Lux, lumens and watts, what do I need to know?

Sounds like rocket science or Martian language? We explain the three most important lighting measurement units.

With our little guide, you'll become an expert on luminous efficacy, energy efficiency and light color. So you can find your new favorite lamp or your perfect replacement illuminant that meets your exact requirements.

Lumen - amount of light

Lumen is a unit of luminous flux. In light bulbs, it is a measure of how much light a bulb emits. The more lumens, the higher the light quantity of a lamp.


Comparison of incandescent bulb with LED of the same brightness:

incandescent bulb
LED
lumen
25 W2 W200 lm
40 W 4 W400 lm
60 W 7.2 W 720 lm
100 W 14 W 1400 lm


Lux - brightness on one square meter

The numerical value lux describes the illuminance of a light source in relation to the surface on which the light impinges. In other words. The illuminance Lux is the measure of the brightness for light hitting a surface. This can be the tabletop but also the floor. Lux is measured with a luxmeter.
One lux is one lumen per square meter: 1 lx = 1 lm/m2

How much brightness do you need?

There are guideline values for the optimal brightness in different rooms. The following is a recommendation for your home:
  • Kitchen: about 280 lumens per square meter (lm/m2).
  • Bathroom: about 280 lm/m2
  • Bedroom: about 140 lm/m2
  • Living room: about 140 lm/m2
  • children's room: about 140 lm/m2
  • study: about 280 lm/m2
  • hallway: about 140 lumen lx lm/m2

And what does this mean for you?

Here is an example: You have a 25 square meter living room and need a pleasant basic illumination? Then you need a total of about 3500 lumens. You can achieve this via a single lamp or even several, as they can add up the luminous flux.
The calculation:
25m2 x 140 lm = 3500 lm
Rather let calculate?
Here you find the link to a useful calculator.

Lumen & Lux

Lumen is the unit for luminous flux, this indicates how much visible light is produced.
Lux is lumens per square meter.

Lumen to Watt - Luminous efficiency & economy


The unit watt describes the energy consumption of a lamp and is not a unit of measurement for light. The numerical value in watts indicates how much electrical power the lamp consumes.
The luminous efficacy of a lamp is measured in lumens per watt (lm/W) and provides information about its energy efficiency. The luminous efficacy indicates how much energy is converted into light. The higher the value, the more efficient a light source can be classified. Luminous efficacy - the ratio of "lumens to watts" - is thus a measure of the economic efficiency of a lamp.
To illustrate, here is a comparison of the luminous efficacy of an incandescent bulb, an energy-saving lamp and an LED lamp:

lamp type
luminous efficacy
energy consumption for 700 lm
Incandescent lamp10 to 15 lm/W60 W
Halogen lamp50 to 80 lm/W12 W
LED lamp60 to 160 lm/W8 W

Efficiency of incandescent lamp versus LED lamp

  • So for an incandescent lamp, I need 60W to get 12-17 lumens.
  • For an LED lamp, on the other hand, I only need 8W to get 60- 160 lumens.
LED pear shaped lamp, E27, 8W, clear
LED pear shaped lamp, E27, 10 Watt, matt, dimmable, warm white
LED Candle Gust of Wind, E14, 4,5W, matt