1600 Lumens to Watts Conversion

1600 Lumens to watts is typically 14 watts to 25 watts using LED, but is dependent on the efficiency of the light source.

The outdated metric of using wattage to judge brightness is over, as LED lights use less power to produce the same amount of lumens and can differ according to design. So a new comparison needs to be made.

How Many Watts is 1600 Lumens?

To known what is 1600 lumens in watts, use each light source’s lumens per watt efficacy, typically:

• 106 watts with legacy Tungsten Incandescent
• 14 watts to 25 watts with LED
• 22 watts to 32 watts with CFL

Not all LEDs require the same amount of power to create the same light output. Here are some example products and their corresponding wattages:

LED Light Bulb A19

An 1600 lumens A19 LED bulb will use 18 watts @ 89 lm/W

LED Recessed Ceiling Light

Nitecore Headlamp c/w Remote Wristband

1600 Lumens of light from your head flashlight gives incredible brightness for all occasions. Lightweight and convenient with remote wristeband functionality – no searching for the button on your head!

Check USA Price

LED IP44 Ceiling Light

An 1600 lm flush mount ceiling light requires 20 watts @ 80 lm/W

An 1600 lumen recessed ceiling light requires 19 Watts @ 85 lm/W

LED Strip

A 17.8 W/m 70 LED 2700K strip creates 1600 lumens per meter @ 90 lm/W

LED Bulkhead Light

A 4000K LED bulkhead ceiling light that creates 1600 lumens requires 18.2W circuit power @ 88 lm/W

Philips Hue White & Color Smart Bulb

A smart bulb creating 1600 lumens uses 14W of circuit power @ 113 lm/W

Lm/W Efficacy

To convert 1600 lumens to watts, we first need to know the efficacy of the light source.

Efficacy is a measure of how well a light source produces visible light. It is measured in lumens per watt (lm/W) or light output per watt.

A higher efficacy means more light for the same amount of power, with different light types and even different models from each manufacturer within a light type varying quite a bit.

For reference, here are some average lm/W efficacies for various light types:

• Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs): 50-70 lm/W
• Tungsten Incandescent Lights: 15-20 lm/W
• LED Lights: 50-250+ lm/W (varies widely by LED)

Lumens to Watts Calculation

The power in watts (W) is equal to the luminous flux in lumens (lm), divided by the luminous efficacy in lumens per watt (lm/W):

Watts = Lumens / Efficiency

For example, an LED with an efficiency of 80 lumens per watt would require 20 watts to produce 1600 lumens.

1600 lumens / 80 lumens per watt = 20 watts

Andrew Orange, the owner of Orange Lighting qualified and worked as an interior designer in 1993 before specialising in lighting working on high profile projects based in London. Since starting Orange Lighting Ltd in 2003 he has been sharing his knowledge and unique teaching style mostly to his designer clients, offering practical real life advice born from running a busy consultancy and lighting supply business. Launching in 2020, his blog has evolved into Quick & Easy Lighting, curating some 25 years design experience into making the lighting choice and design process achievable and easy to understand for all.