LED strip for ceiling lighting. LED strips for ceiling lighting

Proper lighting is one of the components of the effective design of any room. It is especially important in the kitchen, where the correct distribution of light flux turns cooking into a pleasant and comfortable process. All you need for this is a lighting design and calculation. One of the most interesting options in modern interiors, which you can implement with your own hands, is LED strip lighting.

LEDs are special semiconductors that emit light when electrical energy passes through them. LEDs can have different chemical compositions, which causes the brightness of the light they generate to differ. There is one more nuance - the installation of LED backlighting is never carried out directly, since this way the tape can overheat and break. A prerequisite for connecting LEDs is the presence of a stabilizer.

Advantages of LED lighting

LED lighting has a number of obvious advantages:

• Resistance to mechanical external damage;
• Durability – kitchen lighting strip can last 14 years or more even when working more than 15 hours a day;
• A variety of colors - kitchen lighting under cabinets can be made in white, red and orange, green and blue, purple and yellow. You can also choose LEDs that operate in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrum;
• Excellent lighting brightness, and the device does not require time to warm up;

• Affordability (due to distribution and popularization);
• Possibility to use tape with different radiation angles;
• Safety;
• Environmental friendliness;
• Undemanding to room temperature.

Methods and places for interior lighting in the kitchen

The number of crystals directly affects the number of colors in the ribbon. In general, LED strips can provide 15,000,000 shades - if they combine crystals of different brightness.

You can make LED lighting for the following purposes:

• Combined lighting for zoning, highlighting cabinets, niches;
• Illumination of paintings or other decorative elements of the interior;
• Illumination of the kitchen apron; lighting looks especially impressive if the apron is made of glass;

• Lighting inside drawers and cabinets;

• Highlighting stained glass or clear glass shelves;

• By installing lighting at the bottom of the bedside tables, that is, under the cabinets, you can create the effect of “floating furniture”;

• Lighting of several ceiling levels;

• Lighting the bar counter with LED lighting creates the atmosphere and style of a real bar.

Warm spectrum LEDs are installed for classic interiors, while in a high-tech style, cold light will be more appropriate.

Choosing a suitable LED strip - classification and comparison

Most often, LED backlight installation is made from SMD LEDs. They are classified according to a number of characteristics:

• Number of crystals – from 1 to 4;
• Glow type – full color or monochrome;
• Dimensions - in the range of 1.06x0.8 to 5.0x5.0 mm.

Before you buy an LED strip, you need to decide what type of lighting you want to make. Here are the following recommendations:

1. SMD 50x50 strip with three-crystal LEDs is perfect for lighting the work and dining areas and can provide uniform bright light.
2. For decorative lighting, a single-chip SMD 35x28 strip is suitable.

LED strip (LED) consists of several small LEDs located within the same plane. It can also have several varieties depending on the density of the LEDs:

• 30 pcs/meter;
• 60 pcs/meter;
• 120 pcs/meter;
• 240 pcs/meter

The power consumption and the brightness level of the generated lighting depend on the number of LEDs.

Tapes are divided into groups according to the degree of moisture protection:

• IP20 – not suitable for the kitchen because it cannot withstand high humidity;
• IP65 – average level of moisture protection, can be used in the kitchen;
• IP68 – complete moisture resistance – even a swimming pool can be illuminated with this tape.

How to choose a power supply

Power supplies come in different capacities, and therefore sizes. We need to determine the optimal option so that the power of the transformer is sufficient with a reserve, but at the same time so that it is not too large.

We multiply 12 W by 5 m (the length of the tape), for a total of 60 W. But since we need a reserve, we also take into account the coefficient equal to 1.25 - it turns out 1.25 × 60 = 75, therefore, we need to buy a 75 W transformer.

How to illuminate a tabletop or dining area with LEDs

For the work area, a device with an average degree of moisture protection is suitable - it has a special protective layer that protects against vapors and contamination, water and other liquids. This means that if wet cleaning is necessary, you can wipe down the cabinets along with the lamps.

Installing the tape to the table involves attaching a special aluminum profile. It is necessary to hide the wires and make the lighting aesthetically pleasing. You can also make lighting from self-adhesive tapes. By the way, by installing additional devices you can create a backlight that will change brightness and/or color.

Advice! A warm white LED strip color is optimal for a desktop, as it will not change the natural colors of the food.

Additional lighting can be made from LED strips in the work area. Designs with high moisture protection are also needed here. The tapes here are installed with double-sided tape. You can use several ribbons to create an expressive decorative effect.

What do we need for installation?

Self-installation of LED backlighting will require the use of the following tools and components:

• The actual kit: tape reel (12W), electrical cable with a cross section of 0.74 mm square;
• Transformer - 12W power supply and dimmer with remote control (if available);
• Solder with rosin;
• Soldering iron;
• Scissors;
• Double-sided tape;
• Insulating tape (or heat shrink tube with a heat gun);
• PVC corner and or aluminum profile for LED mounting – if necessary;
• Drill - if necessary;
• Electrical installation brackets - if necessary.

We carry out installation

So, all the tools and materials are ready, you can start installing the LED backlight yourself.

Installation is carried out in the following sequence:

1. The tape on a reel is most often 5 m long. Most likely, you need less, so cut off the excess. The required length is measured with a tape measure and cut in a strictly defined place, after which the outer contacts must be carefully exposed from the silicone coating by about 1.5 cm.

1. Solder 2 cables to the contacts (preferably) or connect them using connectors (not recommended).

1. Then insulation is performed (with tape or tube). To insulate the wires with heat shrink tubing, you need to cut a small piece 2 cm long, place it in the place where the wires are soldered and secure it with a hair dryer. What to choose - tape or tube - is up to you, but it is better to use a tube, as it is more reliable and looks better.

1. Tape is attached to the corner or profile from the outside, and tape is attached to the opposite part after removing the protective film.

1. A transformer must be mounted near the backlight. This place needs to be thought out in advance. The cleaned wires of the cut tape are soldered to it on the low voltage side. A plug with an electrical cable is attached to the opposite side. The LED strip is attached to a previously cleaned and degreased surface.

Advice! To glue the tape evenly, it is better not to press it immediately, but first just carefully glue the entire tape, and then trim it if necessary.

1. The wires are connected in a parallel circuit and lead to the installation location of the power supply.

1. Be sure to install a plastic box for wires, where the wire is secured with electrical installation brackets.
2. And then the dimmer is connected, that is, the switch and the final installation of the power supply is carried out. A dimmer and amplifiers will be required if you plan to change the brightness of the backlight during operation. These devices are mounted together with the power supply.

Well, that’s all, the installation of the LED strip in the kitchen is ready.

LED strip for ceilings is one of the modern types of ceiling lighting. At the same time, you can use a semiconductor source in any room - bedroom, living room, kitchen and even bathroom. To choose a reliable product that will serve uninterruptedly for several years, you need to know its main characteristics.

The choice of LED strip for ceiling lighting begins with the selection of the color of the diodes, which affects the perception of the interior. In the bathroom, white or blue lighting will look impressive, in the bedroom or living room - a warmer glow.

The color of the glow depends on what LEDs the strip consists of. For example, the SMD 5050 LED contains three types of diodes in the housing, producing red, blue and green light. Using a special controller that comes with the device, you can control colors, adjust the type of glow, select one shade or use several. As a result, a spectacular luminous composition is obtained from the tape and the decorative ceiling structure ().

By adding white to bright shades, you can create a muted, less intense glow that will fill the room with comfort and coziness. This color is obtained if white is turned on at full power, and the red tint is made less bright.

The main feature by which LED strips differ is the type of LEDs. Among single-color tapes there are two types of diodes. These include SMD 3028 and SMD 5050. Translated from English, SMD means “surface mounted device”. If you look closely at the internal structure of the tape, you will see that the LEDs are tightly soldered to the surface of the product.

The numbers indicate the sizes of the diodes. So, for example, SMD 3028 is a 3.0 by 2.8 mm LED, and SMD 5050 is 5.0 by 5.0 mm, respectively.

Based on the number of LEDs per linear meter of length, products are:

• SMD 3028 – 60, 120 or 240 diodes;
• SMD 5050 – 30, 60 or 120 diodes.

The choice of tape type will also be influenced by the purpose of the room:

• class IP 20. Such devices are installed only in dry rooms;
• class IP 43 – universal option. To glue the product, you need to remove the protective strip and press the product with the adhesive side to the surface. The sealed housing, which houses the diodes, extends the life of the light bulbs;
• class IP 65 – with maximum moisture protection, used for lighting bathrooms;
• class IP 67 or 68 is not afraid of humidity and temperature changes;
• RGB are fragile devices with built-in controllers. Such tapes are installed under protective coverings, and the colors and degree of radiation are adjusted using a remote control.

Light intensity

Manufacturers indicate the power of the LED strip in Watts per linear meter or full reel. The intensity of the glow is affected by the type of LEDs, their density and supply voltage. For tapes with SMD elements of different types connected to 12 W power supplies, the standard power indicators indicated in the table are determined.

Accordingly, the greater the power consumed by 1 m of tape, the more intense the glow of the device will be. The same applies to the number of diodes. The more there are, the brighter the result will be.

When considering the power of LEDs, one cannot ignore cheap Chinese analogues, which are usually half as good as branded products. As a result, the source produces little light. Sometimes the power consumption corresponds to the declared one, but the glow is still an order of magnitude lower. This is also due to the fact that the selected tape is of poor quality.

The constant voltage from which the LED strip is powered should not exceed 12 or 24 W. Therefore, products are connected to the network through special power supplies (PSUs), which convert the voltage from alternating (220 W) to direct (12 or 24 W).

When choosing a power supply, we are guided by three parameters:

• voltage (12 or 24 W);
• power consumed by the product;
• the presence of additional protection of the power supply from high humidity.

For example, it was decided to buy an affordable LED strip of type SMD 3028 with 60 diodes, the power consumption of which is 4.8 watts per meter of density. The length of the product is 16 meters. The manufacturer indicates the voltage for it at 12 W. To calculate power consumption, you need to multiply the number of meters of tape by 4.8 W. The result will be 76.8. But, the power supply must have at least 20% more power in reserve, which we add to the resulting value. As a result, we get 92.16 W. A power supply with such power cannot be found on sale, so you will have to buy a 100W device.

If you intend to install the lighting outdoors or in a room with high humidity, then the purchased power source must be additionally protected. Typically, such power supplies indicate the degree of protection from dust and moisture in the form of IP 65 or IP 66 markings. For a residential area, select a regular LED strip and a standard power supply. But it is better to avoid sealed sources in the bedroom or other heated room. This is due to the fact that the air temperature under the ceiling surface is higher than below, and the power supply may even explode due to overheating.

Which LED strip is better - let's talk about quality

The quality of the tapes is another issue that worries buyers who want to purchase a device. You can evaluate the product even with the naked eye if you pay attention to:

• the quality of the assembly of the reel on which the tape is wound;
• substrate material;
• manufacturer of adhesive composition.

Most of the LED products sold in our electrical markets are manufactured in China. Therefore, the quality of such tapes in itself is already controversial, because Chinese “masters” use reduced crystals in the manufacture of devices. As a result, the brightness of the light bulbs will also be less.

To reduce the cost of goods, manufacturers use copper as a conductor, which has higher resistance values. Consequently, this metal conducts electric current less well. The same can be said about silicone phosphor, for the production of which low-quality silicone is used. When using the tape, the material will quickly lose its original flexibility and become covered with cracks, through which dust and debris particles will penetrate, having a detrimental effect on the conductor material. Even the failure of one part will lead to failure of the entire piece of the product.

Note! The tapes must be completely sealed, the elements must be securely fastened, the body must be dense and rigid.

LED strips are at the peak of popularity today, which is why there are many device manufacturing companies. To buy a quality product, give preference to European or Russian brands, among which the following have proven themselves well:

• Sveteco;
• Joliet Technologies;
• LEDCraft;
• Cree;
• Arlight.

When choosing an LED strip, consider the availability of the necessary components. These include:

• power supply for voltage conversion;
• controller with sensor for color change;
• control panel for adjusting the intensity of light fluxes and their shades;
• ribbon.

To buy a suitable product, take into account the interior of the room where you plan to install the LED strip. Seek help from professional designers who will tell you what impact the color of the device will have on the perception of the room.

Consider the location of sources. If you are installing hidden lighting, make a preliminary drawing of the lighting on a sheet of paper to visualize the future result.

In rooms with suspended ceilings, place the tape at a distance from the decorative fabric. Otherwise, the light emitted by the diodes and the light bulbs themselves will be reflected on the glossy finish.

Do not purchase tape longer than five meters. This is fraught with uneven distribution of light flux. Those diodes that are located far from the power supply will give a dim glow, and nearby light bulbs will completely burn out. Therefore, for rooms whose perimeter is 5 meters or more, it is better to buy several tapes with separate power supplies.

The tape is installed simply, so it is easy to install the device yourself without the involvement of professional craftsmen. Such lighting will add modernity and lightness to the interior and change the space of the room.

DIY LED lighting for stretch ceiling video instructions

How to illuminate a stretch ceiling with LED strip

Today, more and more new technologies are used in interior design, and new ones appear every year. One of these new and interesting solutions is the use of LED strip to illuminate some elements. The use of LED strip is not limited only to the design of premises, it is also widely used in car tuning, for illuminating swimming pools, facades, store windows, in short, the use of LED strip is unlimited.

Installing an LED strip is not difficult, and anyone can do it, you just need to know what and how to connect, and also have a minimal understanding of the types and characteristics of LED strips.

In this article we will try to figure out how to choose an LED strip, as well as select everything necessary for its operation, and in the next article we will talk about how to install an LED strip.

We will not delve too deeply into the characteristics of LED strips, but in order not to bother our heads, we will focus only on the most basic ones.

LED strip glow color
Or rather, the color of the LEDs that are installed in the LED strip. According to the color of the glow, LED strips are: blue, red, green, yellow, warm white, cool white and RGB strips. Everything seems clear with the first four, but I would like to tell you in more detail about white and RGB tapes.

In fact, a white LED is a blue LED on the surface of which a layer of phosphor is applied, which burns out over time, and the glow of such a strip dims and turns blue.

RGB tape, this is the most interesting solution when using LED strips. The fact is that the RGB tape is capable of glowing in any color, which can be adjusted manually using the remote control. How can such an effect be achieved? Everything is very simple, the RGB strip does not have single-color LEDs, but three-color ones; in other words, one LED contains three LEDs of primary colors: R(Red)-red, G(Green)-green, B(Blue)-blue. And as we remember from school physics lessons, by mixing primary colors you can get any color, including white.

The colors of the RGB tape are mixed using controller, which turns on and off this or that color based on the command it receives from the control panel. Here is a video where you can see how RGB tape works.

Embed Embed this video on your site
As you can see, RGB tape is quite an interesting solution. You can buy such a kit for ridiculous money. By the way, there are also color and music controllers, with the help of which the LED strip will glow to the beat of the music.

Based on the brightness of the glow, LED strips are distinguished according to the size of the LEDs installed in them. LED strips use SMD3528 and SMD5050 LEDs, with dimensions of 3.5 * 2.8 mm and 5 * 5 mm, respectively. The SMD3528 LED has one crystal, and the SMD5050 has three, respectively, and the brightness of the SMD5050 LEDs is three times greater than that of the SMD3528.

The brightness of the LED strip also depends on the number of LEDs installed on it. As a rule, for SMD3528 it is 60, 120, 240 pieces per meter, and for SMD5050 30, 60, 120 pieces per meter. Accordingly, the more LEDs in one meter, the more expensive the LED strip. SMD3528 for 60 LEDs and SMD5050 for 30 are used for light illumination, SMD3528 for 120 LEDs and SMD5050 for 60 for stronger illumination, and SMD3528 for 240 and SMD5050 for 120 can be used as lighting.

Another characteristic is IP protection level of LED strip. That is, how protected the tape is from external influences such as dust and moisture. Here you can divide LED strips into three main types: unprotected strips, which can be installed, for example, in a room, protected with epoxy resin, they are protected from moisture, they are installed, for example, in the bathroom, and fully protected, which do not allow moisture or dust to pass through, they can be Use outdoors or in any rooms with high humidity levels. It goes without saying that the higher the degree of protection, the more expensive a meter of tape costs.

LED strip supply voltage more often 12V and less common at 24V DC voltage. Based on this, it is clear that in order to install an LED strip, you will also need, in addition to the strip itself, a 12V or 24V power supply. Power supplies, like the tape, come in three types according to the degree of protection: unprotected from moisture and dust, protected, they are placed in a plastic case, and fully protected, a power supply in a sealed case that can also work in water, although it is better not to do this.


Power supplies are distinguished by their power. The power is selected based on what load needs to be connected to the power supply; in our case, it is the power consumed by the installed LED strip. How much power one meter of tape consumes can be seen in this table.


For example, we need to install an SMD3528 LED strip with 120 LEDs/meter and a length of 5 meters. The table shows that the power consumption of one meter of tape is 9.6 W. We multiply 9.6*5=48 W, plus a power reserve of approximately 20%, totaling 48+20%=57.6 W. You can choose a power supply with a power of 60 W (more is possible, less is not possible). When choosing a power supply, you need to proceed from the technical characteristics of the LED strip that you are going to purchase in the store, and calculate the power on site, just like from different manufacturers parameters may vary.

Do not forget about one more parameter of the power supply, this is its dimensions, that is, you need to decide in advance on the location of its installation and select the appropriate size

When choosing an RGB LED strip, in addition to the power supply, you will also need a controller. What is a controller? A controller is a device that, based on a command received from the control panel, changes the color and brightness of the RGB LED strip. That is, voltage from the power supply is supplied to the controller input, and an RGB strip is connected to the output. The functionality of the controller will determine how the RGB strip will glow.

The controller has three independent outputs R(Red)-red, G(Green)-green, B(Blue)-blue. When receiving a command from the remote control, the controller changes the voltage at one or another output, for example, it can turn on the output R(Red)-red, and turn off G(Green)-green and B(Blue)-blue, then the LED strip will glow red, and if you reduce the voltage at the R(Red)-red output, the brightness of the glow will decrease.


In terms of characteristics, controllers, like power supplies, differ in the supply voltage of 12V or 24V, and the power of the LED strip that can be connected to it. According to their own functionality controllers range from the simplest with the ability to change the specified color and brightness of the tape, to more functional ones with the ability to smoothly adjust the color (more than 10,000 colors). When choosing a controller for an RGB LED strip, you need to proceed from what functions you need.

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, 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 will suffice. 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 shine equally. 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 have already spoken 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 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.

LED strip (or LED strip) has recently gained great popularity among consumers. Such devices are capable of providing pleasant and bright lighting, which is easy to implement in the right place. It is logical that many buyers are interested in how to choose an LED strip. And although this is a fairly simple lighting device, there are many criteria for its selection.

Which LED strip to choose? Main types

One of the main key differences is the color of the LED strip. Single-color and multi-color options are available in the market. The simplest ones are single-color ribbons, which are produced in white, green, and blue. They are called SMD tapes. Considering the fact that white lamps are the most popular, there are varieties of shades of white: cold, warm. Other colors most often do not have shades, but if you wish, you can find varieties of the same color.

Multicolor ribbons

Multi-color tapes (RGB) can change colors, and for this purpose a special controller is provided in their design. The difference between RGB and SMD strips is quite large, because in RGB strips the lighting devices themselves are made using a different technology. Here, instead of one LED, three are used, and each of them is responsible for its own color. Three LEDs have red, green, blue colors (Red, Green, Blue), and by mixing them, other color shades are formed. The built-in controller allows you to control the lighting mode. You can, for example, set up a moving track or flickering lights.

Considering the design and technological differences, RGB strips are more expensive, but are no less popular. When thinking about how to choose an LED strip, first of all you need to understand its purpose and proceed from this.

If LEDs will be used as the main LED in the room, then it is advisable to choose the simplest SMD strip with a cool white color. This option is optimal in this case. If you plan to create decorative lighting, then you should choose the option with RGB LEDs. Of course, you can limit yourself to single-color green or blue LEDs, for example, but RBG lamps provide more opportunities for creativity and allow you to change the decor in the interior throughout its service life.

However, people often think about which LED strip to choose for the ceiling. The price difference between single- and multi-color LEDs immediately becomes fundamental to the decision. RGB strips are quite expensive - that's a fact.

Brightness

The second selection parameter is the brightness of the lighting. When choosing an LED strip for their home, people often prefer bright lights that can provide more efficient lighting.

There are two components that determine brightness:

1. LED size. It is always indicated in the characteristics. For example, the name of the SMD3528 LED tells us that its size will be 3.5 by 2.8 mm. That is, the size is indicated after the letter code. And the larger the LED, the more powerful the luminous flux it can provide. For example, a diode measuring 3.5x2.8 mm creates a flow of 5 lumens. The SMD5050 lamp has a size of 5x5 millimeters with a flux of 15 lumens. There are also larger diodes with higher brightness. Note that in this case we are talking about only one LED, and on each meter of strip there are about 60 such LEDs. Therefore, with the help of one meter of lighting strip it is possible to create a high-power luminous flux (more than 1000 lumens). A regular energy-saving lamp provides a luminous flux of 1000 lumens, so just one meter of LED strip will be more efficient and brighter. However, in this case we are talking about the most powerful LEDs. Small diodes glow more dimly. So, if you are thinking about which LED strip to choose to illuminate the ceiling in a large room, then it is advisable to give preference to those strips that have larger LEDs. Their size is always indicated in the specifications.
2. Number of LEDs. As mentioned above, 60 LEDs are standardly located in one meter. But there are also more expensive strips, where there are 240 units of lighting points per linear meter. It is worth considering that such a high density is possible when using the smallest SDM3528 LEDs. When using SDM5050 lamps, there can be 120 diodes per linear meter, and when modifying SMD5630, 72 lamps are placed per meter.

Power

Before choosing an LED strip for the ceiling, it is worth considering that its power must be more than 14.4 W per meter.

Strips with a power of 10 W per meter are not suitable as the main light source, and attaching such a strip to the ceiling would be a mistake. It is suitable as additional or decorative lighting, but it is not able to provide bright main light in the room. Consequently, if difficulties arise in determining the size of diodes or their density, then when choosing, it is enough to simply clarify the power consumption of one linear meter of tape. And if the power is around 14.4 W per meter, then such a tape is suitable for creating basic lighting.

Light temperature

Speaking about how to choose an LED strip, it is worth mentioning the temperature of the light. This indicator can be in the range of 3000-7000 K. The higher the value, the colder the light is. Today it is fashionable in apartments to use lamps with a cold glow, that is, with a temperature in the range of 5500-7000 K. Warm light with a yellow tint is typical at a light temperature of 3000-3200 K. The higher the glow temperature of the LEDs, the brighter they will shine, so pay attention pay attention to this parameter when choosing.

How to choose power supply for LED strip?

The next selection criterion is power supply and a special unit (power source). To correctly select a block of the required power, you need to calculate how many watts the entire tape consumes in total. You need to add 15-20% to the resulting value, which will allow you to determine the required power for the power supply. An increase of 15% is necessary for power reserve.

As an example, we will use a strip with SMD3528 LEDs with a density of 120 LEDs per meter. The declared power consumption of one linear meter of such tape is 9.6 W (this value is in the characteristics).

Let's say to create lighting around the perimeter of the ceiling we need 10 meters of such tape. If the power of one linear meter is 9.6 W, then for a 10-meter tape you need a power supply of at least 96 W. We add here a safety margin (20%), and we get the required power of 115 W. Use the same method to select a block for the RGB strip. So, we determined that to power the entire 10-meter strip we would need a 115 W unit. Almost any power supply is capable of providing such power (even some chargers for mobile phones).

It is worth noting that almost all LEDs must be connected to a power supply that provides a voltage of 12 V. This is one of the key selection parameters. The same goes for the controller.

Wrong food choices

Many users try to connect LED strips to mobile phone chargers without thinking about the parameters of these devices. Under no circumstances should tapes be connected to chargers with a voltage of 5 V. The fact is that at a voltage of 5 V to provide a power of 115 W (in our case exactly 115 W), the current in the circuit will be equal to 23 A (115 W / 5 A ). This is a high enough current that will simply melt the wire and burn out the LEDs.

Therefore, before choosing a unit for the LED strip, you should make sure that it converts the voltage from 220 V to 12 V. With our required power of 115 W, the current in the circuit at a voltage of 12 V will be equal to 9.5 A, which is acceptable. However, if a 20-meter strip is required, the power consumption will be 2 times higher, which means the current in the circuit will be equal to 19 A. In this case, you will need to connect the LEDs through 2 power supplies, since one cannot cope with such load.

Assembly

We already know a lot about which LED strip to choose for ceiling lighting, but build quality is another criterion.

Quality is assessed visually. On any tape you can see the quality of soldering of resistors and diodes. If the diodes are soldered inaccurately or even crookedly, then it is better to abandon this option completely. There is no guarantee that such a tape will last long. There is a high probability that soon the diodes will begin to “die” one after another.

It is also important to take a closer look at the resistor parameters. Good LEDs have a resistance of 150 ohms or more. Ideally, the resistance should be 300 ohms. And if the characteristics indicate resistors of 100 Ohms or even less, then this indicates a low quality product.

Next we look at the base. It must be tough. If the base is flimsy and bends easily, then the current conductors will deteriorate faster due to bending. There is no need to count on a long service life for a tape with a weak base.

Degree of protection

Tips on how to choose an LED strip are almost exhausted. Finally, it’s worth talking about the degree of protection of lighting fixtures. According to this criterion, tapes are divided into three types:

1. No protection. Unprotected tapes can only be used in dry rooms. If water accidentally gets on the LED, it will burn out immediately.
2. With partial protection. In this case, epoxy resin is used - it processes the tape itself, but not the LEDs. Such tapes can be used in rooms with high humidity, but contact with water is still not allowed.
3. Fully protected. In this case, both the conductor and the LED itself are under a layer of silicone, which does not allow moisture or water to pass through. Such tapes can be used in damp rooms and even on the streets. They are not afraid of rain, snow, or hail. Their tapes can also be used in the kitchen, installed under a protruding section of the countertop or, for example, under the top drawers. In the latter case, the LEDs will effectively illuminate the working surface of the countertop.

For the home, the best option is a tape with partial protection. Considering the installation locations of such tapes, the likelihood that water will get on them is minimal.

Manufacturer

There are many products from unknown manufacturers on the market. The quality and long service life of such products cannot be guaranteed. But tapes from Gauss and Elektrostandard have proven themselves well. However, these companies produce expensive high-end tapes, which is why they are quite expensive. Cheaper and better tapes are from Maxus and Feron.

Conclusion

Now you know how to choose an LED strip for the kitchen, living room or bedroom. The criteria for choosing lighting for these rooms do not differ much. However, experts recommend choosing tapes with the highest level of protection for the kitchen, because when cooking, water evaporation rises and can damage the LEDs over time.

Yes, such lighting devices are becoming more popular today. They are often used to create multi-level ceilings. Practicality, ease of installation and hidden installation - this is why these lighting elements are so valued. But if you want the tapes to last a long time, then select them taking into account the criteria described above.