The Best Shop Lights

A Little Light Goes A Long Way

It doesn’t matter how many overhead lights you have in your garage or how sunny it is outside; if you’re an at-home mechanic leaning into the dark recesses of an engine bay or using your crawler to check out an undercarriage, reliable illumination is essential. The right lighting not only helps you see what you’re working on, but it also helps prevent mistakes and accidents. Darker garages make it easy to trip on cords, misread the small print on parts and chemicals or overfill a reservoir. 

Because there are a ton of lighting options out there, deciding on the right garage shop lights might seem intimidating. From handheld LED flashlights and headlamps to incandescent droplights and free-standing tripod floodlights, it’s tough to know the ideal lighting solutions for your home garage. Luckily, the NAPA experts are here to help you purchase the best shop lights so you can make your workspace a better place to wrench on your ride.

Keep Your Light Handy

When it comes to handheld light sources in an automotive garage setting, the name of the game is durability. You need a strong light with an impact-resistant housing and weatherproof seals that can survive repeated dropping on a hard cement garage floor, as well as high temperatures and oily fingers.

Like the ASE-certified technicians at your friendly local NAPA Auto Care center, most professional automotive mechanics are never without a trusty pen light. These handy little flashlights fit conveniently in an overall pocket, toolbox or glove compartment and can shine a bright, focused light whenever and wherever you need it. This dual Craftsman Pen Light set shines 80 lumens per light and comes with four AAA Energizer batteries. The sturdy steel clip ensures it won’t slip out of your pocket and the resilient and lightweight aluminum body makes it perfect for a workshop environment. 

Many newer flashlight models offer the best in LED lighting, as well as rechargeable convenience with hours of use on a single charge. NAPA’s trusty Carlyle Tool makes a heavy-duty rechargeable COB Flashlight. The abbreviation COB stands for Chip On Board, and it refers to the tightly packed cluster of LED lights that provide powerful, brilliant illumination. This light can run for up to 150 hours on a single charge and the lumens are fully customizable with 4 levels measuring from 10–1100. 

If you already have a set of DeWalt Power Tools, check out the DeWalt 20-Volt Flashlight. It features a comfortable, ergonomic handle and a rugged hook so it can light your work anywhere. The brilliant LEDs put off low heat and shine at 160 lumens. Best of all, it uses the rechargeable DeWalt battery pack. 

Both professional and aspiring home mechanics need to keep both hands free at all times while working. The best way to ensure you have both hands on the job is a sturdy headlamp like the Rechargeable Magnetic Headlamp and Task Light from Milwaukee Tool. The light head is rechargeable, detachable and powerful, offering 450 lumens TRUEVIEW™ High Definition Output, as well as multiple beam options from spot light to flood light. 

A Light for All Jobs

One of the most popular types of garage work lights is the droplight. These utilitarian versions of the pendant light use a similar principle—a light at the end of a long cord. Many models feature a hook at the top so you can hang them from the open hood of a vehicle to illuminate the engine bay. Older droplight models have a metal backing with a safety cage on the front because they typically use incandescent bulbs, which can grow extremely hot and present safety issues when used in a garage environment with flammable liquids and fumes. These days, droplights are designed for much more safety. Modern droplights are made with LEDs and a convenient spooling feature so you can store the cord safely and prevent tangling. 

The Milwaukee Tool M12™ Underbody Light Kit is engineered specifically for the most awkward undercarriage jobs. It offers a super-strong magnetic base for mounting with horizontal and vertical articulation points so you can aim it wherever you need more light. As an added bonus, it features a 12-inch magnetic storage tray to hold all the small hardware you need to keep close. 

For a wider range of illumination, a flood light or a work light is a great way to get a brighter overall environment without upgrading the electrical wiring in the walls and ceiling of your garage. The super-brilliant DeWalt LED Portable Worklight offers 5000 lumens and works with the FLEXVOLT rechargeable battery system. You can mount this light to a tripod and illuminate all 360 degrees of your workspace. It is compatible with a mobile phone app, which allows you to control your light levels remotely. 

A well-lit shop or garage offers numerous benefits beyond improving visibility for your at-home vehicle repairs. Upgrading to the best shop lights means you’re investing in the safety and usability of your space.  Browse NAPAonline.com for all your shop lighting essentials, and get the most out of your garage. Now you can order all the tools and equipment you need while racking up points as NAPA offers even more savings with NAPA Rewards. Earn 1 Point for every $1 you spend. Collect 100 points and you automatically get $5 off your next order. Best of all, there’s no card to carry or key fob to flash. Your NAPA Rewards membership is part of your NAPAonline account, so you can track your Rewards online. Sign up today and save!