Watts and Lumens - What do they mean?

If you have been buying incandescent bulbs, you are probably used to selecting a bulb based on its wattage rating. The more watts, the brighter the incandescent light bulb is. However, changes in lighting technology have introduced more energy-efficient bulbs such as the CFLs and LEDs. Along with these new types of light bulbs came the new rating known as “lumens.” Identifying both the watts and lumens is important when choosing the best light bulbs. But what do these ratings actually mean?

Wattage or watts is a measurement of how much energy a light bulb uses. It actually does not determine how bright a bulb is. But, if you want to determine the brightness of a bulb, lumen rating is the number to look at. Lumens will tell you how the bulb performs, no matter what source produces it.

To give you an idea of how bright one lumen is, imagine that there is a birthday candle one foot away from you. The light emitted by that candle is pretty much how bright one lumen is. A standard 60-watt bulb produces anywhere from 750-850 lumens. If you need to buy a bulb for task lighting in Australia, look for one with a rating of at least 1000 lumens.

Knowing the wattage and lumen rating of light bulbs is important in residential lighting because it will tell you how energy-efficient a bulb is. You must first determine how much lumens or brightness you need, and then compare the lumens-per-watt ratings of different bulbs to know which one will save more energy. If you are looking for high-quality and energy-efficient lighting solutions, it’s best to check with online lighting stores like Lightosphere. Go for a shop that will let you choose from a wide selection of items. There are online stores that offer a wide variety of products at affordable prices. It is important to ensure warranty is included for the items you purchase.