Milliwatts (mW)
The milliwatt is used for laser pointers (under 5 mW for safety class 3R), radio transmitters and small electronics.
Convert milliwatts to any power unit
1 milliwatt = 0.001 watts
Quick facts
1 milliwatt in other units
| Watts | 0.001 W |
| Kilowatts | 0.000001 kW |
| Horsepower | 0.000001341022 hp |
| BTUs per hour | 0.003412141633 BTU/h |
| Megawatts | 1 × 10-9 MW |
| Metric horsepower | 0.000001359622 PS |
| Tons of refrigeration | 2.8434514 × 10-7 TR |
| Gigawatts | 1 × 10-12 GW |
What is a milliwatt?
The milliwatt is used for laser pointers (under 5 mW for safety class 3R), radio transmitters and small electronics.
Where the milliwatt sits among power units
The milliwatt is number 5 of 32 on our scale of power units, ordered from smallest to largest.
What milliwatts are used for
- Laser pointer safety classes (class 2 below 1 mW, 3R below 5 mW).
- Radio transmitter and Wi-Fi output (often in dBm: 0 dBm = 1 mW).
- Power budgets of wearables and sensors.
Milliwatts in real life
- A Wi-Fi router: up to about 100–1,000 mW (20–30 dBm).
- A Bluetooth earbud radio: about 1–10 mW.
- A green laser pointer sold legally in the US: under 5 mW.
Top milliwatt conversions
Common amounts of milliwatts
Convert milliwatts to all 31 other units
Metric (SI)
Horsepower
Heat & refrigeration
Mechanical & other
Convert to milliwatts
Frequently asked questions
What is a milliwatt?
The milliwatt is used for laser pointers (under 5 mW for safety class 3R), radio transmitters and small electronics.
How is the milliwatt defined?
0.001 watt.
How many watts are in a milliwatt?
One milliwatt equals 0.001 watts.
How many kilowatts are in a milliwatt?
One milliwatt equals 0.000001 kilowatts.
How many horsepower are in a milliwatt?
One milliwatt equals 0.000001341022 horsepower.