Back to overview

What is the difference between Lumen and Lux?

If you’re looking for lighting, you’ve probably come across the terms Lumen and Lux. But what is the difference between Lumen and Lux? Although both terms are related to the brightness of a light source, there are some important differences between lumens and lux. These are extra important to understand before making a decision on which lamp to choose.

What is Lumen?

Lumen is the unit for the total amount of light emitted by a light source. Regardless of the direction in which the light shines. In other words, lumens measure how much light is produced.

What is Lux?

Lux, on the other hand, measures how much light falls on a given surface. It is a measure of the intensity of light at a given location.

An example

To better understand the difference between lumens and lux, we can use an example. Imagine you have a flashlight that produces 100 lumens. If you point this flashlight at a wall that is 1 meter away, the light falling on the wall will have a brightness of 100 lux. However, if you point the same flashlight at a wall that is 2 meters away, the light falling on the wall will have a brightness of only 25 lux. This is because the amount of light produced by the flashlight is spread over a larger area as the distance increases.

In practice

When looking for lighting, it is important to know which of these two units is most important to you. For example, if you have a large room that you want to light well, you probably want to choose a lamp that produces a high number of lumens to ensure that enough light is produced. However, if you have a smaller space where you want to illuminate a specific area, such as a product or a desk, you’ll want to choose a lamp that has a higher lux rating to ensure that the light gets to the right place. Now you know the difference between lumens and lux!

Appropriate advice

Our lighting specialists are always ready to give you appropriate advice. With an experienced team, we ensure that your wishes are realized in a beautiful lighting plan. Feel free to contact one of our staff and find out what we can do for you.

Submit a project?

We are happy to take on the challenge!

Curious about what we can do for you? Contact us or leave your details, we will get back to you within one working day.

Maurice Arons

Director