LED strip for the kitchen - choose wisely and install quickly. LED strip lighting: advantages, choice of equipment, installation rules

LED lighting for the interiors of apartments and houses is gaining increasing popularity. There are different ways to approach issues related to lighting. Some prefer to turn to specialists for the selection of suitable equipment and its installation. Others decide to show their creativity and do it themselves. Due to the relative ease of installing LED backlighting, this is quite possible, but to achieve the desired result, you need to take into account some features. The first question that arises is how to choose a strip that suits your desires among the large number of varieties of LED strips? We will talk about this in this article.

1) Installation location of the LED strip.

First you need to decide on the room where the LED strip will be installed. An open LED strip is suitable for LED lighting of ceilings in rooms, kitchens, hallways and corridors. To illuminate bathrooms, due to high humidity, only sealed LED strip is used. To illuminate the working surface of tables in the kitchen, as well as when installing an LED strip at a small height from the floor, for example, illuminating stair steps, floor lighting, it is also recommended to use a sealed LED strip, because During wet cleaning, water may get on it or it may be damaged mechanically. We will talk further about the selection of LED strips for specific rooms.

2) Type, brightness and power of LED strip.

The next step is to select the LED strip according to the required brightness. One of the factors influencing the brightness of the strip is the type of LEDs. The most common LED strips are SMD3528 and SMD5060 (sometimes also called SMD5050). LEDs of the first type have a body size of 3.5x2.8 mm and contain one semiconductor crystal. LEDs of the second type are larger in size - 5.0x5.5 mm - and contain three crystals in one housing. Accordingly, SMD5060 LEDs are almost three times brighter than SMD3528 diodes. Also, the brightness of an LED strip depends on the density of the LEDs on it. There are standard density LED strips, double density (2x) and double row double density LED strips (2x2). For strips with SMD3528 LEDs, these are 60, 120 and 240 LEDs per meter, respectively. For strips with SMD5060 LEDs - 30, 60 and 120 LEDs per meter. The table below shows the most common tapes in order of increasing power and, accordingly, brightness.

It is also worth noting that the luminous flux of 1 W of LEDs is approximately equal to 100 Lm, i.e. LED strips with a power of up to 10 W per meter are well suited for lighting. And LED strips with a power of more than 10 W per meter are already suitable as the main light or for illuminating dark surfaces with low reflectivity.

3) Color of the LED strip, type of its connection.

We decide on the color of the backlight - do we want the backlight to be white or one constant color of the glow. Or do we want to change the color of the backlight depending on our current desires and preferences?

If we need white backlighting, then we also need to decide which one. The fact is that white light can be of different shades (with different so-called color temperatures of the glow): cold white (10000K-6500K), white (6500K-5500K), daylight white (4500K-4000K) and warm white (3500K- 2700K).

For decorative lighting, a colored LED strip is more suitable; it can be monochrome (one color) or multicolor (RGB). Note that the RGB LED strip can only be equipped with large SMD 5060 LEDs.

To connect a single-color LED strip, you only need a power supply and the strip itself. If you want to adjust the brightness of the light, you will need another additional device - a dimmer for the LED strip. To connect a multicolor LED RGB strip, you will need not only a power supply and a strip, but also an RGB controller, which controls the color and brightness of the RGB strip.

The power supply must be selected in accordance with the supply voltage of the LED strip (12V, 24V, 36V), its power and length.

To calculate the required power of the power supply, you need to multiply the length of the tape connected to the unit by its power consumption per meter and add a power reserve (10-25%). The reserve is necessary for reliable operation of the system. For example, (10m x 7.2W) x 1.25 = 90W. Since there is no power supply for an LED strip with a power of exactly 90 W, a unit with a higher (but by no means less) power of -100 W is suitable.

How to choose an LED strip for a room.

Typically, LED lighting for different rooms in an apartment or house has different purposes, for example, room lighting is mainly decorative, and kitchen lighting is practical.

The most common option for using LED strip in a room is curtain or stained glass ceiling lighting, lighting of walls, floors, niches or curtains. Such rooms have normal humidity, so LED strip without moisture protection is used here. The purpose of such lighting is most often decorative, so almost any type of LED strip can be used and the choice depends only on the required brightness and color. Backlighting using an RGB LED strip and an RGB controller will look impressive.

How to choose an LED strip for the kitchen.

The use of LED lighting in the kitchen is quite widespread. It is not only decorative, but also practical. In addition to all the applications in ordinary rooms, which we wrote about above, lighting of cabinets and kitchen worktops is used. An interesting and unusual option for using LED strip in the kitchen is LED lighting of the lower (floor lighting) and upper parts of the cabinets. Base cabinets are typically mounted on legs, which are then covered with a panel or left open. An LED strip is attached to the bottom of the cabinet and illuminates the floor. For such lighting you need to use a sealed LED strip, because... Water may get on it, for example, during cleaning.

To illuminate the top of the cabinets, you can use an open LED strip, because... it is attached to the top of wall cabinets and is practically not exposed to external influences.

Well, now let's talk about practical and functional LED lighting. You can highlight not only the space above and below the cabinets, but also inside them, which is not only beautiful, but also functional. An LED strip for illuminating cabinets from the inside can be connected so that it turns on along with the main kitchen lighting, or it can be used together with special sensors. There are several types of sensors, including sensors that respond to opening a cabinet door, to touch, and even contactless ones - to turn the light on or off, you just need to move your hand next to them, which is very convenient if your hands are wet or dirty.

Even more practical is illumination of the work surface. Usually, when cooking, the light source is behind your back, so the work surface is closed from light, so LED lighting of the kitchen work surface will come in very handy. It is installed under wall cabinets. It is important to position the LED strip so that the light falls straight down, or at an angle and does not hit the eyes directly.

There are several ways to organize work surface illumination:

1) Sealed LED strip, which is simply glued to the bottom of the wall cabinet.

2) Ready-made LED. They are simply mounted using clips or double-sided tape, have a touch switch and are easily joined together to form a chain of lamps. There is an LED strip inside the lamp; the top is covered with a plastic screen, which can be matte or transparent. We recommend choosing a matte screen, because... with it, the LEDs are not so visible, the light is more diffused and will not irritate the retina.

3) Assembling an LED lamp with your own hands. To do this you will need an LED strip (or LED strips) and. Our catalog contains a wide selection of aluminum profiles of different shapes and screens for them.

A white LED strip is used to illuminate the work surface. But it is worth considering that products look as natural as possible when illuminated with daylight white light, and when illuminated with warm white light they look even fresher and better than they are. Cold white food looks less appetizing.

How to choose LED strip for the bathroom.

Due to high humidity and the risk of water ingress in the bathroom, sealed LED strip is usually used.

LED lighting in the bathroom is most often used to illuminate the ceiling and walls. But there are other options, for example, lighting niches and mirrors. Mirror lighting can be either background lighting (backlit glow behind the mirror) or illuminating the space in front of the mirror. In the second case, the illumination made behind the mirror, on which the amalgam layer (reflective surface) has been partially removed, looks impressive.

How to choose LEDs for a nursery.

When choosing a design for a children's room, parents usually strive to create an environment that will bring an atmosphere of joy, warmth and comfort into the child's world. In this case, much attention should be paid to the lighting of the nursery. For a child’s room, bright but soft light is best, psychologically comfortable and at the same time not harmful to the baby’s eyes. And if you have chosen LED technologies for lighting your apartment, pay attention to white LED strips in warm and moderate tones. To adjust the brightness of the glow, you can use a dimmer - an electrical power regulator. There are devices of both the classic model (a mechanical regulator built into the wall in a standard switch size) and modern dimmers with an electronic control system and remote controls.

Colored LEDs can be a special joy for your baby. If instead of conventional white LEDs you use multicolor RGB+W LED strips as the main lighting, the possibilities for decorative lighting of the room will be truly limitless. By experimenting with the RGB controller, you and your child can create a variety of color combinations, turning the room into a children's fairy tale. And white LEDs, also present in the LED strip, will help you use it for its main purpose. Also in the design of children's rooms, monochrome color LEDs are widely used, which can be used to illuminate furniture and interior elements.

LED strips for corridors and walk-through areas.

Places in the house such as corridors, hallways, and staircases do not need constant bright lighting. After all, people are not in these places all the time. However, often residents of a house or apartment have to cross such zones in order to get to a particular room, kitchen or bathroom. And it’s quite inconvenient if an unlit corridor awaits you every time on your way. What to do in such cases? Some prefer to keep lights on in walk-through areas around the clock, while others usually leave these areas dark.

However, the best solution to this problem is to use energy-saving LED technology. LED strips are the most economical light sources; they consume several times less electricity than conventional incandescent lamps. Place a moderately bright LED strip along the corridor or along the perimeter of a walk-through room, creating uniform illumination of the entire area. And to save even more energy, use a dimmer. This device will help reduce the brightness of LED lamps to a barely noticeable glow, which may be suitable for night lighting in an apartment.

Bedroom lighting with LED strips.

When lighting a bedroom, LED strips can be used both as additional lighting and as main lighting. To create a cozy atmosphere, many use colored LEDs as wall lighting, backlighting for mirrors and wall decorations, as well as for lighting the ceiling area hidden under eaves or using multi-level ceiling architecture. You can choose a variety of colors for lighting, limited only by matters of taste - modern LED technologies today make it possible to produce light sources operating in almost any spectrum. Using LEDs you can also create original furniture lighting or built-in cabinet lighting.

You can use a chandelier as the main lighting in the bedroom. However, why not use super-bright LED strips for this purpose? Today, LEDs can create comfortable, natural lighting for the bedroom with flexible settings. These are both white LED strips and multi-color RGB LED strips. Using dimmers and advanced RGB controllers, you can control the lights in your bedroom as you wish.

LED technology for the living room.

The living room is the heart of your apartment, the place where the family relaxes, relatives and guests gather. That is why many approach the design of their living room especially carefully. As a rule, this is the most spacious room in the house, so a variety of interior design ideas find room here. This also applies to the issue of lighting.

If you decide to use LEDs for lighting your living room, know: you made the right choice! With their help, you can create a powerful stream of natural white light, and fancy lighting hidden in the depths of a multi-level ceiling or under a system of cornices. It would also be a good idea to design interior lighting using LED strips. And if you use the living room as a room for family celebrations, you should think about purchasing multi-color LED strips for this room, which, if desired, can easily create a party atmosphere in the living room, being under the control of the owner, which he does using an RGB controller. For white LED strips, you can also use dimmers so that you can control the brightness of the light, choosing your comfort zone yourself.

Technology does not stand still. LED strips have replaced conventional lamps. They are used for many objects both indoors and outdoors. For this purpose, there are a huge number of varieties of such products. They allow you to create decorative lighting and can replace regular, full-fledged room lighting. In order not to get lost in the variety of offers that exist today, you need to familiarize yourself with the recommendations of experts. They will tell you how to choose the right type of LED strips for your home. It will be quite easy to create uniquely beautiful effects. The tapes are very easy to attach and connect. Each room has its own type of lighting fixture.

General characteristics

The LED strip has a second name. This means “light-emitting diode”. This design is quite simple. Certain types of diodes are located on a special tape.

High-quality products have a service life of about 100 thousand hours. Therefore, the first thing you should pay attention to when purchasing is the quality of LED strips for your home. How to choose (a photo of the lighting device is presented below) the optimal type of device, as well as how to operate it correctly, should be considered in more detail.

Diodes need heat dissipation during operation. If this does not happen, they will overheat and fail. Thus, special attention is paid to the process of connecting such products.

LED strips look very impressive when decorating street advertising, shop windows, and house facades. Indoors they are often used in the kitchen, as well as in living areas. The range of LED applications is very diverse.

Types of tape

When deciding how to choose LED strips for your home (photos of the devices are presented below), you need to study their existing varieties. Based on the type of glow, there are two types of products. These are SMD and RGB tapes.

The first option of illuminators includes single-color varieties. Moreover, there are white, blue, green, yellow and red types. There are three types of white: warm, cool and medium. Other single-color ribbons do not have shades or halftones.

RGB can create a wide variety of shades of light. Each ribbon element includes three colors. When they are combined in different proportions, all existing colors are obtained. These are blue, red and green diodes. Hence the name of the product - Red, Green, Blue (RGB).

To be able to control the glow of such a tape, you will need a special controller. It will allow you to set the hue, glow intensity, and color change mode. At the same time, the tape can produce flickering, running track, etc. However, it should be remembered that colored varieties cost three times more than ordinary monotonous products.

power unit

Without the right one, it won’t be able to work fully. There are two main factors influencing the choice. This is the power and voltage of the product. You need to pay attention to these characteristics when wanting to purchase LED strips for your home. A simple calculation will tell you how to choose the right type of power supply based on power.

This indicator is measured in W/m. To select an adapter, you need to multiply the energy consumption of each meter by the length of the tape. In this case, a small margin should be provided, for which the value obtained as a result of calculations is rounded up.

The product voltage is 12 and 24 V. The power supply is purchased in the appropriate category. Otherwise the device will not work properly.

Glow brightness

Light intensity is very important when choosing LED strip. If you want to create a decorative effect, duller varieties are suitable. But to replace conventional lighting, bright varieties are needed. Today this is a completely affordable option.

There are two factors that will answer the question of how to choose LED strips for your home. Bright lighting can be achieved by increasing the concentration of diodes per meter of LED, as well as increasing the size of each pixel.

These parameters are indicated on the label. For example, the number 3528 indicates that the height of the element is 3.5 mm and the width is 2.8 mm. The concentration of diodes depends on their size. For some varieties it may be rare, while for others it may be common.

White glow

When deciding how to choose LED strips for your home, you need to consider possible color options. White varieties are characterized by such an indicator as spectrum temperature.

Depending on the preferences of users, warm or cold tones of white are selected. There are many spectrum options for this type of tape. Some already have their own names.

Warm shades start at 2800 K, and cold shades end at 9000 K. Popular colors today are Cool White (bluish-white office), Warm White (yellowish-light home), White (industrial brilliant blue), Day White (yellow -white street light). The choice depends on the type of premises and the tastes of the buyer.

Colored ribbons

Colored varieties of LEDs are also designated by their spectral range. Each pixel may have certain individual characteristics. This must be taken into account when purchasing LED strips for your home. The interior design will tell you how to choose the right color.

The red tint is created by pixels with characteristics of 625 nm. Yellow color has an indicator of 590 nm. Green diodes have an inherent glow in the 525 nm range. Blue belongs to the 470 nm part of the spectrum.

Today there are such varieties of colored monotone ribbons as ultraviolet and pink. In the first case, the light belongs to the visible part of the spectrum at 400 nm. It is dangerous for your eyesight. Pink light is ultraviolet based, but is safe for the eyes.

Protection class

There are several types of protection levels that LED strips for the home have. Generally accepted standards will help you choose the right variety. This takes into account the humidity and contamination of the room.

For dry, clean rooms, a product with 20 is suitable. This is an open tape. If the room is not heated or the installation is intended to be used for floor lighting, it is necessary to select an IP class of 23, 43, 44.

If the product is selected for a specific microclimate in a bathroom or kitchen, where there is a possibility of contamination of the tape, preference should be given to LEDs with IP 54, 65, 68. Such diodes are hermetically protected by a silicone tube.

Manufacturers and reviews

When learning how to choose LED strips for your home, you need to listen to expert reviews. They recommend that you first evaluate the appearance of the product before making a purchase. If the diodes are soldered carelessly, you should not purchase the product - it is a low-quality device. Also, when the tape on which the diodes are attached is too thin and flexible, this indicates the fragility of the contacts. This device must be handled very carefully.

In addition, you should pay attention to the resistor. In high-quality, durable products, it has a resistance in the range of 150 Ohms (marking 151, 301). A bad assembly is indicated by an indicator of 100 Ohms (101).

High-quality but expensive tape manufacturers include Electrostandard and Gauss. Chinese Maxus and Feron are cheaper. In their category they are characterized by good quality.

Selecting tapes for each room

When considering how to choose LED strips for your home, it is worth considering the type of room. There are general installation principles.

For a work area in the garage, kitchen or office, you need to choose products with a bright white glow. To illuminate the ceilings, you should select monochromatic varieties. The tape can be mounted in a special profile. This will make the backlight dimmer.

For a bedroom or living room, you can use RGB varieties. This will allow you to create an original design. In a children's room it is better to use muted types of tape.

It is better to illuminate the table area using a lamp. Products protected from moisture are used in the bathroom.

Knowing how to choose LED strips for your home, you can create a uniquely beautiful design. Following the recommendations of experts, it will not be difficult to choose the best option. By correctly installing the appropriate type of LED, there is no doubt about the durability of such a product.

LED strips have long ceased to be a curiosity. People are increasingly starting to use them in their home interiors, car exteriors, etc. This is a fairly simple device (light source) to install and maintain. The store sells several dozen types and types of LED strips from various manufacturers. Which ones are better? What is worth buying, and where is it better to avoid the counter? Which brand is better? This is what we will try to talk about today.

In general, the LED strip market is constantly evolving and it is difficult to give any specific recommendations. But the general principle of choosing the best and good LED strips by type or type is still visible, and today I will try to point this out to you.

Types of LED strips by type of LED. The best of them

Tapes made on the basis of LEDs and LEDs are very popular. What is SMD and the design of these diodes can be found. In a number of technical specifications for the tape you can see 5060 or 5055 chips. In the store, customers often ask me the question, what kind of diodes are these and how do they differ from others? Everything is simple here - 5060 and 5055 are the same 5050, only they have longer chip outputs. You have to be careful here. Most sellers play on the ignorance of buyers and sell 5060 tapes to buyers under the guise of being brighter and better. This is not true. So be careful. All tapes are produced for 12, 24 or 220 V. They do not differ in anything special, except for the fact that a resistor is soldered into the low-voltage ones.

Also recently, LED strips produced on diodes 5630, 5730 and 2835 have become very popular. These are the latest generation LEDs and have an increased luminous flux compared to their predecessors. There are also tapes on other diodes, but they are not very common and have their own specifics. There is no point in dwelling on them, because... I almost never saw them in our stores. And this is not due to the fact that our customers would not purchase such a product. They are just specific and will take a long time to sell. And this is not beneficial to anyone. These include the side tapes of the 335 series.))) It’s not clear? That's what I'm talking about)

Each of the tapes that I mentioned above has its own characteristics and is used in its own “dioceses”. We should immediately clarify and understand when and where to use LED strips. Only after this can we draw a conclusion about which LED strips are better.

Depending on the LEDs mounted on the strip, we get brightness. For those who want to learn more about the characteristics of LEDs, I provided links earlier. In my material, I will only indicate the light characteristic - lumens.

Based on these data, we see that the most powerful and best tapes will be 5730 (5630) diodes. And this is where I start to “resist”. Best for what? For pool lighting? Yes! This is the best option (provided it is moisture resistant). For illuminating an aquarium or car interior - NO! Why do we need such bright light in an aquarium? Unless, of course, we are pleased with the “blind” fish. About the second case - I am a car enthusiast myself. And I also stuck a tape into the interior of the 5630. There was too much light, the space was small, it hurt the eyes. I had to install a less powerful one.

I hope that we have figured out that if we take the characteristics of illumination, then the strips with 5630, 5730 diodes should be considered the best, while 3528 can be considered the “poorest” luminous.

You can get confused and start “proving with foam at the mouth” that illumination is not just one characteristic and you should pay attention to the illuminated room and select the tape based on this, but I know from myself that this will not lead to anything. 99 percent of buyers buy BRIGHT ribbons. Regardless of where they want to place them. And only then do they begin to think. I’ll leave it up to them and simply provide data on where to use tapes with various diodes. And using this data is everyone’s decision.

And by the way, at work I printed out a similar table and placed it in a visible place))) The questions have decreased by an order of magnitude... But they still take the BRIGHT one))))))))))) They stand aside, choose and buy the BRIGHT one). I often wonder: “Why? The cost is three times more, you don’t need as much light, then why pay more?” The answer is the same for everyone - “Let it be. For the future...” Well, let it be) I get more profit)

These are not my personal whims or recommendations. These are the “wishes” of most tape manufacturers, who recommend installation locations. But you should still trust them, because... They and only they know their products well and where it is best to use them. And not grandmother Nyura, for whom her son bought tape 5730 for a bathroom of 5 sq.m. and now she thinks she is dying, because... the complexion in the mirror is no longer pink, but greenish-blue.

Well, let's stop on this good note. The best LED Tape strips in terms of illumination, the most common in Russia - on SMD 5630, 5730. The least luminous - 3528.

The best tapes are quality tapes

Quality. How can you figure out whether the tape is of high quality or not? This is a difficult question. This is most easily understood by professionals who work with LED sources constantly. Initially this is determined visually. well-made reels on which the tape is wound. Tape backing. Which company is the adhesive layer and a number of other indirect signs by which you can determine a high-quality tape from a low-quality one.

Millions of kilometers of low-quality tapes come to us from beyond the “Chinese border.” In their works of art, Chinese businessmen install their LEDs, with reduced crystals. And this, naturally, will lead to rapid degradation of LEDs. But this is not the worst thing. It’s scary when a manufacturer, knowing that they have installed LEDs with underrated characteristics, also forces them to work at exorbitant power levels.

There is another sign by which you can identify a poor quality tape - the presence of a gold conductor with a chip. Chinese artisans use copper to reduce the cost of the process. Another not unimportant problem is the poor quality of the phosphor. This is especially true for silicone. After rapid aging, cracks appear, moisture enters and the output oxidizes. The result is the same - the LED fails. Since the tapes are assembled in segments of three diodes, the segments will not work. In general, tapes with “bad” diodes work for no more than six months. Usually 2-3 months. Tapes with more or less satisfactory chips work at high currents for up to a year. But their brightness drops right before our eyes.

It is not uncommon to purchase strips with diodes that produce no more than 3 lumens, despite the fact that they are assembled on SMD 5050.

To protect yourself from low-quality products and choose good LED strips, you must first ask the seller about some information about the product.

How to distinguish a good quality LED strip from a bad one

The first is to require a certificate from the seller. Although, in our age of high technology and dishonest sellers, you can always be shown fake papers. So the presence of certificates is not always an indicator of a truly good LED strip.

Secondly, check the brightness of the diodes. Easily checked with a lux meter. Not suitable for everyone, because... Not everyone has it in their home. But it would be necessary. You don’t have to buy yourself an expensive device. All you have to do is buy a cheap one and use it. Moreover, it will always be useful to you. Once you decide to engage in LED lighting, you are unlikely to be able to refuse it. And the brightness needs to be checked. Someone will say that cheap Chinese “display meters” are not serious enough to work with and they only show the weather. I may disagree. Gentlemen from heaven have long learned to produce good goods. But we don’t need this. Having any lux meter device in hand, we should measure the illumination from any incandescent lamp at a distance of 50 cm. I would suggest 100W. These lamps have almost the same luminous flux. Remember the indicators and measure the tape or other light source in the same way. This way you can easily determine the difference between the illumination from an incandescent lamp and any other LED light source. This method, of course, is approximate, but it makes it possible to understand how much manufacturers are lying (or not) when indicating certain data on the illumination of the LED strip.

1 Good tapes include those produced on the basis of Epistsar chips. They are one of the budget ones and produce a good beam of light. If we take an SMD 3528 LED strip (60 chips per meter), we get a brightness of about 300 lumens per meter. Degradation, with proper operation, will not exceed 2-4 percent for every 1000 hours of operation.

2 I have already mentioned bad tapes above. A meter of homemade Chinese tape hardly reaches 200 lm. But everything would be fine. It seems cheap and would be suitable for illumination with beer, but the level of degradation is simply stunning. At least 20 percent for every 1000 hours of operation. Those. on average, after 1000 hours you can lose a quarter of the brightness of the tape. And this is already significant. And even if the diodes do not burn out, there will be little light from them and it will have to be changed. Not a bright prospect. Especially if the tape is installed in a hard-to-reach place.

3 Very good LED strips are also produced on Epistar chips, but with a brightness of at least 6 lm. Such devices are produced by honest Chinese gentlemen. The brightness on the same 3528 reaches up to 400 lm per meter. Already something! Degradation at a low level is no more than 1 percent per 1000 hours. But even such tapes have one significant disadvantage - the price. The cost per meter is almost 25 percent more than that of the “good” ones.

4 Well, the best LED strips are premium devices. They are difficult to find on the open market. For the most part, they are produced on special basis. order. Chips can be installed from various well-known manufacturers, including Samsung. With such diodes, the tape will be simply magnificent. The brightness per meter will be at least 500 lm per meter. But also the price...(1.5, or even 2 times more expensive than “good” ones).

I always suggest buying only these if you install tapes in hard-to-reach places, if the tape needs to be used as lighting, etc.

For simple lighting, a good Chinese one is enough. Fortunately, there are now a lot of them. You just need to choose correctly.

Tapes on more powerful SMD 5630 or 2835 are also available on sale. The advantage is low thermal resistance. Due to this, the service life of the latter increases. Again, Chinese bad diodes have crystals from 0.06 to 0.2 W in their housing, instead of the required 0.5 W. This can be immediately understood by the price. If you see on sale the price of such a tape is almost the same as 5050 or not much more, and the seller is also trying to assure you that technology is moving, crystals are getting cheaper, etc. - don't believe it. This is pure deception. A tape produced a priori with more expensive crystals cannot cost the same as its predecessors. This can never happen. Despite advanced technologies.

And I would like to draw your attention to the fact how else you can distinguish a bad LED strip from a good one, and maybe even a better one.

Good and bad LED strips on a printed circuit board

The types and types of tapes are off the charts in their diversity. Printed circuit boards on which LEDs are placed can also be made in various versions. Flexible printed circuit board (FPC) is very popular. And first of all, a simple buyer can easily determine and understand how bad the tape is - look at it closely. Many people believe that the quality of the diode strip is determined by the color of the mask. I don’t know where this statement came from.

The quality of an FPC board is determined only by the thickness and method of applying the copper conductors. Good boards have rolled copper, which is what you see on regular boards. FPC must be double sided. Such a tape has low resistivity, the voltage drop is the same along the entire length, and all chips have the same light. This is clearly visible when the tape is connected twice (on both sides).

In bad boards, copper is applied by sputtering. I won’t tell you what diffuse spraying is, and you don’t need it. The main thing is to understand and understand that such copper has a small thickness and a heterogeneous structure. Diode degradation can reach up to 90 percent.

Therefore, to check the tape, ask the seller for a piece of tape. They have special samples for this. Peel off the sticky layer and look at the underside. If the copper conductor is visible, then the board is double-sided and the tape is of good quality. Nobody will bother and release a tape with a good board and bad LEDs. If it is not clear whether the board is double or not, expose the area with the copper conductor on the front part. And scratch it with your fingernail. Sprayed copper will be erased quite easily. In this case, you can safely turn around and leave the store. Well, or look at another copy. But I don’t think that if a store has at least one cheap, low-quality product, then it will have a good one.

Well, that's all. We've looked at a number of principles for identifying good quality LED strips. I already talked about the best ones. One tape for one room will be considered the best, and the second, despite the fact that it is made with high quality, will not be the best use.

The best LED strips by manufacturer

Since there are simply an incredible number of tape manufacturers and I simply don’t know them all, I will focus only on those that I myself have encountered.

1 I would give the first place, of course, to European-made tapes - Sveteco, Cree, Joliet Technology, Geniled. This is not even discussed. And they can easily be classified as the best LED strips both in terms of quality and illumination.

2 If we take Russian manufacturers, then in terms of light quality I am most satisfied with the products from LEDCraft and LUX tapes from ArLight. LUX is more to my liking. Their products look better. And not only in terms of tapes. LEDcraft are simply good tapes. Without any pronounced pros or cons.

3 Despite the fact that there are already a lot of Russian and European-made tapes on the markets, many still want to buy cheaper. There are a number of Chinese stores for such comrades. where you can buy some pretty good tapes. In any case, they are no worse than Russian ones, but for the price they are very pleasing. The only thing is you need to wait up to 1 month. But you will get, if not the best, but a good LED strip for little money.

Description. Service life 3-6 months. Loses brightness quickly. LEDs often burn out. The tape is weak and comes off easily. The light is unpleasant, there is no joy from it. NOT suitable for ceiling lighting (that's why we don't have economy class LED strips).

How to recognize? Low cost (50 - 100 rubles/meter). There is no manufacturer's name on the packaging or on the tape. And she herself is thin, like a rag.

2. LED strip “Standard”

Description. Good, reliable tape. It will serve you for 3 years and will not lose its brightness. The tape produces pure basic colors (red, blue, green). But, unlike expensive luxury tapes, it doesn’t mix them well. You will not get pleasant, soft undertones with this tape.

For example, there is no yellow color. Instead - green. There is no cozy candle shade (everyone likes it) and other pleasant shades. Therefore, for this tape there is no point in using an expensive 60-color controller. There is a white light mode. But the light has a blue tint.

Application. If 7 colors are enough for you. If you do backlighting for no more than three years. If you have a chandelier and white lighting mode you do not need it. Then feel free to purchase Standard tapes.

How to recognize? The manufacturer is indicated on the packaging and on the tape. There is a 1 year warranty. When you take it in your hand, there is a feeling of good quality. Those. This is not a “rag” that you are afraid of accidentally tearing.

3. LED strip “Lux”

Description. Compared to the Standard tape, the light is much more pleasant. Brighter, more saturated, diffuses well and spreads softly across the ceiling. I just want to sit on the couch and admire this beauty.

In addition to the basic colors (red, blue, green), the tape perfectly conveys halftones (pink, orange, yellow, blue, etc.). Due to good mixing, the colors are rich and rich.

The most important! There is candle light (very pleasant, everyone likes it). For this reason alone it is worth purchasing it. Remember how, when you were a child, sometimes the lights would be turned off and your parents would light candles. There was something magical about it... Conventional LED strips either have no candle shade or are pale and not so atmospheric.

In white lighting mode, the light is really white, there is almost no blue (in conventional tapes, instead of white light, there is blue). Service life 10 years.

How to recognize? The packaging looks premium. Manufacturer indicated. Inside there is a passport in Russian. The name contains the word "Lux". 2 year warranty. The tape is thick, the wires are thick. There is a BIN color code on the packaging and on the tape.

White Light Mode

All multicolor ribbons have a white lighting mode. However, the light is not pure white, but a mixture of red, blue and green. Because of this, it has a bluish tint. Here is a photo where we compared the white light from different LED strips.

Multicolor Standard in white mode has a blue tint. Luxury is almost white. But she is significantly inferior to White Lux. White tape provides light that is closest to natural sunlight. In this light it is comfortable to read, write, and do business.

Conclusion:

For multi-color ceiling lighting, it is better to use a Luxury LED RGB strip SMD 5060 – 30 LED (60 LED). Because:

• Service life 10 years
• Produces 60 pleasant shades and midtones
• Has candle light (everyone likes it)
• In white light mode, the light is almost white
• Causes joy and improves mood

Every year new elements are included in the interior design of residential and special premises. LED strip for ceiling lighting has become one of them.

This functional decorative detail can transform even the most boring interior. Often it is able to shine in different colors, from which you can choose to suit your current mood or current situation.

LED strip is a flexible strip that can have a width from 5 to 50 mm. On one side of the tape there are LEDs and resistors, connected by electrical conductors into a single circuit. On the other side, it is usually covered with double-sided tape, onto which the strip is secured in the place chosen for it.

LED strips of different models have different numbers of LEDs, and they can also differ in size. If it is necessary to achieve greater lighting brightness, sometimes additional LEDs are soldered in the second or even third row.

Advantages of LED strip for ceiling lighting

This decorative lighting device has many advantages, and these include the following indicators:

• Affordable price of the kit and significant energy savings with sufficiently high lighting brightness.
• The ease of installation of such lighting equipment, which is quite possible to do independently, following the attached instructions.
• Wide choice of colors. LED strips can contain LEDs of the same color, for example, white ones - to enhance lighting or accentuate lines, or elements of different luminescence to create special moods in the room.

• Long service life, as high-quality LEDs can last 10 years or more.

Criteria for choosing LED strip for ceilings

LEDs used in strips

When purchasing an LED strip for ceiling lighting, you need to know what types of LEDs are used for this purpose.

The main types currently used for the production of luminous strips for ceilings are SMD 5050 and SMD 3028 LEDs.

SMD - these letters in the marking are an abbreviation for the name “Surface Mounted Device”, translated it means “surface-mounted device”, since the LED is securely soldered into the surface of the tape.

The numbers following the letters indicate the size of the LED in millimeters. For example, SMD 3028 is an element with dimensions of 3x2.8 mm, and, accordingly, SMD 5050 is 5x5 mm.

An LED with this marking has six “legs” extending from the housing, with which it is soldered into the strip. The element itself is equipped with three light-emitting crystals. Such an LED will produce light radiation approximately three times more intense than a single-chip SMD 3028 connected to the tape with only one pair of contacts.

To define the emission intensity characteristics of an LED, a term such as luminous flux is used, which is measured in lumens. Thus, the officially defined values ​​of this parameter for SMD 5050 LEDs are 12 lumens, and for SMD 3028 - only 4 lumens. One LED from the SMD 5050 brand shines as intensely as three SMD 3028 placed nearby.

The color of the LED strip will depend on the LEDs that are installed in it. In the case when the strip contains SMD 5050 LEDs, then three crystals of different colors can be installed in each of their cases - red (Red), green (Green), and blue (Blue). It is these English color names that give rise to the so commonly used abbreviation RGB.

Using the electronic control circuit, you can switch on any of the colors as desired. Moreover, it is possible to obtain countless different beautiful shades by changing the brightness of the red, green and blue crystals. By mixing in this way, a new rich light background is obtained - it’s hard to believe, but the “play” of just three colors when mixed can ultimately produce up to sixteen million different shades.

The intensity and brightness of LEDs is usually controlled via a remote control using a special device - a controller.

Very interesting shades can be obtained by adding white light to the existing background. It dilutes the brightness of red, blue and green, and as a result, delicate, eye-pleasing shades are formed, for example, pale blue or soft pink.

These shades can also be obtained by turning on white at full brightness and adding other colors to it, turned on at lower intensity. It is also necessary to take into account that with different lighting, the view of interior design almost completely changes, since it can appear in a different color scheme each time.

Experts recommend using LED strips with white light or a combined version consisting of white and three-color elements to illuminate the ceiling. These ribbons will give you the opportunity to change the color schemes in the room according to your mood. And the intensity of white color can be so high that it can be compared to natural daylight on a fine day.

Getting white

Since LEDs with “pure” white light do not exist, it can be obtained in two ways.

• One of them is that they use crystals with a blue glow, which are coated with a phosphor on top.

The phosphor is a light yellow substance applied to the surface of the LED crystal. This composition is capable of converting absorbed energy into white light radiation. By the presence of a light yellow substance on the LEDs, you can clearly determine that these are elements that will emit white light.

It should be noted that over time, the phosphor gradually loses its converting qualities, and the blue color begins to break through the white, and the radiation acquires a bluish tint.

If an LED strip is used continuously for a year, its brightness may decrease by 25-30%. Therefore, when purchasing this “lighting device”, you need to familiarize yourself with its technical characteristics and operating instructions, where the manufacturer must indicate the warranty period.

If the intensity of white light decreases or a blue tint appears in it, you can use the second method of obtaining it.

• The second method is based on the laws of optics, from which it is known that white color can be obtained by mixing all available colors (in this case, green, red and blue) by turning them on simultaneously at full power. Thus, it is possible to “create” white light, and the problem with the influence of a “hooked” phosphor on it will not matter.

The best choice for installing lighting on the ceiling may be an RGB LED strip, since it has three-color LEDs installed on it, which will help you obtain white light, as well as other shades, if necessary.

This type of LED strip will last quite a long time. They are quite convenient to use - they also have the ability to turn on white light, if you only need intense lighting, or a color scheme that matches your mood. The color adjustment process is done from the remote control and does not take much time.

Types of LED strips

1 – strip with SMD 3028 LEDs with a placement density of 60 pcs/linear meter.

2 – the same, but with a placement density of 120 pcs/linear meter.

3 – double-row strip with SMD 3028 LEDs, with an installation density of 240 pcs/linear meter.

4 – strip with sparse placement of LEDs of the SMD 5050 type – density only 30 pcs/m.

5 – the same, but with a density of 60 pcs/linear m.

6 – double-row LED strip with SMD 5050 elements and placement density 120 pcs/linear meter.

If you plan to install decorative lighting for ceiling niches, furniture or a work table in the kitchen, then it is better to use SMD 3028 strip, which has 60 LEDs per meter. It will be enough for her to cope with her task. An LED strip with too high a light intensity will be unnecessary, as it can dazzle the eyes, especially since greater brightness will require a higher-power power supply and larger in size, so it is more difficult to find a secluded place for it.

The importance of LED strip quality

If you decide to add additional lighting to your apartment or decorate the interior using LED strip, it is not recommended to buy its cheapest options. Such products will not last a long time in their original condition - their color balance, as a rule, is quickly disturbed, or even the diodes may completely burn out. Cheap lighting strips usually have low-quality elements installed, which determines the low price.

Design and self-installation of LED strip

LED strip lighting systems are often sold as a kit. You can, of course, purchase all its elements separately, but it will be more difficult to select them correctly according to the parameters.

The LED backlight kit includes several electronic devices:

• power supply, which is necessary to convert the AC mains current into the DC voltage required for the diodes;
• a controller with a sensor that allows you to change the color of the lighting using the remote control;
• remote control that regulates changes in the intensity and shades of the light flux;

• LED strip of the required length.

The system installation diagram looks approximately as follows.

This diagram shows a system with RGB - an amplifier, which is necessary to maintain a stable control signal in cases where it is necessary to lengthen the tape or it is initially long. In this drawing, the connection points are clearly visible, so relying on it, it will not be difficult to understand the sequence of work.

• The first step is to connect a network cable with a plug to the power supply to connect it to the network, that is, connect contacts N and L.
• Next, we connect the two contacts of the controller to the same power supply, provided that an RGB LED strip is used for illumination.
• After this, contact cables are connected to the controller, attaching the tape to it.

In high-quality kits, the color marking of the wires corresponds to “reality”. The yellow wire is the power plus.

• If the controller is designed for a certain length of tape, and it is necessary to use more LEDs, then to extend or route the elements it is necessary to use an amplifier that is connected to the power supply and the other end of the tape. Then another piece of LED strip is attached to the amplifier on the other side.

The fact is that it is dangerous to connect more than 1500 mm of tape in series to one power line, since the current-carrying tracks may not withstand the load. But the control signals go exactly sequentially, from segment to segment, gradually fading. In these cases, to connect several sections in parallel to the power source, a control signal amplifier is used.

• Once everything is assembled, you can check by plugging the plug into the outlet.
• When making connections, you must ensure that the polarity and voltage of the controller, power supply and tape are correct.
• If it is necessary to extend the tape, if other devices allow this in terms of their power, this process is carried out using connectors specially designed for this.
• If the tape needs to be shortened, then the cut is made exclusively in the specific place indicated by the manufacturer -0, usually it is indicated on it with a dashed line. The incision is made using ordinary scissors.

A few words need to be said about the correct installation of the tape in its intended place.

• The tape is secured with double-sided tape, which is removed from the protective film just before gluing.
• If the ceiling is illuminated, then usually the tape is fixed under its surface in a small niche made of plasterboard. This installation method is effective in that the light is directed onto the light plane of the ceiling, which, illuminated by LEDs, contributes to more uniform illumination of the room.

Is it difficult to install a suspended ceiling yourself?

Installation of such a structure solves at once many problems of repair and improvement of the premises. Nowadays there are no problems with materials and components, and doing it yourself is a completely feasible task. Detailed instructions are in a special publication on our portal.

• Another option for increasing the effectiveness of lighting is to attach a strip to a curtain rod (for curtains or specially installed around the perimeter of the entire room specifically for lighting purposes).

In this case, the tape is fixed in such a way that it directs the light flux to the wall and to a certain area of ​​the ceiling, where the light will be scattered, increasing the illuminated area. A properly illuminated ceiling will not only make the room brighter, but will also help save on electricity.

• In order for the tape to adhere to the surface without problems, the place where it is glued should be cleaned of dust and preferably degreased, and then dried well.

Financial issue

A few words can be said about the financial side of the issue. It should be remembered that when inviting a specialist to install LED lighting, you will have to pay him an amount that will range from 50 to 150% of the cost of the devices themselves. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase ready-made system kits, which are always accompanied by an installation diagram for all components. Each of the compiled kits is designed for a certain number of LEDs and the length of the strip, so there is no fear that an extra number will be connected. By assembling your own lighting system, you can save quite a decent amount on this process.

Some systems are sold already assembled and connected, so they can be tested immediately upon purchase. All that remains is to bring the kit home and install it in the location designated for lighting, and then plug the plug into the outlet.

Those who purchase this lighting option will not particularly need electrician skills. The most difficult part of installation will be choosing a location for the power supply and controller, and then securing them correctly and securely.

If funds are limited, and the lighting is already planned for installation, then you can choose a kit with a strip of the same color - SMD 3528 LEDs, the installation density of elements on which is 60 pieces per linear meter. However, this option cannot be placed in the bathroom, since such tapes are not equipped with moisture protection.

When installing lighting in damp rooms or in other places where there is a possibility that neighbors above may flood, you should choose a strip equipped with silicone external insulation.

At the end of the publication, there is a video that shows the process of correct installation of LED strip lighting.

Video: installation and connection of LED strip