Lighting 101: Terms to Know

Lumens is the measure of how bright the total light output of the fixture is, the higher the lumen count, the brighter your light will be.

Wattage indicates how much energy is consumed for the fixture to function. For traditional incandescent globes, the general rule is the higher the wattage the brighter the light. For LED or other energy-efficient alternatives, the lower the wattage, the more efficient it will be.

Colour Temperature indicates the light appearance emitted by a fixture and is measured in kelvins (K).

Typical colour temperatures:

Warm White - 2000K to 3000K
Natural / Neutral White - 4000K
Cool White - 5000K
Daylight White - 6000K +

CRI measures the bulb's capacity to expose the true colour of an object or space under the light. CRI is reflected as a rating between 0-100, the higher the rating the better the colour rendering quality. CRI is important when considering the accuracy of the light emitted. For interior spaces where true colour is needed, such as bathrooms and bedrooms, make sure you choose a bulb with a high CRI. Anything lower than 80 will not reflect an accurate picture of wall colours or furniture details.

An IC rating is essentially a measurement to determine if a downlight is suitable and safe to come in contact with insulation or not. A layer of insulation in the ceilings and walls protects most homes these days. This acts as a barrier to heat flow, helping ensure your home is cool in summer and warm in winter.

The ingress protection rating defines the sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against foreign particles like accidental contact, dust, moisture, liquids, etc. The rating is read as IP followed by 2 digits: the first digit, relating to protection against the ingress of solid particles, and the second is the protection against the ingress of water.

Typically those with a rating of IP65, 66 & 67 are considered IP waterproof ratings.