Pickleball Court Lighting: Set Up Your Court for Night Play

Imagine enjoying a game of pickleball whenever you like, day or night. By choosing the right pickleball court lighting, the dream of every player is finally possible! 

Whether you’re adding pickleball lighting to an existing court or creating a new one for your home or business, it’s essential to understand how to do so safely and effectively. 

This guide shares everything you need to know, including optimal placement, height, and brightness of your lighting. Explore these top tips and transform your pickleball playing experience with Dream Courts!

Why Proper Lighting is Essential for Pickleball Courts

As soon as the sun sets, unlit pickleball courts become unusable. While some players choose to play in these conditions, they run the risk of accidents and injury. But pickleball court lighting changes all this. Here are the benefits you can expect to enjoy: 

• Player Visibility: Enjoy clearer visibility on the court. Even during late evening matches, you can stay focused and perform at your best.

• Improved Safety: Pickleball lighting can illuminate your entire court, giving you peace of mind and reducing the risk of slips or falls.

• Extended Play:  Keep the game going long after sunset! This is perfect for those who don’t want their time on the court to end with the daylight.

Adding lighting to a commercial or residential pickleball court not only enhances every match, but also ensures it's safe and enjoyable for everyone. 

How to Light Up a Pickleball Court for Optimal Visibility

Installing pickleball court lights isn’t as simple as it might appear, and there are some important guidelines you need to follow. To achieve the brightness and coverage you need for the perfect night-time play, follow these top tips:

Recommended Lumens for Pickleball Courts

Lumens measure for the amount of light emitted by a light source. Think of them as a measure of "brightness." Lux measures the intensity of the light on a surface. It's often used to quantify the level of illumination required for a task.

So, how many lumens to light up a pickleball court? The answer requires us to multiply the desired lux level by the size of a standard court: 

Class I (Professional)

• Horizontal Illumination: 750 lux x 82 sq m = 61,500 lumens
• Vertical Illumination: 450 lux x 82 sq m = 36,900 lumens

Class II (Club)

• Horizontal Illumination: 500 lux x 82 sq m = 41,000 lumens
• Vertical Illumination: 350 lux x 82 sq m = 28,700 lumens

Class III (Recreational)

• Horizontal Illumination: 300 lux x 82 sq m = 24,600 lumens
• Vertical Illumination: 200 lux x 82 sq m = 16,400 lumens

The simple answer is that the higher the class of play, the brighter the recommended lighting. This ensures that more experienced players get the illumination and visibility they need. 

Positioning Your Lights for Best Coverage

By strategically positioning your pickleball lighting, you can eliminate shadows and avoid distracting glare. Here’s how to do so: 

1. Pole Height: Select a pole that’s tall enough to minimise shadows while providing complete coverage of the court.

2. Pole Placement: Position the lights evenly spaced from the centre of the court to ensure consistent illumination.

3. Orientation: Angle the lights to avoid direct glare, creating a more visible and comfortable space to play. 

4. Lighting Layout: We recommend exploring a combination of pole-mounted and wall-mounted lights, particularly for larger courts. 

Choosing the Right Lighting for Indoor vs. Outdoor Pickleball Courts

Indoor and outdoor pickleball court lights require two different approaches, as pickleball court dimensions, sizes and markings vary between the pair. Consider the following advice to find the solution for your court: 

Indoor Pickleball Court Lighting

One of the most common questions we receive is, what is the best lighting for indoor pickleball courts? To find the right choice for your space, you’ll need to consider lux level, colour, and placement.

One of the most important aspects of your indoor lighting is deciding between LED vs. fluorescent lighting. LED lights are energy-efficient and long-lasting, providing instant, high-quality illumination. On the other hand, fluorescent lights can produce a more diffused light, which can be beneficial for certain locations. 

When it comes to pickleball court lighting, we’ve consistently found that LED lights surpass fluorescents, offering superior performance, energy efficiency, and durability.

Pro Tip: Color Rendering Index (CRI) is the measure of how accurately a light source renders the colours of objects compared to natural daylight. While this may sound overly technical, it’s an essential part of indoor pickleball court lighting. A higher CRI makes it easier to distinguish the ball from the court background and improves overall visibility. We recommend considering LED lights with a CRI of 80 or higher.

Outdoor Pickleball Court Lighting

There’s an extra set of challenges that outdoor pickleball lights need to grapple with, particularly when it comes to durability and maintenance.

These lights need to withstand harsh weather conditions, from rain and snow to extreme temperatures. UV-resistance is another important factor, as prolonged exposure can cause cracking and discoloration.

To maximise the lifespan of your lighting, consider investing in high-quality, weather-resistant fixtures and scheduling regular maintenance.

Pro Tip: Outdoor lighting can often be an attractive target for thieves. Consider security features like motion-activated lighting and cameras to deter vandalism and theft.

Optimal Height and Placement of Pickleball Court Lights

What is the height of the pickleball lighting and why does it matter? Mounting your lights at the right heights and intervals is essential for creating balanced illumination without obscuring your gameplay. Here’s what you need to know:

Suggested Heights for Light Placement

For a standard size court, a pole height of 20-25 feet is optimal. For larger courts or lower light conditions, a height of 25-30 feet may be more effective. Position the poles equidistantly from the court's centre and angle the lights to avoid glare. 

Consider temporarily installing a small number of your pickleball court lights at different heights and positions to view their performance. Using this trial-and-error approach helps you fine tune your layout without costly adjustments. 

Preventing Shadows and Glare

Shadows on a court are usually caused by placing pickleball lights too low or too far apart or not angling them correctly. This makes it difficult for players to see the ball and play safely.

T0 prevent this, position the lights equidistantly from the court's centre and make sure they’re angled to not shine directly into the players' eyes. Light shields or visors can also be used to reduce glare.

Eco-Friendly and Energy-Efficient Lighting Options for Pickleball Courts

Energy efficient lighting isn’t just kind to the environment, it’s budget friendly too! Here are four pickleball lighting features that help you to cut your usage and save: 

1. Timers: Sync your lights with your open hours to prevent wasted power. 

2. High-Efficiency Fixtures: Choose fixtures with high-efficiency LEDs and reflectors to maximise light output and minimise energy consumption.

3. Instant On: LED lights turn on instantly, eliminating warm-up time which reduces energy waste and improves efficiency.

4. Solar-Powered LED Lighting: Solar systems reduce your reliance on the grid, lowering your carbon footprint and energy expenses. 

Additional Lighting Tips for Enhancing Your Pickleball Court

Here are some final tips for perfecting your pickleball court lighting.  

• Motion Sensors: Automatically turn lights on when your players are on the court and off when they leave.

• Dimmers: Adjust the light intensity based on weather and light conditions.  Lower light levels can be better for casual play, while higher levels are more suited to competitive matches.

• Colour Temperature: Choose a colour temperature that provides good contrast and reduces eye strain. We recommend a colour temperature between 4000K and 5000K for your pickleball lighting .

Pro Tip: Complete the ultimate pickleball court with our rundown of the Top 5 Pickleball Court Accessories Every Player Needs!

Set Your Pickleball Court for Night Play with DreamCourts

So let’s recap. Pickleball court lighting isn’t simply a handy optional extra. It’s the way to turn your court into a versatile, enjoyable, and safe space for year-round play. 

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By choosing the right brightness, height and positioning, you’ll create less shadows and glare for the ultimate late night games.

Ready to add pickleball lights to your property? DreamCourts is the choice of top players and professionals who demand the best. For a consultation and inspection of our display courts, contact our team today.