You can’t hope to run a successful business without a safe, productive, and stimulating work environment for your employees. This is an area where many businesses fall short. For years, low-quality fluorescent bulbs were the most common choice for offices and companies looking to keep costs low. While there is nothing wrong with good fluorescent bulbs, many businesses fail to make the right choices related to color and temperature. Moreover, companies looking to cut costs may wait as long as possible to replace flickering fluorescent bulbs, which can be a real eye sore for the people who have to work in the office.
Fortunately, the lighting options for offices have improved over the years. Now, you can get high-quality fluorescent bulbs that do not need to be replaced as often, as well as energy and space-efficient flat panel LED and strip fixtures. Not only do these light fixtures work well in traditional offices, but they also offer perfect solutions for people who need better lighting in their home office.
But what are the best office light fixtures? Do home office light fixtures differ from fixtures for traditional offices? Finally, where can you find the best lighting for your home office at an affordable price?
In today’s guide, we will answer all of these questions and more, but first, let’s look at some of the benefits of getting your office lighting right the first time:
Benefits Of Having The Right Office Lighting
If you’re trying to run an office or simply work from home, lighting might be the last thing on your mind. However, there are a lot of important reasons to prioritize quality lighting, regardless of where you work. Here are just a few benefits of choosing the right lighting for your office:
- Productivity - Inadequate lighting can make it harder to finish basic tasks. Over time, this problem can cause unnecessary eye strain, headaches, and even mental health issues. The right lighting should be bright enough to illuminate the entire office, without being so bright that it’s distracting or unpleasant. Finding this happy medium is one of the best ways to ensure that you (or your employees) can remain productive throughout the workday.
- Positivity - As previously mentioned, it is vitally important to get the brightness of your office lights just right. Why? Because research shows that bright lights have a tendency to intensify emotions (both positive and negative), while low lighting can help keep emotions stable. Striking a balance and ensuring that your lighting is warm and welcoming can help promote positivity in the workplace.
- Energy-Efficiency - When you invest in any kind of professional expense, you should keep your eye on the bottom line. Cheap fixtures may save you a few dollars now, but they will almost certainly cost you more over the long term through frequent replacements and decreased productivity. For this reason, LED office lighting is one of the best options, as it is one of the most energy-efficient options on the market.
- Safety - Lighting your office isn’t just about lifting moods and increasing productivity. It’s also about maintaining a safe work environment for everyone. If the lighting is too low, particularly in a large, open office, it could increase the chances of workplace injurie and make employees feel unsafe. While you might be tempted to rely on floor or desk lamps, office ceiling lights often provide the best illumination for safety purposes.
- Aesthetics - Nobody wants to work in a dark, dim, ugly office. This is true whether you’re working from home or providing a collective workspace for your employees. In either case, you need to make sure that the light fixtures reflect and even enhance the aesthetics of your office.
- Employee Satisfaction - Lighting can affect the day-to-day moods of employees, but it can also have a small effect on their general satisfaction. If the lighting is drab or depressing, employees are less likely to feel satisfied with their jobs. This is true if you don’t invest in the right lighting for your home office, too. Vibrant, warm, cheerful lighting can help raise spirits and ultimately improve the satisfaction of you and/or your workforce.
What To Consider When Buying Office Lighting
Before you start ordering lights for your office, you need to consider a few things. By taking the following factors into consideration, you could end up saving money and providing a more positive work environment for everyone:
- Type of Fixture - The type of fixture you choose should be based on your budget, your space, and your needs. From a simple home office ceiling light to a series of flat LED panels for a larger office, you’ll want to consider the best types of fixtures to meet your needs. For a modern aesthetic that is also cost-effective and energy-efficient in nearly any type of office, consider LED flat panels or strip lights.
- Color Temperature - The color or “temperature” of your light can also make a huge difference in how it makes your workers feel. Warmer temperatures create a soft glow and a welcoming environment, while cooler temperatures can make it easier to see small details. Generally, you should find a balance between the warmest and coolest ends of the spectrum to have a productive and cheerful office.
- Lumens Per Square Foot - On average, an office needs about 40 lumens per square foot. This can help you determine how many light fixtures you need, how many lumens each light must produce, and how to spread your fixtures evenly throughout the space.
- Type of Office - Different kinds of offices will require different lighting solutions. For example, a large, open office will likely need a series of bright ceiling lights, while a small home office can probably get by with a single home office ceiling light. If you have various rooms, delineations, or hallways within your office, you should also consider accent or task lighting to complement ambient light fixtures.
- Replacement Needs - Some lighting options have much longer lives than others. For instance, older incandescent lights may only last a few months before they need to be replaced. Alternatively, LED fixtures can last for years without needing replacement. You should always consider these long-term maintenance and replacement costs before making a purchase.
Home Office Lighting Ideas
Lighting a home office is usually easier and less expensive than lighting a traditional office space. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t need to put some thought into the decision. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of a few popular and cost-effective home office lighting ideas:
- Natural Light - Utilizing natural light is a great way to cut down on utility costs. However, you can’t rely on natural light alone. You should always have some kind of light fixture, especially if you work late into the afternoon or evening.
- Ceiling Fixture - A ceiling fixture is probably the most common and practical lighting solution you can use in a home office. It is often the simplest and most efficient way to light the entire space.
- Layered Lighting - Layered lighting combines ambient, task, and accent lighting to help create the perfect atmosphere for your home office. For instance, you might have a warm, overhead light for the entire space, as well as a task light to focus on your desk. Whenever you don’t want to have as much light, you can switch between overhead lighting and accent lighting, like one or more wall sconces.
- Adjustable Task Lighting - Task lighting that has a dimmer is great if you work on things that require greater attention to detail, like building 3D models or designing new products. These lights can offer the exact amount of illumination you need in a specific area, like a desk or a workbench.
We hope you found this guide on office lighting fixtures both fun and informative! Are you interested in learning more about the best office light fixtures on the market? Are you ready to purchase high-quality light bulbs and light fixtures at affordable prices? If so, be sure to check out the products available at Bulb Center today!