When light is focused into a narrower beam, it theoretically becomes brighter. Overlanding experts will know that manufacturers of off-road light bars also measure beam distance as well as pattern, which have quite a profound effect on the lux reading. This makes lux better for comparing how much illumination lights provide in the real world. So a light that has a focused beam will put more lumens on the object, making it brighter, while a less focused beam will spread its lumens out and not show the object as brightly. Lux refers to the amount of usable light that lands on a certain surface-and is measured as how many lumens hit a single square meter of that surface. For this fact alone, one set of headlights isn’t necessarily better than another just because the bulbs offer more lumens. There are virtually hundreds of other factors that can affect how well that headlight actually helps you see what’s in front of you. What this doesn’t take into account is the housing of the light itself, which can make a substantial difference.Īccording to KC HiLites-who make high-quality lights for overlanding vehicles-the size and geometry of the reflector, as well as the clarity of the lens, can greatly affect a headlight’s raw output. As this number reflects just the light coming out of each headlamp, it’s a somewhat deceptive metric manufacturers can simply pack in more bulbs and advertise an eye-popping lumen count. However, that isn’t exactly true.Ĭase in point: There are plenty of cheap light bars that you can buy on Amazon that promise ridiculous numbers like 50,000 lumens. At one point in your life, you’ve likely heard the old saying that brighter lights throw light further. To start, lumens simply measure the raw amount of light emitted from the individual bulbs that make up each headlamp. Regardless of whether you’re replacing a bulb to meet inspection or installing a light bar on your overland rig, the same rules apply. Here, we dispel some of the misconceptions behind luminance and shed light on, if you will, more accurate ways of determining headlight power. Despite its ubiquity, it’s actually also one of the worst ways to gauge illumination. The lumen is one of the most common units for measuring the brightness of any given light source.
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