Output, run time, beam pattern and mounting decide whether a cordless work light suits the job. How to read the specification before buying.

A cordless work light provides illumination where there is no mains power or fixed lighting. That makes it a different product from a torch: a torch is aimed at something in the distance, while a work light has to light a surface or an area for as long as the job lasts.

Buyers usually start with the highest lumen figure they can find. That is not always the best place to start, because output, run time and mounting are linked and raising one usually costs another. This guide covers what the figures mean, how the formats differ and what to check before buying.

Quick Summary

• Start from the job. Task, area and inspection lighting each suit a different format.
• Lumens and lux are not the same number. Lumens is the total light leaving the lamp; lux is how much light lands on a surface at a stated distance.
• Output and run time trade against each other, so confirm which output setting a run time figure refers to. Mounting decides whether the light gets used at all.

Start With the Job, Not the Brightness

Work lighting covers three jobs. Task lighting is aimed at one working area: a panel being wired, an engine bay, a weld being dressed. Area lighting spreads across a room or a bay so people can move safely. Inspection work needs a light carried in one hand or clipped to clothing.

One light rarely works well for all three jobs, which is why the range separates into formats rather than one universal model.

Lumens, Lux and Beam Type

Two numbers appear on work light datasheets, and they are not interchangeable. Lumens measure the total light leaving the lamp in all directions; lux measures how much light falls on one square metre of a surface at a given distance.

Light spreads as it travels, so doubling the distance from the lamp cuts illuminance to roughly a quarter. A lux figure means little unless the distance is stated, which is why a light rated 700 lumens and one rated 300 lx cannot be compared directly. When a supplier quotes lumens, ask which output setting it was measured on; when the figure is lux, ask the distance. The ANSI/NEMA FL 1 protocol fixes output, run time, beam distance, impact and water resistance to a defined test, so figures taken this way can be compared between suppliers.

Beam pattern matters as much as output. A spot beam reaches further but leaves the surrounding area dark; a flood beam covers a wider surface at lower intensity. Most work lights use a COB strip, which gives a broad even wash for task and area lighting.

Compact, Tube and Handheld Work Lights

The compact folding light is about the size of a marker pen. It carries a 1.5 W COB strip, a folding stand that doubles as a hang point, and a magnetic base. Output is modest and run time is long, which suits close work and inspection.

The tube light is the format sold most often into site and maintenance work: a 12 W COB strip behind a clear polycarbonate tube, plus a telescopic handle, double hooks and a magnetic back. The standing work light does the same job from a rubber-coated body whose handle opens into a stand.

The handheld light is for inspection: a 3 W LED with a head that adjusts through 135°, so the beam is aimed without moving the body.

Battery, Run Time and Charging

Some cordless lights have a cell built into the body; others take a slide-on battery pack from a tool platform. A built-in cell keeps the product small, gives one part number and comes with its own charger. A shared pack costs more, but the buyer already owns cells and chargers for it, and packs swap in seconds on site.

Our work lights use built-in cells sized to the output: 3.7 V 400 mAh in the compact light, 3.7 V 4,000 mAh in the tube light, 3,600 mAh in the standing light, and 7.4 V 1,800 mAh in the 700 lumen model.

Run time should always be considered together with output level and mode setting. The 700 lumen model is quoted at about 2 hours of operating time and 5 hours to charge from its 12 V charger. A low setting runs several times longer than full output, and is often the setting the job actually uses.

Three details decide whether charging is practical: the interface (mains adapter, 12 V car charger or USB), the charging time, and whether the light can be used while charging. Our guide to choosing the right cordless tool battery covers voltage classes and charger compatibility.

Cordless Work Lights: Specifications Compared

Mounting, Hooks and Positioning

How a light attaches to the job decides how much use it gets. A light that has to be held occupies one hand for the whole job.

• Magnetic base or back. Fixes to steelwork, a vehicle body or a machine frame. Check that it holds at the angle the light will be used at.
• Hooks. Double hooks hang the light from a cable tray, a pipe or a scaffold tube.
• Folding or collapsible stand. Stands the light on a floor or bench and aims it from there.
• Telescopic handle. Lifts the light above head height so it does not throw its own shadow across the work.
• Adjustable head. A rotating head aims the beam without moving the body.

Build Quality and Ingress Protection

A work light may be dropped, exposed to rain, or covered in dust, so the housing is part of the specification. The figure to look at is the IP rating: the first digit covers dust and solid objects, the second covers water. IP54 is enough for most indoor and covered outdoor work; IP65 adds protection against water jets. Impact resistance matters as much, since a light that falls off a machine is tested by the user long before the datasheet is read.

Certification and Battery Rules for Your Market

A work light is a luminaire, not a power tool, so the safety standards come from the lighting family rather than from the power tool standard IEC 62841.

In Europe, a portable work light is assessed as a portable luminaire under EN 60598-2-4, with the general requirements of EN 60598-1. Handlamps are covered separately by EN 60598-2-8, and outdoor use brings a minimum requirement of IPX4. EMC for lighting is tested to EN 55015, and the charger is assessed separately.

In North America the route depends on the battery. A light with a built-in cell falls under the battery-operated requirements added to UL 153: lithium cell testing to UL 1642 or UL 62133-2, a drop test aligned with the flashlight performance standard, water ingress and a photobiological assessment of the light source. A light with a removable pack falls under UL 1576, with the pack assessed to UL 2595.

Two battery rules sit alongside this. Portable batteries in products placed on the EU market must be removable and replaceable by the end user from 18 February 2027 under Regulation 2023/1542, a design question for any light with a sealed-in cell. Lithium cells also travel with a UN 38.3 test summary. How each mark is verified is set out in our guide to power tool certifications.

How to Specify a Cordless Work Light

• Application. Task, area or inspection. This decides the format.
• Output. Lumens on the setting that will be used, or lux at the working distance, not the highest figure on the box.
• Run time. Match it to the longest job between charges, add margin, and confirm which setting the figure was taken at.
• Mounting. Magnet, hook, stand or handle, and the weight the fixing has to hold.
• Environment and charging. Indoor, outdoor or wash-down sets the IP rating; interface and charging time decide whether the light suits the vehicle or the site.
• Market. Voltage, plug type and the certification route, plus the battery rules if the cell is built in.

For a wider tool kit, our list of essential power tools, the comparison of corded versus cordless tools and the guide to 12 V versus 18 V tools cover the same decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between lumens and lux on a work light?

Lumens measure the total light leaving the lamp. Lux measures how much light lands on a surface at a stated distance, so the distance has to be stated for the figure to mean anything. Lux can be checked against the work; lumens only say how much light is produced.

How many lumens do I need in a work light?

There is no single figure. Close inspection needs a few hundred lumens at short range, while an area light for a workshop bay needs several thousand. Distance matters as much as the number: a 700 lumen light is useful at one metre and weak at five.

Are cordless work lights waterproof?

Only as far as their IP rating says. IP54 resists dust and splashing water, which covers most indoor and covered outdoor work; IP65 adds protection against water jets. A light with no IP rating is not intended for wet use.

Can a cordless work light run on the same battery as my other tools?

Some can, if the light is built to take a slide-on battery pack from the same platform. A light with a cell sealed into the body charges from its own charger instead. A shared pack means fewer chargers on site, but the light is no longer self-contained.

Choosing the Right Cordless Work Light

The most important specification is the one that fits the job, and that is usually run time and mounting rather than raw output. Read output, run time and beam pattern together, confirm that the fixing suits the place the light has to go, and check the certification route before the order is placed rather than after.

Buying cordless work lights for a particular market? Tell us the application, the run time you need and the destination. We supply compact lights, tube lights and standing lights, with the charger and the documentation each market requires — see our work lights and cordless lighting ranges, or contact us for a quote.

This article is intended as a general buying reference. Specifications quoted are typical for the class; confirm ratings and certification on the current datasheet before specifying.