The LED strip lights can be used to light up any room in your house or office in a convenient, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way. An LED light source can last up to 50,000 hours, or about six years if used continuously. Using LED strip lights, you can create light and dark areas to suit your moods and needs.
What is LED strip lighting?
What is LED strip lighting?LED strip lighting is a versatile type of LED lighting that can be used to light a variety of settings, including both indoor and outdoor ones. An LED strip light is a flexible circuit board that contains a large number of small LED lights; they are typically bought as a roll and cut and mounted using double-sided adhesive. One or multiple rolls of LED strip lights can be used to create all kinds of light effects and displays, as LED strip lighting comes in a variety of colors and brightness levels.
LED strip lighting is a popular choice for homes, offices and retail premises thanks to its design and functionality. Typically, LED strips are half an inch wide, but you can apply multiple strips to illuminate areas of any size or width. With the flexible circuit board, LED strip lights are also easily installed on curved and uneven surfaces, and they can be installed very quickly by peeling the back layer off the strip and sticking the lights to the desired location.
Types of Led Strip Lights
There are three basic types of LED strip to choose from: Single-color (including white), Adjustable white, and ColorChanging RGB. Other types of strips will also be discussed, but they are all based on these basic concepts. The type of strip that is most suitable depends on your application.
- Single-color LED strip :In most cases, single-color LED strips are available in red, green, blue or yellow, the colors that are normally used for single-color LED strips are red, green, blue or yellow. Other than white, single-color LED strips are usually available in red, green, blue or yellow.
- Adjustable/Tunable White CCT LED strip：This LED strip is a combination of both warm and cool white LED chips, which can be adjusted to adjust the color temperature. These strips are able to change between temperatures of white light giving an entirely different experience of tone and feel with each color temperature. The tunable white technology allows a single fixture to be equipped with multiple white tones, ranging from warm white to cool white, 2200-6000k in temperature.
- RGB LED strip：Three LEDs (Red, Green, Blue) are combined into one strip in this type of strip. A specialized controller is used to control each color channel individually, allowing you to mix the three primary colors to almost any color you desire or even create mood lighting by changing the colors.
- RGBW LED strip ：A RGBW strip combines four LEDs (Red, Green, Blue, White). The advantage of including white is that it offers richer color blends, as well as plain white for general lighting.
- RGB+CCT strip：The LED strip includes five colors – red, green, blue, warm white, cool white, and cool white. Besides producing the rich RGB colors of RGB+W strips, it can also be used to create white ambient lighting that adjusts color temperature when RGB color effects are not required.
- Pixel RGB strip：In addition to red, green and blue LEDs, pixel LED strips come with tiny controllers for every set of red, green and blue LEDs, rather than controlling the entire strip as one light source. This set of LEDs is called a pixel. With a pixel controller, you can control each pixel individually so that you can create multi-color moving light effects that are only limited by your imagination.
Which type of LED strip lighting is best for me?
A wide variety of LED strip lighting is available on the market, and the best type to use depends on your needs and where you plan to use it. In addition to outdoor lighting, LED strip lighting is also useful for workspace lighting, alcove lighting, wardrobe lighting, and ambient lighting.
- LED brightness
Light an area with bright or soft lighting depending on whether you want clarity or ambience. LED strip lights measure their brightness in lumens, and most of the highest quality LED strip lights will produce 1500 lumens per metre, although dimmer lighting may require fewer lumens.
- Indoor vs outdoor strip lighting
Using LED strip lights indoors and outdoors is quite common. If you are planning to install LED strip lighting outdoors, make sure that it is water-resistant so that it can withstand rain and frost. You can find out how protected it is from water and other particles by looking at its IP rating. For indoor applications, check out our Boa, Krait and Adder LED strips. Our Concho LED strip is suitable for outdoor applications.
- IP ratings
An IP rating refers to the degree of protection a product provides against small particles such as sand, dirt, and dust, as well as liquids. In order to make sure LED strip lighting is safe for use in your chosen environment, it is important to check its IP rating. Two numbers are used to determine an IP rating; the first ranges from 0-6 and indicates protection against solid particles like dust, while the second ranges from 0-8 and indicates protection against liquid particles. Low IP ratings are fine for strip lights used in protected indoor environments, but high IP ratings are required for outdoor use or indoor areas with heavy splashing, contact, or debris.
How to install led strip lights？
Step 1: Choose the surface
If you’re looking to add subtle brilliance to your kitchen, try adding LED strips under countertops, around an island, or above cabinets. For subtle kitchen brilliance, try installing them under countertops, around an island, or above cabinets. Install RGBW LED strips behind the television or on the ceiling of a game room to add color. When choosing strip lights, consider whether an outlet is nearby to power them. If you want to amp up the bedroom ambience, place them behind your bedframe or under your bed. Consider using wireless LED strip lights if you plan to install your strip lights on a wall or ceiling.
Step 2: Measure the surface
Write down your measurements so you can refer to them when you complete the next step. Once you’ve selected the area where you’d like to install your LED strip lights, take a measurement. Your lights are adjustable, so you can custom fit them to a variety of lengths.
Step 3: Adjust your strip lights
A strip extension may be necessary if your installation area is longer than the length of the light strip. Strip extensions are sold separately. Plug the extension into the strip by removing the plastic coverings from each end. You shouldn’t bend or connect the strip lights around the corners of a TV or bookcase at a 90-degree angle. Instead, use a flexible connector or make a small loop to change the direction of the light strip. To prevent permanently damaging the light strip, cut only along the marked lines if your surface area is shorter than your strip light. Before cutting or extending the strip, make sure it is unplugged.
Step 4: Clean and dry the surface
As soon as your light strips are in place, prepare the surface by wiping it down with a wet cloth to remove any oils or debris. You should be aware that the adhesive on strip lights is very strong and could damage surfaces or walls if removed. We recommend applying double-sided adhesive instead if you plan to move or reinstall the strip light after installation.
Step 5: Place your strip lights
Once the surface is ready, installation is easy! Peel off the backing from the strip light adhesive, then press and hold it for at least 10 seconds, or until the light is firmly adhered to the surface. Press and hold the light every six inches along the entire length, then repeat this process.
Can You Cut LED Light Strips
You can cut light strips if the strip has a marked cut line. If you have the correct LED light strip model, you can cut it.
However, the answer is challenging because it greatly depends on the brand and part number. If you cut your LED strips after cutting them, you may not be able to use them afterward.
The good news is that most LED light strip brands can be cut and the components for a new connection can be purchased separately.
