Halogen Wattage Converter
Estimate the LED wattage and lumens needed to replace a halogen or incandescent bulb, with brightness and energy-saving comparisons. How it works
Use the Halogen Wattage Converter
About the Halogen Wattage Converter
A 60 W halogen bulb works out to about 13 W of LED (13.333 W): 60 × 20 lm/W = 1,200 lumens, and 1,200 ÷ 90 lm/W = 13.333 W. By this estimate the LED draws about 22% of the halogen wattage. 90 lm/W is the default LED efficacy, and the field takes the figure for the bulb you will buy: at 120 lm/W the same 60 W halogen needs 10 W. 20 lm/W is the top of what mains halogen bulbs give, so the LED figure errs on the bright side; when the old bulb’s box prints lumens, type those in instead.
Halogen to LED wattage
| Halogen bulb | Estimated lumens | LED watts | Watts saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 W | 400 | 4.444 | 15.556 |
| 35 W | 700 | 7.778 | 27.222 |
| 50 W | 1,000 | 11.111 | 38.889 |
| 60 W | 1,200 | 13.333 | 46.667 |
| 75 W | 1,500 | 16.667 | 58.333 |
| 100 W | 2,000 | 22.222 | 77.778 |
| 150 W | 3,000 | 33.333 | 116.667 |
| 300 W | 6,000 | 66.667 | 233.333 |
| 500 W | 10,000 | 111.111 | 388.889 |
Calculated at 20 lm/W for halogen and the default 90 lm/W for LED, at equivalent brightness. Every row is a 77.8% cut in watts. LED bulbs come in fixed sizes, so buy the nearest one at or above the lumen figure.
Incandescent to LED wattage
| Incandescent bulb | Estimated lumens | LED watts |
|---|---|---|
| 25 W | 350 | 3.889 |
| 40 W | 560 | 6.222 |
| 60 W | 840 | 9.333 |
| 75 W | 1,050 | 11.667 |
| 100 W | 1,400 | 15.556 |
| 150 W | 2,100 | 23.333 |
Calculated at 14 lm/W for incandescent and 90 lm/W for LED.
Methodology
Lumens = old bulb watts × 20 for halogen, or × 14 for incandescent. Target lumens = that figure × 1.0, 1.25 or 0.75 for the brightness setting, unless you enter a lumen target. LED watts = target lumens ÷ LED efficacy, 90 lm/W unless you enter another figure from 1 to 300. Results are rounded to three decimal places.
Assumptions
- Halogen is taken as 20 lm/W. GE’s mains halogen bulbs run from 14.8 lm/W (29 W, 430 lumens) to 20.7 lm/W (72 W, 1,490 lumens), so for small halogen bulbs the lumen estimate, and the LED wattage, come out high. Reflector spots such as GU10 and MR16 give fewer lumens per watt still.
- LED efficacy starts at 90 lm/W, from a typical 80 to 100 lm/W, and can be changed. At the two ends of that range, 1,000 lumens takes 12.5 W or 10 W.
How to use this tool
- Enter the wattage printed on the old bulb, up to 1,000 W, and choose halogen or incandescent.
- Choose equivalent brightness, 25% brighter or 25% dimmer. If you already know the lumens you want, type them in and the brightness setting is ignored.
- Leave LED efficacy at 90 lm/W or type the lumens per watt of the LED you have in mind (its lumens ÷ its watts).
- Shop by the lumen figure: pick an LED rated at or just above it, then check the base, the shape and whether it is dimmable.
Frequently asked questions
- What LED wattage replaces a 50 W halogen bulb?
- For a 50 W mains halogen bulb that is not a reflector, about 11 W (11.111 W by this estimate) for 1,000 lumens. A 35 W halogen works out to 7.778 W and a 20 W halogen to 4.444 W.
- What LED replaces a 50 W GU10 halogen spot?
- Go by lumens, not watts: a reflector spot gives much less light than 50 × 20 lm/W. Philips sells a 4.6 W, 370 lumen LED GU10 as its 50 W halogen replacement. Type 370 as the lumen target and the calculator gives 4.111 W.
- What LED replaces a 60 W incandescent bulb?
- About 9.3 W (9.333 W) for 840 lumens, at 14 lm/W for incandescent. GE lists its 60 W incandescent at the same 840 lumens. Choose Incandescent as the bulb type, since a 60 W halogen comes out brighter, 1,200 lumens and 13.333 W.
- How many lumens does a halogen bulb produce?
- GE lists its 43 W halogen at 750 lumens and its 72 W at 1,490. This calculator’s 20 lumens per watt gives 860 and 1,440 for those, so it is close for bigger bulbs and generous for small ones. If the lumens are printed on your bulb or its box, enter that number as the target.
- Should I match watts or lumens?
- Lumens. Watts measure the electricity a bulb draws and lumens measure the light it gives, and two LEDs of the same wattage can differ in brightness.
- Can I put an LED in a halogen fitting?
- Usually, if the base and bulb shape match. Check that the LED is marked dimmable before using it on a dimmer, and for 12 V halogen spots check that the existing transformer works with the much lower LED load.
Related Tools
View all toolsCandela to Lumens Converter
Turns peak candela into lumens, or lumens into candela, for a beam of up to 180°, and works out lux and foot-candles at a distance or over an area.
Appliance Energy Cost Calculator
Running cost of an appliance, or up to five, from watts, hours a day, days a week and your rate: cost per hour, per day, per average month and per year.
Kilowatt Hour Calculator
Convert watts and hours of use per day, up to 24, to kWh, then see what an appliance costs to run per day, month and year at your rate.
Wire Gauge Ampacity Calculator
Pick a copper wire size from 14 AWG to 4/0 AWG for a load in amps and a run length, with the voltage drop. An orientation aid, not an NEC compliance check.
Voltage Drop Calculator
Voltage drop in volts and percent for copper or aluminum wire, 22 AWG to 1000 kcmil, DC, single- or three-phase, from one-way feet, amps and source volts.
Power Converter
Convert mW, W, kW, MW, mechanical, metric (PS) and electric horsepower, BTU/h and refrigeration tons: 1 kW is 1.341 hp, 1 hp is 745.7 W.