What to Consider When Replacing Light Bulbs: Wattage and Lumens

Originally Published: January 22, 2018

Content Updated: July 30, 2026

When it is time to update existing light bulbs, finding replacements can seem difficult. With the banning of incandescent bulbs in the United States, this process has become more complicated. There are many factors to consider, including the previous bulb’s wattage and lumens, and the fixture’s maximum wattage. 

What is Wattage?

Wattage is the amount of electrical power a bulb consumes to produce light. On average, LEDs consume about 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, meaning they will require less wattage to produce the same brightness. 

What are Lumens? 

Lumens are the standard unit of how much light emitted from a bulb or fixture is visible to the human eye. With the switch to LED bulbs, lumens indicate how bright an LED bulb is compared to outdated bulbs at different wattages. They are used to indicate brightness; The more lumens a bulb emits, the brighter it will be. 

What Does Equivalent Wattage Mean?

Equivalent wattage helps shoppers find fixtures that emit close to the same amount of lumens as the incandescent light being replaced. For example, this LED bulb has a 60W equivalent specification, meaning that it emits around the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb but is only 9 watts.

How Many Lumens Do I Need?

The number of lumens you should use depends on where the bulb is being installed. For living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and other residential areas, we provide the IES-recommended foot-candles and lux in our Home Lighting Guide. For industrial and commercial spaces, the recommended lighting levels are listed in our IES Industrial and Commercial Recommended Light Levels blog. 

Once you know the recommended foot-candles (measured by one lumen per square foot) for your space, calculate the necessary lumens by multiplying the foot-candles by the square footage of the room. For example, let’s say you’re installing lights in your living room, which are recommended to have 10-20 foot-candles, and your living room is 400 square feet. Multiply the 400 sq ft by the minimum foot-candle amount (10). You would get 4,000, indicating the bulbs in the living room should have a combined value of at least 4,000 lumens. Ideally, this would mean evenly spacing five bulbs with an output of around 800 lumens in the room.

Can I Use a Higher Wattage LED Bulb Than Recommended?

Installing a bulb that exceeds socket wattage ratings can have adverse effects, such as catching fire or damaging the fixture's sockets or wiring. It’s also not necessary. You can install LED light bulbs with higher lumens than incandescent and halogen bulbs that will be lower than the wattage rating of the socket. Switching to LED bulbs allows you to have ample lighting while reducing energy costs.

Certain light fixtures will recommend a maximum wattage rating for installed LED bulbs. For safety compliance, we recommend following these specifications when installing bulbs. The fixture should have the maximum rating listed. You can also check if the bulb you’re replacing lists the wattage. 

Most light fixtures will also recommend a minimum wattage rating. However, installing a bulb with a lower wattage rating does not cause many negative effects. The wattage of most LED bulbs will be lower than the minimum rating of a traditional fixture; however, light output will not be affected by switching to LED bulbs. 

Should I Shop Based on Watts or Lumens? 

While both watts and lumens are important when selecting lighting, lumens are critical for ensuring you choose bulbs with sufficient brightness in the installation area. As we previously mentioned, wattage is necessary to power your lights. However, due to the increased efficiency of LEDs, you will want to closely match the lumen output rather than the wattage of the incandescent or fluorescent bulb being replaced. If you are unsure of the lumens on an existing incandescent, check for the equivalent wattage value of the LED bulb. 

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Use our universal bulb finder to find the exact bulb you need. Or check out our LED Glossary for more ligting terminogy. 

If you have any questions about LED light bulb wattage, lumens, or any other specific LED-related questions, you can call us at 866-590-3533 or fill out our contact form. 

Shopping for Your Bulb

Since LEDs use a lower wattage to produce the same amount of light, lumens are a better measure of their brightness. We recommend comparing similar lumens rather than wattages when shopping for LED bulbs. The conversion from wattage to lumens is not always straightforward. Guides are available that estimate how many lumens you might need based on your current light bulb wattage. When you shop on our website, you will notice we list the equivalent wattage for our products to make this easier.  

Understanding Maximum Wattage Ratings

It's tempting to exceed the maximum wattage rating when you want a brighter light. However, installing a bulb that exceeds socket wattage ratings can have adverse effects, such as catching fire or damaging the fixture's sockets or wiring. It’s also not necessary. You can install LED light bulbs with higher lumens than incandescent and halogen bulbs that won’t exceed the recommended wattages. 

Certain light fixtures will recommend a maximum wattage rating for installed LED bulbs. For safety compliance, we recommend following these specifications when installing bulbs. The fixture should have the maximum rating listed.  You can also check if the bulb you’re replacing lists the wattage. 

Minimum Wattage Rating 

Most light fixtures recommend a minimum wattage rating. Installing a bulb with a lower wattage rating does not cause many adverse reactions. Most LED light bulbs' wattage will be lower than the light fixtures' minimum rating, but the light output won’t be affected.

Shop Now 

Use our universal bulb finder to find the exact bulb you need. If you have any questions about LED light bulb wattage, lumens, or any other specific LED-related questions, you can call us at 866-590-3533 or complete the contact form.