Lumens per Square Metre: How Many Do You Need?
How many lumens do you need? The brightness of a chandelier is set by its lumens (lm) — how much light it gives out. Watts (W) show only the electricity used: a 45 W LED chandelier shines as brightly as five old 60 W incandescent bulbs. So when comparing chandeliers, look at the lumens — in the product description it is the “Luminous flux” row.
A simple calculation: lumens per m²
Lumens needed ≈ room area in m² × lighting level in lux (lx). One lux is one lumen per square metre, so the calculation is straightforward. The result is a guide: dark walls, high ceilings and reading need more, light walls need less.
How many lux each room needs
- Living room — 150–200 lx, up to 300 lx in a reading spot
- Bedroom — 100–150 lx
- Kitchen — 200–300 lx for the whole room, about 500 lx on the worktop
- Dining room — 150–200 lx
- Hallway — 75–100 lx
- Kids room — 200–300 lx
- Bathroom — about 200 lx
These are guideline figures for homes, not a standard.
Examples
- Bedroom 12 m² — 12 × 150 = 1800 lm
- Living room 20 m² — 20 × 200 = 4000 lm
- Kitchen 9 m² — 9 × 300 = 2700 lm plus extra light above the worktop
- Hallway 6 m² — 6 × 100 = 600 lm
If the chandelier is brighter
Our LED ceiling chandeliers are most often 5400–10800 lm — more than an average room needs. That is not a problem if the brightness can be reduced: full light for work or guests, less in the evening. In the product description check the “Dimming” row, and for remotes read chandelier with remote control.
How many watts is that
Our LED chandeliers give 45–100 lm per watt, most often about 90 lm/W. So a 4000 lm LED chandelier uses about 45 W. The catalogue has a “Power” filter: up to 30 W, 30–59 W, 60–99 W and 100 W and more. A 45–60 W LED chandelier is enough for a 20 m² living room; for a large room or high ceilings look at 60–99 W.
Bulbs and old incandescent bulbs
If the chandelier takes bulbs, compare their lumens with the old incandescent bulbs. EU labelling uses the following values:
- 40 W incandescent bulb — about 470 lm
- 60 W incandescent bulb — about 806 lm
- 75 W incandescent bulb — about 1055 lm
- 100 W incandescent bulb — about 1521 lm
A chandelier with 5 sockets and 806 lm LED bulbs gives about 4000 lm — enough for a 20 m² living room. Bulbs are not included with our bulb chandeliers, so you choose the brightness yourself; you will find bulbs in the Bulbs and other products section.
By room
Chandeliers of suitable brightness are in the selections of living room chandeliers, bedroom chandeliers, kitchen ceiling lights, hallway ceiling lights and kids room chandeliers. How to choose the size and colour temperature: how to choose a chandelier.
Frequently asked questions
How many lumens do I need for a 15 m² room?
1500–2250 lm for a bedroom, 2250–3000 lm for a living room, 3000–4500 lm for a kids room.
Can the light be too bright?
Yes, especially in a bedroom. Adjustable brightness or a warmer tone helps — see colour temperature.
Do high ceilings need more lumens?
Yes. Above 2.7–3 m, allow roughly 20–30% more.