How Many Lumens Do I Need for Outdoor Lighting?

There are a variety of outdoor areas that require nighttime lighting. While choosing the outdooor LED lights for your space, considering the wattage is not enough to judge the brightness. Besides wattage, you should also know about how many lumens you need for outdoor lighting. In the following passage, you can learn about the relation of wattage, lumens, and brightness, as well as the recommended lumens for various applications.

Wattage, lumens, and brightness

Even with the same wattage, different lighting technologies can produce vastly different lumen outputs. A light bulb’s wattage and efficiency affect how bright it is. In simple terms, lumens equal efficiency multiplied by wattage. An LED light bulb, for example, is far more energy-efficient than a conventional incandescent or CFL bulb. This indicates that the quantity of light produced by a 4W LED bulb is equivalent to that of a 40W incandescent bulb. Therefore, wattage comparison is not a reliable indicator of a bulb’s brightness.

“While the parameter of watt is on the light bulb packages for decades and is familiar to consumers, it measures energy consumption instead of brightness,” the FTC clarified in a press release. “As a result, relying solely on watt makes it difficult for consumers to distinguish which lights are brighter.” The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has required manufacturers of CFL lamps, incandescent lamps and LED light bulbs to use lumens to indicate the brightness of light bulbs.

Below is a lumen to watt conversion table for different light sources:

How to calculate lumens?

To calculate lumens, you first need to know the required lux level for the specific area and its size. Lux measures the amount of light is received per square meter. Therefore, the formula to calculate lumens is:

Lumens = Lux × Area
For example, you will need lights that emit 50 × 20 = 1000 lumens if a 20 square meter space needs 50 lux of lighting.

The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) provides recommended lux levels for outdoor lighting. Here are some typical standards:

• Street lighting:10–30 lux
• Residential pathways or driveways:20–30 lux
• Security lighting for yards or gardens:30–50 lux
• Sports fields or parking lots:75–150 lux
• Garden spotlighting:50–100 lux
• Porch lighting:100–200 lux
• Exterior wall lighting:50–150 lux
• Pathway or deck lighting: 30–50 lux

What are the lumens of different outdoor lights?

Street Lighting

• Street lights: Street lights typically provide a lux level of 10–30 lux and can illuminate areas ranging from 30 to 50 square meters. Depending on the location and the specific function of the light, the lumen range will vary from about 300 to 1500 lumens.
• Decorative street lights: Decorative street lights, which have a lower lux level of 10–20 lux, are often used for aesthetic purposes and cover smaller areas, typically producing between 200 and 600 lumens. Street lighting needs to balance safety and energy efficiency, with decorative lights often emitting less lumens for ambient lighting rather than functional use.

Yard/Garden Lighting

• Lawn lights: Lawn lights are made to light up spaces like lawns and gardens, which are usually 20 to 30 square meters in size. Their output ranges from 400 to 900 lumens, with a lux level of 20-30.
• Spotlights: The objective of spotlights is more narrowly defined; they draw attention to particular elements, such as trees, sculptures, or architectural details. They light up smaller spaces, typically 10 to 15 square meters, with lux levels between 50 and 100. Their light output so usually falls between 500 and 1500 lumens. When dramatic focal points need to be created in yards or gardens with powerful, focused illumination, spotlights are ideal.
• Patio lights: For those looking to enhance outdoor gatherings or create a cozy atmosphere on patios, these lights shine with a lux level of 100- These lights typically cover 20–30 square meters and have 2000–6000 lumens.
• Pathway lights: In order to keep people safe, pathway lights are necessary for directing them along driveways, garden paths, and walkways.These lights usually emit 20-30 lux and cover areas of 10 to 15 square meters, resulting in lumen values of around 200 to 450 lumens.

• Exterior wall lighting: The purpose of outside wall lighting is to draw attention to fences, buildings, and other structures. With a brightness range of 500 to 2250, these lights typically give between 50 and 150 lux, lighting an area of 10 to 15 square meters. Clear, sharp light from them can highlight architectural elements without overpowering the surrounding space.

Outdoor Security Lights/Flood Lights

Outdoor flood lights are high-power fixtures used for a variety of purposes, such as illuminating buildings, creating a wall-washing effect, and providing security lighting. These lights typically offer a lux level of 30–50 lux and can illuminate large areas of 50 to 100 square meters, producing between 1500 and 5000 lumens. The lumen output of flood lights can vary based on the fixture’s design and wattage. They frequently feature a diffused light pattern that covers a large area. These lights are ideal for larger spaces like yards, parking lots, or commercial properties, and the inclusion of motion sensors or smart features can further adjust the lumen output for security purposes.

Use our lumen&watt calculator to figure out the lumen and watt of lights for indoor lighting, outdoor lighting, commercial lighting, and more applications!

Frequently asked questions

1. How bright is 4000 lumens outdoor?

4000 lumens is equivalent to the brightness of four 10W LED bulbs. This is similar to the visual experience brought by 30-40 W LED car lights. Looking straight at the light will cause you to feel a little dazzling.

2. How much area will 3000 lumens light up?

To know the specific illumination area, you need to consider the illumination requirements of different spaces. For example, to achieve 200 lx garden lighting, 3000 lm lighting can light up 15 square meters.

3. What light is best for outdoor lights?

LED lights are the best choice for outdoor lights because their efficiency keep improving, which means they can save a lot of energy. What’s more, they usually have high IP rating to resist the rain and emit little heat to keep cool under high temperature.

To wrap up

Knowing that lumen is more accurate than wattage while judging brightness is important when choosing outdoor lights. Outdoor lights include street lights, decorative lights, lawn lights, underground lights, spotlights, flood lights, and so on. Since they are used in different places to create various kinds of lighting, the lumen requirements are different. If you want to ask more about the lumen standards for other types of lights, you can contact with our experts right now!