A Quick Guide to the Lumens of Your Outdoor Lights

Exterior lighting can be challenging to sort out. You need to ensure you install enough lights to illuminate a designated space and that they’re bright enough but not too bright. Exterior lighting blends brightness, safety, functionality, and accessibility. Induction Lighting Fixtures is here with a quick guide to the lumens of your outdoor lights so you can figure out what setup works best for you!

What Are Lumens?

Lumens refer to the brightness a bulb emits. Manufacturers measure brightness, intensity, and visible light when grading bulbs. The higher the lumens, the greater level of light a bulb puts out. For example, a standard 40w incandescent lightbulb puts out around 400 lumens.

Common Outdoor Light Fixtures

An important part of the guide to lumens for your outdoor lighting is knowing what level you need for your fixtures. For example, wall pack lights typically illuminate walkways or guide pedestrians to the entrance of a building. They need around 700–1,200 lumens to be effective.

On the other side of the spectrum, dim lights like those on stairs benefit from less brightness: around 50 lumens. Post-top lights, like parking lot lamp posts, operate at about 180–200 lumens. This lower brightness allows them to light up the parking lot without causing glares that can distract drivers.

Lumen Guide for LED Bulbs*

Understanding the correlations between a bulb’s wattage and the number of lumens it puts out can help you decide the best bulbs to buy. Here are some of the most common wattages of LED light bulbs and their number of lumens.

• 4w – 220 lumens
• 6w – 400 lumens
• 10w – 700 lumens
• 13w – 900 lumens
• 18w – 1,300 lumens

If you’re looking for high-quality and affordable exterior lighting options for your business or commercial property, let Induction Lighting Fixtures take care of you. We have a wide selection of outdoor wall pack lights and post-top lights for any environment. To learn more about our services, contact us at any time, and a member of our staff will be happy to help you.

*estimates only.  Lumen counts can vary by manufacturer