The soft glow of a traditional incandescent bulb has a low color temperature (2700K), while the crisp, bright white of natural daylight has a high color temperature (6500K).Ĭolor rendering is a measure of how accurate colors appear under the light source. In describing the different shades and qualities of white, color temperature (CCT) and color rendering index (CRI) are two metrics that are important to keep in mind.Ĭolor temperature is a measure of how 'warm' or 'cool' the light's color appears. Generally, white light is the most useful and popular option for indoor lighting applications. LED strip lights are available in various shades of whites or colors. Learn more about the factors that affect LED strip light longevity. For an LED strip product, it is usually a good sign if the LEDs are not driven at more than 0.2 watts each.

A good quality LED strip should be capable of providing 4 watts per foot or more (15 W/meter).įinally, do a quick check to determine if the individual LEDs are being overdriven by dividing the wattage per foot by the LED density per foot. The power draw tells us the amount of power the system will consume, so this is important to determine your electricity costs and power supply requirements (see below). Next, consider an LED strip light's power draw per foot. LED emitters are the most expensive component of LED strip manufacturing, so be sure to account for LED density differences when comparing LED strip prices. A higher density of 36 LEDs per foot (120 LEDs per meter) will typically provide the best, most evenly distributed lighting effect. LED density is important in determining the distance between LEDs (pitch) and whether or not there will be visible hotspots and dark spots between the LED emitters. Do not worry too much about this, as what is most important in an LED strip is the number of LEDs per foot, and the power draw per foot. You may come across various LED emitter names such as 2835, 3528, 5050 or 5730.

You will also want to watch out for low cost LED strips that claim high brightness, as they may overdrive the LEDs to the point of premature failure. Light output and efficiency per LED emitterĪn LED strip light without a brightness specification in lumens is a red flag. LED strip brightness is primarily determined by three factors: 4-ft T8 fluorescent = 4-ft of LED strip = 1800 lumens). A good quality LED strip should provide at least 450 lumens per foot (1500 lumens per meter), which provides approximately the same amount of light output per foot as a traditional T8 fluorescent lamp. LED strip brightness is typically described in lumens per foot (or meter). Unlike incandescent bulbs, different LED strips can have different levels of efficiency, so a wattage rating is not always meaningful in determining actual light output. Brightness of LED strips is determined using the metric lumens.

Led lumen scale