The Ultimate LED Strip Light Guide: Selection, Installation, and Tips

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.

What Are the Different Types of SMD Chips?

The most common chip types are 2835, 3528, and 5050:

• 2835: This chip is 2.8mm wide and 3.5 mm long. It is generally brighter and more efficient than 3528 and 5050 chips. 

• 3528: This chip is 3.5mm wide and 2.8 mm long. It emits less output than 2835 and 5050 but has high energy efficiency. 

• 5050: This chip is 5.0mm wide and 5.0 mm long. It produces more light than the 3528 chip and is the only one capable of producing RGB colors. 

Color Options

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

• 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, stair lighting, cove lighting, and bias lighting. Waterproof indoor strip lights with aluminum channels and proper weatherproofing accessories.

Outdoor Strips 

• Outdoor strips are rated IP64 and above. They’re designed for various 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. COB strip lights have the highest density of any strip light type.

Brightness

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.

• TLCI (Television Lighting Consistency Index): Measures how accurately a camera interprets colors under an artificial light source. This is especially important for videography and photography applications.

Before selecting your strip lights, determine how long of a strip you need. Measure the length of all areas where you will install your strip lighting and add 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 needed strip light length, determine the maximum run. 

• Max run is the maximum length a strip light can extend from a single power source without experiencing an excessive voltage drop when powered from one end. If your strip lights have a higher power rating then the max run will be lower due to the higher current traveling through the thin copper traces. 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.

• Voltage drop occurs when a circuit is too long compared to the size of the conductor, and the voltage measured at the end farthest from the power source is lower than at the beginning of the strip. This causes the LED chips to gradually dim the further they are from the power source.

There are several ways to avoid excessive voltage drop.

• To double the length of the max run, connect power from both ends of the strip light.

• 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 the power again until you’ve reached the maximum run for the new section.

• 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.

• 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.

12-Volt vs. 24-Volt

12-volt and 24-volt are very common options for strip lights. The max run and application types are the most important elements to determine if you need a 12-volt or 24-volt light strip.

• 12V light strips typically have a max run length of 16.4 feet or 5 meters, whereas 24V light strips can have a max run length of 32.8 feet or 10 meters or higher. 

• 12V strips are best suited for smaller projects, such as in vehicles and DIY installations. 24V strips can be used for larger installations in commercial spaces and warehouses. 

Installing a poor-quality driver or an incompatible power supply can cause flickering throughout your strip lights, which can cause eyestrain. Ensure you choose a power supply with the appropriate minimum wattage. To do this, you must know the length of the strip lights, the voltage, and the watts consumed per foot. Then, use our power supply calculator or the equations explained below.

1. Your LED load must be at least 20 percent less than the power supply's maximum rated wattage. 

2. Multiply the length of the strip (feet) by the watts consumed Divide the total by 0.80. 

3. This will give you the minimum-sized power supply you should use. Because power supplies are available in various wattages, take the wattage you got and find the closest power supply rated for a wattage higher than that number.

For more information, view our blog How to Choose the Best Strip Light Power Supply.

Note: Power supplies are unnecessary if you connect a strip light directly to the mains power 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 LED strip light controllers and dimmers.

Depending on your LED strip light installation, you may need certain accessories. Pigtail connectors or interconnect jumpers join strip segments. CPS adapters 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. Clean the installation area and peel off the strip backing as you install it. If the area you’re adhering your strip to is not entirely smooth, use a 3M Adhesion Promoter to adhere the strips to the surface.

2. Mounting Clips: For added security or if you don't want to use adhesive, use strip mounting clips to attach strips with screws permanently.

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:

1. Increased durability

2. Improved light distribution

3. 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 using solderless connectors. Many different solderless connectors are available, including clamp-on connectors and jumper connectors. CPS connectors, splitter cables, and angle connectors 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.

Follow the steps to learn how to solder LED strip lights:

1. Get all the required supplies– wire cutter or stripper, power wire, soldering iron, scissors, solder, and LED strip light. 

2. Double-check that the power wire is compatible with the LED strip light. Different styles of strip lights will require different styles of wire.

3. Unplug strip lights from the power source if plugged in. 

4. Cut your strip lights along the copper pads at the needed length.

5. Pre-tin the wires by adding a little solder to each wire.

6. Add a small amount of solder to the copper pads. 

7. Connect the wires to the contact point on the strip. 

For a more in-depth and visual explanation, 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. Just follow the three steps below.

1. Measure your area to determine the length you need.

2. Locate the copper pads.

3. 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, 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.