LED Strip lights are becoming more and more popular for home lighting. More than likely you have heard the argument for LEDs over incandescent and even halogen bulbs: they are more efficient, brighter, longer-lasting, they don’t produce much heat, they are easily controlled and programmed—the list goes on and on. LEDs come in extremely compact packages that are durable and resistant to shock, making them so they can be used in a variety of designs both big and small.
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One increasingly popular way is in LED strip lighting. Linear (strip) lighting has become very popular and is an affordable option for both commercial and residential lighting applications. Buying LED strip lights might seem relatively straightforward, but there are many things you need to consider in making sure you get the right type of light for your needs. Follow through this post as we walk through the important factors for LED strip lighting and run through our main LED light strip categories.
Types of LED Strips
The LED Strips category is a broad category that includes all different types of LED strip lights. Depending on how you plan to use the LED strips, you may need one type over the other. For example, IP65 LED flex strips are better suited for outdoor and wet areas as they have a protective covering that makes them waterproof. Below is just a brief description of each kind of LED Strip Light, this guide will go into more detail on them later as there are multiple strip options in most of these categories.
- DC LED Flex Strips – Strips that run straight from a low DC voltage, typically 12-24V. These flexible strip lights have an adhesive backing for easy mounting and can be cut every two inches. They are offered in a wide range of light outputs and waterproof protection.
- AC Plug & Play LED Strip Lights – Flexible strip lights that run straight from your outlet. Just plugin and they are ready to go. These strips can run in much longer straight-run lengths than DC Flex Strips…all the way up to 150 FT!
- LED Rope Light – Encased, Omni-directional LEDs in the standard rope light packaging – very dim output meant for accent lighting, also plug & play!
- High Output LED Strips – Rigid strip lighting that houses mid to high-power LEDs from top manufacturers like Cree, Nichia, and Luxeon! Designed and manufactured in the USA with onboard drivers so they work with straight 24V DC input.
LEDs/length
When buying LED strip lights, it is important to look at the number of LEDs per length. For brighter output and higher light quality, you should look for the strip lights that have the highest number of LEDs per Foot (Meter, Yard, etc.). If LEDs are spaced too far apart across the strips, they could produce spotty lighting instead of a clean, constant line of light. It can be confusing as manufacturers use different units of measurement to advertise this. My recommendation would be to stick to a certain measurement and then convert all other measurements to see what strips have the most LEDs per set unit of measurement.
Take note that LED density is not the only factor in determining brightness and light quality. Our LED Rope Light, for instance, has more LEDs per foot than our DC LED Flex Strips but they are low output LEDs that produce only a fraction of that on the flex strips. Therefore, the Rope light is far spottier than any of the Flex Strips on our site, so always check on the brightness of the LED strips as well.
LED Strip Brightness
As LED technology continues to improve, LED strips continue to reach brighter capabilities. This does not mean all strips will be super bright. In some cases, you may not even want the light to be bright. An example of this would be accent lighting within a shelf.
The brightness of LEDs is measured in LUMENS. Depending on how you are using the LED strips, you will probably want a certain level of lumens.
For accent lighting, you will probably not need anything brighter than 200 Lumens per foot but there is no exact rule here, it is all about personal preference and the feeling/mood you are going for.
When using LED strips for general lighting purposes within a room, it becomes a bit trickier. Brightness needs will depend on the light direction, its distance from your subject (the area you plan to illuminate) as well as personal preference.
Make sure you take note of the Lumens/length along with the LEDs/length of each strip you research, as this will have a strong effect on light quality and the type of light the strip gives off.
LED Strip Colors
Our LED strip lights come in a wide range of single colors as well as multi-color strips (RGB or RGBW). The most basic LED strip lights are our single colors that only emit one fixed light color. We offer them in: Warm White, Neutral White, Cool White, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Pink, and Ultra Violet (UV).
The color-changing strips are called RGB strips. These LED lights can display any Red-Green-Blue combination color. The color-changing strips use multi-colored LEDs so that they can change colors to your liking. RGB Strip lights are the most common color-changing lighting we carry.
The one color RGB lights can't create is white. That is where RGBW strip lights come into play. The LEDs on the strip alternate between RGB and White diodes so that the light can produce multi-color effects but also a normal white for when you need it.
Color Temperature
Color temperature is how we differentiate the various white colors that an LED can produce. Temperature indicates how 'warm' or 'cool' the light appears. Temperature is measured in Kelvin with higher temps representing cool colors (blueish hue) and lower temps representing warmer colors (yellowish light you would expect from a bulb).
Tunable white lighting is becoming a very popular trend in lighting. This type of strip will offer multiple CCT colors on one strip and require a special controller much like RGB lighting. Instead of making vibrant colors across the rainbow, tunable white lighting can transform the feel of your room from a 2700K Warm White all the way up to a 6500K Cool White. We go over our tunable white lighting options in-depth in our Tunable Lighting Guide.
Installation of LED Strip Lights
When buying light strips for an application, you should always have an idea of how you will mount them and set them up. For some strips like the DC LED Flex Strips, it is as easy as exposing the adhesive backing and sticking them onto a clean surface. Other installations can be much more difficult for mounting, cutting, and wiring strips together. Here are some factors you should always keep in mind, we will get more specific farther on in this post when we talk about each individual strip:
- Know the total length of LED strips needed
- Know how many breaks will be in the lights or how many separate strips you need
- Know your strips' power and voltage requirements
- Flexibility of the LED strip lights
- Durability of the LED strips: Need Waterproofing?
- Decide whether other components such as connectors or extra wire are needed
- Decide how you will dim, control, or program the strips you set up
LED Strip Wattage
Another key factor in setting up your LED strips is knowing the wattage. First, you need to find out the wattage of the system you want to set up. Here at LEDSupply, we provide you with the wattage per length of the strip, so it is easy to find what your total wattage will be once you know how many linear feet you have. Finding total wattage will not only help you find an adequate power supply but will also let you know how much electricity you will be using with your new lighting setup.
Once you know the total wattage, you are ready to find a power supply. You will need a power supply for all our strips other than the Plug & Play options (AC5050 Strips and LED Rope Light). Plug and play strips have a power cord built onto them with a switching transformer in line, so there is no need for an additional power supply.
The first thing when looking for a power supply is knowing what input voltage your LED Strips require. The strips found at LEDSupply can be either 12V or 24VDC powered…just make sure you know what your strip needs and find a power supply with that output. Secondly, make sure the wattage of the power supply is at least 10% higher than the wattage your LED strips will consume. If there is no wattage listed on the power supply (there always will be on our site), it is a good thing to note that: Output Voltage x Amperage = Wattage of your power supply.
Buying LED Strips at LEDSupply
Now that we have gone over some of the basics of buying LED strip lights, it is time to look at the specific strips we carry. In the rest of the post, I will go over each strip in hopes to help you decide what strip is best for your application. This is the most important section of this post as it will help you find the strips best for your needs and will have all the info you need to set them up and complete your project.
DC LED Flex Strips
These 12-24 volt flexible LED strip lights are the most popular product for in-home lighting DIY projects and renovations. Thousands of customers and contractors just like you find these lights extremely helpful for both task and accent lighting around the home. There are a lot of complimentary accessories offered as well to make these strips very user-friendly.
What makes them so easy to use?
The strips are made with 3M double-sided adhesive backing for easy installation. Secondly, they sit at an extremely low profile. The strips themselves produce little heat so are perfect for tightly spaced applications. The strips are offered in 3-foot increments up to a full reel which is 16.4 ft (5 Meters) but they have cut lines along the strip for you to cut to more precise measurements.
DC Powered
The strips will take either 12 or 24 VDC input. The low voltage lighting makes it safe to set up for novices. Not only does it make the wiring and connections safer than straight AC line voltage but it also makes it possible to power them directly from batteries and solar systems! When powering in the home, just make sure you use a power supply or transformer that will change your AC line voltage to a safe DC voltage.
Waterproof Strips...or not
These flex strips are offered in three different styles of the strip. The flex strips most basic, bare-bones design is the IP20 style that is a flexible printed circuit board housing 5050 SMD LEDs with no protective coating. These strips are great for areas where you don’t need to worry about any water or dust ruining the strip and electrical components.
The IP65 Waterproof LED strips are the IP20 base strip with a thin silicone layer on top of the flexible strip, these LEDs can withstand the elements. Waterproof strips are recommended for outdoor lighting, patio lighting, bathroom lighting, and under cabinet lighting where moisture or dust can collect.
The best protection the strips come in is IP68 which can be fully submerged in water or kept in high heat environments like saunas or steam rooms. You can see how the steps up in protection also add to the size of the strip below.
Standard, High or Premium Density
The standard DC flex strips have two different density options. The standard density strips have 30 LEDs/M and their brighter upgrade, the High-Density strips, have double the LEDs, 60 per Meter!
Premium strip offerings like our COB Spotless Strip lights and Tunable White Strips have up to 512 LEDs/M and produce a seamless source of light with no spots. These are great for high-profile lighting projects and especially excel when the lights are around reflective surfaces like granite or glass.
Obviously, those looking for the brightest light should migrate to the high-density strips but be careful to look at the differences between the options in the table below.
| Density |
# of LEDs |
Lumens |
Wattage
(per Reel) |
Cuttable |
Max. Run |
| Stand. (SD) |
30/Meter |
540/M |
27 Watts |
Every 4" |
32.8 Ft. |
| High (HD) |
60/Meter |
1080/M |
40 Watts |
Every 2" |
16.4 Ft. |
Standard Density flex strips are great for use in tight spaces or when used for indirect, accent lighting. They are clearly not as intense as the higher density so they are better for applications where less light is more. Examples of this are shelf lighting, backlighting, and stair lighting.
The one big advantage of the 30 LEDs/M Strip is they can be connected end to end up to 32 ft—DOUBLE that of the high density. This is a definite benefit to the lights, helping those decide that need longer lengths and don’t care as much about the brightness.
Remember how we talked about light quality earlier and how it depends on the brightness of the LEDs as well as LED density (LEDs/M)? Well, the high-density strip uses the same exact diode on the strips but double the amount, therefore delivering a quality light much more powerful than the standard density strips.
The high-density strips are a significant upgrade from the standard density if you are looking for more light output. These are mainly for applications that have higher ceiling coves and you need more light or if you are using them as a main source of light in a specific area. The light output is fantastic for task lighting of all kinds and you will probably even want a dimmer to adjust it down when needed.
12 volt LED flex strips are super simple to use. There are many options, however, that can make the task seem overwhelming to some. If this LED strip interests you and you would like to learn more about setting this up yourself, then follow our Guide to Installing 12V LED Strip Lights. This guide is specific to DC Flex Strips and goes over all the information and helpful accessories you will need to set up your lights!
AC LED Flex Strips
Perhaps you want to just plug something in and go, if that is the case the AC Plug & Play LED Strip Lights are just for you.
These strips are slightly wider than the DC-powered strips, sitting at 9/16" wide and 1/4" tall. Don’t worry about the size increase as these pack a lot of light with 20 LEDs per foot giving off 180 Lumens in that span. The best part? These are plug-and-play strips, just buy the length you want, plug it into a wall receptacle, and these babies are ready to go!
The other big advantage of this style is that they can run in continuous lengths up to 150 feet!! This makes it so you can run longer lengths without any issue. The strips cannot be cut in the small intervals that the DC Flex strips can but they can still cut every half-meter. If you have a gap in your application, you can easily choose a strip-to-strip jumper to fit the gap and keep your light going seamlessly.
The mounting isn’t quite as easy as the DC flex strips as they do not come with adhesive backing. Luckily, they come with mounting clips (1 per 3 feet) to mount to the surface. For those not wanting to deal with clips or want the LED strip in a very tight, straight application the 3-foot mounting tracks would be a good choice to set the LED strips up.
If you are running longer lengths (75' and up), it will be a good idea to consider AC LED strips. These strips run much better over distance, and there won’t be the need to purchase multiple power supplies and dimmers as they can run straight from 110-120AC line voltage. Take a look at our AC5050 Review which goes into further detail on using these strip lights.
LED Rope Light
Alright, we have moved past flex strips now and are into a slightly different type of linear LED, LED rope light. Unlike the flat, ribbon-like flex strips, this LED Rope light is encased in a 1/2" diameter round rubbery plastic. The encasing makes for a waterproof rope light that can bend in all directions and has Omni-directional LEDs. This means that, unlike the LED Flex Strips that emit out the top, these LED Rope Lights emit all around the whole rope, there is no backside or area where you cannot see the light. The Rope Light is not nearly as bright but works great for dim accent lighting or just a nice added touch to your outside deck, patio, garden, etc.
This LED Rope Light is like the AC LED Flex Strips in the sense that it can plug straight into a standard wall outlet and run from 120VAC. They give
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