The Ultimate LED Strip Light Guide

LED strip lights are an extremely popular lighting solution. However, there are many things to consider, such as which strip is best for your application, what is the correct power supply, or how to install them. If you’re struggling with any of the problems listed above, then you are in the right place! Our ultimate strip lighting guide will assist you with any strip light-related questions you may have.

One popular type of strip light is the SMD (surface-mounted device) LED. In an SMD LED light strip, a series of chips are mounted and fused onto the circuit board with space in between each chip. Chip types are designated by their size in millimeters, with the most common being 2830, 3528, and 5050.

These strips are bendable, versatile, and customizable. SMD LEDs can be cut or soldered together to fit the exact length you need. 

Another option is COB (chip on board) strips, sometimes called dotless or spotless strip lights. In a COB strip, the individual light chips are placed closely together and covered with a phosphor diffuser over the top to make an even, continuous glow. The strip remains flexible which allows it to be applied on rounded or sharp application areas. Like standard SMD strips, COB LED strips can be cut at designated marks or soldered together.

COB strip lights are especially useful when you cannot hide the strip behind anything and you don’t want the individual LED chips to be visible. They can also reduce hotspots if you place these lights close to highly reflective surfaces.

Strips are classified as non-weatherproof, weatherproof, or waterproof. The type of strip you need is determined by the environment where your strips will be installed. Each strip has an IP rating indicating the size of solids and the pressure of liquids a strip can resist.

Indoor strips have a rating lower than IP64 and are not intended for locations where they could be exposed to water. Common indoor LED strip light installations include under-cabinet lighting, above-cabinet lighting, pantry lighting, cupboard lighting, bookshelf lighting, cove lighting, and bias lighting. You can make indoor strip lights waterproof with aluminum channels and proper weatherproofing accessories.

Outdoor strips are rated IP64 and above. They’re designed for a variety of applications, such as landscapes, vehicles, motorcycles, decks, walkways, patios, gazebos, and railings. Submersible, underwater strips must be IP67 or above to protect internal components from water damage.

Depending on how continuous you want your light to look, choose from low, standard (medium), or high-density LED strip lights. Strip light density can be found by looking at the LEDs per foot, with high-density strips having more LED chips per foot and low-density strips having fewer. Since lower-density strips have more space between each light chip, they emit less light but require less power to run. COB strip lights have the highest density of any strip light type.

The total brightness of an LED strip light, measured in Lumens per foot (lm/ft), depends on two main factors: chip density and power draw. Strips with a higher density of LED chips will appear brighter than a lower density strip pulling the same amount of power. However, a lower-density strip can appear to have a similar brightness as a high-density strip if it uses a higher wattage per foot.

CRI (Color Rendering Index) indicates how accurately an artificial light source reveals an object's true colors compared to natural daylight. The closer a light’s CRI is to 100, the better the color rendition. High-CRI strip lights are great for retail shops, jewelry cases, supermarkets, food and meat cases, museums, galleries, and other applications where accurate color rendering is critical.

Similar to CRI, the TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index) measures how accurately a camera is able to interpret colors under an artificial light source. This is especially important for videography and photography applications.

Before selecting your strip lights, you must first determine how long of a strip you need. Measure the length of all areas where you will install your strip lighting and add up the total length. LED strip lights are most commonly available in set lengths, but select styles are available in custom lengths. Once you have the total length of strip lights you need, you must figure out the maximum run of your strip.

Max run is the maximum length a strip light can extend from a single power source without experiencing an excessive voltage drop. Voltage drop occurs when a circuit gets so long that the voltage at the end farthest from the power source is not strong enough to push enough power down the strip. The result is that LED chips at the end of the circuit get dimmer than those at the beginning of the circuit. 

Many factors can affect the max run of your LED strips. If your strip lights have a higher light density, such as a COB strip, then the max run will be lower since there are more components causing the voltage to lower. On the other hand, strips with a higher voltage, such as 24V, will have a longer max run because there is a lower current draw.

There are several ways to avoid excessive voltage drop.

1. To double the length of the max run, connect power from both ends of the strip light.
2. Power multiple runs by wiring each additional section back to the power supply instead of the previous strip. After you’ve wired your next section to the power supply, you won’t need to run back to power again until you’ve reached the maximum run for the new section.
   1. For example, if you need a continuous 49-foot run of strip lights for a project and your strip light has a maximum run of 16 3/8 feet, you must wire the strip back to power twice after your initial connection—once for every 16 3/8 feet of strip lighting. Make sure your power supply is rated to support the amount of power the strips will draw. Do this by looking at the amp or wattage rating. You can either run the wire from each strip to the power supply or controller, or you could use one run of a higher gauge wire and splice each strip into it using a “T” Tap Wire Splice Connector.
3. Another option to avoid voltage drop is to install an LED amplifier between the maximum runs of strips. These devices amplify power from the end of one strip to the beginning of the next to avoid any power loss and extend the maximum run of LED strip lights. See examples of how to use an amplifier in our cove lighting and pool lighting articles.

Your strip light’s voltage will depend on your specific application and where you want to install it. Strip lights are available in 12V AC, 12V DC, 24V DC, 36V DC, 48V DC, and 120V AC, with 12V strips being the most popular. AC (alternating current) strips are typically used for landscaping applications or when the strip is hooked up directly to the mains. 120V strips are usually exclusively used in commercial applications.

Strips with a higher voltage typically have a longer maximum run. Whichever voltage you choose, you will need a power supply that matches the voltage of your strip light.

To determine the power supply you need, you must know the total length of strip lights you need, your strip light’s voltage, and the watts consumed per foot. Then, use our power supply calculator or use the equation explained below.

• The total wattage of your LED strip lighting must be at least 20 percent less than the power supply's rated wattage. For example, if your LED strip light requires 80 watts of power to run, you'll need a power supply rated for at least 96 watts.
• Take the length of your LED strip in feet, multiply it by the watts consumed per foot, and then multiply by 1.2.
• This will give you the minimum-sized power supply you’ll need to run your strips. Because power supplies are available in a variety of wattages, take the number you came up with and find the closest power supply that is rated for a wattage higher than that number.

For more information, see the post How to Choose the Best Strip Light Power Supply. Please note that power supplies are not needed if you are connecting a strip light directly to the mains or a vehicle's wiring system.

Your controller and dimmer must be compatible with the type of strip light you have. For example, if you have an RGB strip light, you must also use an RGB controller; otherwise, you may lose some of the functionality of your strips. We offer a range of single-color, tunable white, RGB, and RGBW controllers. 

The type of strip and controller you choose will determine what you can control, including the colors, modes, speed, and brightness. Some controllers even offer music sync abilities. For more information, read our guide on how to choose the best controller and dimmer for your strip light.

Depending on your installation, you may need certain accessories. To join strip segments, use pigtail connectors or interconnect jumpers. CPS adapters allow you to easily connect strip light wires to a power supply. We also carry extra wire for covering gaps in an installation area, mounting clips, adhesive foam pads, silicone tubing, end caps, heat shrink tubing for waterproofing, twist-on wire connectors, and more.

There are three main ways you can mount strip lights:

1. Adhesive Backing: If your strip has a peel-and-stick adhesive backing, you can quickly and easily apply it to any surface. Be sure to clean the installation area and peel off the strip backing as you install it. If the area you wish to adhere your strip to is not entirely smooth, you can use a 3M Adhesion Promoter which allows your strips to adhere better to the installation surface.
2. Mounting Clips: For added security or if you don't want to use adhesive, use strip mounting clips to permanently attach strips to a surface.
3. Aluminum Channels: Create your own light fixture with an aluminum profile housing, end caps, and a lens. Also known as strip extrusions, aluminum channels give LED strip lights a clean, finished look. There are many advantages to using aluminum channels, including increased durability, improved light distribution, and the channel acting as an efficient heatsink. LED linear extrusions are available in various types designed for certain applications, such as recessed, surface-mounted, corner-mounted, or edge-lit installations. Click here to learn how to create a fixture with aluminum channels.

The easiest way to connect different segments of strip lights is to use solderless connectors. Many different solderless connectors are available, including clamp-on connectors and jumper connectors. CPS connectors, splitter cables, and angle connectors all allow you to connect strips to power supplies, controllers, or other strips.

Soldering is another way to securely and permanently bond LED strip lights together. You’ll need a soldering iron and solder. When soldering strips together, you might need scissors, additional wire, and silicone sealant for waterproof and weatherproof strips that have been cut and will be rejoined. You can watch our step-by-step tutorial here.

Yes! To easily install strip lights around a corner, either solder a small run of wire between the strips, use a solderless L connector, or bend your strip lights in a 90-degree pinch or fold. Watch our tutorial here.

Yes, if your strip light is too long for your installation area, you can easily cut it at predetermined cut points. Simply locate the copper pads and cut them with scissors. This method works for most strip light types, including COB strips, SMD strips, flexible neon strip lights, and waterproof strip lights. To keep your waterproof strip's rating, be sure to use the appropriate weatherproofing accessories. Learn more here.

Super Bright LED's is one of the top online retailers of LED strip lights. Browse our wide selection of strips below, or reach out to one of our product support specialists with any questions you may have. Call us at 866-590-3533 or Live Chat during regular business hours: Mon-Thurs 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT and Fri 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT.