12 LED Strip Light Tips Every Buyer Should Know
When it comes to your home's interior design, LED strip light is one of the biggest players at present. Many people like using LED strip light because it has a stronger quality than many other kinds of lighting. So what are some tips you should keep in mind during using LED strip light? Here we listed together some problems that may happen and our answers:
What You Will Learn in This Guide
- 1. What are LED strip lights?
- 2. How many kinds of LED are used in LED strip lights?
- 3. How many kinds of LED strip lights are there?
- 4. How to select LED strip lights?
- 5. What kind of LED strip light should you choose?
- 6. How many LEDs per meter do you need?
- 7. How many watts per meter should you choose?
- 8. What are the applications of LED strip lights?
- 9. How to install LED strip lights correctly?
- 10. How to know if an LED strip light is good quality?
- 11. Repair notice: avoid damaging your strips
- 12. Check why your strip is not lighting
1. What Are LED Strip Lights?
LED strip light is made with LED chips, FPCB/aluminum PCB/FR-4/CME-3, resistance, capacitance, IC, silicon glue, silicon tube, PVC material, 3M tape, and wires.
Because of the appearance like tape, so names it LED strip light / LED tape / LED ribbon / LED light bar.
It has 3M tape backside that can be stuck to almost all surfaces. And some with clips can fix on the surface where not suitable for 3M tape.
Lightstec pro-tip: Before buying, confirm the PCB base (FPCB for bending, aluminum PCB for better heat dissipation) — it decides where the strip can be installed and how long it will last.
2. How Many Kinds of LED Are Used in LED Strip Lights?
There are many LEDs used in LED-stripverlichting. Lightstec now offers the following common types:
| LED Type | Current / Power | Luminous Flux |
|---|---|---|
| SMD3014 | 30mA / 0.1W | 9–10 lm |
| SMD2835 | 60mA / 0.2W | 22–26 lm |
| SMD3020 | 20mA / 0.07W | 7–8 lm |
| SMD3528 | 20mA / 0.07W | 7–8 lm |
| SMD5050 | 60mA / 0.21W | 18–20 lm |
| SMD5630 | 150mA / 0.5W | 55–60 lm |
| SMD5050 RGB | 60mA / 0.21W | 13–15 lm |
| SMD2216 | 30mA / 0.1W | 9–10 lm |
3. How Many Kinds of LED Strip Lights Are There?
LED strip light is normally classified into two categories by PCB material. One is a flexible LED strip light. The other one is a rigid LED strip light.
And LED strip light can be classified into two categories by voltage:
- One is a high voltage LED strip light, the voltage is AC110V and AC220V.
- The other one is low voltage, DC3V/5V/6V/9V/12V/15V/24V/36V/48V/60V.
It is according to different requests.
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a. Flexible LED strip light
Flexible LED strip light is produced by flexible PCB and LED. The thickness is only 1.5mm.
Normally the LED types have SMD3014, 3528, 3030, 5050, 2835, 5630, 5730, 335 etc.
It has 30LED/m, 60LED/m, 72LED/m, 96LED/m, 120LED/m, 240LED/m, 360LED/m. According to design requests. Because of its flexibility, it can easy to make any shape, and it can be cut in any size.
b. Rigid LED strip light
The rigid LED strip light is produced by aluminum PCB or FR4 PCB. It is easy to install and has better heat dissipation (aluminum base).
But it cannot easy to bend. Aluminum base PCB is widely used in high-power lamps. For straight-line installations, mounting rigid strips in aluminium profielen gives a clean, professional finish.
4. How to Select LED Strip Lights?
When we select the LED strip light, we need to think about:
- What kind of LED?
- How many LEDs per meter?
- How many watts per meter?
Lightstec advice:
Start with three questions: where will it be installed (dry or wet area), how bright it needs to be, and what voltage you can supply. For example, under-cabinet task lighting works well with 60–120 LEDs/m at 12V, while cove lighting for a living room usually calls for 120 LEDs/m or more. Matching the strip to the application from the start saves both time and money later.
Start from your brightness target (lumens per meter), then pick LED type, density and wattage accordingly. Our sales team will help you calculate the exact spec for your project.
5. What Kind of LED Strip Light Should You Choose?
Lightstec now has:
- SMD2835 LED strip light
- SMD3020 LED strip light
- SMD3528 LED strip light
- SMD5050 LED strip light
- SMD5630 LED strip light
- SMD5050 RGB LED strip light
- SMD3014 LED strip light
For same brightness, same price, SMD2835 LED strip light is a very good cost performance.
SMD5050 LED strip light has 3 chips in one LED. This quality will stable — if one chip is broken, the other 2 chips can still light.
6. How Many LEDs per Meter Do You Need?
Lightstec now has: 30LED/m, 60LED/m, 72LED/m, 90LED/m, 120LED/m, 240LED/m.
More LEDs in one meter means more brightness. And the wattage will increase. You can ask Lightstec for the data sheet.
LED density directly affects both brightness and light uniformity. 30–60 LEDs/m is enough for accent lines, 120 LEDs/m gives a smooth, shadow-free band that is popular for TV backlighting and under-cabinet lights, and 240 LEDs/m delivers near-continuous light for display cases. Remember that higher density also means higher wattage, so size the power supply accordingly.
7. How Many Watts per Meter Should You Choose?
Normally have: 3W/m, 4.8W/m, 7.2W/m, 9.6W/m, 14.4W/m, 19.2W/m, 24W/m, 28.8W/m.
Many choices. According to your request, you can ask Lightstec for detail.
Lightstec pro-tip:
As a rule of thumb: 3–4.8W/m works for subtle accent and ambient glow, 7.2–14.4W/m is the sweet spot for most home and retail applications, and 19.2W/m or above suits high-brightness task or display lighting. If you are not sure, send us your project size and brightness goal and we will recommend the exact wattage.
Add up the total wattage of your project and leave a 20% margin when choosing a power supply — it protects the driver and keeps brightness stable.
8. What Are the Applications of LED Strip Lights?
LED strip light is used in furniture, cars decorative lighting, advertising, lighting board, airplane, train, KTV, hotels, shopping malls, etc. We also share some cool LED light projects hier.
You can see projects using LED strip lights for room lighting, and LED lighting ideas for home, and you can find more LED projects photos here. And if you are a DIYer, our LED strip light material is enough for your DIY LED lighting projects.
9. How to Install LED Strip Lights Correctly?
DC12V/24V LED strip light
First, connect the strip light positive and negative anodes to the power driver right anodes. Then connect the power driver to AC110V or AC220V.
If wrong connects, the LED strip light will not be lighting.
AC110V/220V LED strip light
Connect the strip light to the power cord, then connect the power cord to AC110V/220V.
Indoor install
When installing LED strip light indoors, because of not raining or not shining, it will easily install. Lightstec low voltage strip light has 3M tape. You only need to tear the tape and stick the LED strip light where you want to install it.
Outdoor install
Because of rain and sunshine, the strip light needs waterproof. Normally the outside covers a silicon tube to protect the strip light. And when install, use clips to fix it strong.
Controller
When you need dimming or color change, you need an LED controller. You can use a dimmer, RGB remote controller, RGBW controller, DMX512 controller, DALI controller, and 0/1–10V controller.
Lengte
Normally, for the DC12V LED strip light, we suggest using a 5-meter roll. And DC24V LED strip light can use 10 meters. Power supplier in one end. 110V/220V LED strip light can use 50 meters by one power card.
If you use the strip light longer than this length, the brightness at the end will drop compared with the beginning. Now Lightstec has new technology for longer-use LED strip light. We use IC to control the current. This technology can improve the strip light to 15–20 meters use driver by one end. Of course, this price will be higher than the normal LED strip light.
Lightstec pro-tip: Running a long run? Learn more about LED strip light voltage drop and DC12V vs DC24V before you install.
10. How to Know If an LED Strip Light Is Good Quality?
There are many LED factories making LED strip lights. They use the material from low level to high level. We can check in several ways:
- Check in the test lab. We can check the chips, PCB material, brightness, color temperature, and CRI. That is a professional way.
- Check the LED strip light surface. We can check the soldering point. If the surface is not clear, the LEDs are not soldering in the right place. The surface is dirty — that is not a good LED strip light. Good LED strip light, the surface is clear, and the LEDs are soldering in the right place.
- Check the PCB. Normally, the LED strip light PCB has 2 kinds of technology: rolled copper, place polygon plane. And they also have a single-side PCB design and double-side design. The thickness has 1oz, 1.5oz, and 2oz. Normally the good LED strip light uses rolled copper + double-side PCB design + 2OZ. This is good for heat dissipation and less voltage drop.
- Check the package. We can check the package if the reel is recycled used or new. The recycled used may be broken and dirty.
- Check the label. Check the label if the detail is enough: LED type, LED qty in one meter, voltage, wattage, IP rate.
Lightstec advice:
A reliable supplier should be able to share test reports and datasheets for CRI, CCT and lumen output. Always ask for samples before a mass order — the surface finish, solder joints and label details will tell you a lot about the production quality and consistency.
As a professional LED lighting manufacturer with more than 13 years of experience, we test every batch for brightness, CCT and CRI consistency before shipping — so you know exactly what you receive.
11. Repair Notice: Avoid Damaging Your Strips
- Anti-static. The LED chips are easily broken because of static electricity. So when we produce the LED strip light and install the LED strip light, we had better wear the anti-ESD ring before handing it in.
- Short circuit. When you repair the LED strip light, you need to use an AVO meter to check if the LED strip light is in a short circuit. The short circuit is easy to damage the whole strip light.
12. Check Why Your Strip Is Not Lighting
- Check the surface if the LED is broken when not protected in transportation.
- LED not soldering very well, or the PCB not soldering well.
- The LED goes wrong because of the anti-static.
- The PCB quality is not good, easy broken.
- The LED is broken because of bending.
If all of the above look normal, double-check the power supply output voltage and the polarity of every connection. A weak or undersized driver is one of the most common reasons a strip fails to light up, especially on longer runs.
Veelgestelde vragen over LED-stripverlichting
How do I know which LED type is right for my project?
It depends on your brightness and budget. SMD2835 offers the best cost performance, SMD5050 gives stable multi-chip output and RGB color, while SMD5630 delivers the highest lumen output per chip for accent lighting.
Can I use LED strip lights outdoors?
Yes, but choose waterproof strips with a silicon tube cover and fix them firmly with clips. For wet areas, always select a strip with an appropriate IP rating and a properly rated power supply.
Why is the brightness at the end of my strip lower than at the start?
This is voltage drop. When a run is longer than the recommended length, the voltage decreases along the strip. Solutions: use a higher voltage (DC24V instead of DC12V), power from both ends, or choose our IC current-control strips that support 15–20 m per driver.
You can check our other posts when you have some questions during using the LED strip light:
FAQ of LED Strip Light and the Ultimate Design Guide for LED Strip Light Ideas.
Need Help Choosing the Right LED Strip Light?
Lightstec is a quality LED strip light manufacturer in China. We welcome clients all over the world. Tell us your project, and our engineers will help you get the exact spec.
Over auteur
Jerry Hu
Oprichter van Lightstec. Ingenieursdiploma. Meer dan 13 jaar werkervaring in led-verlichting. Bekend met het produceren van led-verlichtingsproducten. Deze blog deelt u kennis en oplossingen op het gebied van led-verlichting. Welkom bij het kopen van led-verlichting uit China.
Meer informatie Professionele lessen die minder mensen u vertellen voordat u een fout maakt.
Dear Lightstec, hello are Gabrie are from Italian
We would like to buy directly from the manufacturer.
We are interested in strip led CRI 90 9lm / le 17 or 15w / m
2700 / 2900K dc 24V
168led / m approx
do you have a product with these features?
You can make us an offer of 500 meters.
Waiting for your response.
Dear Gabrie,we have smd2835-168led/m-dc24v. And we have cct from 1800k-10,000k , our saleman will contact with you
Our company have more than 7 years’ experience in making LED strips.
We have diversity kinds of strips with different LED chips 3528/5050/2835/5630/3014/335.
We can also do the high voltage 110V/220V strips that can directly used and low voltage strips 12V/24V that is safety for use.
Hi Harry, hope can cooperation with you in led lighting market.will contact with you soon .
Thanks to send me your best price and delivery time for
5050 Silicone Sleeved
IP67 , 300LED / 5Meter , DC:24V , Power:14.4/m
Silicone high quality for temperature and UV protection
White led Color & 60 leds / meters
Flux:: 1200Lm / meter
Temperature : -20 + 60°c
White led angle : 120°
White board & 3M sticker at backside
Clipper included
Important : Packing must be by 5.5Meter / roll So 330 led/ 5.5 Meter
Quantity : Market is 30 km / year for 2012 and shipment is around 2 or 3 km
Thanks to update your offer and send me price for 5.5meter /roll
Franck JOURJON
Franck, nice to have your request.
Let me know more about your company detail.
Our sale team will follow your request.
Please send me your best price for 3528 strip light /blue/warm/white/yellow/RGB/Red/green/white/waterproof 1210(3528) SMD LED flexible strip with IC, 120 LEDs/MRegards,
Samuelu
Hi Sir,Nice you are interesting in our led lights.Let me know more about your company detail. Our sales team will following your request.
Please send mee your price list of product : flexibile led strip – 5050 120 led / m 24 V
Flexibile led strip – 5050 144 led / m 24 V
Thank you !
Best regards, heavy nice day !
Hi Levente,we can send you catalog and price list of this led strip light .Welcome to our factory .
This is soheil hadji from decolight company, Iran,
I have visited your web site and I am interested in your Flexible Strip light product(3528’5050)
You are kindly request to let me have your valuable price list for thisproducts,
If you have smd5050 with IC, please let me know its prices to,
Thank you so much indeedand i will remain
I need to have a quotation for a flexible strip led with 5050 smd led , cool white about 6000°K, and warm white about 3000°K, strip width 8mm, 60 led/m, voltage 24 Vdc, pcb color white (the same that i used in Promotech), and for another led strip with 3528 smd led, color temperatur blu, strip width 8mm, 60 led/m, voltage 24 Vdc, pcb color white, (the same that i used in Promotech), and the quotation for the rgb version, 60 led/m, strip width 8mm, voltage 24 Vdc, pcb in white color.
I need also the price for the touch rgb controller.
Thank you in advance and i waiting your answer.
Hi Adeam,
Thanks for interesting in our products.I will send you our led price list soon.
This post is helpful for us know more about led tape light. Professional
Hi Billy,Thanks.
you have a professional led light blog.
Dear Sir, Thanks.
Hallo Jerry,
This blog is really interesting. The applications of LED strips are on the rise these days as everyone is more concerned with home decors and other business purposes. Here also we have many LED strip suppliers in Saudi who offer reliable and durable LED light strips. Thank you for giving an overview on LED strips, especially for mentioning how to check whether the LED strips are of good quality.
Keep writing!
Expecting similar articles in the future too.
Hope this can help you