If you are looking to illuminate the dark pathways or your parking lot, LED bollard lights are your ultimate solution!

LED bollard lights are ideal for residential and commercial area lighting, ensuring secure walking, parking, or proper night visibility. The LED technology in these fixtures makes them energy-efficient, so you can turn them on all night without worrying about your electricity bills. Besides, they are available in different shapes and styles that can play a crucial role in uplifting the landscape outlook.

In this article, I’ve bought you a comprehensive guideline on LED bollard lights. Here you will learn about different types of LED bollard lights, the materials and designs available, their installation process, and more. So, hold your breath to get into the world of LED bollard lights- 

What Is LED Bollard Light? 

LED bollard lights are small, thick, square, or circular-shaped light fixtures installed outdoors to illuminate pathways, patios, and other landscapes for safe walks at night. Bollard lights are usually two to three feet high, with a light source at the top and side of the fixture. These are excellent for commercial, residential, and multiple applications.

Besides LED, other non-LED lighting technologies like High-intensity Discharge (HID) lamps and Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) are also used in bollard lights. But LEDs are the most popular as they are super energy-efficient compared to other variants. They also have many advanced features like motion sensors, dimming systems, and other automation features. 

Purpose Of Using LED Bollard Light 

The primary purpose of LED bollard lights is to ensure safety and proper visibility. Besides this, there are many other facts for which LED bollard lights are used to enlighten the outdoor residential, commercial, and public areas; these are as follows- 

• Visibility: The primary purpose of LED bollard lights is to offer sufficient lighting at night to ensure safe movement. These are basically mini lamp posts that illuminate your walkways. Thus, it provides enough illumination so you can walk freely without any visibility issues. 

• Safety and security: Well-lit areas prevent the entry of unwanted people or criminals. LED bollard lights improve security and safety in outdoor settings by simplifying spotting any suspicious activity. Thus it works as a security system.

• Boundary Lining: You can boundary your property line using LED bollard lights. These are effective ways to outline your area. However, in this case, you should follow the government guidelines to ensure the neighborhood or the passerby are not facing any problems. 

• Landscape Enhancement: LED bollard lights can be used to highlight landscape components like trees or gardens, draw attention to architectural details of buildings, and create an aesthetically attractive atmosphere. They improve the visual appeal of outdoor areas by adding depth, texture, and dimension. For more information, you can check 12 LED Landscape Lighting Trends You Need To Know About 2023.

Types Of LED Bollard Lights 

The design of LED bollard lights is now endless. They can have wood, steel, and concrete made structures. Besides, advanced features like motion sensors and lighting pattern changes have increased the bollard light category’s vastness. Yet, I’ve listed major categories of LED bollard lights for you- 

Based On Material 

Based on the material used to structure the bollard lights, they can be of four types. These are- 

Stainless Steel Driveway Bollard Lights

Stainless steel driveway bollard lights are designed with SUS304 and SUS316 materials to resist impact & corrosion. These sturdy bollard lights are suitable for areas with a higher risk of collision and higher humidity that causes rusting issues. So, you can choose these fixtures for seasides and areas with high humidity and hot climates. 

Concrete Bollard LED Lights

Concrete bollard lights are impact-resistant, have a clean aesthetic, and have outstanding mechanical strength. These bollard lights’ strong construction and robustness are suitable for parking lots, paths, parks, entranceways, playgrounds, and streets. You can purchase numerous concrete finishes to give it the appearance you want. Additionally, stainless steel or fibers are embedded in these concrete bollards to increase strength and rigidity.  

Aluminum Bollard LED Lights

Aluminum bollard LED lights have a black and modern outlook. These are simple and sleek in designs that suit all types of applications. You can use them as residential bollards or for commercial purposes. Aluminum bollard LED lights are lightweight and cheaper than stainless steel driveway bollard lights. 

Wooden Bollard LED Lights 

Wooden bollard lights are excellent to match your architectural designs. They offer a unique aesthetic appeal and blend well with natural or rustic environments. You will find them in the pathways, gardens, or playing zones of hotels and resorts with rural themes.

Based On Voltage

Based on the voltage rating of bollard LED lights, they can be of two types- 

Low Voltage LED Bollard Lights

Low-voltage LED bollard lights are suitable for playgrounds or wet locations. These fixtures operate on only 12V, so they are more energy-efficient, safer, and easier to install. You don’t need to busy the electric cable for low-voltage LED bollard lights; these also minimize your installation cost. What is more impressive is that you can relocate these fixtures, and they are available at a lower price than other bollard lights. 

Line Voltage Bollard Lights

The Line Voltage LED Bollard lights voltage operating at 120V can cover a large area. This feature makes them suitable for commercial outdoor applications. Line voltage lights are more expensive and require professional installation than low voltage lighting. The LED technology used in line voltage bollard lights ensures zero voltage drop; they shine brightly without reducing output. They are generally employed in commercial spaces like parking lots where security and illumination are high requirements.

Based On Usage 

Depending on the application of bollard lights, I have divided them into four types; these are as follows- 

Commercial Pathway Bollard Lights

Commercial pathway bollard lights come with a versatile design collection. The popularity of these pathway lights is increasing in urban and suburban areas. You will find these lights in hotels, parks, outdoor events, and more. The sleek and modern design of the commercial bollard light makes the space look more sophisticated. You will find them on the pathways, stairs, or roadside of commercial spaces. As they are installed in crowded areas, these light fixtures have higher ingress protection. 

LED Residential Landscape LED Bollards

If you want to give the exterior area of your house an aesthetic ambiance, LED bollards are an excellent choice. The residential landscape LED bollard lights come in different shapes and sizes that you can choose matching with your building’s pattern. These lights work great to illuminate your gardens, lawns, patios, driveways, and backyard areas. You can also install them in the open garage areas or border the swimming area if you have any. 

LED Decorative Bollard Lighting

Decorative LED bollard lights are used in events, parties, and community centers to enhance the area’s beauty. These fixtures come in the most appealing designs. Some have wooden bodies, while others have a metal shine or classy black appearance. You can use them creatively in your desired outdoor setting. Besides, you can choose these fixtures to boundary any indoor setting, for example- and unique pieces in the museum. 

Solar-Powered Bollard Lights

Solar-powered bollard lights are usually small and short in height compared to other variants. These lights are getting more popular due to energy efficiency. Besides, pathway lighting solar bollard lights are popular for garden lighting too. They come in different shapes and designs, with modern or vintage-style casings. 

Based On Optic Types

The optic of LED bollard lights can be of different types. And based on the type of optic, four types of LED bollard lights are the most popular; these are- 

Louver LED Bollard Light 

The louver LED bollards direct their light downward toward the ground. This kind of lighting minimizes glare and emits a cozy illumination. The LEDs are installed on top of the post and pointed below. This makes such optics ideal for parks, sidewalks, and other outdoor spaces.

Bollard Light With Type V Glass Reflector 

A type V glass reflector distributes diffused light in all directions. This is utilized for situations that demand higher security, like parks, streets, and walkways. Such fixtures produce brilliant light that spreads out over more space. Only a few LED bollard lights with type V glass reflectors can illuminate the entire space. You can also use shades to limit the output light depending on the application to reduce light trespass.

Bollard Light With Standard Cone Reflector 

Standard cone reflectors produce a soft, uniform light covering the entire surface 360 degrees. Despite having a low light output, this fixture illuminates the area around the bollard. Such optics have a classic appearance that conceals the light source. If you want a traditional vibe, choose LED bollard lights with regular cone reflectors.

Bollard Light With Specialized Cone Reflector

In LED bollard light with a specialized cone reflector, the light is aimed at the cone, where it bounces downward and spreads smoothly. It produces glare-free light, reducing light pollution and providing comfortable illumination. Usually, customized metal cones are installed in these fixtures for a more effective approach. However, aluminum cones are also great for reducing glarings.

Application Of LED Bollard Light

LED bollard lights are used for various purposes. The most common application of these light fixtures are as follows- 

• Pathway Lighting: The pathways, walkways, or sideways of house patios, commercial areas, or public places are illuminated with LED bollard light. This provides sufficient lighting and also enhances architectural beauty. 

• Boundary Lighting: Bollard lights are often installed at the edges of parking lots, roads, and property lines to mark boundaries. Thus, it prevents unwanted parking and also makes safe walking zones. 

• Illuminate Driveways: in the driveways of hotels, resorts, malls, offices, or other public areas, LED bollard lights provide visibility to drive safely at night and watch out for pedestrians, especially during nighttime.

• Parking lots: LED bollard lights are found in the parking lots to indicate parking zones or to divide the parking zones into different sections. 

• Entryways and facades: the entrance or facades of houses or commercial areas are antigens using LED bollard lights. 

• Enlightening garden areas: the gardens look dull at night. But you can enhance its ambiance by installing LED bollard lights around the boundary of gardens. This enhances the overall outlook of the garden and makes it look magical at night. Solar LED bollards are the ideal category for garden lighting. 

• Blocking access to certain areas: LED bollard lights can block access to restricted areas or mark off areas under construction or maintenance. These lights can create a physical and visual barrier, preventing unauthorized entry.

Benefits Of Using LED Bollard Light 

LED bollard lights have numerous benefits in comparison to traditional pathway lighting. These are as follows- 

Environment-Friendly

LED bollard lights do not produce harmful gas like traditional fluorescent or incandescent lamps. The LED technology doesn’t overheat, is long-lasting, and thus produces a minimal carbon footprint. 

Long Life Span

The robust construction of the bollard lights makes them durable. And the LED lamps used in it can last up to 50000+ hours. So you don’t need to replace the fixtures regularly. 

High Efficiency

The new, upgraded LED Bollard lights outperform earlier technology and are 90% more efficient than traditional lamps. They are far more energy-efficient as they produce more lumens while using less electricity and less heat. Bollard lights made of LEDs have sturdy constructions that can survive inclement weather. With the use of this technology, you may also customize the lights so that they meet your needs. 

Low Maintenance

LEDs may save a lot of time and money regarding product maintenance and replacement expenses. An outdated HID or Halide light burnt out quickly and was expensive to repair and replace. But with LED bollard lights, the steep initial cost is soon recovered over a year in maintenance and bill savings without compromising light quality.  

Design Variation

LED bollard lights are available in various designs. You can choose them to match your architectural pattern. For example, if you want a vintage look for your house pathway, you can choose wooden bollard lights or black ones with cone optic heads. So, the designs are endless. 

How To Choose The Best LED Bollard Light?

LED bollard lights have different configurations than regular LED light fixtures. That is why you should know what factors to consider while choosing the best LED bollard light. These are as follows- 

Develop A Layout 

The first thing to do for choosing the best LED bollard light is to calculate how many fixtures your area needs. Decide on the spacing and get the required fixtures to illuminate the area you want to light up. 

Beam Angle

The beam angle of LED bollard lights can have varying ranges, 30 degrees, 180 degrees, 360 degrees, and more. Choosing a narrow beam angle gives more focused lighting, while a wider beam angle covers more area. For example, LED bollard lights with beam angles ranging from 70° to 80° are ideal for parking lots. Again, more focused lighting with a narrow beam angle is preferred for decorative bollard light. So, consider your requirements and decide on the beam angles accordingly. 

Voltage & Power

The power and voltage of the LED bollard lights are important considerations as they determine electricity consumption. Going for a low-voltage bollard light is safer than a high-voltage one. They are easy to install, suitable for wet locations, and consume less energy than high-voltage fixtures. So, by purchasing these lights, you can save your electricity bills. 

Color Temperature

LED bollard light has three primary color temperatures; you can choose the color that suits your test best. Color temperature ranging from 2700K to 3000K provides warm white lighting; for bright and cool white bollard lighting, choose a color temperature ranging from 3500K to 4100K. Again if you want a natural daylight effect, choose between 5000K and 6500K.

Brightness

You should select the brightness of the LED bollard light fixture considering its application. Light brightness is measured in lumen; a higher lumen means brighter light. For security purposes, brighter bollard lights are preferable. However, the brightness should not be too much, which irritates the eyes. Here are some lumen rating recommendations for different applications- 

Material 

LED bollard lights can be of different materials- steel, wood, concrete, or aluminum. You should consider the application and location before deciding on the material of the LED bollard light. For instance, if you are purchasing fixtures for highly humid areas or for someplace that is close to the sea, choose stainless steel drive LED bollard lights. These have anti-corrosion features and higher resistance to impact. Again based on your architectural designs, you can choose wooden or aluminum LED bollards too. 

Size

The LED bollard lights are available in different sizes. Usually, crowded areas with heavy traffic require long fixtures, whereas small bollards work fine for residential areas. Usually, the height of commercial bollard light ranges between  0.6m to 1.0m and has a diameter of  5” to 8”. In general, three sizes of bollard lights are available- small, medium, and large. However, according to personal preference, bollard sizes can be customized. 

IP Rating

IP ratings stand for ‘Ingress Progress’; it determines the degree of protection against liquid and solid ingress. As bollard lights are mainly used for outdoor lighting, they face dust, wind, rain, storm, and other weather conditions. That is why IP rating is a crucial consideration here. Usually, the IP rating of LED bollard lights ranges from IP55 to IP65. A higher IP rating provides a better protection level; however, the price of the bollard lights also increases with the increase in IP rating. So, before purchasing, measure what rating you need to avoid wasting money buying a higher rating than a requirement. In this case, this article- IP Rating: The Definitive Guide, will help you. 

IK Rating 

IK stands for ‘Impact Protection.’ It determines the robustness of the light fixture against any collision, hit, or other impact. As bollard lights are installed in the driveway or pathway, these face continuous impact. For example, you may accidentally hit the LED bollard lights while parking the car. In this case, having a higher IK rating will ensure the fixture remains safe. To know more about IK rating, check this article- IK Rating: The Definitive Guide. 

Fixture Style

Different designs of LED bollard light fixtures are available. Some will give you a modern and sleek look, while others can give your location a vintage and more traditional ambiance. Besides you can also choose metallic or wooden LED bollard lights to give a rustic look. So, decide what kind of look you want and then purchase the design you like. However, consider the surrounding environment and architectural facts when choosing the style of the fixtures.

Light Coverage

Different bollard lights have varying levels of brightness and coverage. There must be enough space between your bollards if you want to illuminate an entire region. Additionally, the light must be strong enough to see the next point; here, the size of the fixture also matters.  Smaller bollards typically provide less area coverage than their larger counterparts. A small bollard can have a light range of 40 to 60 cm; meanwhile, larger bollards can extend up to 120 cm.

Property Lines

You must be informed of governmental rules on property boundaries if you use your bollards to mark your property lines. Thus you can know about the applicable legal limitations and your responsibility to your neighbors. It may be worthwhile to talk with your neighbors to make sure they are content with the arrangement if your lights will be visible to them, such as if it is in front of your home. Additionally, you might need to survey to plan the shape of your boundary.

Cost 

LED bollard lights are available in various price ranges. The material, IP rating, lumen, and other features like motion sensor, etc., greatly impact the price. Besides, it also has a good deal of installation cost as most of the bollard lights need to dig deep in the land. So, it would be best to calculate the overall cost while purchasing any LED bollard lights. 

Customization

Customization facilities in LED bollard lights allow you to get your desired lighting output. You will get customization facilities in beam angle, color temperature, voltage, fixture style, and sizes. So, get a suitable manufacturer to get customized LED bollard lights for your area. 

How To Install LED Bollard Light?

The installation of LED bollard lights is quite challenging. You need to hire a professional to install these lights. Here is a step-wise guide to give you an idea of how these lights are installed- 

Step-1: Construct the base

You should build a solid base to ensure the LED bollard light fits firmly to the ground. To do so, first, dig a hole in the land; the depth of the hole should be at least 2 feet with a diameter of 1 foot. However, these measurements will vary with the size of your bollard fixture. Once the hole is ready, insert a tube into the hole; ensure the tube is above the surface. Use rock to keep the tube stable and erect.

Step-2: Do the wiring

For a safe burial, running the proper wiring for the installation is crucial. Secure the wires beneath the ground from the source to the hole. Keep the conduit and cable centered and upright. A long wire length will be helpful here for a proper and convenient connection here. Make sure the additional wire is left on both ends. And don’t forget to turn off the power source when connecting wires. Besides, when working with cement and tools, be sure to put on safety goggles and gloves. However, if you are not a professional electrician, it is better to avoid attempting bollard installment; it is difficult to install compared to other light fixtures. So, always look for a certified electrician with safe and accurate wiring. 

Step-3: Anchor

Once the wiring is complete, you can insert the anchor into the hole to provide the base for the lights. Pour cement into it and leave it until it’s completely dry and everything sets properly.

Keep the plastic base, which holds the anchor and the threaded portion of the anchor, above the surface. The strong base, with the wiring and anchors, is now ready. Attaching the mounting plate to the plastic component, you can confirm that everything is level. Use a leveling tool to ensure that the mounting plate is horizontal.

Step-4: Connect the fixture to the power supply

Now you can attach the socket and connect the supply lines to the driver. That is it; your LED bollard lights are ready to set. 

Step-5: Setting the bollard light to the base

Now install the bollard body on the mounting plate keeping the electrical setup in the middle. To maintain the straightness of the bollard body, tighten all the screws. Place the lamp in the socket and cover it with the bollard head. Your LED bollard lights are ready to use. 

Spacing Guidance For LED Bollard Light

The spacing between bollard lights depends on different factors, including- 

• Area of landscape
• Height of the bollard fixture
• Brightness and wattage of LED lamp
• Bollard optics type
• Surrounding light availability 
• Personal preference 

The spacing will vary depending on the variables above, but as a general rule of thumb, it should be between 3 and 12 meters.

There are some predetermined guidelines (by IESNA) for footcandle (fc). One fc can illuminate one sq ft of the region. Typically, one fc spacing is needed for all projects, although this can vary depending on the application. For instance, a narrow space works better for garden paths than a wide space, which is great for driveways.

You must look at the area’s requirements to figure out how many footcandles (fc) your application requires. For a given footcandle, different bollard optics provide light in different ways. For instance, if you choose a type V and a cone reflector bollard with the same number of watts, the cone reflector bollard’s one fc light dispersion will be 7 ½ ft in diameter. Comparatively, a Type V bollard’s diameter is one fc or 12 feet.

This means that you must maintain a distance of 15 feet between two lights to maintain one fc with a cone reflector. In contrast, you will see uniform lighting at a distance of 24 feet with type V lights.

You can choose various luminaires with a high brightness level to utilize fewer bollards. Greater spacing will eventually be the effect of this. However, I’ve listed some suggested spacing based on the height of the LED bollard light- 

LED Bollard Light Vs. HID Bollard Light – Which Is Better? 

LED and HID are the two most popular categories of bollard light. But which one is better and why? You will get your answer from the below-differentiating table- 

So, analyzing the above differences, we can say that LED bollard lights are a better option than HID bollard lights. They are environmentally friendly and consume less energy. So, you need not to spend much on electricity bills. Besides, the repairing and replacement requirements are also minimum; here, you can save the maintenance cost too!

For more information, you can check LED Vs. High-Pressure Sodium/Low-Pressure Sodium.

LED Bollard Lights Vs LED Post Lights

The difference between LED bollard lights and LED post lights are as follows- 

LED Bollard Lights Vs. LED Landscape Spotlights

The difference between LED bollard lights and LED landscape spotlights is as follows- 

FAQs

The Bottom Line

When it comes to bollard lights, LED technology is your best option to go for. These lights are excellent for outdoor pathways, parking lots, and residential and commercial areas. You will find different designs and styles for LED bollard lights that will enhance the outlook of your area.

In choosing the ideal LED bollard light for your project, you will need to consider a number of facts. This includes- beam angle, color temperature, height, diameter, IP rating of the fixture, and more. Besides, the spacing or the distance between the bollards is also a crucial factor here. 

However, just choosing the best-LED bollards doesn’t end the game here; you must ensure a proper installation too. And for that, the best option is to contact a professional electrician who knows how to wire bollard lights accurately. Though this will require additional cost, you will get the surety of the right wiring.