Good quality, waterproof outdoor pub lighting is essential not just from an aesthetic viewpoint, but from a security and safety perspective too. The right lighting products can highlight attractive features and serve as an incentive for customers at any time of day - something especially important within the hospitality industry.
What’s great about choosing Vision Lighting for outdoor pub lighting is the sheer range of lighting solutions and commitment to customer service. With lightning-speed turnaround times when it comes to delivery, we demonstrate exactly how the customer experience is at the very forefront of all we do.
There are plenty of reasons to choose Vision Lighting, so don’t hesitate to get in touch to find out more.
Lighting for pubs, bars and clubs: Trends for 2024
Lighting has gone beyond being purely functionary and is now often used as a design strategy. Customised pieces are displayed in bar foyers and outdoor seating areas to create an atmosphere and bring attention, whilst simultaneously acting as functional lighting pieces.
This is particularly effective in outdoor pub areas where there is little else for the lighting to compete with and perhaps more places to hide a 2m cable. LED modules are often used for letters - for example, you may have illuminated signage in your seating area where LEDs could be creatively applied. LED fairground lights are another attractive option for outdoor pub lighting - if you’d like to create a nostalgic effect for your pub, why not check out our E10 cabochon lights?
Lighting Layers
On the other hand, lighting layers have also risen in popularity, and are anticipated to be one of the biggest lighting trends this year. A combination of wall lights might be accompanied by vintage metal lighting fixtures with frosted pineapple glass shades and fairy lights, for example. Though this sounds a bit ‘club dance floor’, when done right, layering lighting can be an extremely effective method for outdoor pub lighting, especially when accompanied by an industrial factory-style wall.
Floodlights & Wall Lights
Though floodlights are more traditionally used in sign lighting, they are also excellent for illuminating outdoor spaces like the exterior of pubs and for providing extra security. These types of lights can create pockets of shade, if desired, but are commonly used to improve the visibility for customers, employees, promoters, and security staff when outside of pubs, bars and clubs.
In particular, the TradeLED DOB Osram range - 30W, 50W, and 100W - for pubs has some great options. This range is extremely popular for installing around the tops of pubs in conjunction with LED trough lights and, in some cases, wall lights, fairground lights and more to make the whole building (as well as any outdoor advertisements & displays) stand out.
LED wall lights are also used widely by pubs. Check out our TradeLED Up and Down wall light in our wall light range available in 5 colours; Black, Gold, Grey, Silver and Polished Aluminium. Choose from cool white, natural white and warm white GU10 LED bulbs, the ideal choice if you’re keen to upgrade your outdoor pub lighting.
LED Sign Lights
For LED sign lights, our Nanolight is an excellent choice for outside a pub. It uses high-efficiency, high-performance LED technology, making it more energy efficient than others on the market and has a lifespan of several years. What’s more, it’s also available with a photocell sensor.
The Nanolight has a high 190 Lumens per Watt and runs at just 11.5 Watts per Metre. In comparison, our closest competitor's product produces a much lower 114 Lumens per Watt whilst consuming more energy (14.4 Watts per Metre). With our Nanolight, your pub will get much more light output and visibility for the energy being used. It also has an IP rating of 66, so it can survive all kinds of extremes the Great British weather throws at us.
LED Step Lights
Instead of decorative wall lights and bulbous glass shades to help guide customers down the stairs and around the pub garden, LED step lights are now regularly being used by many pub owners. These LED lights come in a range of different colours and finishes, allowing you to choose exactly how you want your exterior to be illuminated.
LED lights are energy saving and will save you a lot of money, not to mention that they certainly won’t compromise on light quality or brightness.
Pub lighting: Tips for your outdoor seating area
Before choosing any light fittings or getting caught up in cable options, you need to think about the atmosphere you want to create and how you can achieve the desired effect using the lighting options available to you.
You should aim to reach an ideal middle ground between being too dark and too light and you of course want something that will fit in with the intended audience, but how do you go about reaching that goal? Well, here are a few tips on how to get it just right.
Use lighting to create an atmosphere
Ideally, your customers won’t even think about lighting. The only time they are likely to be aware of the lights is if the lights are too bright and don’t have a dimming option or lighting controller, or if there is no lighting over seating and your customers are struggling to see each other.
As touched on previously, the best combination of lighting is created by combining several different types of lights. A combination of fittings usually works best – think about how you can use the walls, the ceiling space (if there is any) and the ground. Creating a mood with atmospheric lighting can really help your pub become that cosy place that your customers want to relax in.
Although lights with triangular glass shades are undoubtedly aesthetic, functionality needs to be the number one priority when using lighting for your outdoor pub seating area.
Consider the lighting around your seating area
When your customers aren’t at the bar, they’ll want somewhere to relax and feel comfortable so, ideally, you’ll create gentle and ambient lighting. Again, a combination is usually best.
Consider wall lights with a black finish, paired with strip lights on a factory-style metal ceiling. If you don’t have an older style of ceiling, a more traditional century metal ceiling pendant with a flexible cable will be sure to provide the perfect amount of lighting.
If you want to stick with something a little simpler, think about testing out a low-level circular wall light. This can help to create an intimate atmosphere without dazzling customers while they’re trying to enjoy their drinks. Something like the twin wall light with an imperial silver finish would be ideal for this purpose.
There are many benefits of using outdoor motion sensor lights in a pub setting particularly. While they’re perfect for providing light to customers, they’re also an excellent deterrent. They help to improve the security of the building whilst also activating the light when someone exits or enters the building, saving staff or owners from having to think about turning lights on and off when they’re moving around the premises at night.
Think about the lighting fixtures
When it comes to outdoor pub lighting installation, you need to pay special attention to the types of outdoor light fixtures and how they are designed to mount the lights to the available surfaces.
Don’t forget that free-standing outdoor lamps with a weathered brass finish and string lights are widely available to make the outdoor lighting you choose a little more exciting for customers.
Instead of simply opting for a black wall light, take some time to think about whether you’d like an antique silver fitting or perhaps a factory-style wall light finish with fragment detail.
We encourage you to check out our swan neck lights (available with black and brass finishes) - a popular pick for outdoor pub lighting.
Benefits of LED pub lighting
LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last a lot longer than traditional lighting solutions.
LED bulbs usually can change colours to create a range of moods and atmospheres. For example, they can glow red in the late afternoon and then switch to a brighter white as it gets darker outside.
Modern LEDs have a dimmable option (not all - so always check your product’s precise specification prior to purchase to avoid disappointment), making it easy for customers to adjust the lighting to suit their needs. If they’re in a bit of a shadowy corner, they can make the lighting brighter and vice versa.
As well as reducing costs in terms of energy efficiency, LED lights also reduce maintenance costs because they need to be replaced a lot less often.
There is a lot less energy wastage with standard LED bulbs than there is for more conventional bulbs like fluorescent lights, for example.
How many lumens do outdoor bar lights need?
The amount of lumens you’ll need for an outdoor bar area depends on a number of factors. Lumens measure how bright a bulb is, so if you’re looking for the brightest LED bulb, you’ll need to find a bulb with the highest number of lumens possible. A fancy bulb with a polished nickel finish is lovely, but without a high lumen rating, it won’t do you any favours.
An outdoor wall light for a blank wall requires approximately somewhere between 500 and 1000 lumens whereas a floodlight (our TradeLED 30W Osram, being our most popular for pubs) would output 3900 lumens, for reference. With the Osram floodlight, you get a wide beam angle, which is ideal for illuminating larger walls or outdoor spaces.
Depending on what you’re going to be using the outdoor bar lights exactly for – path lighting needing 300-400 lumens and something generic like garden lights needing between 600 to 1800 lumens – you can expect outdoor bar lights to need a minimum of 100 lumens for accent lighting with E10 Cabochons and anywhere up to 2185 lumens for signage lighting as a rule.
Of course, this number is just general and will likely change depending on the exact bulbs you go for and how you plan to use them but feel free to use this as a rough guide.
Looking for LED pub lighting? We’ve got you covered
As you can see, whatever type of lighting you need, Vision Lighting is sure to have it. From bulb light fittings with an antique brass finish to your own choice of fabric cable for ease, we’re confident that we’ll have the right product for all of your outdoor pub lighting needs.
When you shop on our site, you’ll see that we have a wide range of lighting products suitable for all purposes with modern designs as well as designs from times long ago, boasting vintage metal and extraordinary shades.
If you’re interested in learning more about what we have to offer at Vision Lighting, visit our product pages, contact us via email at info@vision-lighting.co.uk, or give us a call on +44 (0) 1132 799 745.