How Many Lumens Do You Need for Outdoor Wall Lights?

You’ve finally reached that phase of your landscaping project where you need to make the outdoors shine bright at night. Not just for security purposes, but to make your space more attractive. Now you’re wondering, “How many lumens for outdoor wall light?”

Well, the type of lighting fixture doesn’t really matter; what’s important is the brightness intensity. Getting it right is vital to achieving the perfect atmosphere you’re looking to create. Install too bright lights and it will overpower your outdoors. Too dim might deny the space its appeal and pose safety concerns, especially near steps. 

Here, we explore all that is there to know about the brightness intensity for your outdoor lights. 

What is A Lumen? 

You might have encountered this term when researching the types of outdoor light fixtures. Lumen is the strength or intensity of light brightness. With LEDs joining the market, it means you get more brightness for less energy than your regular non-LEDs (fluorescents, filament, or halogen bulbs).

Before the boom of LED, watt was the unit of measuring light intensity, but now it’s lumen. A 10-watt LED bulb would, for instance, produce the same brightness as a 43-watt halogen bulb. When choosing the lighting for your gardens, it can be tricky to base your choice on lumens alone because not every garden light produces the exact lumens as it’s stated on the package label.

This is often due to the lamp design and how the reflector in the outdoor LED light influences the amount of light output. Okay, now that you understand lumens, back to the big agenda.

How Many Lumens for Outdoor Wall Light?

So, how many lumens is the sweet spot? Is 50 lumens very bright for outdoor? Well, that depends on where you’re placing the light and what you want it to do. 

 If you’re looking to light up the front porch so you can find your keys without doing the awkward pocket-pat dance in the dark, then somewhere in the ballpark of 100 to 400 lumens should do the trick. Just enough brightness to guide your steps without blinding the neighbour’s cat or making your doorway look like Heathrow’s runway.

For areas where security is of higher priority than ambience, such as passageways and side alleys, you’ll want something brighter, like 500 to 800 lumens. This is bright enough to ward off any intruders. Plus, it makes wheelie bin night a whole lot less treacherous. 

Back garden lighting, especially around seating areas, is where ambience matters most. For this, you want subtle lighting, not too intense or too dim. An outdoor light emitting 200 to 300 lumens will do just fine here. This brightness is just enough to see your drink and company, and soft enough to still see the stars. 

You shouldn’t leave it at that; add a bit of flair with a neon sign on the garden wall, showing a quirky quote (“Eat, Drink, Repeat”) or your family motto. This adds a splash of personality without going overboard. 

How Many Lumens Do You Need For Tree Lighting?

Tree lighting and outdoor wall lighting are more or less similar. But if you want your tree lighting to stand out, aim for artistic highlights. Determine the size, shape, and height of the tree before choosing the right brightness. For a small shrub not more than 2 meters tall, a brightness of 500 to 700 lumens with a beam angle ranging between 10 and 30 degrees usually works perfectly.

If you’re dealing with tall trees over 6 meters, consider lights of 1000 to 1500 lumens. This is bright enough to highlight the canopy. Check out the table below for the recommended lumens based on tree heights:

Layering Light Like a Pro

Beyond the light brightness, you also want your outdoors to look appealing, especially areas around the patio. Here’s a trick interior designers swear by to make space ambience stand out: layered lighting. If you didn’t know, yes, it also works outdoors. 

To achieve layered lighting outdoors, mix a few wall lights at around 300 to 500 lumens with lower-level garden spike lights (around 100 lumens). And maybe a soft-glow lantern or two. This gives your outdoor space dimension, depth, and dare we say, a pinch of posh. 

Don’t forget motion sensor lights by the door or garage. A crisp 700 to 1000 lumens blast is plenty to startle nocturnal visitors — whether that’s a fox, a burglar, or your teenager sneaking in late. These don’t need to be on all the time, but when they do kick in, they ought to mean business.

Warm or Cool Light — What’s the Vibe?

Another important factor that accounts for your outdoor appeal is the colour temperature of the lights. This is often measured in Kelvins (K) and is different from lumens (brightness intensity). Colour temperature is the coolness or warmth of the light. Although the Kelvins sounds like something from GCSE physics, it’s pretty straightforward. Here’s a breakdown of the colour temperature ranges:

• 2700K to 3000K: Warm, yellow-toned light, common in candlelit dinners and fairy tale vibes.

• 4000K to 5000K: Cool white, clinical and crisp with a “dentist’s office” kind of vibe rather than a dreamy patio. 

For outdoor wall lights, especially decorative ones, warm white is your best mate. It flatters brickwork, softens hard landscaping, and makes everything look that little bit more Instagrammable. Cool white, on the other hand, is better suited for security lighting or task areas like outdoor kitchens or sheds.

What About Neon Signs?

We’ve addressed the big elephant in the room: how many lumens for outdoor wall light? But what if you wanted to install neon signs for lighting? Well, these aren’t your main source of light (unless you’re aiming for Vegas-on-Thames), but they’re an excellent option for adding character. Imagine a “Cheers” neon sign over your outdoor bar, or a cheeky “Cartoon Sun Sip & Shine” neon glowing in pink behind the patio furniture. 

Neon signs generally have lumens ranging from 50 to 300, but this depends on design and size. Their construction leans towards ambience more than illumination, but oh, the atmosphere they bring is just magical! And with weatherproof designs, your neon doesn’t need to be confined to indoor spaces.

Solar Powered Outdoor Wall Lights

Solar-powered options have come a long way, so let’s not forget about them. How many lumens can you expect from a quality solar wall light? Nowadays, a quality solar wall light can deliver somewhere between 100 and 600 lumens, depending on the design and panel efficiency. 

While factoring solar wall lights, just bear in mind our famously temperamental British weather – a week of grey skies and your lights might become decorative instead of functional. 

Still, for areas that don’t need blazing brightness like pathways and fences, solar is a viable, energy-efficient option. Plus, you won’t be stressing about wiring.

Outdoor Wall Light Placement Makes All the Difference

Where you mount your outdoor wall lights can be just as important as how bright they are. Mounting too high and you’ll end up with light scattered uselessly into the sky, or right into your mate’s eyes as he tries to sip his lager in peace. If you place them too low, you might end up lighting your flower pots more than the intended pathways. 

A good rule of thumb is to mount outdoor wall lights at about eye level or 5 to 6 feet off the ground, depending on how tall your wall is. For entryways, you can go a touch higher, just ensure the light spills downward where people actually need to see. 

Final Thoughts: Outdoor Wall Light Is All About the Mood

Now you understand the answer to the question, “how many lumens for outdoor wall light?” It’s worth mentioning that choosing outdoor wall lights isn’t just about ticking off boxes for brightness and security. It’s more about setting the right mood, creating that first impression, and making your garden feel like a true extension of your home. 

Whether you go for softly-lit walls framing a summer BBQ or a bold neon sign making your back garden the envy of the neighbourhood, the right light in the right place makes all the difference. And if you’re not sure about what you’re doing, why don’t you start subtly? You can always add more lights or swap in something funkier, like custom neon signs. If this is the route you’ve chosen, use this free neon design tool to craft your neon sign to your preferred style. 

Start now, light up your outdoors like you mean it, but remember, balance is key.