Lumens vs. Watts: How to Choose the Right LED Bulb

Still thinking in watts? Here's the translation. LED bulbs don't work like the old ones. This guide gets you up to speed — fast. The only chart you need What's my old bulb in LED? Watts used to mean brightness. With LED, they don't anymore — watts just measure energy use. The brightness number is now called lumens. Find your old wattage below and see exactly what to buy. Your old bulb LED replacement Brightness (lumens) Good for 25W incandescent 3–4W LED ~250 lumens Night lights, accents 40W incandescent 5–6W LED ~450 lumens Small lamps, closets 60W incandescent 8–10W LED ← most common replacement ~800 lumens Bedrooms, living rooms 75W incandescent 11–12W LED ~1,100 lumens Kitchens, reading nooks 100W incandescent 14–16W LED ~1,600 lumens Home offices, task areas 150W incandescent 22–25W LED ~2,600 lumens Large rooms, garages Why is the wattage so much lower? LED technology is dramatically more efficient. A 9W LED produces the exact same brightness as a 60W incandescent — it just uses 85% less electricity to do it. Same light. Much lower energy bill. Room by room How bright does each room need to be? Different rooms need different amounts of light. Here's a simple rule designers use: multiply your room's square footage by the lumens per square foot it needs. 🛏 Bedroom 10–20 lm/sqft Soft & restful 🛋 Living Room 10–20 lm/sqft Relaxed & flexible 🍳 Kitchen 70–80 lm/sqft Bright & clear 🚿 Bathroom 70–80 lm/sqft Even, shadow-free 💻 Home Office 70–80 lm/sqft Alert & focused 🍽 Dining Room 30–40 lm/sqft Warm & inviting Quick example 100 sq ft bedroom × 15 lumens = ~1,500 lumens total across all the bulbs in that room. 100 sq ft kitchen × 75 lumens = ~7,500 lumens total — spread across all fixtures. Kelvins — Color Temperature Warm light or cool light? The simple rule Lower number = warmer, cozier light. Higher number = cooler, crisper light. This has nothing to do with brightness — it's purely the color of the light. The scale is measured in Kelvins (K). Here's what each range actually looks like in your home: 2700K Warm Amber 3000K Soft White 4000K Neutral 5000K+ Daylight 2700K — Warm White Cozy & inviting Closest to old incandescent light. Best for bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms. 3000K — Soft White Warm but clear Great for bathrooms and kitchens where you want warmth with visibility. 4000K — Neutral White Alert & focused Home offices, kitchens, garages. Clean and energizing without feeling harsh. 5000K+ — Daylight Crisp & bright Workshops, studios, task areas. Closest to natural outdoor daylight. Our recommendation The bulb we reach for every time If you're not sure where to start, this is where we'd start. It's our most popular bulb — and once you see it lit up, you'll understand why. ⭐ Color Cord Favorite LED Globe G25 — Milk Finish A classic globe shape with a soft white glass that hides the filament and diffuses light beautifully. No harsh spots. Just a clean, even glow that looks great in any room. Finish: Milk glass — soft, diffused light Shape: G25 globe — works in pendants, sconces & ceiling fixtures Color: 2700K — warm white, closest to incandescent Dimmable: Yes — fully compatible Base: E26 — standard medium base Shop the G25 Milk → Why milk glass? Clear and amber glass bulbs expose the filament — beautiful, but they can cast harsh shadows if your fixture doesn't have a shade. Milk glass diffuses the light evenly in all directions, so the whole room glows instead of one bright spot. It's the most forgiving option for most homes. Control your light Dimming & Smart Bulbs One of the best upgrades you can make to any room is the ability to control how bright your light is . Here's what you need to know. 🔆 Dimmable LED Bulbs Not all LED bulbs can be dimmed — you need one that specifically says "dimmable" on the box. Our G25 Milk bulb is fully dimmable. When you dim it, the light gets softer and shifts warmer — perfect for switching from dinner party bright to movie night cozy. ⚙️ Dimmer Switches You'll also need a dimmer switch on the wall — a standard on/off switch won't dim anything. Make sure your dimmer switch is rated for LED bulbs, not just incandescent. Most modern LED-compatible dimmers are labeled clearly. When in doubt, check the dimmer's packaging for compatibility. 📱 Smart Bulbs Smart bulbs let you control brightness and sometimes color temperature from your phone or voice assistant — no dimmer switch needed. They screw into any standard E26 socket. We don't carry smart bulbs , but they're widely available at home improvement stores and online retailers. Look for ones compatible with your home system (Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, etc.). 💡 What to look for in a smart bulb When shopping elsewhere for smart bulbs, check for: E26 base (standard size), 800+ lumens for a 60W equivalent, 2700K–4000K tunable range if you want to adjust color, and compatibility with your wifi or smart home hub. Most major brands have these clearly listed. Our AiO fixtures are dimmer compatible All of our All-in-One fixtures work with dimmer switches. Just make sure you pair them with a dimmable bulb — like our G25 Milk — and a compatible LED dimmer switch, available at any hardware or home improvement store. Glass finish Which bulb tint is right for you? The glass finish affects both the look of the bulb and the quality of light it casts. Here's the difference at a glance: Clear Glass Full brightness, exposes the filament. Clean and modern. Can cast sharper shadows. Shop Clear → Amber Glass Slightly warmer, visible filament. Vintage feel. Great for exposed-bulb fixtures. Shop Amber → Milk Glass ⭐ Soft, even glow. Hides the filament. Our most popular — works in almost any room. Shop Milk → Mirrored Glass Directs light upward. Decorative and unique. Best as an accent, not a primary light source. Shop Mirrored → Still not sure which bulb to get? We're happy to help — chat, email, or phone. We do this every day. Shop Our Favorite Bulb Browse All Bulbs Shop Fixtures Get Help