← Lighting Manufacturer Index
Lighting Manufacturer · Now part of Tech Lighting
LBL Lighting
LBL made low-voltage monorail and two-circuit rail systems, art-glass pendants and sconces. Its products still appear in retail channels, but the brand is not listed among Visual Comfort Group's current active collections.
Specifying something that used to be LBL? I represent Tech Lighting. send me the model number and I will price the current equivalent.
LBL Lighting at a glance
LBL made low-voltage monorail and two-circuit rail systems, art-glass pendants and sconces. Its products still appear in retail channels, but the brand is not listed among Visual Comfort Group's current active collections. Also listed as LBL.
Product categories
Typically specified for
At a glance
| Catalog | Current catalog → |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer site | techlighting.com |
| Status | Acquired — Founded as Lightning Bug, acquired by Tech Lighting in 2005 and now within Visual Comfort Group; no longer marketed as a standalone line. |
| Parent company | Visual Comfort Group |
| Headquarters | Skokie, Illinois |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Price tier | Premium |
| Availability | On the SESCO Ft. Lauderdale card |
About LBL Lighting
LBL Lighting started as Lightning Bug in 1971 and built its business on low-voltage monorail and two-circuit rail systems, art-glass pendants and sconces. Tech Lighting acquired it in 2005, and both companies now sit inside the Visual Comfort Group; LBL is not marketed as a standalone line today and does not appear among Visual Comfort's current active brands. LBL product still turns up in the retail channel and in existing installations, so the practical question is usually compatibility and replacement rather than new specification.
Collections
| Monorail | LBL's low-voltage rail system, field-bendable to a horizontal radius as small as 6 inches and rated to 300 watts at 12 volts or 600 watts at 24 volts. |
|---|---|
| Two-Circuit Rail (MR2) | Dual-circuit version of the rail system, allowing two switched circuits on one run. |
| Fusion Jack (FSJ) | LBL's quick-connect pendant and fixture connector, ordered with a separate canopy. |
| Monopoint (MPT) | Single-point mounting configuration supplied with a 4-inch round flush canopy. |
| Icicle | Mouth-blown glass pendant and sconce collection in amber, blue, opal or pink with frit accents, offered across all four mounting systems. |
What you get for the money
LBL was a premium line in its day — mouth-blown glass, field-formable rail, and a mounting system that let one pendant work as a monopoint, a Fusion Jack, a monorail or a two-circuit head. Because the brand is no longer actively marketed, there is no current LBL warranty to quote; anything sourced now is legacy or closeout stock, and support falls to whatever the selling channel offers. If you are building new, the honest answer is to specify the current Visual Comfort Modern equivalent rather than chase LBL.
Where it gets used
LBL monorail was used over kitchen islands, in galleries and retail, and in curved or irregular ceiling runs where straight track would not follow the architecture. The art-glass pendants went into kitchens, bars and dining areas. Today the most common reason to look for LBL is to extend or repair an existing rail installation.
Specifying notes
The mounting suffix on an LBL part number tells you what it will connect to: FSJ for Fusion Jack, MPT for monopoint, MR2 for two-circuit rail, MRL for monorail — check the suffix before ordering a pendant for an existing system. Visual Comfort Modern's current track and rail offering includes Monorail, Wall Monorail, Kable Lite, Freejack, Brox and Essence, so a current-generation replacement usually exists, but it is not always a drop-in for LBL hardware. Have the existing transformer capacity checked before adding heads to a legacy run.
How it compares
| Visual Comfort Modern (formerly Tech Lighting) | The direct successor inside the same group; its Monorail, Kable Lite and Freejack systems are the current-generation equivalents. |
|---|---|
| Bruck Lighting | The main independent alternative for field-cuttable low-voltage monorail and configurable track heads. |
| WAC Lighting | Broad low-voltage track and rail catalog at lower prices; less art glass. |
| Besa Lighting | Art-glass pendants with a configurable mounting system, if the reason you wanted LBL was the glass rather than the rail. |
Common questions about LBL Lighting
Is LBL Lighting still in business?
Not as a standalone brand. LBL was acquired by Tech Lighting in 2005 and both now sit within the Visual Comfort Group; LBL is not listed among Visual Comfort's current active collections. Product still appears in retail channels as legacy stock.
What replaced LBL Lighting?
Visual Comfort Modern, the brand formerly known as Tech Lighting, is the successor. Its current track and rail systems include Monorail, Wall Monorail, Kable Lite, Freejack, Brox and Essence.
Can I still get parts for my LBL monorail?
Sometimes, from remaining channel stock, and in many cases a current Visual Comfort Modern component will work — but it is not always a drop-in. Send Hold the Spec the part numbers off your existing system and they can check what is available.
Who represents LBL Lighting or its replacement in South Florida?
I do not represent this line, so it sits in this index for reference. The manufacturer will point you to the agency that covers Florida. If you are working on a job here and want a comparable fixture from a line I represent, send me the type and I will put an alternative in front of you.
Does LBL Lighting have a warranty?
The LBL collection now sits inside Tech Lighting, which is on my line card. send me the LBL model number and I will identify the current Tech Lighting equivalent and price it.
Was LBL Lighting made in the USA?
LBL was founded and headquartered in Skokie, Illinois, but its product was not US-manufactured.
Related manufacturers
Quoting LBL Lighting?
send me the fixture schedule or the drawings and I will come back with a line-by-line price and current lead times.
Request a Project Quote Call 786-395-1222Manufacturer
Building outside South Florida? LBL Lighting publishes its own representative locator — use it to find the agency holding the line in your territory.
Represented here it?
No. Hold the Spec does not carry LBL Lighting. If a drawing or schedule specifies it, send it over and I will put comparable fixtures from the lines I represent in front of you, with pricing and lead times.
Why ask me about it
Thirteen years in lighting in this market, most of it on the distribution side and now on the rep side of the desk. I know which lines hold a spec, which ones slip on lead time, and what the substitution is going to be when value engineering starts.
More lines in the index
Also in the index: Le Klint · Ledology · Lambert & Fils · L'Originale · Ledra Brands · Lighting Services Inc · Juno Lighting · JESCO Lighting
Related: Tech Lighting · Visual Comfort · Pendant lighting · Track lighting
Ask me about LBL Lighting
Not ready for a full quote? Ask the question — whether the line holds a spec, what the lead time looks like, or what I would put up as an alternative. I usually come back the same business day.
Or call 786-395-1222, Monday to Friday, nine to five. If you have drawings or a fixture schedule to attach, use the quote form instead. Working from a drawing set? I produce priced lighting takeoffs and submittal-ready documentation for the whole job.