What this tool answers
You need a first-pass portable LED work-light class before buying. Enter the floor area in square feet. The calculator names the smallest class on this site’s ladder — 10,000, 15,000, or 21,000 lm — that clears a transparent planning budget, or returns NO_MATCH. It is not a photometric layout, electrical design, or replacement for manufacturer data.
Why a planning factor helps
Retail listings publish lumen ratings that are hard to compare to a garage bay. Multiplying area by 50 lm/sqft (about 50 foot-candles averaged on the plane) turns area into a lumen budget you can match to fixture classes — while stating the limits of that simplification.
Class ladder on this site
Classes use published VEVOR US tripod LED ratings checked 2026-09-10: (1) 10,000 lm dual-head, (2) 15,000 lm dual-head, (3) 21,000 lm three-head. Matching rule: smallest class where class.lm ≥ area_sqft × 50.
When the answer is NO_MATCH
If the planning budget exceeds 21,000 lm, this site returns NO_MATCH. Typical next steps: light only the work zone, use multiple fixtures, raise mounting height carefully, or install permanent shop lighting. Do not force a single portable unit past this screen.
Glare, cords, and outdoors
Confirm published lumens and color temperature on the live nameplate. Aim heads away from eyes. Use outdoor-rated cords and GFCI outdoors. Never stare into high-output LEDs.
Sources
VEVOR US job-site LED work-light product pages for lumen claims dated in products.json (checked 2026-09-10). Planning factor framed as a transparent shopping heuristic (≈50 lm/sqft), not IES design. Safety: glare/cord/GFCI and multi-fixture notes.