×
How bright is 2000 lumens? Just what is that level of light good for? We give you real life applications and comparisons to help you understand what levels of brightness certain quantities of lumens will deliver.
Table of Contents
A Lumen is a measure of the total amount of light emitted from a source.
2000 lumens means the light has the intensity of 2000 lumens of light.
When you are looking for how bright a certain light bulb or lighting product is, the number of lumens is what you need to use as your comparison.
To compare how much light you get with different lumens levels, imagine a one by one meter room. If the room has an incandescent bulb which emits 1000 lumens then it can illuminate that area to roughly 100 lux (depending on the reflectivity of surfaces in the room).
When looking for a LED light source with a lumen output of this level you can expect something that is very bright and intense. It’s perfect for use in areas where a lot of illumination is needed such as workshop or garage spaces, or if you are looking for a powerful LED security light.
LED light when a cool white color temperatures of 4000K to 6500K will feel brighter with the same amount of light when compared to the warmer yellowish tones of warm white.
 |
| FREE Cheat Sheet to Discover How Bright Your Light Should Be |
| Download this FREE printable cheat sheet to pin-point the amount of lumens you need for your lighting choices. |
| Click Here for FREE Cheat Sheet |
BEST BUY |
LED light is directional and very efficiently delivers light compared to most other light sources. This amount of light is distributed with minimal wastage and creates a brighter intensity on a surface than 1000 lumens from other technologies.
Lumens is the unit measurement of brightness, with 1 lumen equalling the brightness of 1 candle, so 2000 lumens has the brightness of 2000 candles.
2000 Lumens is a very good level of light for LED, CFL or incandescent lighting. It’s more suitable for commercial recessed lighting, commercial downlighting and up lighting and for exterior security and flood lighting.
A 2000 lumen solar light is going to be brighter than most LED solar lights on the market. Remember that the higher the brightness, the more power is required from the rechargeable batteries that need to be big enough to power them for a decent amount of time. Be sure to look for the expected run time per full charge.
A good option would be a light with an output of 2000 lumens which is bright enough to provide illumination for a large area such as a driveway, garden or patio.
 |
| NEBO Powerful Small Flashlight |
| This is an incredibly useful flashlight, so small and portable it can clip to your cap! 5 light modes from 500 - 1000 lumens, providing plently of light with the added convenience of wireless charging through the included mag cable. |
| Check USA Price |
Pocket Sized |
The brightness of a flashlight is rated in lumens. A standard flashlight will have around 50 to 100 lumens.
For general use, a torch with 400-600 lumens should be bright enough but if you are looking for a more powerful flashlight for outdoor activities then 2000 lumens is ideal. For more information on choosing, see our full guide to how many lumens is good for a flashlight.
The brightness of an 2000 lumen torch (UK for flashlight) is the power of light of 2000 candles. This level is regarded as a very bright level of torch suitable for most outdoor tasks. The throw of light can be up to a 200m distance depending on the beam width of light.
A head torch with an output of 2000 lumens is extremely bright and would be overkill for most situations unless you are riding at night on unlit roads or trails where there are no streetlights. In these circumstances, it makes sense to have the brightest illumination possible so that you can see everything in front of you.
 |
| Confused When Choosing Where Light Should Be? |
| Anyone can improve their lit spaces with our simplified online lighting design course that uses the 5 key ingredients of interior lighting to quickly equip you to create wonderful interiors. |
| Click Here to Learn More |
Lighting Design Course #1 |
A 2000 lumen LED is a very bright light source, and is likely to be too bright for some applications. For example, it would be too harsh for general room lighting where a more subtle level of illumination is required. In these circumstances, it’s worth considering an LED bulb with a lower lumen output such as 1000 lumens which will still provide more than enough brightness for most tasks.
A 2000 lumen LED flood light is bright enough for most applications. A 2000 lumens LED bulb will provide a very bright level of illumination with just one source, and therefore it’s best used once the need for lighting multiple sources has been eliminated by installing suitable fixtures such as recessed lights or track lighting to distribute the light around the room.
A bike light with an output of 2000 lumens is extremely bright and would be overkill for most situations unless you are riding at night on unlit roads or trails where there are no streetlights. In these circumstances, it makes sense to have the brightest illumination possible so that you can see everything in front of you.
If you want to watch movies on a big screen in a dark room, you will need a projector that is bright enough but does not need to be of the brightest specification. For screens that are 100”~120”, 2,000 lumens is ideal but if there is ambient light or if there are bright light sources in the room, you will need a projector with 3,000 lumens or more.
For an average sized room in your home, a 2000 lumen LED is a good light output for the main ceiling light. It will provide enough brightness for general activities such as reading, working on a computer or watching TV. Be aware that although 2000 lumens may be alot of light, some output will be lost in the light fixture so you may have to compensate with a higher output or find a fixture with multiple bulbs.
We have more on How Much Lighting Do I Need for A Room?
A 2000 lumen head torch is very bright for outdoor activities such as camping and hiking, with a penetrating throw of light it will suit most applications and be a real asset.
When you look for a camping lantern the brightness of 2000 lumens is good, achieving the balance of enough light to illuminate your surroundings from a single source of light.
An 2000 lumen security light is bright and will easily illuminate the spaces surrounding your property. It’s a good option for lighting up where you need it most, with additional features such as PIR motion sensors available to choose from depending on how much control or automation you require. It is however amongst the lower brightness levels for an LED security floodlight.
A 2000 lumen LED bulb is equivalent to a 150-watt incandescent light bulb.
The brightness of a 2000 lumen LED bulb is very bright and requires a good level of heat management to ensure the LED chip is protected from heat build up and potential early failure.
LED Strip
A 2000 lumen LED strip is a very bright light source, and will be perfect for use in areas where a lot of illumination is required. It can be used as under cabinet lighting in the kitchen, or to light up a workspace. With its flexible design it’s easy to install and position exactly where you need it.
An 2000 lumen LED downlight is very bright for residential applications, in fact unless for ceilings around 4m high and above, too bright providing an intense beam of light. It is a great way to get more light in your room without the hassle of having many individual sources dotted around however, the brighter the source the more potential glare will be created so be sure to choose a recessed light that has designed in some glare protection.
The distance light will travel depends on how the light is being delivered, particularly the beam angle of the light and it’s intensity. The more compactly the lumens are delivered the further the distance will be.
For example, a flashlight with 2000 lumens with a tight beam angle has a peak illumination of 120,000 candela delivering light up to around 693 metres at no less than 0.25 lux. (using throw = SQRT (candela * 4)
Although wattages are often used when describing how bright a bulb is, lumens are a better measurement. When comparing lumens to watts you need to consider the type of light source being used as the greater the efficiency the higher the lumen level created per watt of power used.
A 2000 lumen LED is approximately 25 watts.
Useful comparative measurements often asked:
Lux can only be measured by knowing the distance and the area the lumens have to travel to.
2000 lumens is 2000 candles.
A degree of kelvin is the unit of measurement for color temperature, therefore there is no direct comparison with kelvin to lumen. However, an impression of brightness will increase with a high degree of kelvin as the light is colder and consequently seems brighter.
Lumens and Candela. Lumens is the total amount of light from a fixture. Candela is how much of that light from a fixture shines in one direction. So 2000 lm would be less than 2000 candela with the candela only quantified if the angle of beam width is known.
A common question asked when comparing LED bulbs is how much brighter a 3000 lumen light source would be compared to 2000 lumens. The difference between these two will vary depending on whether you are using them for indoor or outdoor lighting. In general, however, it’s safe to assume that an additional 1000 lumen output from a 3000 lumen bulb will be very noticeable and perfect for use in high-intensity applications such as car repairs or during a power outage.
Explaining what SELV is – the Safety Extra Low Voltage safety standard particularly for LED lighting, reviewing benefits, restrictions & key characteristics.
White light contains a mixture of colors blending to make white in differing hues, resulting in pros and cons for using them when studying – with our recommendation.
LED lights are safe to use all night, we explore why, looking at the pros and cons of all night illumination with tips on using LED as the source of light.
Troubleshoot your LED light fixture with 15 reasons why your LED light is not working but still has power, checking bulb components, fixtures and conditions.
Comparing the key projector brightness measurement differences, where 1 ANSI lumen = 0.8 ISO lumens, we explain which one is more important.