There are so many things to consider when shopping for light bulbs--from shape, size, color...it can get confusing quick. Let us clear up the difference between lumens and watts, hopefully making your next trip to the light bulb aisle a bit less stressful.
When buying new light bulbs for your home or business, there are a lot of things to consider. And with new energy-efficient lighting becoming the norm in homes and businesses everywhere, there are even more potentially confusing factors that come into play while browsing the light bulb aisle.
Watt's Up?
One aspect of light bulb shopping that used to stump me is the concept of watts vs. lumens. To put it simply, watts measure the amount of energy used to produce the bulb’s light output, and lumens measure the actual amount of light the bulb gives out. All modern light bulb packaging includes the number of lumens the bulbs produces in the package’s Lighting Facts section (similar to the nutrition facts on food labels).
Common incandescent bulbs use around 60 watts (with some using upwards of 200!) whereas typical CFL bulbs measure in the 10 to 25 watt range. LED bulbs are by far the most energy-efficient bulbs, with many bulbs using under 10 watts of energy while lasting thousands of hours longer than incandescent bulbs.
Lumenosity
When it comes to lumens, it’s important to choose a bulb that produces the same amount of light as the bulb it’s replacing. To ensure this, the U.S. Department of Energy advises consumers looking to replace common 60-watt bulbs with LED bulbs that produce around 800 lumens. For 40-watt bulbs, LED replacements should produce around 450 lumens.
On the other hand, you can always choose a bulb with higher or lower lumen output if you’re looking to adjust the light quality of the room you’re shopping for. As always, make sure the wattage of the bulb you select is compatible with the fixture you plan to use them in.
So what should you look for during your next light bulb shopping trip? Choose a CFL or LED bulb that uses less wattage than your current bulbs in order to save energy and cash down the road, and choose a bulb with a lumen output that is appealing to you, and will work in your home or business. Remember to always check the Lighting Facts, and happy shopping!
