LED Driving Lights and Light Bars vs.Lumens– Only a small consideration in the performance metric.

The Specs

Lumens (lm) is the measurement of light emitted from the source.

The American National Standard Institute international standard for measuring lumens is in an integrated sphere, in other words, the lumen output is measured at a close proximity to the source of the light. The lumen rating is only a consideration in determining the brightness of the led lamp, but shouldn’t be the only deciding factor when choosing which LED Light Bar.

We must consider the usability of any LED lighting that we are looking to invest in. Either Lumens, LUX or Watts can be solely considered. Considering the usability of your LED light bar or driving lights is much more important. Projecting light 100-400m down the road is much more important than ratings and arbitrary figures that some of these sellers seem to pull from thin air.

You will find a quality light manufacturer will found their specifications and accreditations from practical tests. Accredited LUX data and effective lumens is something we should all be seeking. Testing two driving lights side by side with equal lumen data, but different lens or reflector configurations can greatly alter the intensity of light (LUX) at 250m.

In short, the delivered light (LUX) is the more accurate measurement for usability.

LED Driving Lights and Light Bars vs.LUX– An accurate measurement, but more has to be considered. 

LUX is defined as being the measure of light intensity, as perceived by the human eye. It is the measure of light at a given distance on a surface, usually defined to 1LUX. LED lighting manufacturers have pushed aside Lumens in favour of LUX (Lx) and is the 2018 latest buzzword in the LED lighting arena. LUX distance data is definitely an important metric but is misleading if considered out of context.

When driving light manufacturers carry out photometric testing to obtain ISOlux data, the testing equipment used only measures the peak luminous intensity at the centre point of the beam, what about the rest of the beam? If 3 different driving lights project 1000m at 1LUX, which one do you invest in? To obtain great ISOlux figures, it’s simply a matter of focusing down the beam, however, a focused beam can be at the cost of a usable beam pattern. The very best driving lights are the ones which project the most usable balance between brightness (Lm) and light projection (Lx).

The best driving light isn’t necessarily the one that achieves the longest light projection. The best driving light is designed to project light where its needed most, therefore one must consider their driving style and what is required from their lighting setup. If you are one that never really ventures from winding mountainous roads, you may consider a more euro or elliptical beam pattern, rather than pencil or spot.

I have more watts, therefore I’m getting greater performance. Na-Uh!

We have all seen the ridiculous ads on eBay, 104,200w 20 inch LED light bar. Not to mention, this bar also has 220,000 lumens! We’re going put this absolute nonsense to rest.

Watts & Lumens have no relationship.

Watts & LUX have no relationship.

Light emitting diodes in this context use printed circuit boards, comprising of multiple components. The catalyst is actually how hard the diodes are driven at, controlled by the integrated circuit driver. In most basic forms, LED would be considered ‘smart’ against an incandescent filament type bulb.

In brief terms, Watts is a measurement of the amount of energy consumed by any given luminaries. We are used to looking at Watts to determine light output, due to the past 100 years of incandescent.  With this older style technology, it is correct to assume that 100 Watt light bulb is likely to be brighter when compared to an 80 Watt bulb.  When it comes to LED, it’s correct that Watts is the measurement of input power, but the same thinking has no connection to theoutput.