Flexible LED strip lights are used all over the world in various industrial, commercial and residential projects. LED strip lighting is popular among many Architects and Lighting Designers due to the improvements in efficiency, color options and brightness. The biggest draw is how easy they are to install. Their flexibility, low-profile and helpful accessories make them the most popular LED strip for the at home DIY types. With these LED strips, a homeowner can design like a professional with the right supplies and just an hour or two.
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There are many options for LED strip lights with no simple &#;one size fits all&#; standard to go by. This LED Strip Resource Guide will educate newcomers and experts alike on finding the best LED strip lights for the job and how to use them while overcoming common installation hold-ups.
This Guide will educate newcomers and experts alike on finding the best LED strip lights for the job and how to use them while overcoming common installation hold-ups.
LED strip lights, also known as LED tape lights or LED ribbon lights, are known for their low-profile size and flexibility. Efficient LEDs sit on a 10mm wide circuit board, offered in 3ft to 16.4 ft lengths. Flexible LED strip lights have many features that make them easy to use in a variety of situations:
Cut-to-size &#; Cutting LED strips is very simple thanks to the cut lines along the strips. At each cut point there is a black line with copper solder pads that sit on each side. The copper solder pads make it so each strip piece is addressable even after being cut. This makes it possible to connect LED strips together or connect the strip in a different area of your home.
Flexible LED strip with Adhesive &#; The LED strips have a 3M adhesive backing for simple mounting options. The low profile, flexible strip has a peel-off backing which exposes the 3M adhesive, making for a simple peel-and-stick install.
Waterproof or Non-Waterproof &#; LED strip lights are not limited to indoor projects. The waterproof LED strip lights are IP65 rated with a silicone resin material that protects the strip components from dust and moisture. The waterproof LED lights are a little more expensive but are a must for any project that is outdoors or close to water.
12 volt LED lights &#; The LED strip lights need 12VDC power input to run. This will require an AC/DC transformer for in home use, but makes wiring the strips through the house a lot safer. Batteries also output DC power, so it is easy to make a battery powered LED light with these flex strips.
LED flex strips are great for all kinds of projects, but sometimes it is hard to know where to start. Follow this 7 step guide if you are stuck not knowing where to begin. The guide shows the various LED Strip options and and what to plan for in order to make your do-it-at-home LED strip lighting a complete success!
The density of an LED light strip means how many LEDs are in a set area. For LED flex strips, density is measured in &#;LEDs per Meter&#;. The Standard Density strip has 30 LEDs/M whereas the High-Density has 60 LEDs/M. A higher density strip equates to a higher quality, brighter light. The table below shows the differences between the standard and high density strips. Take note of the Lumen outputs as well as the differences in cut lengths and the max run length for each.
Density# of LEDsLumensWattageA Lumen is the measurement of brightness as perceived by the human eye. Thanks to incandescent lighting, most of us use watts to measure the brightness of a light. With LEDs, Lumens are the new standard to describe light output. Lumen output is one of the most important parts of choosing LED strip lights as it will determine the type of light you will receive.
Make sure to note how Lumens are tracked when comparing LED strips brightness . In the above table, strips are labeled as Lumens per Meter. In order to find total Lumen output just find how many Meters you will be running.
Lumen output is one of the most important parts of choosing LED strip lights as it will determine the type of light you will receive.
Different projects require certain amount of brightness to achieve their purpose. My advice would be to always go for the brighter option and add a dimmer. Below is a helpful guide on Lumen requirements:
LED strip color depends on personal preference. RGB LED strips are a good option for those that like some variety and color effects. RGB strip lights are color changing strips that are great for accent lighting all around the home. They use red, green and blue diodes so that they can be mixed to create many different colors. If you are using RGB strips just make sure you use a 3 channel controller from the dimming section of this guide.
There is an Ultra Violet (UV) version of the strips available. This is a great option for UV applications or for making your own black light!
The strips are also available in single colors of: Red, Green, Blue, Yellow and White (-K CCT).
CCT stands for Correlated Color Temperature which is the color temperature of light, measured in degrees Kelvin (K). The temperature rating of an LED strip directly affects what the light looks like. Look at the photos below for reference. Warm White is what we call K which gives off an orange or yellowish appearance. As we increase degrees Kelvin the color changes from yellow to off white to natural white and then to bluish white which is known as Cool White.
So which color do I choose? Look at the below room with Warm White, Neutral White and Cool White Strips. Notice how color temperature of a strip light affects the look of the entire room? This totally depends on personal preference and the overall style and feel you want the room to give off.
Warm White creates an inviting, cozy area. It is generally used in rooms where everyone gathers to visit or relax (living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, etc.).
Neutral or Natural White creates a natural, daylight effect. This is the best selling strip as it mimics natural light and is comfortably used anywhere in the home. This is our most popular strip for under cabinet LED lighting.
Cool White complements contemporary and modern styles, casting a bright, fresh glow. Cool white is great for task lighting as it is a brighter, more focused light. The bright, cool colors are used the most in bathrooms, kitchens and work spaces.
It is best to outline your whole project to see how many feet of strip you will be using total. This gives you an idea of what to buy and the cost to do so. The LED strip lights are available in 3ft. increments all the way up to a full reel (16.4 ft.). It is important to find out if you want to purchase reel lengths and cut them down to size, or if it would be beneficial to have smaller lengths already cut for you.
At this stage, draw out your project. Plan where the strip lights are needed, how they will be connected, and if they will all come back to the same power supply or have separate power supplies. This step helps greatly as you progress through the next few steps.
What type of power do the LED strips need? The LED strips always need 12 volt DC input.
That is the easy part, the next step is finding the wattage. With the below chart, this should not be too terrible if you have already chosen your strip density and your total length.
If you are running more than one power supply just note the length of strip that will be running off each to find the power supply size you will need.
LED Power Supply Options:
This is where the sketch from before will come in handy to start considering where you will be running all the strips. Was the plan to run all the strips together in a long run? If your total length needed is over the maximum run length of the strip (32.8 ft. for SD and 16.4 ft. for HD) then you will need to run parallel wires from your power source to the separate strips.
As our sketch shows, sometimes you will want to power strips coming from different directions into one common power supply. In this instance you will already be running parallel wires.
Wiring LED strips when you are dealing with multiple reels of strips can be tough but we have a powering and wiring guide that you can follow to map out your LED strip light setup.
Wiring Accessories: LED Strip connectors and splitters
Connecting LED strips will be necessary for any strip project. We have some helpful accessories and guides to complete any LED strip connection.
Soldering wire and your own connections? Make sure to follow our soldering guide and our recommended wire for the strips is found here.
How to Connect LED Strips without soldering? Our EZ Click Strip Connectors work great for connecting strips end to end, running gaps in between LED strips or running around tight corners. Our full LED strip connector guide shows how to use these to make connections that will come in handy for any strip project.
How to connect multiple LED strips to one power source? LED strip splitters make it possible to plug multiple strips into one power supply with ease! Strip splitters are available with 2, 3 or 4 output channels.
LED strip lights are typically dimmed with in-line pulse width modulation dimmers. These dimmers go on the 12 volt side of the system and wire in between the strips like shown.
PWM dimmers are popular as they can work with any transformer or battery source, they do not need a power supply that is listed as dimmable. PWM dimming offers smooth control from the dimmest to brightest settings. They are affordable and easy to set up, making them the top option for dimming LED strip lights.
These simple dimmers are available in both WiFi and Remote Control options. The WiFi compatible dimmers work straight from a smartphone app and can be voice controlled with Google Home or Amazon Echo (Alexa) devices.
Some homeowners already have a central dimming system for their areas. In these cases, the owner wants to control the lights with the AC dimmers they already have in place. If you want to use an AC dimmer like this then you will need a dimmable power supply as described here.
RGB Controllers (WiFi / Remote / Bluetooth) &#; If you have a color changing RGB LED strip then you NEED a 3-channel RGB controller. These controllers control the Red, Green and Blue channels to mix colors and create the color changing effects of the strip. Without this unit, your RGB LED strips will not operate correctly so always remember to purchase one if you are using the Multicolor LED strips.
The adhesive on the LED strip lights is very helpful in mounting but sometimes there is more to be desired. As with most adhesives, it does not bond well with some surfaces and may need to be reinforced over time. In these situations, use one of the following:
Mounting track is another great option for those that want a professional finish. These aluminum extrusions house your light strips and have everything you need to mount. The LED strips adhere to the bottom of the track with a UV protected lens that slides over the top to diffuse the light.
Follow this guide to mount your LED strips properly!
Since this post has been written, we have come out with some very new LED strip tech called COB LED Strip lights. These light strips are very similar to the LED Strip lights we go over in this post with slight upgrades. The new strips eliminate hotspots on your LED Strip, delivering a smooth line of light and also run at 24V as they are brighter than even the high density 12V strips! Click below to learn more and see if these strips work better for you!
This is a lot of information for sure. If you are brand new to LED strips than your head is likely swirling with information and you are left with more questions. If this is the case ask yourself these simple starting questions which should help you work through the above guide to find the best LED strip lights and parts for you! If you still need some help feel free to use our LED Project Tool and our helpful Strip Tech Team will get you fitted with just the right LED Strips for you!
How would you feel if you spent a day installing LEDs in your home only for them to fail in 3 months? That's a feeling many persons have had after using lower cost LED kits off Amazon! When comparing commercial LED strips to Amazon LED kits, we're confident in saying that you're saving time and money in the longrun when investing in quality products from the start. This is where commercial LED light strips come in. Designed for practical buyers, these strips are brighter and more durable, offering the functional lighting your home deserves.
A detailed comparison of high-quality versus low-quality LED strips. We cover what sets them apart and when and where each can have a place in your house. If you want to buy LEDs for your home but you're unsure about the quality on Amazon, you're in the right place!
Check out our video below, in which we compare 3 of the most popular LED brands on Amazon, and then rank them.
BLUE DIAMOND Product Page
(P.S. - We compared one of our commercial grade LED strips alongside them.)
What makes an LED strip brighter? Two things... LED density and the quality of the LED modules. We'll discuss LED density in a moment. For now, let's talk about LED modules.
Our video demonstrates that our commercial strip is 25X brighter than the DayBetter and KeepSmile LED kits. It is also 13 times brighter than the Govee strip. We tested the brightness of all three products with a high-quality spectrometer.
Even though the commercial strip was 13X brighter than Govee's strip, it only had double as many modules. So, what makes the difference? The quality of the LED modules. Most LED strips on Amazon are made in China and are not meant for functional or commercial lighting.
The lifespan of an LED strip is possibly the most crucial aspect when making a purchase. Having an LED strip fail after a few months is not only a waste of your money, but also your time! LED kits on Amazon typically last 15,000-20,000 hours, while commercial strips can last over 50,000 hours.
A common problem many persons have with LED kits is controller or remote failure. Most remotes and controllers on Amazon kits are made cheaply to save money. When one of these components malfunctions, it renders the entire strip unusable. Use European controllers and remotes from companies like Casambi and Blebox with your high-quality LEDs to avoid this problem.
Manufacturers of industrial LED strip lights design them to dissipate heat efficiently. This leads to a longer lifespan.
Using an LED profile increases heat dissipation, and provides physical protection. We believe every LED project should include a profile, whichever LED strip you happen to be using.
LED density is simply the amount of LED modules on a strip per a meter. Professional LED strip lights have an LED density of 60 and up. When comparing Amazon LED strips one thing that stood out was a low density. The highest we found was about 30 LEDs/m, and the others were considerably less.
LEDs are well known for their energy efficiency, but there are efficient LEDs and more efficient LEDs. Lumen wattage is simply the amount of lumens produced for a watt of electricity. When compared with LED kits of Amazon we found high quality LED strip lights to be almost twice as efficient.
Put simply, CRI measures how accurately a light source reproduces colors, compared to daylight. 100 is the maximum value. A CRI above 80 provides an accurate color rendition, making us feel comfortable. However, lower cost LED strips usually have a CRI under 70, causing the color of light to irritate us.
See our White Iris Model as an example of a commercial LED strip with a high CRI.
Perhaps not as important as the other points mentioned in this article, cutting pitch can still make a difference. This is simply the distance between the cuttable points on an LED strip. If the cutting pitch is smaller, it means that the length of your strip is more customizable.
The first thing to determine is whether this will be an issue for you. Does your strip need to fit into a small space? A smaller cutting pitch will help.
Some of the LED strips on Amazon have a rather lengthy pitch, while others are short enough to not be a problem. Take a second to look at the product pictures, or even better the precise measurement may be in the description. You can find the cutting pitch for our commercial LED strip lights on the product page under general specifications.
Watch this video to learn more about cutting LED strips:
There are instances where top-quality LED products might not be necessary. Below we consider the options to help you determine the best buy for your project.
There aren't any hard and fast rules, but you should generally avoid LED strips off Amazon for any task lighting projects. If you're installing LEDs under your kitchen cabinets, or lighting a shower niche, this is when you need your LEDs to last.
If you just want to have some fun and play around with LEDs, the Amazon kits are great. The low prices mean that failure is not a significant concern. Use them to create awesome Christmas decorations, or to add a playful touch to your kid's room.
We recommend industrial LED light strips for any residential project where you need to literally brighten an area. Most LEDs on amazon are quite dim, and they're not going to make much of a difference.
If you will need your LEDs for as long as you will need your house, buy high quality LED strip lights for these 3 reasons:
If you believe an industrial LED strip to be the right choice for you, check out our selection. Otherwise, you can get in touch with us for further guidance.
Use commercial LED strip lights in offices, storefronts, warehouses, gyms and any other large areas. Over the years we've worked with 100's of companies on 100's of Commercial LED projects. You can take a look at our selection of commercial LED strip here. Otherwise get in touch with us, and we'll walk with you through your project step by step.
LED profile
for your project, besides a strip.Q: What are the benefits of LED light strips?
A. They are up to 18 times more energy efficient than halogen and fluorescent. They emit far less heat making them safer, and they last up to 14 times longer.
Q: What is the purpose of commercial lighting?
A. Commercial lighting is used to light up large areas where task lighting is required. Some examples are offices, warehouse, factories, shopping centers, gyms, and parks. These are areas where the light needs to be bright for functional lighting, rather than aesthetic.
Q: Why does LED commercial strip lighting cost so much?
A. Commercial LED strips cost more because they are built to last longer and be energy efficient. That's why commercial strips will actually save you money over time!
Q: What are the benefits of using LED lighting in warehouses?
A. LED lighting lasts up to 25X longer ensuring less time on maintenance and more time working. Their brightness increases employee focus and safety. LEDs are up to 18 times more energy efficient, cutting down the large electricity bill that comes with running a warehouse.
Q: What is the best lighting for commercial?
A. Commercial grade LED lighting is the best choice for commercial spaces. It lasts 25X longer, uses 18X less electricity, and produces much less heat. This saves you time and money, while increasing employee and customer safety.
Q: What is the difference between residential and commercial lighting?
A. Residential lighting is made to light up your house, while looking great at the same time. Whereas commercial lighting prioritizes light output for functionality rather than aesthetic appeal.
Q: What is the most efficient warehouse lighting?
A. LED industrial strip lights are the most efficient solution when lighting a warehouse. They last up to 25X longer and are 18X more efficient, saving you time, work, and money.
Q: Why is commercial lighting important?
A. Commercial lighting increases employee safety, focus, and productivity. A well-lit area makes people feel safe, attracting customers to your store.
For more Custom LED light stripsinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.