Lumens have become the way torches are sold, which is unfortunate, because they describe the one property most buyers do not need to know.

What a lumen counts

Total light emitted, in every direction, added together.

A bare bulb and a searchlight can publish the same figure.

What candela counts

Intensity in the direction you are actually pointing.

That is what reaches a fence, a pole top or a boat, and it is what throw means.

Why the two diverge

A deep smooth reflector and a small bright emitter collimate light into a column.

A wide shallow reflector spreads it. Same lumens, fivefold difference in distance.

What to ask for

Candela and beam distance for anything at range.

Beam evenness and CRI for anything at arm’s length. Lumens third, if at all.