Conversions
Lumens to Watts Converter
Convert lumens to watts for LED, CFL, halogen, and incandescent bulbs. Switch directions and pick the bulb type to get accurate equivalents.
Lumens, watts, and bulb efficacy
Pick a bulb type to see how many watts deliver your target brightness.
800 lm is a typical 60 W incandescent replacement.
Presets use typical US 2026 luminous efficacy values.
US 2026 average is about $0.16 per kWh.
Leave at 0 to skip the annual cost estimate.
Watts needed
8.89 W
Using efficacy 90 lm/W to deliver 800 lm.
Lumens
800 lm
Watts
8.89 W
Efficacy
90 lm/W
Annual energy
16.22 kWh
Annual cost
$2.60
Lumens per dollar over life
562,500
Frequently Asked Questions about the Lumens to Watts Converter
What is the difference between lumens and watts?
Lumens measure light output (brightness). Watts measure power consumed (energy use). For decades, watts were a useful brightness proxy because incandescent bulbs had a roughly fixed efficacy. With LEDs, you need lumens to compare brightness because efficacy varies 10x between bulb types.
How many lumens does a 60W incandescent bulb produce?
About 800 lumens. That is the bulb you replace with a 9W LED (800 lumens / 90 lumens per watt) or a 14W CFL. The calculator uses standard efficacy values for each bulb type.
What is luminous efficacy?
Lumens per watt. Incandescent: 10-15 lm/W. Halogen: 15-25. CFL: 50-70. LED: 70-110 (higher for newer chips). Sodium streetlights: 100-200. The calculator uses average values within each bulb category.
How many lumens do I need for a room?
Living room: 10-20 lumens per sq ft (so a 200 sq ft room needs 2,000-4,000). Kitchen: 30-40 lm/sq ft. Bathroom: 70-80. Bedroom: 10-20. Office: 30-50. Add task lighting on top of ambient.
Can I convert any lumens to any watts?
Only if you know the bulb type, because efficacy depends on technology. 800 lumens is 60W as incandescent, 14W as CFL, or 9W as LED. The calculator switches efficacy based on bulb type so you can answer all three at once.