Lighting guide

How to Choose LED Lights for Your Home: Watts, Lumens, Warm vs Cool White

By S.A Traders, Golconda · Updated 31 October 2026

Buying LED lights is easy once you know four things: how bright (lumens), what colour of white (kelvin), which base or fitting, and how many for the room. This guide explains each one in plain words, room by room.

Watts vs lumens: brightness is in lumens

With old bulbs, more watts meant more light. With LED, watts only tell you how much power the light uses. Brightness is measured in lumens (lm), printed on the box.

• About 800 lumens ≈ an old 60W bulb ≈ a 9W LED bulb
• About 1,500 lumens ≈ an old 100W bulb ≈ a 14W–15W LED bulb
• A good LED gives about 90–120 lumens per watt; more lumens per watt means a lower bill for the same light

When you compare two lights, compare the lumens, not just the watts.

Warm white, neutral white or cool white?

The colour of white light is measured in kelvin (K). Lower numbers look yellow and cosy; higher numbers look bright and bluish.

• Warm white, 2700K–3000K: bedrooms, living rooms, dining, chandeliers and decorative lights
• Neutral white, about 4000K: kitchens, study tables, offices; shows colours naturally
• Cool white / daylight, about 6500K: shops, godowns, work areas, parking and outdoors

Many Hyderabad homes use cool white everywhere. A mix often looks better: warm white in the bedroom and living room, cool or neutral where you work.

How many lights does a room need?

A quick rule of thumb for homes is about 10–20 watts of LED for every 100 sq ft, more for kitchens and work areas, less for bedrooms.

• Bedroom (10 × 12 ft): one 20W batten, or 3–4 panels of 9W–12W in a false ceiling
• Living room / hall (12 × 16 ft): 4–6 panels of 12W–15W, plus a cove strip or COB spots for looks
• Kitchen: a 20W batten or panels over the counter, in neutral or cool white
• Bathroom: one 9W–12W bulb or panel; a mirror light for the vanity
• Shop: battens or 2×2 panels spaced evenly, in cool white

Rooms are all different, so treat these as a starting point. Send us the room size on WhatsApp and we'll suggest a set.

Bulbs: B22, E27 or E14?

B22 is the push-and-twist pin base found in most Indian homes. E27 is the larger screw base, and E14 is the small screw base used in chandeliers and candle lamps. Check your old bulb, or bring it to the shop. See our LED bulbs.

Which type of fitting?

• LED bulbs: the cheapest way to switch an existing holder to LED
• Battens and tube lights: one even light for a whole room or shop wall
• Panel lights and downlights: flat lights for false ceilings, or surface panels for plain ceilings
• COB and spot lights: focused light for walls, art and showrooms
• Profile and strip lights: lines of light in coves, shelves and wardrobes

What else to check on the box

• Surge protection (for example 2.5 kV or 4 kV): helps where voltage goes up and down
• IP rating for outdoors: IP65 or higher for rain and dust
• Lumens and colour temperature, so the lights in one room match
• Brand: we carry Havells, Osram, Halonix, Crompton, WIIZ, GloLED, Accent and ME Products