Which Brand Of Flexible LED Light Strips Is Good And Expensive?
Over the years, flexible LED light strips have become extremely popular. They are used when decorating homes, commercial exhibitions, and car modifications. As a senior engineer who has been working hard in the lighting field for more than ten years, I have witnessed that many customers have fallen into a trap when choosing light strips - buying a low-priced one broke down in just three days, and choosing a high-priced one still feels that it is not worth it. For this article, I plan to explain everything you need to know about flexible LED light strips at once to help you avoid twists and turns and spend less money.
What are the advantages of flexible LED lights?
When quite a few people heard about flexible LED light strips for the first time, their first reaction was "Isn't this just a light strip?" In fact, it is completely different from ordinary hard light strips. The usual light strips are welded to the PCB board and can only be installed straightly. Once they encounter arc corners or special-shaped shapes, they are at a loss. The flexible LED circuit board uses a soft substrate, such as FPC copper foil substrate, which can be bent, folded or even wound as desired. You can bend it into various shapes and stick it on curved ceilings, cylinders and even car body curves. This is its most prominent selling point.
There is an advantage that many people ignore, and that is low calorific value. Traditional light strips use high-power LED lamp beads, which generate serious heat and can be hot to the touch. Flexible LEDs generally use patch technology. The density of lamp beads is high but the individual power is low. The operating temperature is generally controlled below 60 degrees, and it basically does not feel hot when touched by hand. This means you can stick it on wood, plastic, or even fabric without worrying about burning the substrate.
Moreover, the color rendering and brightness display are also excellent. At present, flexible LEDs can achieve 16 million color RGB changes, and can create various dynamic effects such as flowing water, gradients, and flickers with the help of controllers. In terms of brightness, high-density models can reach more than 1,000 lumens per square meter, which is completely sufficient to be used as ambient lighting.
How to choose the brand of flexible LED light strips
There are as many brands of light strips on the market as there are cow hairs. The prices range from a few yuan per meter to hundreds of yuan. What is the difference? Among the customers I have contacted, some people bought a bunch of unknown brands because they wanted to save money. As a result, the entire light strip burned in less than three months, and the cost of disassembly and assembly was actually more expensive than the light strip itself.
First-tier brands like Philips, Opple, and NVC have stable quality but high prices. Philips' flexible LED light strips have solid workmanship, good light efficiency and color rendering index, and are suitable for projects that have high quality requirements. The price/performance ratio of Opple and NVC is relatively better. If you choose these two brands for home use, you will basically not go wrong. If what you are doing is a commercial project and you need to purchase in bulk, you can consider professional LED packaging companies such as Nationstar Optoelectronics and Mulinsen. The quality of their products is not inferior to that of the big brands, but the prices are much lower.
When choosing to buy, you need to focus on these parameters. The first is the LED lamp bead brand, such as Samsung, Bridgelux, and Cree are recommended; the second is the light efficiency, that is, the higher it is, the more power it saves; the third is the color rendering index, which is qualified if it is above Ra80, and the color accuracy is better if it is above Ra90; the fourth is the protection level, which must reach at least IP65 for outdoor use. Don't just look at the price, the parameters are the fundamental truth. Some merchants advertise high cost-effectiveness, but upon opening, they turn out to be using low-quality lamp beads. The brightness decays quickly. After half a year, the light decay is very serious, and they look dim and yellow, making them unusable at all.
How much does a flexible LED light strip cost per meter?
Price is one of the topics that users are most concerned about. Let me give you a rough list based on market conditions:
In terms of price, the price range is about 5 to 15 yuan per meter, which is a low-end product, that is, a no-name or white-brand light strip. The lamp beads and drivers used in this kind of light strip are not sophisticated, the light efficiency is poor, the color temperature is not accurate, and the service life is usually only 1 to 2 years. Unless it is for temporary use or the budget is extremely tight, otherwise it is not recommended.
For mid-range products, the prices of domestic brands such as Opple, NVC, and Sanxiong Aurora range from about 20 yuan to 50 yuan per meter. For light strips in this price range, the luminous effect is very good, the color rendering index is also in line with the standard, and the product quality guarantee is usually given for two to three years. It is an ideal choice for home use and commercial projects.
Products at the high-end level are high-end models built using Philips and Cree chips, and their prices can reach a price range of 60 to 150 yuan per meter, or even higher. This type of light strips are frequently used in high-end hotels, exhibition halls and boutiques, and their light effects and color performance show top-notch standards.
In addition to the light strip itself, you have to consider the cost of the power adapter, which is generally a 12V or 24V low-voltage power supply. In terms of price, it varies from 30 yuan to 200 yuan, which is determined by the power and brand. Smart light strips also require assembly and APP, and this part of the budget must also be calculated. Generally speaking, the comprehensive cost of a complete flexible LED lighting system is between 30 yuan and 100 yuan per meter.
How to install flexible LED light strips
Assembling flexible LED light strips is actually not difficult, and you can do it by yourself. However, there are several details that if not paid attention to, can easily cause troublesome situations in the future.
First of all, you need to measure and plan, and measure the exact size of the locations where the light strips need to be installed. Based on this, calculate the specific meters of the light strips required. Remember to reserve about 10% of the margin, which will be used when cutting and wiring. At the same time, you must also plan the location of the power supply and the wiring method, so that the wires can pass through hidden places as much as possible.
The second step is to perform surface treatment. Before pasting the adhesive on the light strip, the installation surface must be clean and dry. Wipe it with alcohol to remove oil and dust. This will make the paste effect much better. If there is dust or oil on the installation surface, the adhesive will not stick firmly and the light strip will fall off after a short period of use.
The third step is to cut and connect. There are cutting marks on the flexible LED light strips. Just cut along the marks. When cutting, use sharp scissors or blades. Cut once and do not cut repeatedly. When wiring, you need to pay attention to the positive and negative poles. The light strip will not light up if connected reversely. It is recommended to use welding to connect, which is more reliable than crimping. If you need to extend, you can use butt wires or special connectors.
The fourth step is to fix and test. When pasting the light strip to the corresponding position, first tear off the adhesive protective paper, then slowly stick it on, and then press with your fingers to ensure that the bonding is firm. After the installation is completed, conduct a power-on test. After confirming that all the lamp beads are lit up and the color appears normal, follow-up processing can be carried out.
How long can flexible LED light strips be used?
How long a light strip can last depends on several factors, let me help you analyze them clearly.
The theoretical lifespan of the LED chip itself is quite long. The lifespan of chips produced by regular manufacturers is more than 50,000 hours. If converted to 8 hours of daily use, it can be used for more than 17 years. However, in actual use, few applications can reach this lifespan. This is because other components are often the bottleneck.
The most common fault is the power adapter. The capacitors and transformers of cheap power supplies are of poor quality and are prone to aging when exposed to high temperatures. Problems usually occur in two to three years. It is recommended to equip a better power supply. Although it is more expensive, it will provide much greater peace of mind.
The second problem is the light attenuation of the lamp beads. After three years of use, the brightness of a good-quality lamp strip does not decrease significantly, while a poor-quality lamp strip begins to decay and turn yellow after only half a year. This is directly related to the quality of the lamp beads and the heat dissipation design. When purchasing, be sure to look for lamp beads that have received brand endorsement. Compared with soft boards, heat-dissipating aluminum substrates have longer durability.
The environment of use is also very critical. A dry environment indoors has the longest lifespan. Exposure to high temperature and high humidity outdoors will shorten the lifespan. When installing outdoors, be sure to choose a waterproof light strip. Its protection level must reach at least IP67, and heat dissipation must be done well. Do not close the light strip in a closed space for long-term use.
