, so a common rule of thumb is to install about one and a half times the target in fitting lumens. Multiply the floor area by the target, add that allowance, then divide by the lumens of the fitting you choose.
Below about 4 m, dry indoors: battens and T8 brackets
Integrated batten
The MAX M-T8120S-40Y is a 1180 mm fitting with the LEDs built in, so there is no separate tube to buy or replace. It is rated 40W and 2,800 lumens at a 120 degree beam, and it is designed to link end to end with in-line connectors, which gives a continuous line of light down a corridor or over a shop aisle. It comes in 3000K, 4000K and 6500K. It costs KSh 110 a piece or KSh 2,970 a carton.
T8 bracket without tube
The MODI MD-T860B is a 600 mm channel for a T8 tube, supplied without the tube, at KSh 125. It suits short runs under shelves and over counters.
The 8032 bracket lights: dry indoor only
We stock the 8032 LED bracket lights in 35W (KSh 400), 70W (KSh 520) and 100W (KSh 660). They run on AC 175 to 265V. Read the rating, not the name: although the range is sold as dust-proof, each model is stated as IP20, which covers finger contact and solid objects only, with no rated protection against dust or water. Use them in dry, sheltered rooms such as stores, shops and halls, and never in a wash bay or an open-sided shed. No lumen figure is published for these models, so size them by comparison with a fitting that does state lumens.
Dusty, wet or insect-prone: sealed dust-proof brackets
The MAX dust-proof brackets have an iron body and a cover closed against dust, water and mosquitoes, and they fix with screwed buckles: mark the position, screw the buckles down, press the body in. No IP number is given on these listings, so if a fitting will be hosed directly, ask us before you buy.
| Fitting | Length | Power | Lumens | Piece | Carton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-PD60A-40 | 600 mm | 40W | 3,000 | KSh 280 | KSh 7,560 |
| M-PD120B-70 | 1200 mm | 70W | 4,400 | KSh 420 | KSh 11,340 |
| M-PD120A 100W | 1200 mm | 100W | not stated | KSh 560 | KSh 15,120 |
| M-PD120A 120W | 1200 mm | 120W | not stated | KSh 630 | KSh 11,340 |
The 600 mm M-PD60A-40 fits over a workbench or in a narrow store. The M-PD120B-70 has CRI 80 or above and 2KV surge protection, with rated life of 25,000 hours at 45°C, and suits car wash bays, workshops, godowns and corridors. The M-PD120A in 100W or 120W covers higher sheds where you want fewer, brighter fittings. All are produced in 3000K and 6500K; as general guidance, daylight 6500K suits most work areas.
Worked example (rule of thumb): a 10 × 8 m workshop is 80 m². At about 300 lux that is 24,000 lumens on the bench, or roughly 36,000 in fittings with the allowance. Nine M-PD120B-70 give 39,600 lumens, at KSh 3,780 by the piece.
Above about 5 to 6 m: high bays
High bays hang from a hook or bracket on the roof steel and point straight down at the floor.
120 degree for open halls
The MODI MD-MLD12 is a round aluminium high bay with a 120 degree beam for open warehouses, halls and supermarkets. The 100W version is rated 7,500 lumens with CRI 85 or above and 4KV surge protection is fitted. It costs KSh 2,800 (100W), KSh 3,500 (150W) or KSh 4,200 (200W). It is supplied without a cover.
45 degree UFO for racking aisles
The MODI MD-MLD15 concentrates its beam at 45 degrees and drives it down to the floor of a tall aisle instead of onto the tops of the shelving. The 100W gives 8,000 lumens, with rated life of 25,000 hours at 45°C. It costs KSh 3,500 (100W) or KSh 4,900 (200W) a piece, and KSh 18,900 or KSh 26,460 a carton.
Worked example (rule of thumb): a 20 × 30 m store at about 150 lux needs 90,000 lumens at the floor, or roughly 135,000 in fittings. Seventeen 100W MD-MLD15 give 136,000 lumens. Lumen figures are published only for the 100W versions of both high bays, so for 150W and 200W ask us before you finalise numbers.
As general guidance, use the narrow 45 degree beam where racking forms aisles and the 120 degree beam where the floor is open. Plan spacing with your electrician so the pools of light overlap.
Quick chooser
| Space | Height | Fitting |
|---|---|---|
| Shop, office, dry store, corridor | up to about 4 m | M-T8120S-40Y integrated batten, MD-T860B bracket, or 8032 bracket lights |
| Workshop, car wash, garage, covered parking | up to about 4 m | M-PD60A-40 or M-PD120B-70 dust-proof bracket |
| Shed or workshop | about 4 to 6 m | M-PD120A 100W or 120W, or MD-MLD12 high bay |
| Open warehouse or hall | above about 6 m | MD-MLD12 120 degree high bay |
| Tall racking aisles | above about 6 m | MD-MLD15 45 degree UFO |
For yards and building exteriors, see our guide to LED flood light prices; for offices and homes, panel lights vs downlights.
Where to buy
All of these are in our LED battens and high bay lights collection, with the rest of the range in lighting. Contractors buying by the carton can request a trade quote on our trade page.
- Collect: free pickup at our Nairobi trade counter at Royal Business Park, opposite Complast, Old Mombasa Road. Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 17:30.
- Delivery: countrywide at a flat KSh 350, free on orders over KSh 15,000.
- Help: send us the floor size, roof height and what the space is used for on WhatsApp and we will suggest fittings and quantities.
Common questions
Can I use the 8032 dust-proof bracket in a car wash?
No. Despite the name, the 8032 models are stated as IP20, which gives no rated protection against dust or water. Use a sealed MAX dust-proof bracket in wet or dusty bays.
Do I need to buy a tube with the batten?
Only with the MODI MD-T860B, which is supplied without a tube. The MAX M-T8120S-40Y and the dust-proof brackets have the LEDs built in.
How high can I mount a batten?
The listings do not give a maximum height. As general guidance, linear fittings work best up to about 4 m; between about 4 and 6 m use the higher-power M-PD120A or a 120 degree high bay, and above that use high bays.