LED strip lights have become much more popular these days, not just for lighting homes but also for streamers and home decorators. You have probably already heard the argument made for LED against candescent bulbs and even halogen bulbs. LEDs are efficient, they allow for brighter lighting, and they last longer while producing less heat. LEDs can also be easily programmed to act in a certain way, some even having dimmable features.

LED lights also come in highly compact packaging, and they are incredibly versatile when it comes to using scenarios. One of the most popular aspects of LED light has been in LED strip lights that are linear in nature, commonly used in various sectors for all kinds of reasons. LED lights are becoming more and more affordable, making them ideal options for both industrial and residential lighting applications. LED lights so many varieties that it might sometimes prove challenging to understand which one you need. Also, there are various factors you must consider before you go about buying LED lights.

Here are the five essential things you need to consider when buying an LED strip light to suit your needs.

1. LED Strip Variations

It is a wide category including various types of LED strips, and depending on how you are planning to use a LED strip; you might need one over the other. IP65 LEDs, for example, are usually better for outdoor and areas that tend to get humidity or even places that might get water. These types of lights have a protective covering, making them protected against water damage. Through a brief description, let us guide you to various let light and their uses.

AC LED Strips- These strips are Plug’n’Play coming in the form of flexible strips running straight from your outlet. Once you plug it into your outlet, It directly lights up.

DC LED Strips: For easy mounting, these types of strips have adhesive behind them. These are flexible and powered from 12v DC power. The 12v color-changing LED strip lights also have waterproof options, and you can either go for 60LEDs/M or 30LEDs/m.

High Output LED Strips: Luxeon, Cree, Nichia’s and some of Lepro’s LED strips fall under the High output power LED category. They are typically mounted to rigid strips with circuitry and board drivers.

LED Rope Light: These lights are encased and Omni-directional LEDs in standard rope packaging.

2. The Brightness

With the constant improvement of LED lights, their brightness is also increasing with each iteration. Not all LED strips are as bright, but the ones that are bright have the capability to be very bright. Some may not even want to go for very bright LEDs as people also use LED lights and LED strips for accent lights. The brightness value of an LED is measured in lumens. How you use a LED light will be dictated by their lumens. If they have high lumens with no variable brightness, then using them as accent lights won’t do. Accent lights are better not having anything more than 200 lumens, and strips that will be used for other purposes will mainly depend on your preference.

3. The length

Have a look at the LEDs per length. When you are buying LED strip lights, you need to be wary of this factor as more LEDs per length mean better quality of LED strips (usually). They also have a better quality of light and higher brightness as they are more condensed. When you have LEDs that are too far apart from one another in a strip, you might find the issue of spotty lighting instead of a clean one.

Different manufacturers use different units of measurement when it comes to LEDs per length. We recommend that you stick to a single measurement metric and simply convert the metrics to that one to help you better grasp the whole thing. Also, it’s important to note that this is not the only factor determining the quality of LED strips and their brightness levels.

4. Color Temperature

An LED light has the capability to produce different types of white lights with different color temperatures. Temperatures usually indicate how warm or cool the light appears to be. It is measured in Kelvin, and higher temps usually represent cool colors with a blueish hue while the lower temps represent warmer colors like the yellowish tint. A bulb is an exception to this rule.

5. Color Variations

LED strip lights come in various different colors, and the RGB ones have the ability to switch between different shades of your choosing. The most basic ones will usually emit a single color, and the color can be anything from blue to red. Most common are warm white, cool white, neutral white, ultraviolet, yellow, green, red, and Blue. The ones that have the capability to change colors dynamically are the RGB LED Strips. These strips usually come with a controller that lets you program the coloring patterns as they are able to turn into any color as per your wish.

Conclusion

With the abundance of options at your disposal, one might find themselves at a paradox of choice when buying LED lights, but it does not have to be this way. When you know your LED light’s application and have a basic idea of what the restrictions are, you will be all good. When buying the LED lights, you can also have a conversation with the sellers to help you make a good purchasing decision. If you buy online from places like Lepro official or others, this article should provide enough information to make a good buying decision. You can also search LED lights by their use-scenarios which makes things a little bit easier as well.