What are Lumen?

If you buy a lamp these days, the amount of Watts is not even shown on the outside of the packaging. What you do find on the packaging is the term Lumen . But what does that mean exactly? You can read it in our latest article.

The Definition of Lumen

The meaning of the term Lumen is: "The total amount of visible light that a light source radiates in all directions". With Lumen we are talking about light output. The higher the number of Lumen, the more light comes from a lamp.

Difference between Lumen and Watt

When it comes to Watts , it is about the energy consumption of the lamp. In the past, people often looked at the wattage to determine how much light a lamp should give. In a sense, it is a logical assumption that a lamp that uses more also gives more light, but these two things are not always directly related. For example, it is possible that an LED lamp with 10W consumption gives much more light than a halogen lamp of 20W. So:

• Lumen = light output
• Watt = energy consumption

So what is Lux?

Another term you may come across in lighting is Lux . This unit is somewhat similar to Lumen, but you cannot use them interchangeably. Where Lumen refers to the total amount of light that is emitted in all directions, we use Lux to indicate how much light can shine on a specific surface. Lux is therefore also the number of Lumen per square meter. The term Lux is therefore often a more specific indication if, for example, you want to illuminate a worktop properly.

How many lumens do you need for your lighting?

Now that you know what the term Lumen means, it is of course also good to be able to determine for yourself what amount of Lumen you need for a certain type of space. There are a number of factors that you need to take into account:

• The size of the room/space
• The height of the ceiling
• The color of the walls and ceiling
• The amount of natural light
• The beam angle of the lamp
• Your personal preference (the atmosphere you want to achieve)

To help you choose the right number of lumens for your LED lighting, we have created a basic diagram for you below.

Room	Number of lumens per square meter
Kitchen	500
Dining room	400
Office	600
Living room	200
Bedroom	300
Bathroom	400
Gang	300

Need help choosing your LED lights?

We hope to have taught you a little more about LED lighting and what the phenomenon of Lumen exactly entails, so that you can purchase the right LED lamps yourself. Of course, we can always help you with this. Feel free to contact our specialists - we will be happy to assist you.