Light Bulb Lumens Calculator
Watts to lumens for LED, CFL, halogen and old bulbs, and room lumens.
About this tool
Choose what you know (old incandescent watts, lumens, or LED, CFL or halogen watts) to see the equivalents. Below, enter a room's area and type to get the lumens it needs and how many bulbs of a given brightness that takes.
Lumens, not watts
Watts measure how much power a bulb uses; lumens measure how much light it gives. Because LEDs are so much more efficient, buy by lumens. The standard equivalents for old incandescent bulbs are 40 W โ 450 lumens, 60 W โ 800, 75 W โ 1,100, 100 W โ 1,600 and 150 W โ 2,600. An LED gives 800 lumens from about 8 W, a CFL from about 13 W, and a halogen from about 50 W. To light a room, multiply its floor area in square metres by the light level (lux) suited to its use: around 100โ300 lux for living rooms and bedrooms, 300โ500 for kitchens and bathrooms, and 500 or more for desks and detailed work. A 16 mยฒ living room at 150 lux needs about 2,400 lumens, three 800-lumen bulbs or about 24 W of LED. In feet: 1 foot-candle = 10.76 lux, and lumens = sq ft ร foot-candles. Honest limits: efficacy varies by product, so check the lumens on the box. Dark surfaces, high ceilings and lampshades absorb light (add 20โ30%), and colour temperature changes how bright a room feels. The LED bulb savings calculator and the electricity cost calculator are related.
Frequently asked questions
How many lumens is a 60 watt bulb?
About 800 lumens. An LED equivalent uses roughly 8 to 10 W.
How many lumens do I need for a room?
Multiply the area in mยฒ by the lux level: about 150 for living rooms, 300 to 500 for kitchens and 500 for desks.
What is the difference between lumens and lux?
Lumens measure a bulb's total light; lux measures how much light lands on each square metre.
How many watts LED equals 100 watts?
About 15 to 16 W of LED for the equivalent 1,600 lumens.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing is stored or sent.