Understanding high-quality LED strip lights is the first step to transforming your space with customizable and energy-efficient lighting.
No lighting options come closer to the experience and performance we get from LED strip lights.
Generally, high-quality LED strip lights involve mounting high-performance light-emitting diodes on a flexible strip.
These lights offer a sleek design that is easy to install, consumes minimal power, and has a long lifespan.
Surprisingly, almost 90% of the input energy and power will be converted to useful light energy, something you’ll never get with traditional lighting options.
Moreover, the lights present a dynamic lighting effect allowing you to adjust the brightness and color to achieve your desired effect.
Today’s article focuses on high-quality LED strip lights to help you choose the best lighting solutions. Let’s get rolling!
What Are LED Strip Lights
LED strip lights are flexible strips with light-emitting diodes mounted on them using adhesive-backed tape.
Generally, light-emitting diodes produce light when electrons and holes in the semiconductor recombine as current passes through.
These lights emit a vibrant and bright illumination while consuming less energy than alternatives like incandescent, high-pressure sodium, and metal halides.
We have LED strip lights in different lengths, and you can extend or cut them to fit your lighting requirements.
Moreover, their high flexibility means you can curve and bend them to fit different surfaces, including irregular ones.
Nowadays, you can find LED strip lights in multiple colors, including blue, green, white, red, and RGB.
And with some options, you’ll get programmable controllers and color-changing capabilities, allowing you to change brightness/intensity and create dynamic lighting effects.
Another benefit of LED strip lights is their extended lifespan which could range between 50,000-100,000 hours.
Furthermore, they don’t emit much heat; replacement isn’t common, like incandescent options.
Features of High-quality LED Strip Lights
(Decorative LED strip lights in the ceiling)
A high-quality LED strip light has the following features.
Energy Efficiency
An important feature of LED strip lights is their high energy efficiency. Generally, LEDs produce light by recombining electrons and holes, emitting less heat but yielding more light energy.
Research shows that LED strip lights convert at least 90% of the input electricity into useful light.
This high energy efficiency contributes to a low carbon footprint and reduced electricity costs.
Color Options and Brightness
LED strip lights are available in various color spectrums, allowing users to create a vibrant color effect to suit their needs.
Also, they have various brightness levels that guarantee optimal illumination for your intended area.
Surprisingly, these lights have a better light brightness than traditional options like incandescent and fluorescent lights.
Longevity and Durability
Generally, LED strip lights are created with high-quality materials that withstand harsh environmental conditions like high moisture, humidity, and dust.
Surprisingly, the light-emitting diode alone will last for at least 50,000 hours or more.
Therefore, you won’t have to do frequent maintenance and replacements like in incandescent lights.
Control/Dimming Options
One good thing about LED strip lights is the ability to dim to create the required brightness level and desired ambiance.
This way, it becomes easy to regulate the energy consumption. Moreover, the lights are compatible with different control options, including wall switches, smart home automation, and remote controls.
Easy Installation
(A person installing LEDs)
You’ll find high-quality LED lights easy to install thanks to an adhesive backing that enables you to install them on almost any surface.
Also, they come with cutting points or connectors, making them easy to adapt and customize to fit different shapes and lengths.
Uniform Lighting
There is no way you’ll get pleasing illumination without uniform lighting. Fortunately, manufacturers design LED strip lights with even lighting without dark areas or hotspots.
Therefore, you’re likely to achieve consistent illumination, thus creating a seamless lighting experience.
Safety Features
(Shining LED strip lights)
Safety should always be a top priority when dealing with electronic products, including LED strip lights.
Fortunately, manufacturers design these lights with safety features like short circuits, overcurrent, and overvoltage protection.
The aim here is to facilitate safe LED light operation and limit any damage cases.
Extra Features
We have many high-quality LED strip lights with extra features like outdoor-rated designs, synchronization with sound, and programmable effects.
Such features usually improve the strip light functionality and present creative lighting designs.
How To Choose Your Best LED Strip Lights
(An unconnected LED strip)
The choice of the best LED strip lights should center around the features we have described above.
But generally, below are the critical consideration to make an informed LED strip lighting decision.
Determine your lighting needs: First, consider the purpose of the lighting, whether it’s for general ambient, task, or accent lighting.
This is where you consider your preferred color temperature or brightness.
Flexibility and length: Secondly, consider that strips can easily bend to fit different surface types.
Moreover, measure the area you intend to install the LED to purchase the right LED strip length.
Reliability and quality: Reliability and quality is a factor that depends on the manufacturer more than anything else.
Therefore, choose a reputable brand and manufacturer. You can identify them by seeking referrals from friends or checking online reviews.
But generally, a reliable LED strip light is one with a high color rendering index.
Energy efficiency: Choosing an energy-efficient LED strip light helps to limit environmental impact and save on power costs.
Therefore, consider LED strips with a higher energy efficiency rating (lumens per watt).
Dimming options: We recommend choosing LED strip lights that allow you to control the lights and, if possible, connect to control systems.
Ease of installation: Generally, choosing LED strip lights with connectors, adhesive backing, and mounting clips will make installation easier.
Budget considerations: Expect the quality of an LED strip light to increase with price. However, it would help if you limit yourself to your set budget.
FAQs
What are the two types of LED strip lights?
The main types of LED strip lights are flexible and rigid LED strip lights. With flexible LED strip lights, you have light-emitting diodes mounted on a flexible PCB.
Therefore, it becomes easy to bend them and make installation on any type of surface.
Conversely, the rigid options are housed in an aluminum profile and have a solid, inflexible structure that doesn’t bend.
And while flexible strip lights are mainly used for decorative applications, rigid ones find significant applications in direct illumination.
How long will your LED strip lights last?
The overall lifespan of LED strip lights varies based on factors like operating conditions, usage patterns, and LED quality.
However, if you invest in a high-quality strip light, expect a lifespan of about 50,000 hours to 100,000 hours.
Therefore, if you limit them to 8 hours daily, expect them to serve you for about 17-34 years.
Are LED strip lights energy efficient?
Absolutely yes! LED strip lights are by far the most energy-efficient light option, especially when compared with conventional options like incandescent lights.
Generally, these lights convert over 90% of their input power into light. As a result, you’ll experience reduced power consumption, thus lower energy costs.
Final Remarks
You will likely buy and install a vibrant lighting solution by understanding LED strip lights.
Generally, these lights present a high energy efficiency you’ll never find in conventional options like fluorescent lights.
While conventional options offer only about 10% efficiency, the LED light will deliver over 90%.
And what’s more, they’re easy to install and provide the best safety and dimming features.