There are many features to consider when shopping for the best LED strip lights, from color and size to intended use and brightness. Before purchasing an LED light strip, consider keeping the following factors in mind to ensure your choice meets or exceeds your expectations for the intended application.

Location of Use

It’s essential to determine where the LED light strip will be installed before deciding which product to use. Some designs meet specific purposes, such as stair lighting or television backlighting. Because of this specialization, they are different from the average LED light strip. For example, a product intended for backlighting a TV may come with four precut pieces and television-specific syncing options that change color to mimic the colors on the screen.

Length

Light strips are available in a variety of lengths, typically from 1 to 32 feet. The brightness and intended purpose usually correlate to their length. For example, LED light strips intended for television backlighting or use on stairs tend to be shorter for easier installation.

Low-brightness LED light strips can be up to 32 feet long with about 300 LED lights. High- brightness LED light strips may have the same number of LED modules, but they’ll usually only be about 16 feet long. However, most flexible LED strip lights can be cut using scissors to accommodate small areas. If longer LED tape is needed, pieces can often be connected to customize to the desired length.

Flexibility

Most light strips feature a flexible circuit board that can bend around corners or run over curved surfaces. Some LED light strips are so flexible that they can be bent up to 90 degrees without damaging the circuit board.

Brightness 

The brightness of an LED light strip is measured in lumens per meter or LM and is dictated by the density of the LED lights within 1 meter.

By taking note of the LED density, the average brightness of the light strip can be found. Average light strips come in two densities: standard density (SD) of 30 LEDs per meter (9.1 LEDs/foot) or high density (HD) of 60 LEDs per meter (18.3 LEDs/foot).

Color and Color Temperature

The color of a light strip is critical to keep in mind. Some light strips come in only one color, while others can have color selections that range in the millions. The color option that you choose is entirely dependent on your personal preference.

Color temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin (K) and describes how warm or cool a light’s color appears, and lower numbers indicate warmer color temperatures. The soft glow of an average incandescent light bulb is a warm temperature of 2,700K, while natural daylight is much cooler, averaging 6,500K.

Wattage 

Wattage is a measure of how much energy the light strip requires to function at its optimal brightness. If a light strip requires more energy than the power source is capable of providing, it won’t work correctly, often producing a much weaker light. LED light strips operate using batteries, using power adapters plugged into wall outlets, or being hardwired directly into the home’s electrical system.

Operation

In years past, LED light strips were hardwired into the electrical system to work with a light switch or plugged into a power outlet and controlled with a button. However, LED light strips have come a long way from their original design.