LED strips are one of the main innovations that LEDs have brought. They’re versatile and can be soldered onto flexible conductive strips, creating a light ribbon you can use in any area.

LED strips are energy-efficient and flexible, and we can use them in various ways. 

So what are the LED Strips? And what should we consider while buying them? 

What is an LED Strip Light?

LED strip lights consist of individual emitters functioning on a low voltage mounted commonly by 9-18 LEDs per foot onto a flexible circuit board.

They are available in various colors, brightness levels, and lengths. 

They ship on a long reel (typically 16 feet) with a width of half an inch and include a double-sided mounting adhesive that is easily peelable. 

They are cuttable as needed based on the usage and can be attached to any surface, even curved ones.  

Things to consider when buying LED Strip Light?

Before deciding on which LED stript, you should invest in, let’s dive into some of their features to understand what should we be looking for: 

• Brightness: We measure LED brightness in LUMENS. You will likely want to ensure that you get a strip with the right level of lumens, depending on how you want to use it, but know that anything less than 200 Lumens per foot would only used for accent lighting.
• Density: When buying LED strips, it’s essential to look at the number of LEDs in length. For brighter output and higher light quality, you’ll want to look for strips with the highest amount of LEDs per foot or meter. High output strips have 60 to 120 LEDs per meter.
• Colors: LED strips can be either single colors or multicolors. In single colors, we can find them in White(Neutral, Warm, Cool ), Red, Green, Blue, Pink, etc. While multicolors, also called RGB or RGBW strips, can display any combination of Red-Blue-Green and white. PCB Type: When we talk PCB, we mean the printed circuit board that can be bendable, making the strips flexible. But a rigid PCB will be the best if you are looking for self-supporting installation strips. We can find these rigid strips in under cabinet lighting and inside LED fixtures. 
• Cutting pitch: LEDs are mounted onto a flexible PCB material, and then along the length of the strip, the strip is spaced at intervals of a cutting position between the LEDs. This position is useful for cutting the strip and providing solder points for supply. This is particularly important when finding the right 
• Certification: Make sure that the power adapter has ULC certification for safety. 

Categories of LED Strips

Now that we have seen some LED strips’ characteristics let us check the most common categories.

• DC LED Flex Strips: Flexible strips with a low voltage, usually 12-24V, can be cut every 2 inches and are easily mounted to the surface. They are waterproof and are available in multiple types of outputs.
• AC Plug & Play LED Strip Lights: These can be plugged directly into the outlet (Plug and Play). These strips offer much longer lengths than the DC Flex strips; they can reach up to 150 feet!
• Rope Light: Plug and Play; the Rope lights can be perfect for dim lighting as they present a low brightness level. They are encased and Omni directional.
• High Output LED Strips: High-powered Rigid LED strip lights. They come with an onboard driver so that you can plug them into a straight 24V power input!

How to Install LED Strip Lights?

Now that we know the categories of each LED Strips, we can start installing them, so let’s take notes on what we should take into consideration:

• We should measure the length needed for the light strips.
• We should know the strips’ voltage and power.
• We should Determine the maximum power consumption of the LED strips.
• We should check if the strips are in contact with water.
• We should purchase a power supply that is rated at least 20% more than the power requirements of the LED strips.
• We should see if there are bends along the same plane, as it might be better to cut the strip and solder connectors for the corner.
• We should evaluate what will be illuminated, is an extrusion needed? Is a diffusing lens needed?

Conclusion

LED Strips are becoming more and more popular for what they can offer in terms of lighting ideas and flexibility. 

We supply commercial LED strips to suit your project requirements. Available in various sizes and different colors. 

Please get in touch with us for any more information about all your LED Strips needs; our experts will be glad to assist you.