While on your search for light fixtures, it’s possible you’ve come across fixtures that have metallic, cage-like, wire structures. You may have even found these cages being sold individually to install on other light fixtures.

But do you know what these light fixture cages are for? Why are these so important? Is there even a purpose of them at all? Are they all just for show?

To clear some things up, our team at Cocoweb has the answers you need to better acquaint yourself with light fixture cages (which by the way are quite trendy). You might even find that you want to opt for some caged lighting yourself!

Here are some benefits having a cage on your light fixture can offer:

1. A certain type of aesthetic

One of the top reasons people even consider purchasing a caged light fixture is because it has the appearance that they want. For many, having a cage on their light fixture provides an industrial, rustic, masculine, or even farmhouse touch to their space. Some may also find that it provides an old-fashioned feel to their home’s interior or exterior.

To best suit your tastes, caged lighting can come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. As for the cages themselves, these too can have significant variations. There are cages of different sizes and shapes, such as ones that are longer and more oval, ones that are flatter, and even ones that are more circular.

On top of giving you the style you want in your home, adding a cage to preexisting light fixtures at home can really amp up your boring, plainer light fixtures. Even just adding a cage to lighting can give your entire space a new feel overall. Sometimes we need something new and exciting to liven up our home. Wire cages just might be able to do the trick!

Not everyone will like the look of caged lighting. As well as that, not every interior or exterior design will even look good with caged lighting. But for the ones who do love the way it looks and for the spaces that can accommodate caged lighting, it can be a great decision to install it.

2. Protection for your light fixture’s bulb from damage

As one could imagine, having a cage on your light fixture whose bulb would be normally exposed can provide extra protection from the bulb shattering due to an outside force. This is especially important when placing lighting outdoors.

For instance, say you’re in the backyard, and you throw a baseball, and it hits your pendant light on the patio. With a cage, that ball isn’t going to directly hit the light bulb, and thus, impact it the way it would if the ball actually hit the light bulb. If it did hit the light bulb itself, chances are, that bulb would shatter or simply no longer work.

In turn, this provides convenience, safety, and saves you money – especially if you have more expensive, higher-end light bulbs. As well as this, caged lighting, because it prevents damage to your bulb, can also save you a clean-up.

3. Protection from shattered glass if the bulb does happen to break

While cages for light fixtures won’t completely protect you or your floor from shards of glass, what it can do is essentially “collect” larger pieces, preventing them from dropping onto the ground. As a result, this can potentially prevent injuries pets, children, or others may receive if they were to touch, eat, or step on those shards (or even get hit by the shards if the bulb was to explode near them).

After all, everyone wants their home to be a little safer. A touch of safety never hurt anybody!

Apart from the latter, the fact that light fixture cages can prevent larger pieces of broken glass from falling can also keep your home cleaner as there is less broken glass to pick up. That said, a cage on your light fixture can be quite convenient to say the least.

4. A barrier so children can’t get burned on the hot bulb

While not all bulbs are considered hot to the touch (e.g., LED bulbs), many types of bulbs are, especially if they are used for long periods of time. When having light fixtures that are hung lower or somehow within the reach of young children, one concern parents have is that their children may touch the hot bulb and potentially get burned.

Children getting burned, especially with them having more sensitive skin than their adult counterparts, is dangerous, even with a source of heat that may not be thought to be hot to someone older. Not only can a child touching a hot bulb be very painful for them and may even leave a sore-to-the-touch mark, but in severe cases, a burn may even cause infection or nerve damage.

But fortunately, a light fixture cage can provide some protection against children touching a hot bulb. Some cages have larger holes than others, and thus, may still allow one to touch the bulb. But because younger children have short fingers, this would be significantly harder. Plus, there are some light fixture cages that are larger in size to where it would be impossible for one to stick their fingers all the way into the small openings of the cage to touch the bulb.

While having caged light fixtures can reduce or prevent the chance of children getting burned on a bulb, it is still important to closely monitor children and teach them the importance of not touching a light bulb.

Conclusion

While it may not seem like a big deal for many, having a light fixture with a cage can be important. For example, it can provide the aesthetic you want in your home. A cage can also protect your light bulb from getting damaged, and if it does happen to break, the cage can capture larger shards of glass to provide optimal safety. Additionally, a cage on a light fixture can block children from touching a hot bulb that would otherwise result in a potentially dangerous and painful burn.

When you opt for light fixture cages, you’re giving your space a trendy touch as well as providing better safety and convenience for you and everyone else in your home.

Is caged lighting something you’re interested in? Do you like the overall look and style of wire cages for lights? Do your light fixtures need a bit of “something else?” If so, caged lighting might be for you!

At Cocoweb.com, we have dozens of cages and caged light fixtures for you to pick from. The wire cages we offer that can be purchased separately come in a variety of sizes, including 8”, 9”, 11”, 12” 13”, 14”, 16”, 18”, 20” 22” along with a customizable cage option. Best of all, you can remove these cages whenever you like if you fall out of love with them. For those who prefer not to install wire cages on their fixtures themselves, we also have a large number of fixtures with pre-installed cages including barn lights, wall sconces , table lamps, and much more. Check it out!