Being in charge of lighting for a gym, fitness center, or sports facility puts you under pressure. You need something that is stylish, safe, and easy to maintain. As for the UFO round lights and the sleek linear strips, what do you choose?
Selecting LED high bay lights doesn't have to be complicated, so let’s try to make it easy and avoid the technical jargon.
Know Your Space (It’s More Than a “Gym”)
You have to categorize your space before you look at specs. A basketball court has a completely different lighting plan than a yoga studio or a weight floor.
The Gymnasium (Ball Sports & Courts) . . Safety First. And when balls are flying through the air, your lights have to be tough.
Fitness Center (Weights, Cardio and Studios) Try before you buy. Here you’re more concerned about how the light makes people feel, and making sure there are no dark spots on the treadmills.
How Strong Is the Fixture?
Durability is where you can find the greatest differences with regards to light fixtures. If you are putting lights in a school gymnasium or sports arena, there is always a potential for one of the basketballs or volleyballs to hit the light fixture, therefore impact resistant fixtures (are a must.) The magic number to look for is IK08. Fixtures reviewed as IK08 are meant to resist direct impact. In these facilities, the UFO high bay is used frequently because of their solid construction and ability to install them at great heights.
The Great Debate of UFO vs Linear - Facility Managers vs Electricians
Typically, an electrician and the facility manager frequently argue over the best type of fixture, linear high bays or UFO high bays. This could be determined easily by just using this easy explanation:
UFO High Bay outside of (UFO's) and Linear High Bay (LH) are common high bay fixtures and are generally used for two different situations.
UFO High Bays:
Best Scenario: High above the ground with quite a distance to cover. Best Suitable for Location: School gyms or other places where you need a nice strong and controlled beam of light.
Linear High Bays:
Best scenario: Tracks provide you with an even amount of light and a clean line straight down the length of the linear fixture. Best Suitable for Location: Weight-room, cardio room and fitness centers with modern-look and equally spaced-out coverage on each side of a linear fixture.
As a rule of thumb the higher the fixture is and if there is a good chance it can hit to use UFO high bays. If they have a structured wired workout floor and to use linear high bays.
Hard Numbers: How Bright is Bright Enough?
You can not just guess the brightness. You need foot-candles (fc). Here is a quick cheat sheet based on typical standards:
|
Space Type
|
Target Illumination (fc)
|
|
General Workout / Weight Areas
|
30-50 fc
|
|
Group Exercise / Yoga Studios
|
20-40 fc
|
|
Locker Rooms
|
10-30 fc
|
|
Competition / Game Courts
|
40-60 fc
|
|
Reception / Lobby
|
20-50 fc
|
Note: Public gyms and school gyms often aim for 30-70 fc depending on the activity.
Replacing old fixtures? This is your guide!
- When replacing older Metal Halide ( those 400w lamps that are slow to start) or Fluorescents the replacement route is fairly simple.
- Replace 400w Metal Halide. Replace with a 100-240w LED High Bay.
- Replace 1000w Metal Halide. Replace with a 300w LED High Bay.
- Color temperature. Would you like the clean, white look that was old Metal Halide. Use 5000K. Would you like the slightly warmer, traditional fluorescents. Use 4000K.
Facility Manager's Checklist: Quick Reference
Before making your selection or placing an order, ensure you have gone through the following list:
- When trying to find acceptable low-profile UFO fixture styles to use with your gym (i.e., IK08 rated products), start with the UFO fixture.
- For your fitness area, consider using linear high bays to achieve a consistent overall look throughout the entire space.
- When installing controls, ensure that the fixtures support 0-10V dimming or motion sensors to reduce energy use when the area is unoccupied.
- When installing replacements for older technology, ensure to match the wattage of the light (typically LED replacement for HID 400W MH will use between 100-240W).
- In addition to how bright the light is, the type of light affects the feeling it creates in an environment and helps to create a long-lasting atmosphere.
