LED flashlight lumens are something many consumers are now considering and questioning. What exactly is a lumen and how does it differ from a watt?
What are LED Flashlight Lumens?
LED, which stands for light emitting diode, is a semi-conductor light source, while a lumen is a measurement of light. A lumen is the term used to measure how much light gets to whatever someone is trying to illuminate, which is equal to one foot candle. A foot candle (equivalent to one birthday candle) is how bright the light is one foot away from the source when it falls upon one square foot of area. The comparison of LED light lumens can get a bit tricky because LED bulbs usually make better use of the lumens.
What is the Difference Between a Lumen and a Watt?
The comparison cannot be exact because lumens and watts measure two different things. A watt is a unit of electrical energy. When you hear lumens per watt (lm/w), its a measurement of how many lumens of light are made for each watt of electricity energy thats being used. Incandescent bulbs put out up to 17 lumens per watt, and fluorescent bulbs put out 30 60 lumens per watt. In contrast, LEDs can put out double what the fluorescent bulbs put out and that number is expected to rise.
LED Flashlight Lumens
Flashlights have been using LED technology for many years, and since LED lamps consume far less electricity than other types of bulbs, the batteries will last much longer. This can be exceedingly important when you need a flashlight for your main source of light! Replacing the filament flashlight bulb with an LED lamp will give you at least three times the battery life, as well as double the brightness. Dependent upon the type of flashlight, consumers can get hundreds of hours of light before the batteries need to be changed.
Other Advantages to LED Flashlight Lumens
Since LED bulbs are so much more energy efficient than other traditional bulbs, consumers find they last much longer between battery changes. When comparing a 6P flashlight that offers both LED and incandescent versions, the LED version is more than 20% brighter while still lasting eleven hours. The incandescent version lasted just one hour. When considering lumens, consumers will find they need a minimum of 10 lumens with 90 lumens at the maximum and 30 lumens being enough for most situations.
Popular Brands of LED Flashlight
There are several popular brands of LED flashlights that use lumens to measure the power input. Some of these brands include Maglite, Energizer, Inova, Streamlight, Surefire, and Coast. Although Red LEDs have been around for several decades, the powerful white LEDs make these flashlights superior to traditional flashlights. Several brands make tactical police and military flashlights that are super bright, start at 90 lumens, and reach up to 300,000 lumens. These lights are best for lighting distant objects.
Consumers should carefully evaluate what their needs are before purchasing a flashlight based on LED flashlight lumens. Many have chosen to purchase two versions so they have what they need whenever they need it.
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