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LED Lumens-to-Watts Equivalent Chart
Incandescent bulbs were shopped by watts because wattage and brightness were roughly linked for that one technology; LEDs produce far more light per watt, so wattage alone no longer tells you how bright a bulb is. Lumens measure actual light output and are the number to compare across bulb types.
| Incandescent equivalent | Lumens (approx.) | Typical LED wattage |
|---|---|---|
| 40W incandescent | 450 lumens | 4-5W LED |
| 60W incandescent | 800 lumens | 8-9W LED |
| 75W incandescent | 1,100 lumens | 10-12W LED |
| 100W incandescent | 1,600 lumens | 14-17W LED |
| 150W incandescent | 2,600 lumens | 20-25W LED |
Notes
- Two LED bulbs with identical lumens can still look different in a room because of color temperature (measured in Kelvin) — warm white (2700-3000K) reads like classic incandescent light, while daylight (5000K+) reads cooler and bluer.
- Lumens-per-watt efficiency is still improving with newer LED generations, so wattage-to-lumens ratios drift lower (more efficient) over a few years — check current packaging rather than memorizing a fixed ratio.
- For task lighting (reading, kitchen counters), prioritize higher lumens in a smaller fixture footprint; for ambient lighting, spread lumens across multiple fixtures rather than one very bright source.
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