How Often Do You Use 1000 Lumens and You're Most Used Levels

There seems to be this quest for more and more lumens but how often do you actually use it and what are you're most used every day levels.

Whilst I think it's nice to have it for when needed ... I very seldom use it

As rough numbers most of the time I'd use around 300 lumens for cycling in a darkish area and around 150 for brighter areas .... 150 lumens when I want a bit more light walking but as your eyes adjust I don't really need over 80 and probably more use around the 50 / 60 level.

Be interested to hear what sort of levels others use, what your perfect "mode options" would be on a torch and and what you'd use the different levels for???

This will come down to many things.

Such as the type of light and your actual use.

A floody light and a thrower will be quite different with the same lumen output. Lumens are a bit like torque with cars. More is usually better, but it depends entirely on how it's used.

e.g. is a 300lb ft diesel hatchback superior to a 260ft lb Ferrari V8 supercar?

As for my usage. Well I have no actual 'need' for a flashlight regularly. However I find them very useful and use them daily for general tasks.


My use is somewhat polar.


During the night I'll use moonlight and/or Low. As I don't want to disturb others in the house. And when sleepy, blinding light will wake you up more, be uncomfortable and ruin any dark adapted vision.

However during the evening or night before bed I often use torches in doors, so I often ceiling bounce them. Usually short periods of time, anywhere from 10sec to a few mins at a time. But might use them repeatedly in this way.

Ceiling bounce tends to work better with higher output modes, so that's what I use. It doesn't have to be a 1000 lumens, I normally EDC tube style 18650 lights, so it's whatever they output.


Other uses are during the day working on cars, if there is ambient light, then you'll need a focused beam and/or high output to make use of a torch in these conditions. Again, I don't actively choose 1000 lumens, but will normally just use the High or High'ish output, as it's normally quick and easy to select.

Round the farm, likewise. If the light turns on in High, why mess about picking a lower mode? None of my use requires long runtimes, so I don't need to use a lower mode to preserve the battery. And the same is true of heat, rapid heat up is no real concern, because the 'on-time' will be limited, although often repeated.

Reading back, I'm not sure my reply answered your question :laughing:

In answer. I probably use 1000 lumens less often. Mostly because the reality is, few tube lights really put out in excess of 1000 lumens.

I have a good number of larger lights that do put out or exceed 1000 lumens, but I find I struggle to find uses for them. Too big to carry easily, so I usually end up just using smaller lights.

That said, if my EDC light can muster up 1000 lumens, then yes it will get used, as it's simple less effort normally to select high than it is to faff about picking a middle mode.

1000lm is not much in a large expanse of land!!!! heck i am only just satisfied with 15,000lm!!!!!! i need more

Work 150-300lm of floody nichia
Home and around sub 200lm, maybe from 30-200 tops depending in or out of the house
Fun and walks see the 1st sentence
Key chain uses sub 100lm
Bed side varies, dont like sub lumen levels even on night adapted eyes, prefer a few lumens up to 20 maybe to actually see without straining.........eyes soon adapt, concentrating in sub lumen levels does not get easier for me(subjective).

So to answer your question depends on what i am using my tool of illumination for, generally up to 200lm pretty much covers all, i can go out for a walk, in a forest, camp with less............But 200lm in a thrower is pretty useless for me, also again does not go too far in vast areas. Too many variables, but agree 1000 or more is not needed for day to day stuff for me . But i also dont need a big TV or a turbo on my engine, but we have these things to make stuff more enjoyable/fun

ven said:

but we have these things to make stuff more enjoyable/fun

Click to expand...

Agree with that ... and whilst I seldom neeeeeeeed 1000 lumens I do often flick it on when I'm out for a walk and scan across the field in the distance ..... why do I do this .... because I can

Exactly. For example, I don't 'need' a car to do this:


Or this:


But doesn't mean I want to be without either.

Well said ven!

Most of my usage is at 300 lumens or less. In fact many of my 18650 lights will max out at about 600 lumens.
That way I get great run-times. And MOST of my light usage is indoors, or to bring the garbage barrels out to the front of the house.

If I happen to grab a single cell 18650 light that will do 1000 lumens or more, I might play with it a little, but I have never had the need for it to do that.

If I know that I'll be wanting more than 1000 lumens, then I'll grab a multi cell light.

The Acebeam K60 is our "do everything" light around our horse farm and property.

And 5,000 lumen turbo is our most used mode.

Followed by the 1 lumen low and then the 700 lumen [level 3].

A single light that covers [everything from] 1 lumen to 5,000 is just insane. And the K60 beam has such a great all-around beam, regardless of level.

Chicken Drumstick said:

Exactly. For example, I don't 'need' a car to do this:


Or this:


But doesn't mean I want to be without either.

Click to expand...

LOL I LOVE THIS!!

seery said:

The Acebeam K60 is our "do everything" light around our horse farm and property.

And 5,000 lumen turbo is our most used mode.

Followed by the 1 lumen low and then the 700 lumen [level 3].

A single light that covers [everything from] 1 lumen to 5,000 is just insane. And the K60 beam has such a great all-around beam, regardless of level.

Click to expand...

I really want one! Looks like a perfect beam (K70 too throwy for me)

Most often used light is Thrunite Archer 1A v3 NW and I practically never use it on max (180 lm).

I use 1000 lumens EVERY night! I walk CAPO my Husky on the hiking trails every night. Most of my secondary lights are over 1000 lumens.

ALL my primary lights are well over 1000 lumens! So,I use at least Two lights per night MOST of which are over 1000 lumens!,,,,,,,,,,,,,oh,yaa,w/ the exception of One[M3X] they are ALL modified!:twothumbs

When I am working on the innards of my PC, or looking for something dropped on the floor, 20-50 lumens is usually sufficient. When ceiling bouncing so I don't have to walk across the room to turn on the overhead light, 300-400 lumens seems to work fine. When I really want to reach out and touch someone/something, Turbo on my TM16GT works just fine.

Nice axle twister mr drumstick, i used to love doing that too.............:sigh:

Something I find quite strange with quite a few lights like the P / M 5 series by LED Lenser (and the P 7 & TT) and the equivalent with Coast, you've quite powerful lights for a smallish size that will have one full power setting and just one other around the 20/30 lumen level, I think a setting around 70 as well which for a small torch / battery would increase run time quite considerably but still be a very usable level for walking etc ... just surprised they don't incorporate one.

A thrunite 2a in hand for walkabout. Around 200+plus lumens. Clip to belt is a armytek Doberman for just in case. Rated at 1k lumens

For home, usually will use a fenix mc11 adjustable angle head. Usually on medium setting at 50lumens.

I don't even have 180 Lumens.

BUT...if I were to have 1000+ Lumens it would be for a specific purpose for the outdoors to reach out 400+ meters far across a field or on a mountain side and it wouldn't be used that often. I wouldn't be able to utilize such high output in any closer setting as it would just be overwhelming.

Well wen i get to a dark place i use over 1000lm well the brightest i have is 2400lm but i use the 900lm mode more because of it's better runtime
I use it while walking
But if i just sit and alredy shined everywhere on the highest setting i will use flashlights under 300 lm because up close more then that is blinding

So it just depend on what use i have for it walking or just explore the area i need to see everything so i use more then 900lm
Up close things under 300lm

But while riding my bike in the city it dosent matter i want others to see me
If it a dark park or something 300lm but riding in very dark places outside the city i need more than 1000lm

I love lumens, here is a hand full of lights that throw out around 48,110lm between them(yes i added them up on a calculator)

You got some serious firepower there, Ven.

Many people use 1000 Lumens, but they only have a 300 lumen flashlight.