10 Best Auto Detailing Lights For Your Garage Setup

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Having proper lighting in your garage is essential if you want to achieve maximum detailing results. Whether you’re washing cars, applying waxes and sealants, polishing and compounding, you need a well-lightened environment.

Today, I’ll show you my recommendation for the ten best auto detailing lights you should have in your garage or shop.

I’ll divide car detailing garage lights into three categories:

  • Best roof and wall lights
  • Best lights on stands
  • Best pocket lights (flashlights)

For each of these three categories, I’ll show you a few high-quality products that’ll help you detail cars. Also, I’ll thoroughly describe each product, user experience, and much more. So, make sure not to jump through the article to know which light will be the most suitable for you and your detailing garage

Best Ceiling and Wall Lights

I’ll show you the best auto detailing lights you can mount to the roof or the wall in this category. Those are the most important lights, and every detailing garage setup should have them installed. 

Ceiling and wall lights give you essential lighting, and you’ll mostly use them as a source of light. That’s why they should be high-quality and durable. 

DIY Plug-In Hexagonal LED Ceiling Lights

DIY Plug-in Hexagonal LED Ceiling Lights for Garage Lighting and Repair Shop Lights Car Workshop...

DIY Plug-In Hexagonal LED Ceiling Lights are the most expensive lights on this list. However, the price is completely justified, and I’ll show you why. 

These are the most beautiful and nice-looking lights you can get for your auto detailing garage. They give you a tremendous amount of light to efficiently work on cars and see all the imperfections on the paint. 

These lights have an aluminum body which makes them highly durable in all-weather conditions inside your garage. So, you can freely wash cars without fear of damaging your roof lights. 

With the 6500K white color and CRI of more than 85, these lights will quickly light up the whole garage and show any car color properly. 

Specs:

  • Only 426 Watts
  • 71 Tubes in total
  • Color temperature: 6500K super white color
  • CRI: more than 85
  • Very easy to install
  • Fantastic brightness: AC86, 110-120lm/w
  • Aluminum body
  • 2-year warranty

PROS

  • Fantastic look
  • Anti-leakage electricity material
  • Long-life – more than 30,000 hours

CONS

  • May be expensive compared to other products

LED Ceilings Light Fixture by Airand Store

Airand Utility LED Shop Light Fixture 2FT 4FT with Plug, Waterproof Linkable LED Tube Light 5000K...
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LED Ceilings Linkable LED Tube Light by Airand Store are marvelous lights that you can use in your garage, shop, kitchen, bathroom, or any other location where you need a high amount of light. 

You should consider buying these lights if you’re an auto detailer since they’re built with high-quality materials that give them waterproof properties. You can choose the exact size and number of lights you need for your garage, which is fantastic for each garage setup.

The best thing about these lights is that they are linkable (you can connect up to 18 tube lights together) so that you can connect them in a way you like the most, whether it’s a wall or a ceiling. 

With a light color of 5000K (daylight white) and 80+ CRI, they’ll create your garage an excellent environment for car detailing. For the best lighting, I advise you to buy a 4FT version. 

Specs:

  • Three different sizes to choose from (2ft, 4ft, and 5ft) with or without a plug
  • You can combine 18 tubes in total for the best performance.
  • One 4ft tube has only 36 Watts
  • 3-year warranty
  • The 4ft version has a 3600 lumens output
  • IP66 waterproof rating (waterproof, dust-proof, moisture-proof)
  • Hanging height: 12-20 feet
  • Extremely long lifetime of more than 50,000 hours

PROS

  • Extremely lightweight
  • Straightforward and quick to install
  • It comes with drywall anchors and mounts.
  • A very bright light that’s great for your auto detailing garage

CONS

  • Don’t work with a dimmer switch, only the regular one

6-Pack Barrina LED T5 Lights

Sale
Barrina (6 Pack) LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture, 4FT, 2200lm, 6500K Super Bright White, 20W...
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6-Pack Barrina LED Lights are the best wall and roof lights if you’re looking for an affordable but still high-quality option to light up your auto detailing garage. I think there’s no other company that could give you so much for such an attractive price. 

Each light consumes 20 watts per hour, which is perfect for your electricity bills. With more than 2200 lumens output, these lights should be enough for almost any garage. If it’s not, they’re affordable, so you can always buy two pieces. 

Each tube is 4ft long, and they’re built from aluminum and PC materials to increase durability. The color tone is 6500K, which is super white. That way, you’ll be able to see all the swirl marks and scratches when you’re polishing or compounding the car, as well as all other important things when doing any auto detailing task. 

They’re linkable so that you can connect up to 8 tube lights together. That way, you can customize the look of your garage lighting, which is incredible. 

Specs:

  • 20 watts power consumption (each light)
  • Each light has a 2200 lumens output (110lm/watt)
  • 6500K light color (super white)
  • Effortless installation (plug-and-play)
  • More sizes and packing options to choose from
  • 3-year unlimited warranty

PROS

  • Very affordable price
  • Long lifespan
  • True daylight color
  • The best choice if you’re on a tight budget

CONS

  • They could include longer wiring connections since the included ones are too short

Best Garage Lights On Stands

Each auto detailing garage should have at least one light on a stand so that you can move it anywhere inside your garage, depending on where you need it. 

Auto detailers use these lights to lighten their smaller working area correctly so that they can see even the slightest imperfections. These lights are critical if you’re doing paint protection and paint correction jobs.

With high-quality light, you’ll be able to see the color shininess, as well as clear coat imperfections. 

SCANGRIP Telescopic Multimatch 3 LED Light

SCANGRIP MULTIMATCH 3 LED Color Match Light, 3000 Lumen with 5 Color Temperatures, Dimming and...

SCANGRIP Multimatch 3 LED Light is a tremendous professional light for auto detailers that you can quickly mount to a SCANGRIP tripod. Even if you need to buy them separately, I put them together here, so you can know what to buy.

SCANGRIP is a top-rated company in this category, and they specialize in producing professional lights for auto detailing and painting garages. By buying any product from this company, you can’t make a mistake. However, their products tend to be more expensive than the competition, but it’s totally worth it.

With this lamp, all the holograms, polishing errors, and other paint defects will quickly show, which will make it easier for you to fix them (polishing, compounding, claying, painting, etc.). 

It has a 5-step dimmer function, so you can adjust the light to 100% fit your needs. Even better, you can choose a color temperature in the range of 2500K to 6500K. The best thing is that SCANGRIP lights have a Bluetooth function so that you can control these things with your iPhone or Android device.

Specs:

  • Dust and waterproof
  • Can work both on battery or plugged-in
  • Bluetooth function
  • Five different color temperatures
  • Five dimmable options
  • 3000 Lumens
  • Exchangeable battery

PROS

  • Much better than more expensive products such as 3M Sungun
  • Bluetooth function for remote control
  • Easy installation to SCANGRIP tripod

CONS

  • Some people may consider it a bit expensive, but in my opinion, it’s not

Piramida LED Dual-Head Work Light

PARMIDA LED Dual-Head Work Light with Telescoping Tripod Stand Up to 6 Ft Tall, UL Approved Cable,...
Amazon Prime

Piramida LED Dual-Head Work Light is a great and affordable light made by an American company. Its primary purpose is construction, but you can use it wherever you need it. I think it’s especially great for all auto detailing garage setups because it’s powerful and versatile.

It comes with a portable stand that’s foldable, so you can easily store it when you don’t need it. Also, the frame is adjustable in height, and the head (light) is also adjustable to rotate and angle it in the desired direction.

It has a brightness of 10000 lumens. Each head has 5000. Also, it consumes 100 watts, which is highly efficient when we count the number of lumens. 

The color temperature is 5000K, which is very similar to daylight. With that said, you won’t have any problems detailing vehicles with this light as your side light source.

Specs:

  • It comes with an adjustable stand (25″ to 72″)
  • Lamp heads can rotate 360 degrees
  • It can be detached and used as a portable lamp
  • Water-resistant
  • 1000 lumens, 5000K color temperature, 8ft power cable

PROS

  • One of the most affordable stand telescoping lights out there
  • Portability
  • Rotating and detachable heads

CONS

  • The stand is very flimsy
  • Can’t adjust legs on uneven floor

LUTEC 6290Max LED Work Light

LUTEC 【Upgraded】 6290Max 11000 Lumen 92W Dimmable LED Work Light with Telescoping Tripod,...
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LUTEC 6290Max Led Work Light on Tripod is perfect for you if you need an affordable led light for your auto detailing garage, with plenty of customizable options. 

This LUTEC light comes on a fantastic tripod with a firm and quality structure. Also, it has quick-release hinges so that you can assemble it rapidly. Tripod can lift the light as high as 68in, which is fantastic.

It’s a dimmable light, so you can adjust it according to your needs (depending on the auto detailing task you’re doing). Also, you can also change the color temperature from 3000K to 5000K. 

Specs:

  • Three different options you can buy (5000, 9000, and 11000 lumens)
  • 92 watts dimmable LED lights
  • Color temperature from 3000K to 5000K
  • 8ft power cord
  • Independent switches for each light
  • Foldable tripod with a practical handle

PROS

  • Budget-friendly auto detailing light
  • Impressive people’s reviews
  • 3-year warranty
  • Very easy to assemble

CONS

  • Some people complain about heating

Best Auto Detailing Pocket Lights (Flashlights)

I recommend always having at least one pocket light (flashlight) when you’re detailing vehicles. Pocket lights are perfect tools for lighting up a small area to see imperfections or even very dark places (cracks and crevices in cars). 

The first two categories are fantastic for general garage lighting, but sometimes you’ll need a light for a specific purpose, and pocket lights are products to go with. By using them, you’ll be able to see each swirl mark on any part of the car you’re detailing. 

Also, since they’re pointing all the light directly in one point only, they’re fantastic when you want to check your paintwork, polishing and compounding job, and paint protection (waxes, sealants, and ceramic coatings) existence.

SCANGRIP Sunmatch 3 LED Work Flashlight

Scangrip Sunmatch 3 - Handheld Rechargeable Work Light with Excellent Color Rendering Properties for...
Amazon Prime

SCANGRIP Sunmatch 3 LED Flashlight is the best handheld auto detailing light you can get. Even though it’s not the cheapest product out there, if you’re a severe auto detailer, you’ll consider buying it for your auto detailing setup.

It can provide up to 500 lumens (not many handheld lights can do it). Also, you can choose five different color temperatures, and it has incredibly high CRI, which is fantastic.

It has a robust built-in magnet so that you can place it anywhere you want (if there’s a metal surface). If there’s no metal surface, the lamp has a suspension hook so that you can hang it somewhere. 

Also, the lamp head tilts up to 180 degrees. The built-in battery is rechargeable, and the lamp has a battery indicator that shows you when you should recharge the battery.

Specs:

  • Five color temperatures (from 2500K to 6500K)
  • Up to 500 lumen
  • Dust and waterproof (IP65)
  • Battery indicator
  • Rechargeable battery
  • Specialized in the auto detailing industry
  • High CRI

PROS

  • Specialized for car detailers (both professionals and hobbyists)
  • Long battery life
  • Extreme brightness

CONS

  • Pricy

Rupes LL150 LED Penlight

RUPES LL150 LED Penlight, Red

Rupes LL150 Led Penlight is a trendy pocket light in the auto detailing world. Rupes is a well-known brand in the car detailing world, and it’s because their products are of exceptional quality. 

This penlight is fantastic to take anywhere with you, especially if you’re a mobile detailer and you want to check clients’ cars for swirl marks and light clear coat scratches. 

In your garage, it’ll help you lighten only a tiny space entirely, and you can point it whenever you can (under door handles, etc.). It’s always good to have at least one small LED flashlight that you can use anytime, anywhere.

Specs:

  • 140 lumen
  • Optimized light for paint inspection
  • You can adjust focus anywhere from 10-70 degrees
  • It suits almost all pockets
  • It weighs only four ounces
  • 2xAAA batteries included

PROS

  • It helps you to see swirl marks even better
  • Convenient because of its size
  • Extremely bright

CONS

  • Any flashlight with the same amount of lumen could do the same, so maybe you could find something similar for less money

Chemical Guys EQP401 Ultra Bright Light

Chemical Guys EQP401 Ultra Bright Rechargeable Detailing Inspection Dual Light
Amazon Prime

Chemical Guys EQP401 Flashlight is a budget-friendly flashlight that you can use when detailing vehicles. It has an LED strip for broad spaces and a single LED for the focused beam at specific areas.

The LED strip is 150 lumens, while a single LED is 130 lumens. These numbers are great for a pocket light like this, especially when you check the price tag. 

Of course, you can’t expect perfect build quality and brightness for this price, but I think that the price is more than justified. Some people don’t like Chemical Guys products, but this one is worth trying.

PROS

  • Affordable
  • Two light sources
  • Rechargeable battery with the cable included

CONS

  • Chinese lamp
  • Not for everyday use

Adam’s Swirl Finder Flashlight

Sale
Adam's Polishes Swirl Finder Flashlight - Ultra Bright 170 Lumen Mini Light - Easily Spot...

Adam’s Swirl Finder Flashlight is for you if you want a decent flashlight but don’t want to spend too much money. It’s the cheapest product on this list, and it’s not more expensive than some standard pocket flashlights.

170 lumens should be enough for checking specific paint parts on any vehicle, especially if you’re looking for swirl marks and very light clear coat scratches.

The only thing I don’t like about this flashlight is that it’s a Chinese product, but Adam’s put their logo on it. So, don’t expect some extreme quality and durability. But still, the price is fantastic.

PROS

  • Very cheap and affordable
  • Rotating magnetic clip

CONS

  • It’s the Chinese lamp with a changed logo
  • It would help if you replaced the batteries before using them because Chinese batteries aren’t the best
  • Not for everyday use

How To Choose The Right Auto Detailing Lights?

This question is entirely subjective, but still, there are some things you should consider.

It depends on the type of garage you have and the lights you have at the moment. However, I suggest every auto detailer have all three types of auto detailing lights (ceiling lights, stand lights, and pocket lights).

Proper lighting is one of the most important things if you want to achieve the best polishing, compounding, painting, or paint protection results. Without lights, you could easily ruin the cars’ look.

However, I would pay the most attention to the wall and ceiling lights since they are the ones you’ll use the most. If you can, don’t hesitate to spend a few bucks more on high-quality wall and roof auto detailing lights.

Also, I suggest you buy some lights with customizable options such as color temperature and lumens (Kelvins). That way, you’ll be able to adjust proper lighting for each situation every time.

I recommend that everyone buys Scangrip Auto Detailing Lights. The reason is that they are of extreme quality, and they have a high CRI index, meaning that they don’t change the appearance of the color when lighting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here, I decided to answer the most frequently asked questions about this topic. So, if you don’t understand some of the terms mentioned earlier in the article, make sure to check this part.

What is CRI?

CRI, or Color Rendering Index, is the measurement of the light that shows how it affects the appearance of some color. CRI +90 is considered excellent, CRI +80 is considered good, and anything above 65 is reasonable.

What are lumens?

Lumens are a measure of the total amount of visible light from some lamp or other light source. It’s the number of light humans can see. For instance, daylight is around 3600 lumens.

What is the color temperature (3000K, 5000K, etc.)?

Color temperature describes the light appearance made by the light. It is measured in Kelvins (K). More Kelvins means more cool colors. Usually, auto detailers use cooler colors (+3000K).

Conclusion

I hope I have helped you choose the best auto detailing lights for your car detailing garage. In my opinion, these are the best lights in each category that you can get.

Whichever light you get from this list, I’m sure that it’ll be a good choice. Just make sure to check all the specs before buying any of the lights so that you can know which one will suit your needs the best.

Also, if you decide to look for other lights (outside of this list), check the ratings just to ensure that the light is a high-quality product.

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