There are so many light strips, how to choose?

LED light strips generally consist of a substrate (flexible or hard bottom), lamp beads, and other accessories. The core part is the LED lamp bead. Although there are many kinds of lamp strips on the market, they can be summed up as follows;

Classification by voltage

High voltage light strip 220v
low voltage light strip

High voltage light strip

High-voltage light strips are the most common type of light strips. They are generally in the form of a very long bundle, ranging from 50 to 100 meters. They are basically fully filled with glue and can be cut by the meter at will (now there are 100mm cuts) (cut high-voltage light strip), with a power head and a tail cover, connected to the mains, and it can be used normally.

advantage:

The price is cheap and the models are abundant, including 5050 and 2835;
Powered by one place, it can be up to 50-100 meters long; equipped with a power plug, it can be directly connected for use;
It is simple in composition and easy to install, and is a favorite among electricians and installation masters;

shortcoming:

Safety: High-voltage LED light strips operate at a voltage of 220v, which is very dangerous. There is a risk of electric shock if people touch it directly;
Service life: Due to the high voltage, high-voltage LED light strips generate much more heat per unit length than low-voltage LED light strips, which directly affects the life of high-voltage LED light strips. Generally speaking, the service life of high-voltage LED light strips is within two years;
Cutting: Cut the entire meter. Some locations that require precise cutting are either too long or not enough, resulting in uneven brightness and hidden dangers of easy burnout;
Quality: The quality is uneven. If you are not careful, you may buy a junk light strip, such as low brightness, uneven light emission, and stroboscopic light strips;

Applicable scene

It is often used outdoors to outline the outlines of various buildings, build large lighting groups, various indoor trough decorations, and beautify residential areas and homes.

low voltage light strip

Low voltage, compared to high voltage, generally uses DC power supply. The voltages are as follows: 5V, 12V, 24V, 36V, 48V. A transformer with a constant voltage output is required to provide stable voltage DC power for the light strip.

The principle of the light strip is generally to string the lamp beads directly without resistors, transistors or ICs, and then connect them to the main positive and negative electrodes.The voltage of each section of the lamp strip is basically the same, but the total current needs to be set according to the rated current of the lamp bead, heat dissipation conditions, etc.

advantage:

It is highly safe. Most of the current light strips have a safe voltage of 24V, which is suitable for home use. It can be used on ceilings, walls, cabinets,under beds, etc., and it is also safe to touch directly;
No resistance, high luminous efficiency and uniform luminescence;
The cutting unit is small, usually 5cm per cut, and is highly practical. You can just cut it yourself when you encounter a corner;
Long service life, good quality LED low voltage light strips can be used for ten years;

shortcoming:

The price is generally more expensive than high-voltage light strips, and the market is flooded. If you don't understand, you can easily be cheated by unscrupulous merchants!
The installation is a little more complicated and requires an additional transformer. When installing at home, you need to consider the hidden location of the transformer;

Low-voltage light strips generally have SMDs, such as 2835, and COB light strips. 2835 is the most cost-effective, and COB light strips have the best performance. If you have enough budget, just choose COB;