What Is More Important When Selecting A Bulb?īoth lumens and Kelvin temperature are equally important when selecting a bulb. No two bulbs are the same, and it is even possible to have two bulbs with the same lumen outputs but vastly different color temperatures. Likewise, it is possible to have bulbs with a low color temperature and high lumen output. It is possible to have bulbs with high color temperature and low lumen output. This is NOT true! The bottom line is that there is no correlation between lumen output and Kelvin temperature. Is There Any Correlation Between Lumens and Kelvin?Ī common misconception is that cool, blue-toned lights have higher lumen outputs than yellow-toned lights. Knowing the number of Lumens produced and the Kelvin rating of a bulb will give you a much better idea of how bright a bulb is compared to measuring the Watts. ![]() A cooler color temperature, measured in Kelvins, can also make a bulb appear brighter. Therefore, a bulb may use fewer Watts but produce more Lumens. However, new bulbs are much more energy efficient. Watts measure how much energy a bulb uses. Watts: The Measurement of Energy Usageīefore new innovations such as HID bulbs and LED bulbs, most light bulbs were measured in Watts. To get a brighter bulb, you would need to switch to Xenon HID headlight bulbs, which typically measure around 5000 Lumens. Even maximum performance halogen headlight bulbs fall around 3000 Lumens, though a higher Kelvin rating may make them appear brighter. Halogen headlight bulbs usually have around 3000 Lumens, which is sufficient for most drivers to see at night. While a bulb with a high Kelvin rating may appear brighter, a bulb with more Lumens is actually brighter. This is useful when searching for a brighter bulb. Unlike Kelvins, which only tell you how yellow or blue a bulb appears to be, Lumens give the actual light output of a bulb. Lumens are a unit of measurement that determines the brightness of a bulb. However, most of these very high Kelvin bulbs are too blue in color to be road legal, so they can only be used for styling purposes. Xenon HID styling bulbs are even further up the Kelvin scale, with some reaching up to 7000K. Halogen styling bulbs have color temperatures up to 5000K. Styling bulbs with a very cool color temperature are also popular, although they are not always street legal. Xenon HID bulbs, which have become popular in recent years, typically have a high Kelvin rating, appearing extremely bright due to their cooler color temperature. At the highest end of the Kelvin scale, bulbs have a blue tone. Some bulbs have an even higher Kelvin rating, producing a whiter light. Maximum performance headlight bulbs start at around 3900K. Drivers often prefer bulbs with a higher Kelvin rating because they seem brighter and make it easier to see at night. Standard halogen headlight bulbs usually have a color temperature around 3200K to 4600K, producing a white light but not extremely bright.Īs we move up the Kelvin scale, lights become whiter, making the light appear brighter. For example, a candle produces light under 2000K. A bulb with a lower Kelvin rating will produce a warm yellow or orange light. This measurement has nothing to do with the actual temperature of the bulb, but rather the color of the light produced. Kelvins, abbreviated as K, are a unit of measurement that determines the color temperature of a light. Kelvins: The Measurement of Color Temperature In this article, we will discuss the difference between Kelvins and Lumens to help you make an informed decision. Terms like Kelvins, Lumens, and Watts are all important in determining the right bulb for your needs. ![]() When it comes to purchasing light bulbs, it can be overwhelming to understand the technical terms that are commonly used.
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