What is Nits (cd/m²)?
Nits measure luminance: one nit equals one candela per square meter. Display brightness is quoted in nits; indoor displays are typically 250–500 nits and sunlight-readable displays 1000 nits or more.
What a nit measures
One nit equals one candela per square metre (cd/m²), the light emitted per unit area of the screen. Datasheets quote the typical luminance at the centre of a white screen, measured at 25 °C after warm-up.
How much do you need?
Environment | Typical target |
|---|---|
Indoor office, home | 250–400 nits |
Bright indoor, near windows | 500–700 nits |
Shade, covered outdoor | 700–1000 nits |
Direct sunlight | 1000+ nits plus optical bonding |
Nits are only half the story
Perceived readability depends on contrast under ambient light. Reflections from the cover glass add to the black level. That is why a bonded 800-nit display can look better outdoors than an air-gap 1200-nit one.
Also check uniformity (often 75–80% minimum) and backlight lifetime, usually quoted as hours until brightness falls to 50%.
Related: how bright does a sunlight-readable display need to be?
Frequently asked questions
Is 500 nits bright enough?
For indoor and bright indoor use, yes. Outdoors in direct sun, you need around 1000 nits with optical bonding.
What is the difference between nits and lux?
Nits measure light emitted by a surface (luminance); lux measures light falling on a surface (illuminance), such as ambient sunlight.
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