How bright is 40 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.
40 lumens means the light has an intensity of 40 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 40 lumens have the brightness of 40 candles.
40 Lumens is a weak level of light for LED, suitable for close up illumination such as under cabinet lighting onto counter tops and general use flashlights.
40 lumen solar lights are sufficient in dark spaces to create a pleasing illumination and is used for low level general lighting purposes. It can be used to light up your driveway, walkway and steps.
With solar spotlighting, 40 lumens is sufficient to illuminate objects and foliage to accentuate three dimensions and bring visual drama into a garden.
The brightness of a flashlight is rated in lumens. A standard flashlight will have around 20 to 100 lumens.
For general use, a torch with 400-600 lumens should be bright enough but if you are looking for a flashlight for tactical use then 40+ lumens are ideal and still small enough and lightweight to easily carry and store.
The brightness of a 40 lumen torch (UK for flashlight) is the power of the light of 40 candles. This level is regarded as a low level of torch suitable for most general household tasks. The throw of light can be approximately 25 feet.
We have more on How Many Lumens Are Good for a Flashlight.
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 that emits 40 lumens then it can illuminate that area to roughly 4 lux (depending on the reflectivity of surfaces in the room).
LED light with a cool white color temperature of 4000K to 6400K will feel brighter when compared to the warmer yellowish tones of warm white 3000K or soft white 2700K, using the same amount of light.
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 therefore generally creates a brighter intensity on a surface than compared to other technologies.
A 40 lumen head torch creates a level of illumination suitable for close-up activities including lighting for around your yard at night, night walks and trekking. With a comfortable amount of light for general outdoor activities, it will suit applications that need a handy smaller amount of light and are suitably micro-sized.
40 lumens is a good level of brightness for a night light. It’s not too bright to be disruptive at night and handy to see where you are going for quick comfort breaks in the night and a reassuring light for children to get to sleep to.
40 lumens marker lights are used as an auxiliary light to help indicate the location of something in the dark. For example, they can be used on the side of a boat or caravan to make it more visible at night.
With 40 lumens, a decking light can provide enough light to see your way around the garden while entertaining guests or relaxing outdoors in the evening.
A 40 lumen solar path light is a good choice to line a garden path or driveway. The light will provide enough brightness to see your way in the dark and can also help accentuate landscaping features.
40 lumens puck lights are commonly used in cabinets and shelves to provide a focused beam of light. The small size and low profile make them unobtrusive and the LED technology means they are very energy efficient.
With 40 lumens per foot, under cabinet lights can provide good task lighting for working in the kitchen or bathroom. The LED technology is very efficient and the lights can be easily installed with minimal wiring.
40 lumens LED bulbs can be used in many applications where a small, bright light is required. For example, they are often used in recessed lighting, under cabinet lighting, and as accent lights.
A 40 lumen bike light is a low level of illumination suitable for being seen in low light conditions and at night. It is not bright enough to light up the road ahead but will help you to be seen by drivers, particularly when illuminated through a red diffuser and positioned as a rear facing tail light.
40 lumens to watts is a 2W LED light bulb.
To convert 40 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. For example, an incandescent light bulb will emit around 15 lumens per watt while a fluorescent lamp can reach up to 100 lumens per watt.
Useful comparative measurements often asked:
Lux can only be measured by knowing the distance and the area the lumens have to travel to.
40 lumens is 40 candlepower.
The degree of kelvin is the unit of measurement for color temperature, therefore there is no direct comparison between kelvin to the 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 40 lm would be less than 40 candela with the candela only quantified if the angle of beam width is known.
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