LED Strips

A LED strip (also called LED tape or LED strip light) is a flexible reel of LEDs that you stick wherever you need light: under kitchen wall units, behind the TV, in plasterboard coves, on stairs, in shop windows or on the balcony. In this category you'll find ready-to-use smart LED strips, controlled from an app and by voice with Alexa and Google Home, and professional 5-metre COB and SMD reels in white, CCT, RGB, RGBW, RGB+CCT and addressable light. To find your way: smart LED strip kits come with their own controller, while LED strip reels are paired with a controller and a power supply of your choice.

Which LED strip should you choose?

Behind the TV
Recommended: RGBIC TV backlight kit with HDMI Sync Box 4K HDR or the LED TV kit with camera and light bars
Why: The colours follow the picture: the Sync Box reads the HDMI signal, while the second kit uses a small camera that is only used to sync the colours (for 55 to 65 inch TVs)

Kitchen, under-cabinet and shelves
Recommended: COB CCT LED strip with 640 LEDs/m or, in tight spaces, the 3 mm Ultra Slim white COB
Why: COB strips give a continuous line of light with no visible dots and a colour rendering of CRI 90+, so food and wood keep their real colour. With CCT you choose warm or cool light in the app. Add a WiFi controller and a 24 V power supply

Main lighting, coves and recesses
Recommended: super-bright 3-row COB with 960 LEDs/m or the 5-row COB with 1,600 LEDs/m
Why: Up to 2,625 and 4,600 lumens per metre: enough to actually light the room, not just decorate it

Outdoors, balconies and signs
Recommended: Tuya smart WiFi and Bluetooth neon LED strip (IP67), addressable RGB+CCT COB neon (IP68) or the 24 V COB 504 (IP67)
Why: They are protected against water and dust. Neon strips have a silicone tube that spreads the light softly and evenly. Keep the controller and power supply sheltered

Effects and moving colours
Recommended: IC RGB+CCT COB with 840 LEDs/m with the Tuya WiFi + RF SPI controller
Why: Each segment (14 per metre) can show its own colour, for chasing effects, rainbows and animated stairs. Since it also has warm and cool white, it works as everyday light too

Up and running in minutes with the Tuya app
Recommended: Tuya WiFi high-density COB LED strip kit or the Tuya 10-metre RGB kit with remote control
Why: They are smart out of the box: set them up in Tuya Smart or Smart Life and use them with Alexa and Google Home. The COB kit comes in a CCT (tunable white) and an RGBIC version; the 10-metre RGB kit also has a remote control

Already using Sonoff or Apple Home
Recommended: Sonoff L2 for the eWeLink app; Xiaomi Yeelight Lightstrip Plus for Apple Home
Why: The Sonoff L2 lives in the same app as your other Sonoff devices; the Yeelight works with Apple Home, Alexa and Google Home

COB or SMD: will you see the dots?

On SMD strips the LEDs are separate and spaced out (30 per metre on many smart kits): if the strip is visible you see bright dots, while behind a cabinet or a TV it doesn't matter. On COB LED strips the LEDs are packed tightly, from 432 up to 1,600 per metre, under a phosphor layer: the light comes out as a continuous line, even without a diffuser profile. Almost all our COB reels are rated CRI 90+. Other useful formats:

• Ultra-thin: the 3 mm Ultra Slim COB at 12 V for gaps and shelves, the 8 mm SCOB at 24 V.
• LED neon: a silicone tube with soft light, IP67: the Tuya smart neon and the 12 V RGB neon in 2, 3 or 5 metres.
• 230 V: the high-voltage IP67 COB runs directly on mains voltage and can be cut every 16.7 cm. Have it connected by an electrician.

Which light do you need: white, CCT, RGB, RGBW, RGB+CCT or addressable?

• Fixed white (3000 K warm, 4000 K neutral, 6500 K cool): for kitchens, wardrobes and main lighting. For example the IP67 COB 504 (1,200 lm/m) or the IP67 COB 480.
• CCT, tunable white from 2700 to 6500 K: warm light in the evening, cool light for working. For example the COB CCT 640 LEDs/m or the COB CCT 608 LEDs/m.
• RGB: 16 million colours for mood and decoration, but no true white. For example the RGB COB 840 LEDs/m.
• RGBW / RGBCW: the colours plus a dedicated white LED, like the RGBCW COB 896 LEDs/m.
• RGB+CCT (RGBCCT): colours and tunable white on the same strip, the most versatile choice. For example the RGB+CCT COB 840 LEDs/m.
• Addressable (RGBIC, pixel, digital): each segment has its own colour. For example the RGBWIC COB or the WS2815 digital strip. They need an SPI controller such as the Tuya WiFi + RF SPI or the Tuya Zigbee SPI.

12 V, 24 V or 230 V: which power supply do you need?

The strip, the controller and the power supply must all have the same voltage. For the same power, a 24 V strip draws half the current of a 12 V one, so the light stays even right to the end of the reel: that is why almost all COB strips are 24 V. 12 V is fine for short runs and furniture.

How to size the power supply: add up the power of the strips, shown on the product page for the 5-metre reel, and add at least 20%. Example: 2 COB CCT 640 reels at 80 W make 160 W, plus 20% is 192 W, so you need a 24 V power supply of at least 200 W. For 12 V strips there is the 12 V power supply, also from 60 to 400 W. Beyond 5 metres, run a power feed to each reel (in parallel) instead of chaining them one after the other. Switching power supplies are IP20: install them in a dry, ventilated place. All models in power supplies and drivers.

How to make a reel smart: the controllers

• WiFi, no hub: the universal 5-in-1 WiFi and Bluetooth controller drives single-colour, CCT, RGB, RGBW and RGB+CCT strips with the Tuya Smart or Smart Life app, Alexa and Google Home. For 6-pin RGB+CCT strips there is also the RGBCCT WiFi controller with remote.
• Matter and Apple Home: the 5-in-1 Matter WiFi and RF controller (12-48 V, up to 15 A) also works with Apple Home and SmartThings.
• Zigbee: the 5-in-1 Zigbee and RF controller pairs with the Tuya gateway and, with a Zigbee dongle, with Home Assistant via ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT.
• Matter over Thread: the Matter over Thread controller (DIM, CCT and RGBCW versions, 12-48 V) needs a Thread border router.
• Power supply and controller in one: the 240 W 24 V Zigbee driver powers and dims the strip with a single device.
• Stairs: the Zigbee staircase lighting kit has two PIR sensors, one at the bottom and one at the top, and lights the steps as you walk by; there is also a WiFi staircase kit.

All models are in LED controllers. To cut and reconnect strips without soldering, see the LED strip connectors.

LED strip FAQ

Can LED strips be cut and joined?

Yes, but only at the cut marks printed on the strip. The distance is on the product page: for example every 25 mm on the COB CCT 640, every 50 mm on the RGB COB 840, every 12.5 mm on the Ultra Slim. To join the pieces, use solderless connectors of the same width and with the same number of pins as the strip.

Which power supply do I need for 15 metres of RGB+CCT strip?

With 3 RGB+CCT COB reels at 80 W the load is 240 W; with a 20% margin that becomes 288 W. Choose a 400 W 24 V power supply, or one power supply of at least 96 W for each reel, and run a power feed to each reel. Also check the controller's maximum current: the 5-in-1 WiFi handles up to 15 A in total, i.e. 360 W at 24 V.

Do they work with Alexa, Google Home and Apple Home?

The Tuya and Sonoff kits work with Alexa and Google Home. For Apple Home, choose the Yeelight Lightstrip Plus or a reel with a Matter controller such as the 5-in-1 Matter. A reel on its own is not smart: the controller makes it smart.

Can I use them outdoors or in the bathroom?

Yes, if you choose an IP65, IP67 or IP68 strip: many COB reels can be ordered in an IP20 or IP67 version. IP20 strips are for dry indoor areas only. Controllers and power supplies are almost all IP20: keep them away from water.

Do they work with Home Assistant?

Yes. Tuya WiFi products connect through the cloud integration; Zigbee controllers also work locally with ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT and a Zigbee dongle; Matter controllers via Matter. For a custom project (shop, kitchen, stairs) write to us with the measurements and the light you want: we'll tell you which reels, controller and power supply you need.