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Lighting Terms & Phrases - What does it all mean?

Quick Guide

  • Watt: the end power output of a light source
  • Lumen: total visible light output of a light source
  • Lux: the amount of visible light falling on a surface

Watts & Lumens

It is a common misconception that the higher the wattage the higher light output. With LED lighting, this is not the case. LEDs emit the same, if not more light than a bulb, whilst consuming less power and so less strain is put on the battery.

Watts are a measure of power consumption, while lumens are a measurement of visible light output. When you want to know how bright a light will be, you need to identify the lumen output value and not the wattage.