Security Lighting: Wall Packs vs. Flood Lights

Security lighting is a type of lighting that serves the purpose of increasing visibility and enhancing public safety. More specifically, installing security lighting on streets, building exteriors, and other outdoor areas helps deter intrusion and trespassing.

Most security lights have dusk to dawn photocells that turn them on at night. Or, they have motion sensors that trigger them in response to movement. This makes operation virtually hands-free, with installation and maintenance being the only situations where they need direct handling.

Some security lights are emergency lights that come on if there are power outages or other system failures. Because emergency lights are back-up lighting, they must derive their power from alternate sources like generators or batteries.

The two most common types of security lighting are wall packs and flood lights. Each type has its own benefits and methods of illumination.

Rather than being supplementary emergency lighting, wall packs and flood lights are more often the primary exterior lights. Their high intensity lamps allow them to illuminate large spans of area. LEDs, specifically, can provide brighter light while expending less energy.

Depending on the type of space you are illuminating, wall packs or flood lights may be a better choice over the other. It all depends on how intense and flexible you want the illumination to be, as well as the look and placement of the fixtures.

One of the key differences between wall packs and flood lights is their mounting capabilities.

Wall pack fixtures mount specifically on the exterior walls of buildings. Their compact, flush-mounted designs make them attractive options for outdoor security lighting.

Flood light fixtures have more versatile ways of mounting. Most mount on poles, allowing them to cast a wide or even multi-directional beam from a high vantage point. You can also place them directly on the ground for uplighting, which shines light upward to wash a wall or other object in light.

Like wall packs, you can mount flood lights on the walls of buildings. However, that typically requires a bracket that protrudes from the wall, so you lose the benefit of flush mounting.

For lighting the area directly surrounding a building, wall packs have more convenient mounting. But if poles fit better for the type of space you’re lighting, flood lights are the more flexible option.

Wall pack fixtures and flood light fixtures are also distinctly different. Because both are primarily outdoor lights, light pollution is a large concern as well. Certain fixtures are better at minimizing it than others depending on their configuration.

A benefit of LED wall pack lights is their compactness and cutoff lenses. Wall packs come in three main configurations: full cutoff, semi-cutoff, and forward throw. Each of these determines the direction and amount of light the wall pack emits.

Full cutoff fixtures illuminate directly downward, while semi-cutoff and forward throw fixtures cast light downward and outward. For all types, the flush wall mounting and cutoffs prevent backlight, uplight, and glare. This makes them adhere well to light pollution standards.

LED flood light fixtures, on the other hand, do not have the same levels of illumination control. The goal of flood lighting is to be bright and expansive to cover a lot of space. Outdoor LED flood lights especially have high wattage lamps with wide beam angles. Because of this, they do not have many limitations against light pollution.

If minimizing light pollution is one of your priorities, wall packs are the better option for security lighting performance.

Another important consideration for security lights is beam angle and direction.

Beam angle determines the spread of light that the fixture casts. Wall packs tend to have medium to wide beam angles, between 90 and 140 degrees, that illuminate in downward directions. This allows them to wash both a wall and the area surrounding it in light.

While wall packs illuminate at a fixed angle, flood lights have more directional capabilities. Some flood lights even have dual head or omni-directional fixtures to cast light in multiple directions at once. Overall, flood light fixtures are flexible and easily adjustable to fit a space’s needs.

They also have much more variety in beam angle. Some flood beam angles, such as those less than 30 degrees, are narrow enough to give the effect of a spotlight. Other flood beam angles are wide enough to illuminate stadiums.

Wall packs and flood lights are suitable for both commercial and residential applications.

Most often, you will see wall packs on the exterior of commercial buildings, lighting the parking lot or sidewalks around it. Wall packs are also ideal for parking garages and other tighter, cramped spaces because of their slim and compact designs. On the residential side, wall packs can illuminate driveways, porches, gardens, and more.

Flood lights have much more versatility across a wide range of applications. Their high beams and generally larger fixtures make them ideal for large-scale projects. You will often see flood lights in places like sports fields, farm plots, billboard signage, and construction sites. However, they can also illuminate residential yards and homes for a dramatic nighttime effect.

Generally, security flood lights are better for more practical use, while wall packs allow for more aesthetic design freedom. But both will provide the basic function of increasing security in your space.

Shop HomElectrical’s selection of LED wall pack lights and LED flood lights for all your outdoor security lighting needs!