Milliwatts to Watts Converter
Enter a value to instantly convert between power units.
1 Milliwatt = 0.001 Watt
Key Formulas
Kilowatt → Horsepower (mech)
hp = kW × 1.34102Horsepower (mech) → Kilowatt
kW = hp × 0.7457Watt → Kilowatt
kW = W × 0.001Kilowatt → Watt
W = kW × 1000Formula
W = mW ÷ 1000Electronic engineers and hardware designers work in milliwatts for component-level power budgets — a Bluetooth chip draws 15 mW, a microcontroller sleeps at 0.5 mW, a sensor node runs at 5 mW. Converting to watts is needed when comparing to wall socket loads, battery capacity (in Wh), or electrical circuit specs. Knowing that 500 mW = 0.5 W helps quickly verify whether a USB port (typically 2.5–5 W) can power your device.
Source: NIST SP 811, Table B.8
Last reviewed: · see our methodology
Frequently Asked Questions
Real-World Examples
A Bluetooth Low Energy chip in transmission mode draws about 50 mW = 0.05 W — small enough to run for months on a coin cell battery.
50 mW = 0.05 W
A standard 500 mW through-hole resistor = 0.5 W maximum power dissipation — the most common resistor wattage rating in electronics.
500 mW = 0.5 W
A high-brightness 1000 mW (1 W) LED produces about 80–100 lumens — equivalent to a small flashlight or indicator light.
1000 mW = 1 W
A 2500 mW (2.5 W) smartphone CPU at peak gaming load = 2.5 W — the primary driver of battery drain in mobile gaming sessions.
2500 mW = 2.5 W