Top 10 Architectural Lighting Manufacturers in the World (2024)

Top Architectural Lighting Companies

We have taken the liberty of reviewing the most popular architectural lighting companies and picking out the best. Here is a list of the top lighting manufacturers in the world based on reputation, product range, and services.

Note that the order of these companies doesn’t represent a rank. All of these manufacturers have unique qualities and advantages over the competition.

1. Cooper Lighting

Cooper Lighting is a massive lighting solutions provider based in the United States. The company has a long history of selling high-quality lighting products. However, it didn’t start as a lighting company. In 1833, the company was known for its farming equipment.

As electricity became the norm and every house in America had access to electric power, many companies, including Cooper, shifted their business models to lighting manufacturing.

Cooper Lighting is a business unit of Signify N.V., a multinational company that also owns several lighting brands. The company has a rather confusing hierarchy. It owns twenty-eight brands that directly sell to consumers. Cooper Lighting owns Ametrix, AtLite, Corelite, HALO, Lumark, and 23 other lighting solutions brands.

• Signify is the Parent Company
• Cooper Lighting is the Business Unit
• Cooper Sub-Brands are the Retail Sellers

A big advantage of buying architectural lighting products from Cooper is their flexible sales strategy. It customizes its product offerings and pricing to suit its customers. Whether you’re a distributor, contractor, or a DIY enthusiast, Cooper has you covered.

All Cooper Lighting products are powered by efficient LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes). These light fixtures are durable, reliable, and consume a fraction of the power of traditional lighting technology.

Recently, the company has stepped into the automation and security business. Its smart lighting control solutions help you remotely monitor, control, and optimize your lighting designs.

Key Products & Services

• LED Street Lights
• Landscape and Bollard Lighting
• Exit and Emergency Lighting
• Sports Lighting
• Smart Lighting Solutions

2. RC Lighting

RC Lighting is one of the biggest architectural lighting manufacturers in China. It strives to deliver the highest-quality products at a reasonable price. Quality and customer experience are the company’s top priorities. This dedication has fueled RC Lighting’s success.

The company is well known for its customizable LED product lineup. It offers exceptional OEM and ODM services for B2B (business-to-business) clients.

• In Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM), customers send RC Lighting their fixture designs, and the company manufactures them according to the requested specifications.
• In Original Design Manufacturing (ODM), customers ask RC Lighting to help design & manufacture their lighting concept.

The customizations don’t end with OEM and ODM services. RC Lighting also allows customers to choose different LED chips and modules for their fixtures. By default, the company uses LED chips from Cree, Osram, and Lumileds and drivers from Mean Well, Philips, and HEP. However, the company will happily source components from other suppliers upon request.

RC Lighting products are subject to strict quality and safety standards. All products comply with international safety standards such as CE, ISO9001, RoHS, ETL/UL, etc., and come with an extensive five-year warranty.

Very few lighting manufacturers can match the flexibility and customization options of RC Lighting.

Key Products & Services

• Architectural Lighting
• Landscape Lights
• LED Fountain & In-Ground Lights
• Path Lights
• OEM & ODM Services

3. ERCO Lighting

ERCO is a leading manufacturer of LED architectural lighting products. The company started as a small family business during the 1930s in Lüdenscheid, Germany. Initially, it only produced traditional incandescent lighting products that were sold in Germany.

Slowly, the company grew and expanded its lighting business across Europe by the 1960s. In 2015, the company shifted to an LED-only business model. Today the company has a strong focus on sustainable and eco-friendly products.

Aside from its sustainable business practices, ERCO is also well known for its massive production capabilities. With over 1,000 dedicated employees and suppliers worldwide, it can easily handle large-volume shipments.

ERCO has extensive experience installing LEDs in interior and exterior applications. It has successfully implemented projects worldwide, including in Singapore, Australia, and Italy.

The company is on a mission to balance visual comfort with environmental safety. It believes long-lasting and energy-efficient LEDs are necessary for a greener future.

Key Products & Services

• Architectural Lighting
• Track Lighting Fixtures
• Low Voltage Lighting System
• Wireless Lighting Controls
• Recessed Luminaires

4. Philips Lighting

Philips is a household name when it comes to lighting. The company has been delivering high-quality luminaires since the 1890s. What started as a simple domestic operation featuring incandescent bulbs quickly transformed into a multinational corporation selling LED fixtures across the world.

Although Phillips has recently started selling non-lighting products such as kitchen appliances, healthcare products, entertainment systems, and automotive equipment, the company still has a huge presence in the lighting industry.

Philips Lighting’s recent acquisition by the Signify corporation has enabled it to reach a larger customer base while maintaining its exceptional product quality and customer service.

Philips company is actually divided into two sub-brands.

• Philips Lighting serves commercial and industrial clients with high-performance LED solutions.
• Philips Hue sells LED fixtures to residential customers focusing on home automation.

Philips was the first company to introduce the concept of controllable RGB light bulbs for residential use through its Philips Hue branding.

The company sells a wide range of architectural lighting fixtures with a variety of mounting options. Such a diverse portfolio is bound to have the perfect LED fixture for your building.

Key Products & Services

• Road & Street Lights
• Architectural Lighting
• Recessed Ceiling Light Fixtures
• Conventional Lamps (Halogens, CFLs, and Incandescents)
• LED Components (Modules &  Drivers)

5. Progress Lighting (Hubbell)

Progress Lighting is an iconic brand of Hubbell, the electronics megacorporation. For over a century, the company has manufactured premium household luminaires. It is dedicated to making advancements in LED technology, improving its longevity and energy efficiency.

Recently, the company emphasized its role in developing designer light fixtures. Luminaires with a strong artistic influence act as art pieces designed to draw attention from passersby. Progress Lighting believes visual comfort comes from the quality of the light bulb and the beauty of its fixture design.

Its premium lighting solutions are best suited to the hospitality industries such as hotel lighting.

Progress Lighting products are a little on the expensive side. However, being expensive doesn’t mean being overpriced. These light fixtures should be judged for their aesthetic value, style, and build quality. In that regard, perhaps the price is justified.

As of the publishing of this article, the company only sells light fixtures in the US and Canada.

Key Products & Services

• Commercial Indoor Lighting
• Residential Lighting Solutions
• Exit and Emergency Signs
• Ceiling Fans
• Decorative Light Fixtures

6. Current GLI Brands

Current is an LED lighting and control systems manufacturer. The company is a subsidiary of General Electric (GE). In 2015, GE decided to expand its product portfolio, step into the LED lighting industry, and establish the Current Lighting brand.

With the backing of one of the biggest electronics companies in the world, Current was bound for success. It quickly became a popular LED lighting brand across the US, renowned for its commitment to sustainable lighting solutions.

Current Lighting solutions can be found in automotive dealerships, warehouses, offices, and healthcare settings across the nation. Very few companies achieve such high levels of success in such a short time.

The company also has sixteen unique lighting brands under its umbrella. Most of the Current LED products are sold through these sub-brands.

Key Products & Services

• Commercial Lighting Fixtures
• Industrial Lighting Fixtures
• Retrofit Kits
• Exit and Emergency Signage
• Wired & Wireless Lighting Controls

7. Zumtobel

The Zumtobel Group is an Austrian multinational conglomerate specializing in LED lighting products. The company sells LED products to 90 countries spread out over three continents.

The Zumtobel Group comprises three sub-brands serving different lighting industry sections.

1. Zumtobel Lighting – Manufacturer of high-performance LED solutions, including commercial & industrial lighting and control systems. Covers the US, Europe, and Asia.
2. Thorn Lighting – An affordable alternative to the main Zumtobel brand. It is based out of the United Kingdom and has a strong focus on residential lighting.
3. Tridonic – Semiconductor manufacturing company that produces LED chips and drivers. Some of these components are used in Zumtobel products, and the rest are sold to OEMs.

Tridonic is the second-largest manufacturer of LED components in the EU.

Key Products & Services

• Indoor LED Lighting
• Emergency Lighting
• Lighting Connectivity Systems
• Industrial Lighting

8. Mark Architectural Lighting by Acuity Brands

Mark Architectural Lighting is one of the many companies owned by Acuity Brands. The company is committed to delivering exceptional quality architectural recessed LEDs.

Its product catalog is relatively smaller than the competition’s. However, it makes up for that shortcoming with excellent customer service and design flexibility.

Mark prioritizes customer experience above all else and is willing to collaborate with customers to create stylish and innovative lighting designs. Its partnerships with architects, engineers, and designers allow Mark to quickly modify existing fixture designs to better suit customer needs.

Another big advantage of Mark Architectural Lighting is its partnership with the DesignLights Consortium (DLC). Most of its indoor lighting products are DLC Listed, which is a major selling point for businesses looking for reliable products.

Key Products & Services

• Architectural Lighting
• Dynamic RGB & RGBW Lighting
• Custom Lighting Solution

9. Architonic

Architonic is a Swiss interior design company that sells everything from lighting fixtures to kitchen sinks. It is one of the more unique companies on this list, specializing in architecture as a whole and not just architectural lighting.

In its short 20 years of experience, the company has managed to make a name for itself in the architecture design and lighting space. It has a collection of the best lighting products from all across the world.

Architonic exclusively covers LED products and is committed to sustainable business practices. Its offerings include track lights, ceiling lights, wall sconces, pendant lights, and many more.

Key Products & Services

• Home Furniture
• Architectural Lighting
• Interior Accessories
• Sanitary ware

10. OBALS Lighting

OBALS Lighting is one of the most prominent Chinese indoor architectural lighting manufacturers. The company is situated in the heart of China’s industrial hub, Guangdong. With its titanic manufacturing facilities, it produces hundreds of luminaires every day.

The company only sells indoor LED light fixtures. While its product offerings are underwhelming, its production capacity and value-added services make up for the difference.

OBALS has robust OEM & ODM services that put most other companies to shame. It can design lighting solutions within seven days and deliver custom products within a month. The company has a small product catalog because it primarily deals with OEM customers who bring their own fixture designs.

The company also offers customized quotes specially tailored to large orders. OBALS is relatively new to the manufacturing world but shows a lot of promise based on its excellent customer service.

Key Products & Services

• Indoor Architectural Lighting
• Low Voltage Lighting Fixtures
• OEM & ODM Services
• LED Track Lights

Feature Comparison Among Architectural Lighting Brands

All architectural Lighting manufacturers sell the same type of fixture designs, recessed lights and wall sconces for the interior and flood lights and lamp posts for the exterior. The key differentiating factor between these companies is the quality of their products and their unique services that cater to your lighting needs.

Smaller manufacturers often struggle to compete with larger companies on price. So they make up for their shortcomings with a greater emphasis on customer experience and value added services like customization options.

5 Key Considerations for Choosing an Architectural Lighting Supplier

There is a difference between the best lighting manufacturer and the right lighting manufacturer for your business. For example, if the best architectural lighting company doesn’t ship its products to your country or region. It is not right for your business

Choose a supplier with a decent variety of products that meets your lighting requirements.

Here are five key factors that will help you choose the right architectural lighting manufacturer.

1. Reputation and Experience

Look for suppliers with a strong track record and positive reviews from past clients. Reputation is key in the lighting industry. Companies that have stood the test of time and deliver quality products and services deserve your attention.

Experience is another big factor. Newer companies usually lack the manufacturing expertise required for high-level projects. We recommend sticking to a company with at least five years of manufacturing experience.

2. Product Range and Quality

A diverse selection of products is a good indicator of experience and quality. Having plenty of options to choose from is always a plus point. More options mean more creative lighting solutions for your buildings.

While you’re reviewing the product catalog, verify the quality of the products. Visit retail stores or request samples from online sellers.

3. Custom Solutions

Check if the supplier offers customization options for its light fixtures. It’s even better if the company has a dedicated OEM or ODM services program.

Having the flexibility to modify existing fixture designs is very helpful. Look for manufacturers that accommodate customization requests.

4. Price and Value

Local lighting suppliers often have higher prices than international large-scale manufacturers. For low-volume purchases, local suppliers offer better value. However, international manufacturers are more suited to larger orders.

Lighting manufacturers based in industrial regions such as Guangdong, China, have more competitive pricing because of competition.

Another important element is product warranties. A three-year or greater product warranty indicates manufacturers’ trust in the fixture design and quality.

5. Compliance and Standards

Compliances and certifications are a good means of verifying a product’s quality. Various international regulatory bodies test and certify LED products for energy efficiency, electrical safety, water resistance, durability, and reliability.

• Products sold in the US typically contain the DLC Listed or ETL/UL Listed marking on the packaging.
• Europeans use the CE or RoHS certifications for electrical products.

Conclusion

Architectural lighting is more than just illumination. It is an entire field of lighting design that aims to blend functionality with comfort and visual appeal. The top architectural lighting manufacturers sell similar products but differentiate themselves from the competition by offering unique services. Some companies focus on customization options, while others rely on aesthetic appeal, and a rare few focus on competitive pricing. 

New buyers should carefully assess manufacturers’ reputation and product offerings to ensure they get the best products with the best customer service.

Illuminate Your Building with RC Lighting!

RC Lighting is one of the world’s biggest LED architectural lighting manufacturers. Our massive manufacturing facility in mainland China is dedicated to exceptional product quality and customer service. Our indoor and outdoor architectural lighting fixtures are built to last.

We offer a standard five-year warranty period for all our products. Additionally, RC Lighting products are ISO 9001 approved and comply with CE and RoHS certifications.

So don’t miss out on our exciting products. Contact us now!