How many lumens do you need per room? (including calculation table)
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Lumens determine how bright your lighting is. This article explains how many lumens you need per room and includes a handy calculation table to quickly calculate the right brightness.
Many people choose lighting based on wattage, but watts say nothing about brightness. Lumens do. The number of lumens determines how bright a lamp shines and therefore how suitable it is for a specific room.
With the right amount of light, a room feels comfortable, safe and functional. Too little light makes a space gloomy; too much light can cause glare and remove atmosphere.
What are lumens?
Lumens (lm) are the unit of luminous flux. The higher the number, the brighter the light. LED lamps deliver far more lumens per watt than halogen or incandescent bulbs, making them more economical and efficient.
Guidelines per room
Room | Recommended lumens per m²
Living room | 100–150 lm/m²
Kitchen | 300–400 lm/m²
Bathroom | 300–500 lm/m²
Bedroom | 100–150 lm/m²
Office | 400–500 lm/m²
Hallway | 100–150 lm/m²
Note: this refers to the total light output in the room, often spread across multiple fixtures.
Example calculation
Do you have a living room of 25 m²?
25 m² × 150 lm/m² = 3750 lumens total
This can be distributed, for example, as:
4 spots of 600 lumens = 2400 lm
1 wall lamp of 800 lumens = 800 lm
1 table lamp of 600 lumens = 600 lm
Total: 3800 lm → ideal.
Function determines brightness
A kitchen or office needs more light than a bedroom because you perform more precise tasks there. In functional rooms, always combine task lighting with general lighting.
Colour temperature also matters
More lumens are not always better. Cooler light (4000K+) feels brighter than warm light (2700K), even at the same lumen output. In atmospheric rooms you can therefore choose a lower level more easily.
Dimmable lighting provides flexibility
With dimmable LEDs, you can use functional light during the day and softer light in the evening. So you don’t have to choose between ambience and brightness.
Conclusion
Lumens are the key to the right brightness. By following the guidelines per room and doing a simple calculation, you will always choose the right amount of light. At My Planet Led you’ll find LED lighting with clear lumen values, so you can choose with confidence.
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