Today, one of the most popular techniques in the course of interior decoration is the use of LED strip. This device allows you to create both additional and basic lighting, to perform zoning in the room. There are many types of LED strips on the market. They differ in the mass of indicators. How to choose the right bright LED strip, we will consider in detail below.
Light fixture general information
How to choose a bright LED strip? A large selection of such devices is on sale. Bright varieties are used to create partial or full lighting in the room. Also, such lighting devices make it possible to make street lighting, advertising signs, etc. However, the parameters of LED strips can vary significantly. The choice of a suitable variety must be approached responsibly.
To understand what features to look for when choosing, it is worth considering the main features of this device. An LED strip is a printed circuit board made in the form of a strip of polymer material. It has diodes, resistors and capacitors, and other elements. Each of them performs certain functions. Diodes are located on the tape with a certain frequency, which determines the brightness.
Tapes are sold without power supply. Using special connectors or soldering, you will need to properly assemble the system. The correct operation of the system depends on this. Moreover, the power supply and other elements of the electrical circuit must correspond to the type of lighting device. So, the brightest 220 volt LED strip requires an appropriate control unit. Also on sale are lighting fixtures for 12 V and 24 V.
There is often a controller in the circuit. This device controls the brightness of the glow and sets the mode of operation of the tape. This detail adds functionality to the system. In some types of ribbons, the controller allows you to set not only the brightness, but also the glow color, flicker mode, etc.
The advantage of using LED strip as the main lighting is the long life of the device. It can work an average of 100 thousand hours. In this case, the flow of light will be uniform, pleasing to the eye. You can choose almost any shade of glow. At the same time, the lighting system can be designed in different ways. The illumination of the ceiling cornice, figured elements of a multi-levelfalse ceiling, etc.
To choose the brightest LED strip available today, you need to consider a few tips from the pros.
Varieties
Very bright LED strips can be of different types. They differ in the principle of operation and luminescence. The location on the PCB and the type of LEDs can vary greatly. This determines the characteristics of the glow of the device.
There are two main types of LEDs. They may be labeled SMD or RGB. The first version of LED devices is cheaper. These are single-color tapes that can create a white or colored glow, but only one. You can only adjust the brightness of the glow with the controller.
SMD tapes can have a white (warm, cold, neutral) glow shade. This is the most popular type of product, which is used as the main and auxiliary lighting. Also on sale are green, red, yellow, blue, purple and other varieties of SMD type LED years.
It is worth noting that tapes with a warm white glow are more often mounted in residential areas, which allows you to create a cozy atmosphere. Devices with a cold glow are more suitable for office decoration. Neutral varieties of glow are universal, so they are purchased more often than others.
If the tape has RGB diodes installed, each of them is divided into 3 sectors. These areas have a green, blue and red glow. When each sector lights up in a certainsequence, any color is obtained. Such diodes are large, so the brightest LED strips for lighting rooms are made in RGB format. Using the controller, you can set any shade of glow. It can be either white or colored.
RGB tapes are much more expensive. But they are more functional, allow you to create not only additional, but also full-fledged lighting. Using different shades, you can use lighting to set the mood for the entire interior. Many controllers have additional features such as flickering or running lights.
Diode size
Which LED strips are the brightest? This characteristic depends primarily on the size of the diode. These elements of the lighting device can be located on the tape in one or two rows, which also determines the brightness index. To measure this characteristic, such a thing as the concentration of diodes on the tape is used.
The size of the diodes that manufacturers produce today can be as follows:
- SMD 2835 - 2.8 x 3.5mm;
- SMD 3528 - 3.5 x 2.8mm;
- SMD 5630 (5730) - 5, 6 (5, 7) x 3mm;
- SMD 5050 - 5 x 5mm;
- RGB 5050 - 5 x 5 mm.
The larger the crystal, the brighter the device shines. However, this indicator for branded products and Chinese LEDs of unknown manufacturers can differ markedly. Therefore, when choosing super-bright LED strips, you need to pay attention to the manufacturer. Otherwise, the declared power will not correspond to the declared indicator. This will not allow you to create a bright diode backlight in the room. This will only be additional lighting.
In branded products, the light intensity is as follows:
- SMD 3528 - 5 lumens;
- SMD 5630 - 18 lumens;
- SMD 5050 - 15 lumens.
The brightness of Chinese products can be up to 50% less than the standard luminous flux of famous brand products. To do this, all tapes are assigned to a certain quality class:
- Luxury or premium. They have a light output for SMD 3528 5-6 lumens, and for SMD 5050 - 14-15 lumens.
- Economy The luminous flux of the SMD 3528 diode is only 3.5 lumens, while the SMD 5050 is 11.5 lumens.
Density of diodes on tape
Which LED strips are the brightest? Those in which the diodes are located with maximum density and are large in size. They can be placed on the tape in one or two rows. The second option is suitable for creating full lighting. These are the brightest varieties of diode tapes. To measure this indicator, the concept of the concentration of diodes on one tape is used. This indicator is also taken into account when choosing a power supply and other elements of the system.
The minimum number of LEDs on the tape is 30 pcs. per 1 m. However, the standard indicator is 60 diodes per linear meter. In this case, you can easily calculate the intensity of the light flux:
- SMD 3528 (5 lumens)=560=300 lumens.
- SMD 5050 (15 lumens)=1560=900 lumens.
- SMD 5630 (18 lumens)=1860=1080 lumens.
For comparison, regulara 20 W energy-saving lamp emits an average light output of 1000 lumens.
It is worth noting that standard and high-brightness tapes are on sale. The first category includes lighting fixtures with 60 diodes per linear meter. for SMD 3528 tapes and 30 pcs. for SMD 5630 and SMD 5050 tapes.
The high-power bright LED strip has a high density of crystals per linear meter. It could be as follows:
- SMD 3528 - 120 or 240 diodes. The intensity of the glow is 600 and 1200 lumens, respectively.
- SMD 5050 - 60 or 120 diodes. The brightness of the light flux in this case is 900 or 1800 lumens.
- SMD 5630 - 60 or 120 diodes. The intensity of the glow is 1080 or 2160 lumens.
Which LED strip is brighter? Based on the information presented above, we can conclude that this is an SMD 5630 with a density of 120 diodes. per running meter. One meter of such a lighting fixture can replace two standard energy-saving lamps.
Glow power
When choosing the brightest LED strips, it is worth noting that they will also have the largest power. This indicator is important to consider when choosing a power supply and controller for a lighting fixture.
It is also worth noting that for strips with up to 120 LEDs. a 12 V power supply is most often installed per linear meter. This characteristic is indicated on the packaging of the lighting device. If the concentration density is higher, a 24V power supply is required in most cases.
When choosing the brightest LED strip for 12 volts, 24 volts, you also need to take into account the power of the glow. This is necessary to perform the correct installation of lighting equipment. To select an LED strip by power, it should be noted that in order to create local lighting, you will need to purchase a device with a power of up to 10 W / m p. If you want to create full-fledged lighting, LED strips with a power of at least 14.4 W / m can cope with this task p.
Data on this indicator are indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging. There is a set power rate for different types of LEDs (see table).
| Number of diodes per m p. | SMD 3528, W/m p. | SMD5050, W/m p. |
| 30 | - | 7, 2 |
| 60 | 4, 8 | 15 |
| 120 | 9, 6 | 25 |
| 240 | 19, 2 | - |
Based on this data, it will be possible to perform a simple calculation and select the appropriate type of control unit, controller. They are chosen with a margin of 20%, which allows you to provide normal conditions for the functioning of the system.
To perform calculations, you will need to select the appropriate value in the table and multiply by the length of the tape. Get the power of the entire lighting fixture. Another 20% is added to this figure and the power of the control unit is obtained, which will work correctly with the selected lighting fixture.
The figure shown for SMD5050 type LEDs is also suitable for calculating the power of a strip with RGB diodes.
Build quality, manufacturers
When choosing a bright LED strip (12 volts, 24 volts), you should pay attention to the quality of its assembly. Not only the intensity of the light flux depends on this, but also the life of the product.
Poor-quality LED strip is easy to recognize just by looking at it. If there are crookedly soldered diodes, darkening or other defects on the product, you should not purchase this low-quality device. Often this happens with products from Chinese unknown manufacturers.
Another indicator of the quality of bright LED lighting strips is the type of resistors. You will need to consider the markings applied to the part of the electrical circuit. If the product is of poor quality, then the resistor will be installed here with a minimum resistance. It is usually equal to 100 ohms. On the case of such a resistor, the numbers 101 are usually indicated. Such a device is not able to ensure long-term operation of the product.
A high-quality LED strip has resistors with sufficient resistance in its electrical circuit. They are marked 151 or 301. Such resistors have a resistance of 150 ohms.
Quality products are produced by famous world brands. They arehave been working in this market for a long time, so they value their reputation. Products undergo appropriate quality control. The cost of such LED strips will be higher than that of Chinese manufacturers. However, it will last much longer. Such devices will not only be bright, but when properly connected, they will be completely safe to use.
The best quality products sold in our country are produced by:
- Feron.
- Camelmon.
- Arlight.
- "Gauss".
- Era.
- Jazzway.
- "Navigator".
- Dreamled.
You can also check the quality of the tape by bending it. If this is done simply, the strip is soft, which means that the paths through which the current is transmitted are very thin. They can quickly become unusable or break even during installation. For quality products, the base should be fairly rigid. It is also important to pay attention to this when choosing a lighting fixture.
Installation location
It is worth noting that the brightest LED strips (at 12 volts or 24 volts) have certain installation features. It is necessary to consider where the lighting fixture will be installed.
So, when creating a backlight for the work area, you will need to select the appropriate types of tapes. They should be not only bright, but also protected from dust, dirt, etc. It is advisable to choose white LEDs for this purpose. If you want to create lighting under cabinets, bedside tables, you can choose coloredtape types. But at the same time, you need to correlate them with the rest of the color scheme of the interior.
The brightest LED strips are used to create the main lighting in the living room. A multi-level ceiling can be installed here. Along the perimeter of the room and in all decorative elements of the suspended ceiling structure, the lighting tape is placed in a special profile. It allows you to create a diffused light flux. To make it brighter, the tape is mounted in a profile closer to the ceiling. This will make the glow less diffuse.
In the hall and bedroom, it is better to use multi-color RGB tapes. This will create a special atmosphere by choosing the right shade. Using the controller, it will be possible to adjust the intensity of the light flux.
In the bathroom, lighting looks spectacular when mounted around a mirror. For this room, it is important to use waterproof tapes. Otherwise, they won't last long enough.
Too bright lighting for a child's room is not required. It can be muted, used, for example, for a play area. It is better to place a lamp on the table. In this case, the light output will be more directional.
The brightest LED strips allow you to create interesting, full-fledged lighting that will enhance the beauty of the interior.
What to consider when installing?
Bright LED strip (12V or 24V) needs to be properly connected. First, a project is drawn up, which indicates the location of each element of the system. It is also important to immediately decide where the tape will be powered innetwork.
In addition to the LED strip itself, you will need to purchase some additional elements of the system. First, it must be a power supply. If the manufacturer indicated that it should work from 12 V, then it is precisely such a device for connection that you will need to purchase. There are control units for 24V tapes.
Secondly, you need a controller if the owners of an apartment or house want to adjust the brightness of the glow. For multi-color varieties of lighting fixtures, the presence of a controller is mandatory. These devices can be manually or remotely controlled. The second option is much more convenient, but more expensive. There are controllers with a remote control or allowing you to configure directly from your smartphone.
Third, we need switches. They will allow you to connect several pieces of tape into a single system. It is worth noting that the maximum length of one segment cannot exceed 5 m, so several segments will need to be connected for one room.
In accordance with the created plan, it will be possible to calculate how many materials, devices for connection will need to be purchased. You will also need special skirting boards. They will allow you to mount the LED strip correctly.
Need to determine the total length of the system. It is determined how many lumens this device will emit. Choose a product that provides sufficiently bright lighting. The total power of the system is calculated, the number of segments that the tape will consist of.
Need to be determinedhow much power will the led strip have. In accordance with this indicator, a power supply and a controller are selected.
Connecting tape
Connecting a bright LED strip is not difficult. Even an inexperienced master will cope with this. More often, the control unit has wires brought out for connection. From the opposite end, the device has a plug and a wire.
To connect a bright LED strip, you will need to connect the wires, adhering to the established polarity. They are red and black in color. The marking may be different. This is detailed in the manufacturer's instructions. The black or blue wire is "zero". "Phase" is colored red or brown. If you do not observe the polarity, mixing up the wires, the tape will not work.
If there are no wires on the connection block, you will need to connect them yourself using the terminals.
If a controller is supposed to be used, it is included in the circuit in front of the LED strip. Further, after the dimmer, you will need to install a control unit in the circuit. Using connectors, this procedure will be quite easy.
To connect the multi-color ribbon, you need to pay attention to the correct connection of each wire. There will be 4 of them here. Each wire is painted in the color that the LED crystal section will glow with. The green wire must be connected to the terminal with the same marking. The same procedure is performed for the blue and red wires. The fourth wire is "zero".
Connection of tworibbons
Bright LED strip can consist of several segments. It is impossible to connect two parts of such a lighting fixture in series. For each segment that creates a single circuit, you will need to purchase a separate power supply, controller. But it doesn't come cheap.
To reduce the cost of installation, amplifiers are included in such circuits. One high-capacity power supply is purchased for the entire system. It is able to ensure the normal operation of the system, for which it has a power reserve. Amplifiers provide synchronous operation of all segments. In this case, all ribbons will shine brightly.
Otherwise, the intensity of the glow would gradually decrease along the length of the tape. The system might not work correctly. Amplifiers and connectors ensure the correct operation of the fixture.
After installation, you need to once again check the correctness of the assembly by connecting the device to the network. If the system is working properly, it is mounted in a special plinth.
Having considered how to choose and install a high-brightness LED strip, you can finish the room with your own hands. A properly selected device will help create full-fledged lighting in any room, giving the interior originality and beauty.
