Comparing LED Bulb Wattage to old Incandescent bulb options

Pre-LED, Australian's would buy bulbs of various sizes and typically we'd measure the output in terms of the Incandescent Wattage. In Australia, we most commonly saw 25W, 40W, 60W (the most common) and sometimes 75W bulbs varieties. The higher the watts, the brighter the output from the bulb. You'll likely recall, these old bulb types were exceptionally hot to touch when on.

Today, we now mostly see LED bulbs. These use far less watts (and therefore less power) to produce the same light output. LED bulbs use a filament which is often yellow or orange to look at which can get warm(ish) but certainly not hot like old incandescent bulbs.

The size (length) of the LED filament will together with the LED Wattage, determine how much light the LED bulb produces. The amount of light is measured by the Lumens count. The higher the number, the more lighting which will come from the bulb. A standard bulb for residential use is typically around 700 lumens.

(The Lumens number is not to be confused with 'Kelvin' - this measures the colour of the light coming from the bulb. e.g. A very warm/yellow light is 2700K. A standard bulb for most rooms of your house is often 3000K, and if you like a whiter light for your home, choose 4000K. Anything higher is typically for commercial use).

So, in short, it can be a little tricky directly comparing old incandescent wattage to LED wattage, but we've compiled a guide below. We've taken all care to produce this, but do not take an responsibility for errors or ommissions.