What is CRI?
The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a metric that measures how accurately an artificial light source reproduces the true colors of objects in comparison to how colors appear in natural sunlight. Measured on a scale from 0 to 100, a high CRI value signifies that a light source emits a wavelength that mimics the color accuracy of natural light, ensuring true-to-life color representation. In contrast, lights with a lower CRI have spectral differences, often around red wavelengths, resulting in muted color perceptions. A light’s CRI quality can be broken down into the following:
- Poor CRI: 70-79
- Good CRI: 80-89
- High CRI: 90-96
- Ultra-High/Excellent CRI: 97+
The graphs below show the difference in spectral graphs between light with a good CRI (80+) and one with a high CRI (90+). The high CRI light includes a broader range of colors than the good CRI light. All of our High CRI LED strip lights have a CRI of 90 and above, ensuring they reproduce colors similarly to how they appear in natural light.
Where Can You Use High CRI Strip Lights?
High CRI strip lights are best used in applications where high color accuracy is important. For example, portrait studios, art museums, and photography studios can use high CRI strip lighting to showcase the true, vibrant colors of artwork and photos. In a retail setting, retail stores, display cases, jewelry stores, and restaurants should utilize high CRI lighting since the hues of clothing, merchandise, and food are most accurately shown.
For home use, use these strips for task lighting in your kitchen, bathroom, or around your vanities. High CRI tape lights are also beneficial to individuals with light sensitivity because artificial light with a broad spectrum range over red wavelengths creates a more visually comforting setting.
What to Consider When Choosing High CRI Strip Lights
Water Resistance
Our high CRI strip lights are available in waterproof and non-waterproof options. For use in damp and wet environments, select a strip light with an IP rating of IP64 and up. For applications where the strip light bay is submerged, select a waterproof strip light with an IP rating of IP68. Otherwise, a non-waterproof strip light will be sufficient.
Density
The density of LED chips on your strip light will determine how continuous your lighting will look. Low-density strip lights have fewer LED chips per foot, whereas high-density stripes have more. A COB (chip on board) strip light offers a continuous line of light without hotspots.
Voltage
High CRI strip lights come in a wide range of output voltage options, making them suitable for residential and commercial use. If you require a longer run, using a higher voltage strip light will help reduce excessive voltage drop.
Rows of LEDs
Most strip lights have one row of LED chips, but high CRI strips are also available with 4 rows of LED chips for powerful illumination. Multi-row strip lights are a great option for cabinet, vanity, showcase, and photography lighting where brighter lighting is needed.
Color Temperature
We offer high CRI strips in cool white, natural white, and warm white single CCT colors. For greater flexibility over the display color, opt for our tunable white light strips. If you like the look of incandescent lights, choose our dim-to-warm strips that dim to 1800K at half brightness to fully dimmed.
Benefits of Using High CRI LED Light Strips
LED strip lights are incredibly easy to install and customize. They can be cut at designated cut marks, allowing you to adjust the strip length to fit your specific installation needs. These flexible lights can be bent and curved around various surfaces, making them an extremely versatile lighting solution.
Our High CRI tape lights use 3M™ adhesive backing to stick to under cabinets, walls, vehicle interiors, display cases, and other solid surfaces easily. Also, LED chips use significantly less energy than traditional lighting sources, offering higher energy savings and lower power consumption.
