Lumens to Watts Converter

Brightness is measured in Lumens, not Watts. Use our tool to find the equivalent wattage across different bulb technologies.

Brightness Level

Quick Selects:

62WIncandescent

Incandescent62 Watts Equivalent

44WHalogen

Halogen44 Watts Equivalent

13WCFL

CFL13 Watts Equivalent

8WLED

LED8 Watts Equivalent

Quick Reference Table

Lumens	Incandescent	Halogen	CFL	LED
200 lm	15W	11W	3W	2W
450 lm	35W	25W	8W	5W
800 lm	62W	44W	13W	8W
1100 lm	85W	61W	18W	11W
1600 lm	123W	89W	27W	16W
2600 lm	200W	144W	43W	26W

Calculate Your Savings

See how much money you can save by switching to LED lighting.

LED Savings Calculator

Understanding Lumens vs Watts

Lumens measure the total amount of visible light emitted by a source - this is the actual brightness you see. Watts measure energy consumption, not brightness.

In the past, we bought bulbs based on watts because incandescent bulbs had a consistent lumens-per-watt ratio. A 60W incandescent always produced about 800 lumens. But with more efficient technologies like LED, a bulb can produce the same 800 lumens using only 8-10 watts.

Efficiency by Bulb Type

Bulb Type	Lumens per Watt	Efficiency Rating
Incandescent	10-17 lm/W	Poor
Halogen	16-24 lm/W	Low
CFL	50-70 lm/W	Good
LED	80-120 lm/W	Excellent

Common Brightness Levels

450 lumens

Equivalent to 40W incandescent. Accent lighting, small lamps.

800 lumens

Equivalent to 60W incandescent. Most common for general room lighting.

1100 lumens

Equivalent to 75W incandescent. Bright task lighting.

1600 lumens

Equivalent to 100W incandescent. Very bright, large rooms or outdoor.

Tips for Choosing the Right Bulb

1
Match lumens, not watts
When replacing bulbs, look for the same lumen output, not wattage.
2
Consider color temperature
Lumens tell you brightness, but color temperature (Kelvin) affects the light quality.
3
Check the CRI
Color Rendering Index (80+ is good, 90+ is excellent) affects how colors appear under the light.