When replacing a bulb, match lumens (brightness), not watts. This chart shows the typical light output of common lamp types so you can swap with confidence.
| Lamp type | Typical output |
|---|---|
| Incandescent 60 W | about 800 lm |
| Halogen 50 W | about 900 lm |
| CFL 14 W | about 800 lm |
| LED 10 W | 800 to 1,000 lm |
| LED 15 W | about 1,500 lm |
| T8 fluorescent 32 W | 2,800 to 3,000 lm |
| Metal halide 400 W | about 36,000 lm |
| High-pressure sodium 250 W | about 28,000 lm |
See the LED Efficacy Comparison and Lumens Formula.
Matching lumens, not watts
When replacing a bulb, match lumens (actual brightness) rather than watts (power draw), because LEDs produce far more light per watt than the incandescent bulbs people remember. As a rough guide, a traditional 40W incandescent puts out about 450 lumens, a 60W about 800, a 75W about 1100, and a 100W about 1600. An LED reproduces those outputs at roughly 15–20% of the wattage — so an 800-lumen LED replacing a 60W incandescent might draw only 8–10W.
This is why “watt-equivalent” labels exist on LED packaging, but lumens are the number to trust when comparing products. Also check color temperature and CRI so the replacement not only matches brightness but looks right in the space — a same-lumen bulb in the wrong Kelvin can feel completely different.