Everything you need to know about LED strip lighting

LED strip lights provide a convenient, economical and environmentally-friendly way to light up your home or office just the way you want. LEDs are one of the most efficient light sources on the market, offering around 50,000 hours of light, or the equivalent of six years of continuous use. Using LED strip lights, it’s possible to create light and dark areas to suit the moods and needs of any space.

What is LED strip lighting?

LED strip lighting refers to a versatile form of LED lighting which can be used to light a range of settings, including both outdoor and indoor spaces. LED strip lights consist of strips of flexible circuit board featuring lots of very small LED light emitters; they are usually bought as a roll of lights which can then be cut to size and mounted using a double-sided adhesive backing. LED strip lighting is available in a wide range of colours and brightness levels, and because of the unique way the lights are used, it is very easy to create all kinds of light effects and displays using one or multiple rolls of LED strip lights.

The design and function of LED strip lighting make it a popular choice for homes, offices and retail premises. A typical roll of LED strip lighting is around half an inch wide, but strips can be applied in multiples to create lit up areas of all widths and sizes. The strip’s flexible circuit board also means that lights can easily be installed on all kinds of surfaces, including curved and uneven ones, and LED strip lights can be mounted very quickly by simply peeling the back layer off the strip and sticking the lights to the desired surface.

Which type of LED strip lighting is best for me?

There is a huge range of LED strip lighting available on the market, and the best kind to use depends very much on what is needed and where it is being used. LED strip lighting can be used for a variety of purposes including outdoor lighting, workspace lighting, alcove lighting, wardrobe lighting, and ambient lighting.

Indoor vs outdoor strip lighting

LED strip lights are commonly used both indoors and outdoors. For outdoor installation, it’s important to check that your chosen LED strip lighting is water-resistant to ensure that it can withstand rain and frost; you can look at the light’s IP rating to get an idea of how protected it is from water and other particles. Our Concho LED strip is ideal for outdoor applications. For indoor applications, take a look at our Boa, Krait and Adder LED strips.

IP ratings

IP ratings refer to Ingress Protection, or the level of protection a product has against small particles such as sand, dirt, and dust, as well as liquids. It’s important to check the IP rating of LED strip lighting to ensure it’s safe for use in your chosen environment. An IP rating consists of two numbers; the first ranges from 0-6 and correlates to protection against solid particles such as dust, and the second ranges from 0-8 and indicates protection against liquid particles. While lower IP ratings are fine for strip lights used in protected indoor environments, higher IP ratings will be needed for outdoor use or indoor areas with heavy splashing, contact, or debris.

LED brightness

Depending on whether you’re lighting an area for clarity or ambience, you may want bright lighting or soft lighting. The brightness of your LED strip lights is measured in lumens, and most good quality LED strip lights will put out 1500 lumens per metre, though fewer lumens than this might be acceptable for spaces requiring dimmer lighting.

White vs coloured strip lighting

LED strip lights come in a range of colours. White is the most common and widely used, perfect for most indoor settings, but even within shades of white, there are many different LED lighting strips to choose from, some featuring warmer or cooler shades of white. With tunable white strip lighting, you can adjust the colour temperature from warm white, to natural white and cool white.

RGB strip lighting is also available, providing even more flexibility, allowing you to choose from a wide range of colours. This can be used effectively in various applications, including optical displays and children’s rooms.

Smart LED strip lights

If you want your LED strip lights to be controllable via smart technology hubs such as Google Nest or Amazon Echo, it’s possible to buy smart LED strip lights which can connect to a range of digital devices to give you greater control over your home lighting. If you’re looking for smart LED strip lighting, take a look at the OCTO WiZ Venom.

How much LED strip lighting do I need?

Determining the amount of LED strip lighting you’ll need requires you to measure the space in which you plan to install the lights. When measuring, remember that LED strip lights are mounted on a roll of thin circuit board, so wider arrays will need to be achieved by running multiple strips of lights side by side. If you’re unsure how much LED strip lighting you need, you can use our LED strip calculator to help you.