All about Lumen and Watts
By Esther / September 10, 2024
When choosing lighting, it is important to understand what terms such as lumens, watts, lux and volts mean. These terms will help you select the right lamp for your needs. Read on to discover the differences and practical tips.
Watts vs Lumens
Watt (W) indicates the energy consumption of a lamp. People used to look primarily at wattage to determine how bright a bulb would be. Today, especially with the advent of LED lighting, wattage has become less important, as modern low-wattage bulbs can often produce as much or more light than old-fashioned high-wattage incandescent bulbs.
Lumen (lm) is the unit that indicates the total amount of visible light emitted by a lamp. Unlike watts, which measures energy consumption, lumens tell you exactly how bright the bulb is. For example, a 10-watt LED bulb can deliver about 800 lumens, which is comparable to the light an old-fashioned 60-watt incandescent bulb would produce. Want to learn more about choosing the right LED bulb?
How many lumens do you need?
The amount of lumens you need varies depending on the space and the use of the light:
- Living room: For ambient lighting, 200-400 lumens per bulb is sufficient.
- Kitchen: For task lighting, such as above the kitchen sink, you need about 3,000 lumens.
- Bathroom: Here you need between 2000 and 4000 lumens, depending on the size.
- Bedroom: 400-800 lumens is ideal for both ambient and functional lighting.
- Outdoor lighting: 700-1300 lumens is recommended for outdoor lighting.
When choosing lighting, it is important to pay particular attention to lumens rather than watts, as this indicates brightness
What is LUX?
Lux is a measure of light intensity on a specific surface and is calculated as 1 lux = 1 lumen per square meter. This is important when determining how much light you need in a particular room. For example, a lux value of 300-500 is recommended for a kitchen, while 200-400 lux is sufficient for a bathroom
How many watts is how many lumens?
Converting from watts to lumens is tricky because it depends on the type of bulb. A rough estimate is that a traditional 60-watt incandescent bulb produces about 800 lumens, while an LED bulb with the same number of lumens requires only 10 watts. Therefore, when buying lamps, pay particular attention to the lumen rating for the desired brightness
What is Volt?
Volt, or voltage, indicates the electrical voltage needed to make a lamp or appliance work. At home, you usually get 220/230-volt power, with which most lamps work as usual. However, some lamps, such as recessed spotlights, require 12 volts. To convert 230 volts to 12 volts, you need a transformer (or transformer). This is a device that adjusts the voltage, like your laptop or phone charger.
Advantages and disadvantages:
| Advantages | Cons | |
| 12 Volt bulbs |
Often last longer because they operate at a |
Need an additional transformer. |
| 230 volt lamps | No transformer required and suitable for energy-saving bulbs. | Can be less efficient than 12-volt bulbs. |
