Watts vs lumens explained
Understanding wattage and lumens helps you choose lighting that’s both bright enough and energy-efficient. Below, we explain the key terms, show typical wattage and lumen levels per room, and give practical rules of thumb for homes and workplaces.
Wattage vs. lumens: what’s the difference?
Wattage (W) indicates how much electrical power a lamp consumes. Lumens (lm) indicate how much visible light a lamp emits (light output). For lighting design and comfort, lumens are the key value; wattage tells you how much energy that light will cost.
Modern LED wattages
Today, most lamps are LED: very energy-efficient and requiring low wattages. In an average home, LED lamps between 3–6 W often provide sufficient light. If a lamp is mounted higher, choose a stronger light source (more lumens / higher wattage). For example: around the dining table a 3 W table lamp can work, while a 6 W ceiling lamp above the table offers stronger, more general light. For very tall spaces—such as warehouses—LED fixtures are available up to ~250 W.
Most-chosen LED wattage and recommended lumens by room
| Room | Most-chosen wattage (LED) | Recommended lumens |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom | 5–6 W | 200–400 lm |
| Desk | 5–6 W | 200–400 lm |
| Outdoor | 5–6 W | 200–400 lm |
| Dining room (ceiling) | 6–7 W | 400–500 lm |
| Hallway | 3–4 W | 100–200 lm |
| Kitchen (general) | 3–4 W | 100–300 lm |
| Kitchen (worktop/task) | 5–6 W | 300–400 lm |
| Reading corner | 5–6 W | 400–500 lm |
| Bedroom | 3–4 W | 100–300 lm |
| Ambient lighting (living room) | 3–4 W | 100–300 lm |
| Toilet | 3–4 W | 100–200 lm |
Replacing halogen with LED
A useful rule of thumb: choose an LED lamp with ~10% of the halogen wattage. Example: 35 W halogen ≈ 3.5 W LED (pick the closest LED wattage available).
About lumens and lux
Wattage (W): power consumption.
Lumens (lm): the total amount of light a lamp emits.
Lux (lx): the light level on a surface (how bright it is on the working plane).
Example: A lamp can emit 500 lm. Hung at 10 m height, you experience less light on the work surface than at 3 m. Lux quantifies this on-surface brightness. The relation is: 1 lux = 1 lumen per square meter.
How many lux per room?
The recommendations below are based on commonly used European (NEN/EN) guidance levels. Use them to estimate how many lumens you need in total (see the calculation steps further down).
Choose your type of space
- Living spaces
- Offices
- Industrial / Warehousing
- Schools
- Sports facilities
- Parking garages
Living spaces – recommended lux
| Area | Lux |
|---|---|
| Dining table | 300–500 lx |
| Bathroom | 200–400 lx |
| Outdoor lighting | 200–400 lx |
| Reading a book | 500–700 lx |
| Kitchen | 300–500 lx |
Explore our living space lighting
It’s important to select the right lighting per living area. Lighting influences comfort and the feel of each room. At Lampgigant you’ll find a wide range—from indoor wall lights to indoor lamps with motion sensors.
Office lighting – recommended lux
| Area | Lux |
|---|---|
| Workstation | 500 lx |
| Meeting room | 500 lx |
| Corridor | 100 lx |
| Reception | 300 lx |
| Archive | 200 lx |
| Canteen | 200 lx |
Explore our office lighting
Good office lighting is essential. The right light levels support productivity, ambience, and even your brand identity. Choose a category, then filter by colour and material to fine-tune your selection.
Industrial / warehouse lighting – recommended lux
| Area | Lux |
|---|---|
| Warehouse / Storage | 100 lx |
| Dispatch & packing | 300 lx |
| Metalworking / Workshop | 300 lx |
| Aisle | 150 lx |
| Assembly | 300 lx |
| Laboratory / Precision work | 500 lx |
Explore our industrial lighting
Large spaces often need many fixtures. Where traditional fluorescent/halogen tubes are still used, switching to LED TL/linear solutions saves energy and pays back quickly. After choosing a category, you can further filter by colour and material.
School lighting – recommended lux
| Area | Lux |
|---|---|
| Classroom | 300 lx |
| Lecture hall | 500 lx |
| Practical classroom | 750 lx |
| Drawing room | 800 lx |
| Toilet | 100 lx |
| Gym | 375 lx |
Sports facility lighting – recommended lux
| Area | Lux |
|---|---|
| Gym | 300 lx |
| Sports hall | 500 lx |
| Fitness / Martial arts | 200 lx |
| Swimming pool | 300 lx |
Explore our sports facility lighting
Sports halls are large spaces with many fixtures. Where older halogen/fluorescent tubes are still installed, we recommend LED tubes/linears for efficiency and quick payback.
Parking garage lighting – recommended lux
| Area | Lux |
|---|---|
| Parking bays | 75 lx |
| Drive lane | 75 lx |
| Lift & stairwell | 100 lx |
| Payment area | 300 lx |
Explore our parking garage lighting
Parking structures benefit greatly from efficient LED linear/ceiling fixtures—lower energy use and quick savings.
How many lamps / what wattage do you need?
The number of lamps depends on the type of space (warehouse, office, etc.), ceiling height, and floor area. Use the lux recommendations above to estimate the total lumens required. Most product pages list both wattage and lumen output. If lumens aren’t given, you can approximate from wattage (varies by fixture efficiency).
Calculate it yourself
1 lux = 1 lumen per square meter.
- Determine the required light level (lux).
- Determine the area (m²).
- Calculate total lumens needed: lux × m².
Example: You want to light a workstation at 500 lx. The area is 20 m². Required lumens: 500 × 20 = 10,000 lm.
How many lamps is that?
With a lamp of 4,000 lm, you would use roughly 3 lamps for 20 m² (10,000 ÷ 4,000 ≈ 2.5 → round up to 3).
Typical lumen / wattage for home
| Application (home) | Recommended lumens | LED lamp (W) | CFL lamp (W) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining table | 300–500 lm | 6–7 W | ≈8 W |
| Bathroom lighting | 200–400 lm | 5–6 W | ≈5–8 W |
| Outdoor lighting | 500–700 lm | 5–6 W | ≈5–8 W |
| Reading a book | 500–700 lm | 6–7 W | ≈8 W |
| Kitchen | 300–500 lm | 6–7 W | ≈8–12 W |
Quick checklist (rule of thumb)
- How many m² is your space?
- What lux level is recommended for your space type (see tables above)?
- Multiply m² × lux to get total lumens.
- Increase lumens if the ceiling is high or fixtures are very far from the task area.
- Divide total lumens by the lumen output per lamp to estimate the number of lamps.
Also consider the room’s shape and layout. A very narrow room (e.g., 3 m wide) won’t usually need two rows of fixtures side by side. Furniture density and wall colours affect perceived brightness too. Use the guidance above plus your own judgement—and if you’d like help, our lighting advisors are happy to assist.