Brightness (Lumens)

Brightness, measured in lumens, is the measurement of the luminous flux from a light source. Brightness tells us how much light is being radiated by a particular light source. Brightness was previously associated with the power consumed, i.e. 60 Watts vs. 100 Watts. The principle that an increase in a light's power consumption meant an equally higher output of light made sense with older technologies (i.e. incandescent and halogen) because there was a direct and linear correlation between the power input and the brightness of the light.

The introduction of exponentially more efficient LED light sources has resulted in a paradigm shift in how we describe brightness. LED light sources are now requiring up to 95% less energy to produce the same luminous flux (brightness) as their predecessors, so using power consumption (Watts) to describe the brightness of a light source is no longer relevant. The best method to describe how bright your lights are is to simply use the actual lumens your light source is outputting.

The majority of our products are linear in nature, so their brightness is typically provided in lumens per length of measurement. The chart to the right can help to provide a rough benchmark for quick comparisons. For example; A ½-meter length of a product with a Brightness listed as 1600 lumens/meter is roughly the equivalent brightness of a 60 Watt incandescent bulb.