All You Need to Know About The LED UFO High Bay

If you’ve been inside a Costco or a convention center, chances are you’ve laid eyes on UFO style LED high bays. They're one of the most common fixtures you see because of their relatively small size and ease of installation. While extremely bright, they produce even light distribution that's diffused to reduce glare. Here are some quick facts about the Hykolity LED UFO high bay:

  • Available in 100W, 150W, 200W, or 240W
  • 13000 – 31200 Lumens
  • 5000K White
  • 110° Beam Angle
  • 120-277V Working Voltage
  • Impact Resistant Aluminum Body and Glass Shield

Let’s face it: you probably already know what the LED UFO high bay does, but you might still have some questions. If you already know the basic benefits, skip straight to our most asked questions.

Advantages

The UFO style LED high bay light shares its linear-shaped counterpart’s basic benefits including the ability to dim, a long lifespan, and high applicability.

Use the Lutron Diva 0-10V dimmer switch to lower your UFO high bay’s lighting output and energy use. Since it has a 450W wattage capacity, we recommend wiring up to three 100W fixtures, two 150W fixtures and so on. You’ll want to keep a buffer between the dimmer’s wattage capacity and the UFO high bays’ combined wattage in case of any voltage spikes, which may blow out the dimmer and/or fixtures.

This LED high bay light lasts up to 50000 hours due in part to efficient LED technology and an externally built LED driver, which creates a gap that aids the heat dissipation.

Affix the UFO LED high bay in any industrial or commercial building with high ceilings like:

  • Warehouses
  • Distribution Centers
  • Manufacturing Facilities
  • Membership Warehouse Clubs
  • Aircraft Hangars

Reflectors

Using reflectors will allow you to refine your UFO high bays’ beam angle and concentrate its light output. Your desired beam angle will also determine how your fixtures will look. Affixing aluminum reflectors will give you a 100° beam angle while maintaining the UFO high bay’s sleek appearance. Using polycarbonate lenses will give you a 70° beam angle while giving you a traditional metal halide high bay look.

Alternative Mounting

The included hook allows you to install the UFO high bay in minutes. But if you need a more secure mount, you can replace the hook with a conduit pipe or a yoke. The former will allow you to pendant mount the UFO high bay as you would normally but will have a rigid fit, so the fixture won’t move. This is an ideal solution for spaces where wind freely blows in like airplane hangars. A yoke will give you the same secure fit but also let you wall mount the UFO high bay to set it at an angle.

Motion Sensor

Like the linear high bay, the UFO high bay can be equipped with a motion sensor to save energy. Your commercial UFO lights will only turn on when it detects activity under them, reducing the time it’s on and extending its operating life. After a short amount of time, the high bay fixtures will dim then shut off when no motion is detected.

Mount the motion sensor on its heatsink or metal reflector (sold separately) for a 360° detection area. It covers a wide 26-foot radius and can be set up to 49 feet high, so you can hang your UFO high bays without compromise.

LED UFO High Bay Light Motion Sensor

If the features tick all the boxes for you, order the LED UFO high bay light now! Still on the fence? Read on to see common questions that contractors ask.

UFO High Bay vs. Linear High Bay

You might be wondering why you should opt for a UFO high bay if the linear high bay performs just as well. Aside from their shapes, there are some key differences.

As mentioned above, the UFO LED high bay’s beam angles can be sharpened with polycarbonate reflectors to adequately illuminate a small area. Its circular diode arrangement and lumen range makes our LED UFO lights ideal for shallow, more open spaces. On the other hand, LED linear high bays have a longer diode arrangement to create a wider beam angle. They perform best when ceiling mounted higher, making them an excellent solution for narrow spaces like high rising aisles.

Because the shape differs, the two high bays’ light distributions are dissimilar as well. Another reason why the linear high bay is perfect for lighting up aisles is that they output a uniform, rectangular light beam. UFO high bays shine a circular light beam.

The choice also comes down to your aesthetic taste. Do you want the traditional high bay appearance? Choose the UFO style. If you like the boxy fluorescent lamp look, go for the linear style.

Why Use LED Instead of Metal Halide?

Traditional high bay fixtures share the same pendant-style design as our UFO LED high bays. Their bulbs are omnidirectional though, meaning they shine in all directions. This required using aluminum reflectors to redirect the light downwards. While this salvages most of the lost light, the output would still be less than efficient.

Whereas LED high bays take less than a second to fully illuminate, metal halide fixtures take up to 20 minutes to reach standard operating temperatures.

How High and Far Apart Can I Set Them?

Each UFO high bay has a 110° beam angle, except for the 200W version which has a 120°. This and their lumen output will affect your mounting height. Based on a 40-50 foot candle output, we suggest mounting the LED UFO high bays at least 10 feet from the floor, and up to 20 feet. The spacing should equal the coverage, so if the 100W fixture gives you a 30-foot diameter, set them 30 feet apart. Refer to the diagram below.

LED UFO High Bay Mounting Height and Coverage

Is the UFO High Bay Waterproof?

While you can’t dunk your commercial fixtures in water, they can resist some moisture. Our UFO high bays are UL rated for wet location. Lights that can endure wet conditions earn the distinction by UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a nationally recognized testing lab in North America. A product is wet location rated if it can keep dripping, splashing, or flowing water from its electrical components. Indoor locations include grocery stores, membership warehouse clubs, and airplane hangars.

Do you have other questions regarding our LED high bay lights? Feel free to give us a call at (562) 456-0507 or send us an email at inquiry@hykolity.com. We regularly write posts and tips to help you make informed purchasing decisions. Discover them on our FacebookTwitter, and LinkedIn pages.

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