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Lumens to Watts Converter

Convert between lumens and watts for LED, CFL, halogen, and incandescent bulbs, and find the equivalent-brightness replacement wattage.

Enter a value, choose lumens or watts, and pick source and target bulb types.

About this tool

The Lumens to Watts Converter is a free, in-browser tool that translates between brightness (lumens) and power (watts) for any bulb technology, so you can find an equivalent-brightness replacement — for example which LED matches an old 60-watt incandescent. It uses typical luminous-efficacy values in lumens per watt: incandescent ≈ 15, halogen ≈ 20, CFL ≈ 60, and LED ≈ 90 lm/W. Enter a value, say whether it is lumens or watts, and pick the source and target bulb types. All calculations run locally in your browser.

The core relationship is lumens = watts × efficacy, and watts = lumens ÷ efficacy. If you enter watts of the source bulb, the tool first finds the brightness (watts × source efficacy), then the equivalent wattage on the target technology (lumens ÷ target efficacy). If you enter lumens directly, it simply divides by each efficacy. Optionally enter a room or surface area in square meters and it also reports illuminance in lux (lumens ÷ area). Because efficacy figures are typical mid-range values, real bulbs vary — always check the lumen rating printed on the package.

As a worked example, a 60-watt incandescent produces about 60 × 15 = 900 lumens, which on an LED at 90 lm/W needs only about 900 ÷ 90 = 10 watts — matching the familiar '60 W = about 9–10 W LED, roughly 800–900 lumens' rule from ENERGY STAR brightness charts. Common reference points are 40 W ≈ 450 lm, 60 W ≈ 800 lm, 75 W ≈ 1,100 lm, and 100 W ≈ 1,600 lm.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert lumens to watts?
Divide lumens by the bulb's luminous efficacy in lumens per watt: incandescent ≈ 15, halogen ≈ 20, CFL ≈ 60, LED ≈ 90. For example 900 lumens on an LED is about 900 ÷ 90 = 10 watts. To go the other way, watts × efficacy = lumens.
What LED wattage replaces a 60W incandescent?
A 60 W incandescent makes roughly 800–900 lumens. At about 90 lm/W an LED reaches that with only 9–10 watts, so a '60 W equivalent' LED is typically labeled 8–10 W. Match by lumens, not watts, for the same brightness.
Why compare bulbs by lumens instead of watts?
Watts measure power drawn, not light produced. Because LED and CFL bulbs turn far more of that power into light, a low-wattage LED can be as bright as a high-wattage incandescent. Lumens measure the actual brightness, so they are the fair comparison.
How is lux calculated from lumens?
Lux is lumens spread over area: lux = lumens ÷ area in square meters. Enter an optional area and the tool reports illuminance in lux, useful for checking whether a space meets a target light level for a task.

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