Are LED Outdoor Lights Bright Enough?
We’ve all had one of those free, or next to free LED flashlights that doesn’t give off enough light to help us see anything. So naturally, you might have some doubts about trusting LED lights to illuminate your exterior, especially at night. Unlike those cheap flashlights, LED outdoor lights – like floodlights, step lights, and landscape lights – are created for important outdoor use. They’ll generate enough light to brighten your stairs, driveways, porches, paths, and yards, just like any other outdoor lights.
To be sure that you’ll get lights you can trust to work and to stand out in the dark, just check how many lumens your current outdoor lights emit (halogen, fluorescent, etc.) and make sure your new LED lights have a similar number.
Lumens, unlike watts, measure the amount of light emitted by any light source. Watts just measure the amount of power that light uses. LEDs will always use fewer watts than other lights, but they’ll produce the same amount of light.
Let’s look at the PAR38 lamp. It’s a common style of reflector light bulb used for many outdoor applications – floodlighting, landscape lighting, etc.:
- A 75W halogen PAR38 light bulb emits around 1,050 lumens.
- A 23W fluorescent PAR38 light bulb emits around 1,075 – 1,300 lumens.
- A 20W LED PAR38 light bulb emits around 1,000-1,200 lumens.
Similar brightness levels, different wattages. So, when you’re picking out new outdoor lights, don’t shy away from LEDs because you don’t think they’re bright enough. If you do your research and check the lumens, you’ll find the right replacement, and probably save some energy in the process.
Check back to see new articles and guides, or feel free to click another article to experience more great insights and advice.
