Using Kelvins when choosing lightingĪnother factor you can use to choose the best lighting is Kelvins. These numbers will, of course, vary depending on the age of the light source, the manufacturer, and other factors regarding their condition. If you’re used to watts, don’t fear change! You can use this lumens brightness scale to determine the amount of lumens you can look for based on the wattage you would normally buy in incandescent light sources: The lumen offers a more accurate way to measure light output than watts. New, innovative lights like LEDs can produce more light than traditional incandescent light sources but use less energy to do so. Watts measure energy usage, not brightness (or light output). Thus, we needed a new way to describe and measure our sources of light. Watts simply measures the energy being used, which can be different depending on the type of light in question, which can be brighter or dimmer than other types. However, the way lights are manufactured has changed since then. In the past, we used to use watts to determine the brightness of light. Each lumen emits about the same amount of light as a single candle. How bright is a lumen? To put it simply, more lumens equals a brighter light. This useful tool will give you information about the product, like brightness in lumens, life expectancy of the bulb, energy use, and other information. It measures the light produced by a light source, or in other words, lumens equals brightness! This measurement is the key to choosing the correct lighting for your indoor or outdoor projects.īecause there are so many variations of lighting and how light is emitted, they now are available with tools like a Lighting Facts chart. Lumens are a unit of measurement that determines how bright a lightbulb or lighting fixture is. How bright is a lumen? Read on to learn about this unit of measurement and how you can use it to choose a lighting solution for your next project. Because there are so many ways to light your projects, there are ways to measure different aspects of those lights, like lumens. The simple, standard incandescent light bulb has evolved into more energy-efficient lighting solutions with varying tones and shades. Like many aspects of our technological world, the way we light our spaces has changed drastically over the years.