Do you want to install hexagonal LED lighting in your garage, workshop, detailing center, or salon, but one question is holding you back: how many hexagons do you need?
This is the most common question asked before purchase, and it's also the one for which the market provides the most unrealistic answers. This guide offers a simple method, figures that the product truly delivers, and a table by activity.
Look at barbershops: they fill their ceilings
There's one profession where hexagonal lighting has become more prevalent than anywhere else: hairdressing and barbering. And when you enter an equipped salon, you always notice the same thing — the ceiling is filled. Not a decorative panel in the center of the room: a grid that covers almost the entire surface.
It's not about aesthetics. A barber judges a fade by eye, on a 3D head, with their own head and hands above the area they're looking at. The slightest shadow and they can no longer see the transition. So they saturate the ceiling until there isn't a single shadow anywhere.
The benchmark that trumps all calculations: a properly lit salon of about 20 m² needs a kit of 14 hexagons. Not 2, not 3. This is what professionals install when light is their working tool.
Remember this figure, because it directly contradicts what you'll read elsewhere.
The real rule: approximately 1 hexagon per 1.5 m²
Many sellers claim that a 14-hexagon kit illuminates 60, 90, or even 137 m². This is false, and it's easy to verify: ask any equipped professional what area their installation covers.
The rule we apply everywhere — on product sheets, in the calculator, in our quotes — is as follows:
Approximately 1 hexagon per 1.5 m² for task lighting. In other words, a 14-hexagon panel covers 20 to 28 m². No more.
Here is the actual area covered by each panel size, for task lighting:
| Panel | Area covered |
|---|---|
| 1 hexagon | up to 2 m² |
| 2 hexagons | 2 to 4 m² |
| 3 hexagons | 4 to 6 m² |
| 5 hexagons | 7 to 10 m² |
| 7 hexagons | 10 to 14 m² |
| 8 hexagons | 11 to 16 m² |
| 11 hexagons | 16 to 22 m² |
| 14 hexagons | 20 to 28 m² |
A single hexagon won't light up a garage. It will light up a workbench, a corner of a room, a workstation. It's an excellent product — provided you know what you're buying.
Why hexagons instead of LED tubes
A tube or strip light diffuses light from a single line. The result: as soon as you lean over, your body blocks the light and casts a shadow exactly on the area you're looking at.
A hexagonal grid emits from a multitude of axes distributed across the entire ceiling surface. Light reaches the room from several directions at once, and shadows fill each other. This is the whole principle, and it's the only reason to pay more than for a strip light.
- Much fewer shadow areas around the vehicle or workstation
- Uniform light from one end of the premises to the other
- Better reading of details and surface imperfections
- Modern aesthetic, which also decorates the space
The three criteria that determine your kit
1. Floor area
Measure length × width. This is the basis of the calculation, and it's the data that most people estimate from memory — often 30% below reality. Get out the tape measure.
2. Activity
Not all activities have the same requirements. A detailer needs to see a hologram; an individual needs to see their toolbox. The required hexagon density is not the same:
| Activity | Density | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Detailing, bodywork | highest | Reveal micro-scratches, swirls, holograms, paint touch-ups |
| Barber, salon, beauty salon | high | Neutral, shadowless light on a face and a 3D head |
| Garage, mechanical workshop | medium | See under the hood and around the vehicle without casting a shadow |
| Showroom, gym, ambiance | lower | Highlight the space, not work on it to the millimeter |
3. Ceiling height
The criterion everyone forgets. Beyond 3 meters, light disperses before reaching the work surface: you need to account for approximately 50% more hexagons to achieve the same result on the floor. A 40 m² workshop with a 4.50 m ceiling is nothing like a 40 m² garage with a 2.50 m ceiling.
How many hexagons for your space?
The table below shows the number of hexagons to install according to your surface area and activity, for ceilings up to 3 m. Above 3 m, add approximately half more.
| Surface | Garage / workshop | Detailing / bodywork | Barber / salon | Showroom / ambiance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 m² | 6 hexagons | 8 hexagons | 7 hexagons | 5 hexagons |
| 15 m² | 8 hexagons | 12 hexagons | 10 hexagons | 8 hexagons |
| 20 m² | 11 hexagons | 16 hexagons | 14 hexagons | 10 hexagons |
| 25 m² | 14 hexagons | 2 × 10 hexagons | 18 hexagons | 12 hexagons |
| 30 m² | 16 hexagons | 2 × 12 hexagons | 3 × 7 hexagons | 15 hexagons |
| 40 m² | 2 × 11 hexagons | 2 × 16 hexagons | 2 × 14 hexagons | 2 × 10 hexagons |
| 50 m² | 2 × 14 hexagons | 4 × 10 hexagons | 2 × 18 hexagons | 2 × 13 hexagons |
| 60 m² | 3 × 11 hexagons | 3 × 16 hexagons | 3 × 14 hexagons | 2 × 15 hexagons |
Why identical panels and never a mix? Beyond a certain number of hexagons, you don't make one giant unique panel: you repeat the same pattern. Two 14-panel sets placed side-by-side create a regular ceiling. A 14 combined with an 11 creates a wobbly grid, visible from anywhere in the room.
Use our surface calculator to get the exact figure based on your surface area, activity, and ceiling height.
Case by case
Private single-car garage (15 to 25 m²)
Maintenance, tire changes, DIY, cleaning. Count 8 to 14 hexagons depending on the actual surface area. This is where one is most tempted to undersize: "3 hexagons look good in the photo" results in a nice luminous object on the ceiling and a garage that's still dark in the corners.
Double garage (35 to 50 m²)
Two identical panels of 11 or 14 hexagons. Resist the temptation to install two different kits: the visual break in the middle of the ceiling is immediately noticeable, and the lighting becomes uneven between the two vehicle spots.
Mechanical workshop
Here, lighting is a tool, not a decoration. The critical point is working bent over under the hood or under the vehicle: this is precisely the position where linear lighting leaves you in the dark. The density must remain constant over the entire work area, not just above the center of the room.
Detailing center
This is the most demanding activity, and the one that benefits most from the hexagon. Micro-scratches, swirls, polish marks, correction defects: these flaws are only revealed under multi-directional light. It's also the only activity where a client can dispute your work — better to see the defect in your workshop than to discover it outside once the car is returned.
Bodywork
Sanding, defect inspection, paint matching. Color rendering here is as important as the amount of light: a cool white 6500 K remains the benchmark for judging a shade as close as possible to daylight.
Barbershop, hair salon, institute
High density, covered ceiling. In addition to being a tool, the installation is seen by every client and serves as a backdrop for all your photos. It's the only profession on the list where lighting is both a working tool and a commercial argument.
Showroom, gym, studio, gaming space
Lower density: the space is staged, not worked on to the millimeter. This is also the natural territory for RGB, where ambiance is part of the offer.
What color temperature?
For work use, cool white 6500 K is the standard. It provides light similar to daylight, which improves the reading of colors and details: tools, mechanical parts, bodywork imperfections, dirt.
An honest nuance: color fidelity does not depend solely on temperature, but also on the color rendering index. And 6500 K, being very direct, can be considered aggressive in a space where the public is received for several hours straight. For a salon or showroom, a version with adjustable temperature allows for dimming in the evening without losing precision during the day.
Mistakes to avoid
Relying on surfaces advertised by sellers
This is the primary cause of disappointment. A kit advertised "up to 60 m²" that only covers 25 m² will make you buy twice. Always compare the advertisement to the field benchmark: a professional's ceiling is filled, not decorated with a panel in the center.
Choosing based solely on price
An undersized kit is expensive, whatever its price: it doesn't solve the problem for which you bought it, and you will buy again.
Not measuring your ceiling
Before ordering: length, width, height, and obstacles — garage door rail, beams, ducts, existing light fixtures, spotlights. Ten minutes of measuring avoids a panel that doesn't fit or lands right on the rail.
Forgetting the layout
The number of hexagons isn't everything: their position matters. A panel centered in a room leaves the walls in shadow. It's better to cover the actual work area, even if it means off-centering.
Why Hexeli
Hexeli is a French brand specializing in a single product: modular hexagonal LED lighting. The GSX™ range goes from 1 to 19 hexagons, in white 6500 K as well as in RGB, with or without a frame.
- Honest advertised surfaces. Our product sheets, our calculator, and this article all provide the same figures — those that the product actually delivers.
- Sizing before sale. Give us your surface area and ceiling height, we'll do the calculation, even if the answer is that you need less than expected.
- Modular design. You can expand later with identical panels, and the bars can be replaced individually rather than the entire panel.
- CE standard, 5-year warranty, After-Sales Service in France.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is one hexagon enough?
For a workstation, a workbench corner, or localized decorative lighting, yes: it covers up to about 2 m². For a complete garage, no.
Can I expand my installation later?
Yes. That's the whole point of modularity. Just remember to keep the same reference so that the extension matches the existing one — that's why we maintain our references over time.
Why are your surface areas lower than those of the competition?
Because they correspond to actual installations rather than a theoretical lux calculation on the ceiling. Check for yourself: ask an equipped professional how many hexagons they have and what the surface area of their premises is.
Should I calculate differently for a high ceiling?
Yes. Above 3 meters, count approximately 50% more hexagons for the same result on the floor.
White or RGB?
White 6500 K if light is your working tool. RGB if ambiance is part of what you're selling — showroom, gym, studio, gaming space. For detailing and bodywork, white is still essential for judging a shade.
Is installation complicated?
The panels are delivered as a kit to assemble and attach to the ceiling. Installation time directly depends on the size: a small kit can be assembled in less than an hour, a large panel takes more time and it's better to have two people.
In summary
Sizing hexagonal lighting isn't about choosing a design: it's about starting with your surface area, your activity, and your ceiling height. The rule is simple — approximately 1 hexagon per 1.5 m² — and the best check is one you can do yourself by looking at the ceiling of an equipped professional.
A 20 m² space where work is done requires between 11 and 16 hexagons depending on the activity. If a seller offers you 3, it's not a good deal: it's a problem postponed.
Provide us with your surface area and ceiling height — we will respond within 24 hours with the recommended number of hexagons and the layout diagram, free of charge and with no obligation.
