Drywall LED Lighting is one of the most important tools for drywall construction. This post will cover the different types of Drywall work lights available, their pros and cons, as well as some key considerations professional Drywall finishers always make when selecting the best work light for drywall lighting.
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We know that the quality of your lighting choice will be reflected in the quality of your work.
Drywall lighting needs a task light, which means you need to have a bright LED light source. This is particularly true as some drywall work is done during the night or in a space with lighting that just isn’t bright enough for the job.
A good Drywall Work Light should put out enough lumens that are directed into your workspace without wasting too much energy or overheating.
The finish of a drywall demands a bright light source to make sure that each seam is properly covered. Having the best drywall work light ensures you are able to see what needs to be done, and helps reduce mistakes in your job.
Our top picks for the best work lights for a drywall finish are the Scangrip MultiMatch R and LD BRIFULL 20000 Lumen Tripod LED Work Light – as they offer the key criteria required. Let’s look at them now and then read on for our complete guide to work lighting for painting with more top picks and recommendations.
Scangrip Multi Match R |
This handy and powerful work light can be used for inspections and detailing providing up to 1200 lumen. This portable painting light is robust and an industry leader in vehicle detailing. Offers USB charging for other devices. |
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BEST PRO BUY |
The Scangrip MultiMatch R is a powerful and handy lighting solution for drywall finishing professionals. With up to 1200 lumen output, it is perfect as a drywall inspection light for detailing work.
The MultiMatch R also features 5 different color temperature settings, so you can choose the perfect setting for each job. A rechargeable power bank with USB outlet means you can keep this portable light charged and ready to go, making it a great addition to your painting kit.
The most comprehensive and sophisticated lighting solution of its kind, the Scangrip MultiMatch R is a must-have for any construction professional who needs good illumination for detailed work.
DAYATECH 20000 Lumen Dual-Head LED Work Light |
This Tripod LED Work Light with Dual Detachable Head is ideal for use in a variety of settings, both professional and personal. Its high brightness and cool to the touch design make it perfect for a range of tasks, while its quick install time means you'll be ready to go in no time. |
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Top Pick |
The LD BRIFULL 20000 Lumen Tripod LED Work Light with Dual Detachable Head is the perfect addition to any workspace. This super-bright light can be adjusted to your needs, and it features a cool-to-touch design for safety, thanks to the efficiency of the 180 LED chips in each light.
With a lumen output of 20,000lm, the brightness is immense and at a 5000K colour temperature that is close to daylight, the cool brightness will flood any space with a wide illumination that suits all working applications.
The height of the tripod can be adjusted from 72″ to 35″. Twin lamp heads can be rotated 360° vertically and 360° horizontally respectively. Demountable, this design converts to a smaller handheld for total flexibility.
Fully enclosed and made of high strength die-cast aluminum, this durable design is built last.
There are four types of drywall light available on the market:
LED Stand lights are the most commonly used by professional drywall finishers. They typically have 1000 lumens or more, and can be attached to a workbench for easy hands free use while working on your project. The best part about these units is that the lamp is adjustable.
Stanley 7000 Lumen Tripod Work Light |
With practical 8-ft long power cord for safe and easier use, this adjustable aluminum tripod with telescopic shaft extends to 6’-6” overall height. Multi-directional LED heads rotate 165° and pivot 90°. Compact design aids in storage & transportation. |
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Dependable Brand |
These are the least expensive, but also typically have lower lumen counts and can be too bulky for drywall work. These lights are good to use as a supplement in areas where you need additional light or shadows covered up during construction of your project. They often come with magnets on the back, which is also great for sticking them to your refrigerator or other metal surfaces.
These are probably the most used type of drywall lighting solution as they are affordable, very bright, compact and lightweight to carry and robust enough to survive the rigor of a commercial jobsite.
DEWALT Work Light with App Remote Control |
Part of the Connect range from a trusted leading brand. 5000 lumens of bright all purpose white light which can be used freestanding, tripod mounted (sold separately), or hung with a convenient integrated hook. Battery operated with 11 hr run time. |
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DEWALT Pro Solution |
These are the most expensive option, but they typically have a higher lumen count and can be used for several hours before needing to recharge. They also feature brightness controls so you can adjust your lighting depending on what type of work is being done.
Samyoung Rechargeable 3000 Lumen Work Light |
Dual sources of light: uses COB (flood beam) 12 hrs run time from battery + XPG (spot beam) LED light source, outputting a total of 3000-lumens. Robust design, light weight and easy to move and store. Waterproof to IP65 Rating so can be used in the rain or wet conditions. |
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Best Budget |
An all rounder that illuminates an entire space with very bright options to consider, eg 12,000 lumens or even 20,000 lumens! Easily moved and positionable for the professional grade commercial solution for incredible brightness without the heat.
80W 12,000 Lumen Temporary Corded Work Light |
Essential LED temporary work lights at commercial and industrial grade. Heavy duty stainless steel cage housing adds extra durability and protection when operating in busy jobsites with successful ETL approval. |
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BEST TEMPORARY HANGING |
An all rounder with the power to replace high bay lighting for wide illumination of spaces from high positions. Easily moved and positionable for the professional grade commercial solution for incredible brightness without the heat.
150W 21500 Lumen Led Temporary Work Light |
LED temporary corded work lights at commercial and industrial grade. Bright enough for high bay lighting. Heavy duty stainless steel cage housing adds extra durability and protection when operating in busy jobsites with successful ETL approval. |
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Temporary High Bay |
There are lots of Work Lights on the market but for the precision work of sanding and finishing in a high dust working environment, consider these particular features for the best light to use for finishing drywall.
Lumens are the key factor to drywall lighting. While you need a bright light, it can’t be too large or else your workspace will just get hot and waste energy from the bulb itself using halogen. LED lumen outputs are now incredible with a high luminosity (8000lm) and highly efficient.
Tungsten light is yellow, but drywall work lights should have a whiter color of light. This allows you to see better shadows and give the best contrast for seeing dust particles or other problems that might happen during construction.
Thanks to the opportunity to arrange directional output LEDs, professional choice work lights opt for a 180° light dispersion angle to light wide working areas without the need to keep moving as your work progresses.
GoGonova Cordless Work Light Triple Lamp |
Excellent quick stow away compact design with triple LED lamp heads for wide coverage of illumination. With adjustability of vertically 180°and horizontally 270°rotation. 3 brightness options, 2 color temperatures. |
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Compact Design |
You need lights that are adjustable so you can focus the light onto your project.
You want a lamp with an adjustable neck so you can adjust the light where you need it and also have an arm that is long enough to reach into the deepest corners of drywall.
Drywalls are dusty, wet sometimes (when priming), and can be in a damp environment which requires drywall work lights with durable LED lamps like CREE or OSRAM LEDs.
Rechargeable drywall work lights offer more mobility around different areas of your project and won’t require an outlet nearby to recharge.
If your Drywall Work Light is cordless, you want to make sure it has a long battery life between charges so that when one charge runs out, you can still use the light without interruption. The longest lasting rechargeable drywall work lights are lithium-ion batteries which will last for about 20 hours of continuous use.
The weight of the carry drywall work light is important because you need to be able to hold it with one hand and keep your other arm free for sanding or holding a joint compound bucket. You want it heavy enough so that fatigue does not set in, but still lightweight and easy to manoeuvre around while working on your project.
A Drywall Work Light should be able to power on quickly and stay powered up, even in dimly lit areas with little access to light like garages or basements (and also outdoors if you are working outside). The best drywall work lights will have a switch that allows the user to turn it off/on quickly and also to turn the brightness up or down for better control of your lighting.
Comes with extra equipment like a belt clip, hanging hooks (for hands free use), magnetic base (great for working on metal surfaces) and/or diffused lenses which help spread out the light in order to cover more area.
The best lights will have magnets on the back, or a hook that allows it to be placed in many different locations without needing an extra hand.
If you are working on a large project, or your Drywall Work Light is corded, then having robust telescopic extendable tripod stands that hold the led light can give you much better lighting control and allow both hands to be free for other tasks.
For a safer working environment LED work light for drywalls should not give off much heat, so it is important to use a high quality LED chip set that runs efficiently and well within the designed parameters, which produce very little heat and a long lifespan.
If you are working on a project that requires drywall work lights, it is important to have equipment that can be easily stored away when not in use. The best Drywall Work Light will fold down flat and quickly into a small unit or stick shape that takes up little space for easy storage after your job.
For more control over the amount of lighting you need, and depending on how sensitive your eyes are or what grade of sandpaper and joint compound you use, adjustable dimmable drywall work lights with brightness level controls offer more control over your lighting.
It is important to choose drywall work lights with diffused lenses or see through shades, so that you can focus the light exactly where you need it without any obstructions like shadows which could make sanding and taping corners more difficult than they need to be. There are also adjustable LED work lights to create the perfect spotlight or floodlight.
A blower fan drywall work light is also a great choice because it can help keep dust out of your eyes and mouth while you are working, which will make for an easier time when finishing up your project. Some other types of Drywall Work Lights have a blower fan, but it is not as strong or effective.
For longer lasting drywall work lights, wireless options last even longer than rechargeable ones because you never have to worry about charging them up again after each use. Although the initial cost of these Drywall Work Lights are more expensive than rechargables, they are worth it for making your job easier and more streamlined.
Some drywall work lights come with Bluetooth speakers built-in which makes an excellent addition to any project, especially if you are working alone or in a larger space that needs some background noise. The Drywall Work Light bluetooth options use high quality wireless sound systems which could be the perfect solution for your next project.
For projects that require constant lighting without adjusting brightness or switching on/off, choose drywall work lights with a switch which is easy to turn on and off quickly like this one here, conveniently worn as a headlamp where a hand wave gesture switches the light source.
SCANGRIP I-MATCH 2 Headlamp |
Superior hands-free illumination for any detailing or color match job. It features a 2 COLOR LIGHT function that gives you the option to choose between 2 color temperatures. Powerful illumination spreads the uniform light widely. Wave your hand in front of the lamp to switch the light on and off. |
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TOP PRO PICK |
A drywall work light that has a long cable length is important to have, especially if you are working on the ceiling or another location that needs more reach. Go for at least 15ft or 4m long cables.
Floodlights and spotlights can both be effective drywall work lights, but there are some advantages to each type. Spotlight Drywall Work Lights will give an intense light output in a small area so you get the most out of your lighting while working on specific projects like patching holes or sanding corners/edges.
Floodlight Drywall Work Lights will give off a wider light so it is easier to see the entire area of your project.
– DEWALT (best selling brand with highest ratings)
– Bosch
– Makita & Milwaukee (best selling cordless)
– Festool
– Stanley
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