Equivalences of Lumens to Watts in light bulbs
When you buy one LED bulb, it is no longer measured only in watts as before. What is important now are the lumens, which indicate the amount of light emitted. But how do you know how much light is equivalent to the old 60W or 100W? Here we explain it to you.
What is the relationship between lumens and watts?
The watts (W) measure the power consumption, while the lumens (lm) measure the glitter of the bulb. Incandescent bulbs needed many more watts to emit the same light as an LED.
- Lumens: indicate how much light a bulb emits.
- Watts: They show how much electricity it consumes.
With the arrival of LED, we no longer choose bulbs by watts, but by lumens. An LED only 10W can emit the same 800 lumens as an old 60W incandescent. Therefore, today the important thing is not how many watts it consumes, but how many lumens it offers. Even so, we understand that you are still looking for equivalence to know if an LED will illuminate the same as an old light bulb.
Lumens - Watts equivalence table
Here is a simple table to know which LED bulb to choose according to the light you need:
| Approximate Light - Lumens | Equivalence in Watts | LED consumption (W) |
|---|---|---|
| 450lm | 40W | 4 - 6W |
| 800lm | 60W | 7 - 10W |
| 1100lm | 75W | 10 - 13W |
| 1500lm | 100W | 14 - 17W |
| 2000lm | 125W | 18 - 23W |
| 2600lm | 150W | 24 - 30W |
How many lumens do I need for each room?
This depends on the use and type of stay. As a general guideline:
- Kitchen/bathroom: 200-300 lumens per m²
- Living room: 100-150 lumens per m²
- Bedroom: 75-100 lumens per m²
It is no longer enough to look at the watts. To choose the right LED bulb, you have to look at the lumens, which are what determine how much light you will have. An LED consumes much less and gives you the same or even more light than an incandescent bulb.
