These days, there are countless options when it comes to LED strip lights, so we have made it easier for you to focus your search. There is an LED strip for everyone, whether you’re looking for primary, energy-efficient lighting to reduce your electricity bill, voice-activated lights that pulse to the beat of your music, mood lighting for social areas, or more.
Long circuit boards with surface-mount device light-emitting diodes (SMD LEDs) are known as LED light strips and add illumination to any space. The strips typically have an adhesive backing for simple installation and are also known as LED tape or ribbon lights.
Many different interior design projects can benefit from using some of the best LED strip lights options, including recessed lighting, television backlighting, and kitchen countertop illumination with undercabinet lighting. Here are some of our favorite LED strip lights, ranging from simple, standard lighting to incredibly customizable setups.
10+ Best Led Strip Lights – Our Top Picks
Finding a high-quality LED light strip is a common objective, regardless of the type you require. To simplify your search, we tested a range of LED light strips. As a result of testing, we selected the following products as some of the best on the market based on the purchasing above criteria, price, efficacy, and reputation. One of these, arranged by type, might be what you need to illuminate your home.
1. Maxonar LED Strip Lights Works
This kit provides all the essentials for a daytime lighting project. As someone with over a decade of experience working with LEDs, I can confidently say that I’ve never encountered a kit as impressive as this one.
This LED strip kit offers an impressive 32.8 feet of length, which is more than sufficient to cover large areas. What sets it apart is the density of LEDs; with 600 LEDs in total, it’s noticeably brighter than many other kits with only 300 LEDs. The 60 LEDs per meter ensure vibrant and consistent illumination.
The waterproof feature is a huge plus with IP65 rating. I tested it outdoors, and it withstood light rain and mist without any issues. The thick gel protection to prevent direct contact with the lamp beads is an excellent safety measure, especially for families with children.
The compatibility with the Smart Life App and Amazon Alexa is a game-changer. Controlling the lights with voice commands is incredibly convenient. The ability to turn them on/off, change colors and modes, and adjust brightness with ease makes it a truly smart lighting solution.
With access to a whopping 16 million colors, this kit allows for limitless customization. Whether it’s for the kitchen, bedroom, or holiday decorations, the Maxonar LED Strip Lights are versatile and suitable for a wide range of settings. I highly recommend this kit for anyone looking to elevate their lighting game.
2. Govee Smart LED Strip Lights
The Govee Smart LED Strip Lights have proven to be an excellent addition to my bedroom, and they have significantly transformed the ambiance in my living space.
Setting up these LED lights couldn’t have been simpler. All it took was peeling the adhesive tape from the back of the lights and sticking them to a clean surface. The included 5 support clips provide extra security, ensuring the lights stay in place.
The Govee LED strip lights offer an extensive range of colors. Whether I want a calming, warm atmosphere or an energetic, vibrant one, these lights can effortlessly adapt to my mood. What’s even better is the automatic color-changing feature, which adds an extra layer of dynamic lighting to the room.
The ability of these lights to sync with music is a standout feature. Using the app or control box, the LED strip lights respond to the beat of my favorite songs, creating a visually engaging and dynamic lighting display. It’s a fun and exciting way to enjoy music.
The lights feel well-made and durable, giving me confidence that they will last a long time. This durability is essential for long-term enjoyment and value.
I would highly recommend these lights to anyone looking to enhance the ambiance in their living space, whether for personal relaxation or social gatherings. These lights have become an integral part of my room’s decor, and I’m thoroughly pleased with their performance.
3. Philips Hue Bluetooth Smart Lightstrip Plus
I recently purchased the Philips Hue Bluetooth Smart Lightstrip Plus, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations in many ways. As someone who’s already familiar with the latest generation of Hue lights, this product delivers the same high quality and feature-rich experience I’ve come to expect.
The ability to shape, bend, curve, and cut the lightstrip to my desired size is a standout feature. This flexibility allowed me to install it precisely where I needed accent lighting, and the result was impressive.
Bluetooth connectivity is a game-changing feature. I was able to set the mood instantly using the Hue app on my smartphone. Whether it’s for a cozy evening, focused work, or a burst of energy, the lightstrip’s 16 million color options and preset scenes had me covered.
For those who have a Hue Bridge, this lightstrip can be integrated for an even more comprehensive smart lighting experience. While I haven’t connected it to a Bridge yet, I can already see the potential for enhancing my smart home setup further.
4. Nexillumi 100Ft LED Strip Lights
The 50-foot Music Sync LED Light Strip from Nexillumi uses 540-LM LED lights to create the ideal accent for a room or entertainment center. The light strip can be cut to any length and placed anywhere, thanks to the two flexible 25-foot light strips and several straight and L-shaped connectors.
Due to the lower brightness of these LEDs, the best light output can be achieved with only 27 watts of power. For completely customizable color selection, responsiveness to music beats, and brightness optimization, download the Ehome Light app. A remote with the same features is also provided for those who are uneasy using smartphone applications.
In the kitchen, we tested these lights. Since the Nexillumi strips aren’t coated, their lighter weight assisted the adhesive in holding them in place beneath the upper cabinets. Even though they don’t produce a lot of light, it’s enough to enhance visibility and serve as accent lighting.
The remote could have been better, but the app worked well. The remote only sometimes worked and needed to be pretty close to the TV for it to operate.
5. Wyze WiFi LED Strip Lights
The Wyze Light Strip is the way to go if you’re looking for a very affordable light strip packed with versatility and control. This option has an integrated microphone to sync with your music and lets you set color temperatures automatically based on the time of day. Additionally, you can control and group strips using an app. The best part is that a 16.4-foot strip costs less than $20.
Wyze Light Strip installation is simple, thanks to the adhesive and clips that come with the kit. Even better, you can cut it to the precise length required for the location. Thanks to the Wyze app, you can quickly experiment with the RGB colors and tunable whites after finishing the setup.
Additionally, it has a WiFi controller that works with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, making it simple to control the strips with your voice, whether at home or away.
6. PANGTON VILLA Led Strip Lights
The Pangton Villa LED TV backlight with remote is intended for TV backlighting and comes in four strips with adhesive backing for straightforward installation. The 540-LM lighting is ideal for creating the right atmosphere while watching a scary movie or playing your favorite game in front of the television.
Because the light strip connects directly to a television through a USB port, there is no need to be concerned about wattage requirements. In the absence of a USB port on a TV, connect an adapter to the wall outlet. Then, utilize the included remote control to dim the lights or select from 16 different colors.
However, remember that this light strip kit is only intended to be used with televisions or computer monitors and is most likely not a good choice in other circumstances.
During our testing, the Pangton Villa LED Strip Lights stuck well and never slipped. As they are ideal for backlighting a TV, they provide subtle accent lighting, earning them our selection as the best TV LED light strips.
Although it’s a guess as to what each button does, the remote control isn’t difficult to use. In addition, the light strips have flexible connectors that allow them to be divided into sections so that they can be made to fit a TV. This feature proved helpful during installation.
7. Elgato Light Strip
The Elgato Light Strip is made for people who are into game streaming because it will enhance the appearance and atmosphere of your stream, increasing its attractiveness to your audience. You have an intuitive central command when connected to Elgato’s Stream Deck that allows you to change your lighting setup to match the mood of whatever you’re doing or synchronize it with the action of your game. Of course, you can always make changes on your PC or phone in addition to the Stream Deck.
The Elgato Light Strips is >6.5 feet long and extends up to 32 feet, providing 2000 lumens of light in both full RGB and white. Additionally, it is fragile, can be customized in size, and has a powerful adhesive, making it ideal for fitting in small spaces. Additionally, these LEDs are flicker-free for smooth footage if you’re concerned about distracting flickering during your streams.
8. Govee 65.6ft RGBIC LED Strip Lights
This Govee strip light couldn’t be any simpler to install whether you want to add accent lighting to your kitchen, bedroom, or workspace. First, download the Govee Home app and Bluetooth-pair your strip lights to get started. From there, you can select from 64 different lighting scenes or use Govee Light Studio to make your effects.
Our experts love that this light strip has segmented color control, which lets you assign different colors to specific sections of the light strip to produce a rainbow-like effect, even though we haven’t tested this pick in the lab. Additionally, you can dazzle your party guests by matching the colors of your strip lights to the beat of the music!
Remember that this model isn’t Alexa or Google Assistant compatible, but you can choose a comparable Wi-Fi-enabled model instead. If you require compatibility with smart homes, use Govee strip lighting.
9. Outdoor Led Strip Lights Waterproof
You’re interested in a versatile, waterproof 12 Volt LED light strip for marine and home use. This LED strip offers great brightness without putting a strain on the battery. Whether you want to light up your patio, add some flair to your watercraft, or use it for outdoor parties, this LED strip has you covered.
This 12V LED light strip is perfect for lighting up various spaces, from your home patio to your watercraft. Its brightness adds a nice touch without draining your battery excessively. Whether you want to enhance safety on your watercraft or create an inviting atmosphere, the possibilities are endless.
The LED strip boasts an impressive IP68 waterproof rating, making it suitable for both marine environments and outdoor use. You can confidently install these lights outdoors, and they can even be submerged underwater. This level of waterproofing allows you to illuminate spaces like your bait tank for fishing, boats and the colorful lights add excitement to night fishing.
It’s important to note that the IP68 strip doesn’t come with 3M tape on the back due to the adhesive’s potential weakening during long-term storage. To ensure secure installation, it’s recommended to use third-party adhesives such as RTV (B0002UEPVI), clips (B0975M4G1R), electrical tape, or glass glue. This way, you can enjoy a reliable and long-lasting installation.
10. Ehomful Battery Powered LED Strip Lights
Ehomful Battery Powered LED Strip Lights come in packs of two, each measuring 6.56 feet. They are powered by three AA batteries (not included), making them safe to use and touch. These lights are portable and suitable for DIY projects. To activate the lights, turn on the switch located on the battery pack.
This LED strip lights feature an integrated controller with three buttons for quick and easy operation. The Mode Button offers 20 dynamic modes, including jumping and gradual color changes. The Color Button provides 20 static color options like Red, Blue, Green, Purple, and White. The Speed and Brightness Button lets you adjust the speed across 8 levels for dynamic modes and the brightness across 7 levels for static colors.
Installing these lights is straightforward and doesn’t require any tools. Just ensure the mounting surface is clean and dry, then peel off the double-sided tape and firmly fix the LED strip in place using it.
The cuttable LED strip lights allow you more creative freedom during installation. You can cut the strip every 3 LEDs along the marked cutting points. Customizing the length of the LED lights is possible, and when connecting different sections, make sure the arrows on the lights are oriented in opposite directions.
How to Choose the Best LED Light Strips: Important Factors
When looking for the best LED strip lights, there are many features to consider, from color and size to intended use and brightness. To ensure that the LED strip you choose meets or exceeds your expectations for the intended application, we have compiled several factors based on many years of experience and testing, please keep in mind the factors we have summarized below before making a purchase.
Where is it used?
Before selecting a product, it is crucial to decide where the LED light strip will be installed. Certain layouts are designed for specific purposes, such as illuminating stairs or providing backlighting for televisions. These distinctions set them apart from the typical LED light strip because of their specialization. For instance, a product designed to backlight a TV might include four precut pieces and syncing options that precisely match the colors of the TV’s screen.
Additional location considerations include water resistance for patios, dimmer compatibility for bedrooms, or motion sensing for a hallway, bathroom, or stairwell. Finally, before making a purchase, give even a more general installation of LED strip lights for ceilings or walls some thought so you don’t end up with a speciality item that isn’t intended for the location you intend to use.
Flexibility
The flexible circuit board in most light strips allows them to run over curved surfaces and around corners. Due to their flexibility, some LED light strips can be bent up to 90 degrees without causing circuit board damage.
But as an LED light strip’s power increases, its flexibility declines, and some light strips have completely rigid designs. As a result, these frozen products are frequently much shorter than the typical light strip—sometimes only 1 foot—and significantly brighter.
Length
Light strip lengths typically vary from 1 to 32 feet. In general, their length tends to be inversely related to their brightness and intended application. For instance, LED light strips for stair lighting or television backlighting are typically shorter for more straightforward installation.
Low-brightness LED light strips with about 300 LED lights can be up to 32 feet long. The exact number of LED modules may be present in high-brightness LED light strips, but they are typically only about 16 feet long. However, most flexible LED strip lights can be cut with scissors to fit small spaces. In addition, pieces of LED tape can frequently be connected to create the desired length if longer LED tape is required.
Brightness
The density of LED lights within 1 meter determines the brightness of an LED light strip, which is expressed in lumens per meter, or LM.
It can be challenging to calculate brightness, so some manufacturers omit this information. However, the average brightness of the light strip can be determined by noting the LED density. Standard-density (SD) light strips have 30 LEDs per meter (9.1 LEDs/foot), and high-density (HD) light strips have 60 LEDs per meter (18.3 LEDs/foot).
SD light strips have a typical output of 540 LM and consume 27 watts of power. They can grow to a length of 32.8 feet. High-density (HD) light strips have a maximum length of 16.4 feet, provide an average of 1,080 LM, and require 40 watts of power.
Wattage
The energy needed by a light strip to operate at maximum brightness is measured in watts. Therefore, a light strip won’t work correctly and frequently produces a much weaker light if it needs more energy than the power source can supply. LED light strips can be hardwired directly into the home’s electrical system, powered by batteries, or by power adapters plugged into wall outlets.
The wattage requirements for LED light strips with lower brightness requirements, like a 540-LM strip, are also lower. A 16.4-foot, standard-density light strip needs 27 watts of power, while a 16.4-foot, high-density LED light strip needs 40 watts. As brightness requirements rise, so do power requirements.
Color and Color Temperature
The color of a light strip is an important consideration. While some light strips only come in a single color, others may offer millions of color options. Your personal preferences will solely determine which color you select.
Lower numbers denote warmer color temperatures, and color temperature is expressed in degrees Kelvin (K), which describes how warm or cool a light’s color appears. For example, a typical incandescent bulb has a warm 2,700K temperature, whereas natural daylight has a much more relaxed 6,500K color temperature.
Operation
In the past, LED light strips were either hardwired into the electrical system to work with a light switch or hooked into a power outlet and operated with a button. However, LED light strips have significantly improved since they were first created.
There are light strips with Bluetooth, WiFi, remotes, or mobile phone app connectivity options. The lights can be programmed to sync with the music, the brightness and color can be changed, and schedules for waking up, getting home from work, and going to bed can be established.
While simpler models with just one color might only have a remote to turn the light on or off, smart-home ecosystems like Amazon Alexa or Google Home allow voice commands to control LED light strips.
Extra features
If you plan to use your strip lights for entertainment, consider getting ones with a built-in microphone to match the lighting beat to your music or ones with multiple dynamic color modes. Choose strip lights with motion sensors or ones that can be set to a timer if you want them to turn on automatically. Finally, choose strip lights that are WiFi enabled and work with your preferred smart assistant if you want to integrate your smart home.
How We Examined the best LED Light Strips
We studied reviews of LED strip lights and put various light strips to the test using a set of standards that included requirements for illumination, installation, performance, and durability. We determined the lights’ rating after assigning each one a score between 0 and 4.
Depending on the design, light strips were put into a kitchen or onto a TV. Installation and operation guidelines from the manufacturer were followed. We tested the LED strips for two and a half weeks to better understand their functioning and adhesive power. Finally, we linked the lights to the corresponding apps and tested the features to determine their utility and usability in daily life.
We established lighting schedules, developed lighting themes, and changed how and when the lights were used based on the features of each product. As a result, we could determine which specific settings worked best and how well the lights performed by installing them in actual applications.
Why trust in us?
Our team handles product testing and everything related to technology, smart homes, audio, and more. The best devices to hit the market are tested and reviewed by us to stay current with industry innovations and assist our readers in making better purchasing decisions.
FAQs
The pros and cons of LED light strips are both quite numerous. However, the solutions to these frequently asked questions may be helpful whether you’re looking for LED strip lights for kitchen cabinets, bedroom lamps, or both.
1. Is it simple to install LED strip lights?
LED strip lights don’t require complicated wiring and are generally simple to install. Most strip lights are plug-and-play, so all you need to do to use them after installation is plug them into an outlet.
Choosing the layout, adjusting your strip lights to the proper length, and attaching them to the wall, ceiling, or another surface with the peel-and-stick backings will be the most challenging parts of the process. Some users report using additional adhesive to prevent the strips from falling off. Always ensure the surface you’re working on has been thoroughly cleaned and dried before applying your strip lights.
2. Are LED light strips safe?
As long as they are installed and used by the manufacturer’s instructions, LED light strips are secure. For instance, some lights should not be installed where they can get wet, and indoor lights should only be installed inside.
3. Can LED light strips be used without being plugged in?
Yes, LED light strips must remain plugged in to function. One battery-operated cordless model, though only a 16-inch strip, was tested.
4. How long can LED light strips be operated?
LED light strips can operate nonstop for extended periods. As a result, they get warm, but because they are built to underdrive the LEDs, they don’t get too hot.
5. Are LED strip lights compatible with dimmer switches?
Most LED strips are compatible with dimmer switches. However, an LED light strip can only be made dimmable by connecting its input wire to a dimmer unit and then connecting the dimmer unit to the power source.
6. What is the level of durability for LED strip lights?
Most LED light strips are designed to operate for up to 50,000 hours or roughly 10 to 20 years.
7. What are the benefits of using LED strip lights in a pool?
Pool lights using LED strip lights offer energy efficiency, vibrant colors and long life, enhancing the aesthetics of the pool while consuming less power than traditional lighting.
8. Can LED strip lights be used to create special lighting effects or designs in the pool?
Yes, LED strip lights can be creatively arranged to produce various lighting effects, such as color-changing patterns, gradients, and dynamic animations, adding a unique visual dimension to the pool environment.
9. What should I Do If My LED Strip Is Too Long? Can I Cut It?
You can cut LED strip lights as long as you do so along any cutting lines present—which may be solid, dashed, or dotted, depending on the manufacturer. The cutting lines represent the ends of each circuit in the strip. Because of this, cutting along that line doesn’t interrupt a circuit.
10. How do I measure the dimensions of my room to ensure the right LED strip lights length?
To measure the dimensions of your room and ensure the right LED strip lights length, follow these steps:
- Use a measuring tape: Start by acquiring a measuring tape, preferably a retractable one, to accurately measure the dimensions of your room.
- Measure the length: Begin at one end of the room and extend the measuring tape along the wall to the opposite end. Note down the length in either feet or meters.
- Measure the width: Move to the adjacent wall and measure the width of the room in the same manner as before. Again, record the measurement.
- Measure any additional sections: If your room has any nooks, corners, or alcoves where you plan to install LED strip lights, measure those sections separately.
- Consider height: While LED strip lights typically run along the walls, you may also want to determine if you need lights on the ceiling or baseboards. Measure the height accordingly.
- Calculate the total length: Add up the lengths obtained for each section to determine the total length of LED strip lights needed.