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Working Lights Kelvin vs Lumen What’s the difference
Maybe you have got confused when you review our website or shopping for LED bulbs in the supermarket, you will frequently see two key specifications mentioned Lumens, Kelvin. Ever wanted to know what the difference is between Kelvin and lumen?
Lumen
Lumens is a measurement of total light output. More lumens, more brighter. Fewer lumens means it’s a dimmer light. In simple terms, lumens are a measure of how much visible light a luminaire produces.
The lumens’ measurement is based on the candela (cd), which is the unit for visible light in the International System of Units (SI).
Click here to learn more about How to Measuring Light Output
Take some LED working lights example
- 27W work lamp would give you roughly 1,900 lumens
- 80W driving light is roughly 6,500 lumens. Click here to review a test report
- 240W Offroad panel light is roughly 9,000 lumens
Kevin
Colour Temperature or Kelvin (K) Rating refers to the color of a light source in reference to the Kelvin scale. K Rating is often confused with a light’s intensity but the two are very different. Color temperature is not an indicator of lamp heat.
The difference between 3000K and 6000K is dramatic as highlighted in the images to the right. The 3000K product is much warmer looking compared to the cooler 6000K.
- Color temperatures less than 2000K give off a dim glow of light
- Color temperatures (2700–3000 K) are warm
- Color temperatures (3600–5500 K) are cool
- Color temperatures 6500K and up gives off a bright bluish hue of light, best for bright task lighting
Some parts of the color spectrum aren’t visible to people’s eyes. The lumen output may be higher, technically brighter, but unfortunately, you can’t see it means that it doesn’t help you drive.
How do we choose the temperature of the bulb?
When searching for the best headlight bulb, take note of both Lumens and Kelvins. A bulb with 3000 Lumens or more will be bright enough for just about every driver.
About the Kelvins, it’s a bit trickier to choose the right bulbs. Between 3000K and 5000K should work well. Within this range, bulbs closer to 5000K will appear whiter and brighter. This why most of our offroad LED lighting with 5500K temperatures
- Cool light is preferred for visual tasks because it produces higher contrast than warm light.
- Warm light is preferred for living spaces because it is more flattering to skin tones and clothing.
- Commercial lighting often varies between 3,000K and 6,000K depending on the application. With 5000K considered daylight, many LED manufacturers aim for color temperatures that offer a more natural-looking light.
