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How bright is 220 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.
220 lumens means the light has the intensity of 220 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.
Lumens is the unit measurement of brightness, with 1 lumen equalling the brightness of 1 candle, so 220 lumens has the brightness of 220 candles.
220 Lumens is a generally regarded as a reasonably low level of light and is suitable for accent illumination in shelving and alcoves, close up task lighting for reading and kitchen counter tops.
A 220 lumen solar light is a good output for most LED solar lights on the market. Solar lighting lumen outputs range from 10 lm to high powered floodlights at 1000+ lm.
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.
A standard EDC flashlight will have around 100 lumens and used for close up activities it will seem bright enough, so 220 lumens is bright enough for a flashlight for many general tasks.
For general use, a flashlight with 400-600 lumens should be bright enough but if you are looking for a headlight for running or cycling, then 220 lm is good.
The brightness of an 220 lumen torch (UK for flashlight) is the power of light of 220 candles. This level is regarded as a mid to low level of torch suitable for most outdoor tasks.
How Much Light is 220 Lumens?
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 220 lumens then it can illuminate that area to roughly 22 lux (depending on the reflectivity of surfaces in the room).
As the lumen measurement of brightness is still relatively new on product packaging, there is an unfamiliarity with what an impressive lumen count is, so a comparison can be helpful.
Compared with an incandescent standard 40-watt (470 lumen) incandescent bulb, 220 lumens is the equivalent of having that bulb dimmed by 54%, leaving it at 46% of its original output.
Is 220 lumens bright, depends on the activity the light is being used for as the feeling of brightness is subjective to the viewer.
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 220 lumens from other technologies.
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 soft white 2700K and of 3000K warm white.
The visual impression of brightness will differ in looks according to its color temperature, using the same amount of light.
LED light with a cool white color temperature of between 4000K to 7000K will feel brighter when compared to the warmer yellowish tones of warm white and soft white between 3500K and 2700K.
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 220 lumens with a tight beam angle has a peak illumination of 13,200 candela delivering light up to around 230 metres at no less than 0.25 lux. (using throw = SQRT (candela * 4)
ANSI lumens is a measure of the brightness of a projector.
220 ANSI lumens has the brightness of 528 lumens LED.
For more see: ANSI Lumens vs Lumens.
A 220 lumen projector is not going to be very good for anything other than a very small screen in a darkened room.
For general use, you need a projector that emits at least 1000 lumens.
It is but the more accurate answer depends on how close the light is to the page and the surrounding ambient lighting levels.
For general reading purposes a light of around 250-300 lumens will be enough to read by – but if looking at more decorative lighting effects with less of a direct beam of light, such as table lamps or decorative torches, then light losses through shades and diffuser’s needs to be considered and sometimes a higher lumen level of 470 lm would be better.
It really depends on the conditions. If it’s pitch black then you might want to go for a brighter light, but if there’s some ambient light then 220 lm should be fine to light your footsteps and be seen by others.
Most lights on the market will give you a choice of different brightness modes, so you can conserve battery life when needed, with this output regarded as a lower more efficient lighting level.
A 220 lumen head torch is good for outdoor activities such as camping and hiking, suitable for all general applications.
A 220 lumen pop up lantern is bright enough to light up a small tent or room and ideal for camping trips.
A 220 lumen solar spotlight is bright and a good strength of light from solar spotlighting. You should look for between 350 lumens and 800 lumens per solar spotlight for a strong illumination of trees and planting.
A 220 lumen solar pathway light is good for waymarking across paths and driveways, when each solor light is spaced approximately 5ft apart.
A 220 lumen LED candleabra bulb is a good brightness for general lighting and can be used as an accent light in some situations. Usually a clear glass design with filament LED light sources.
An 220 lumens per metre LED strip is not a commonly found output unless dimmed to this output. A white light single color LED strip starts at approximately 400 lumens per metre with a wattage of 4.8W/m.
220 lumens from 2.5W LED light is approximately equal to a 20W of incandescent light.
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.
Although wattages are often used when describing how bright a bulb is, lumens are a better measurement.
Useful comparative measurements often asked:
Lux can only be measured by knowing the distance and the area the lumens have to travel to.
220 lumens is 220 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 seems colder and brighter to the viewer.
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 220 lm would be less than 220 candela with the candela only quantified if the angle of beam width is known.
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