Lumens, Watts and Colour
In your Landscape Lighting product hunt you've come across the terms Lumens, Watts and Colour. We will go over what they mean and why they are important when selecting your light fixtures.
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Lumens (Lm)
A Lumen (luminous flex) is a unit of light.
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A lumens measurement is the amount of visible light that a light source emits and how bright the light will appear to the human eye. The higher the lumen rating, the brighter it will appear.
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A typical household light emits between 300-1000 lumens.
Watts (W)
A watt (W) is a unit of measurement for electrical power or the rate at which energy is transferred over time.
Lower wattage bulbs use less energy. For example, 3–25 watts is considered low power, while 75–100 watts is considered higher power. Bulbs that are 80 watts or more are considered floodlights and are best used for security lighting.
When calculating the size of your transformer needs for your system, using lower watt options allow you to stack more fixtures on the same transformer. LEDs have made landscape lighting bulbs much more efficient.
Lumens vs. Watts
Lumens are different from watts, which measure the amount of energy in a light. A higher wattage doesn't always mean more light, unless you're comparing the same type of light bulb. For example, a 22-watt LED bulb can produce 1600 lumens, while a 60-watt incandescent bulb produces only 800 lumens.
Colour (K)
Colour temperature on light bulbs are measured in Kelvins (K). Kelvins provide information on the quality of light that is being emitted by the bulb. The higher the number of kelvins, the more "cool" the light will be (white/blue). Lower numbers will be more yellow and less intense. ​
The colour bulb you choose will have an effect on both the aesthetics and the safety level of your property.