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LED light strips are especially popular in smart homes as decor because of their versatile, customizable nature that allows people to use them for different applications. These are slender, flexible circuit boards with Light Emitting Diodes that you can get in various sizes, colors, and intensities.
The high demand has resulted in many brands making various types that can be powered using DC or AC power. The innovation has also resulted in the rise of smart LED lights that let you control them using wireless connectivity.
READ MORE: Must-Have Smart Home Devices In 2023
Before choosing them as your lighting solution, below is a guide with everything you should know.
Benefits Of Smart LED Strip Lights
- Energy efficiency: LED strip lights can cut your energy consumption by up to 90% compared to traditional options. That makes them more cost-friendly and environmentally friendly.
- Long lifespan: With a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours, LED strip lights are more durable than traditional fixtures. That helps with cost-effectiveness because you will incur less costs in replacing them.
- Color options: You can get LED strip lights in numerous colors, making them practical for lighting and decorations. You can choose your preferred temperature based on the room and preferred environment.
- Easy installation: LED strip lights come with many installation options that do not need wiring. That makes them easy to install even without electrical skills, making them perfect for DIY lighting projects.
Drawbacks Of Smart LED Strip Lights
- Initial costs: LED strip lights, especially high-quality ones, are more expensive to acquire than traditional fixtures. However, you can cancel that out with their long-term cost savings.
- Limited brightness options: While they have numerous light color options, they have limited brightness, which is lower than traditional fixtures. However, you can purchase ones with more powerful diodes for more light.
- Heat buildup: These strips usually generate considerable heat, making them a concern if you want to use them in confined spaces.
Factors To Consider When Choosing Smart LED Strip Lights
1. Smart features
Smart LED strip lights have numerous features that let you adjust brightness, change colors, sync them with music or other devices, and set schedules. It would help if you also looked at smart connectivity options like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee that allow you to connect them to different devices.
2. Color
With such a huge variety of color options, the color you select depends on your applications and the mood you want to set in the target spaces.
3. Brightness
You can tell an LED strip’s brightness using lumens per meter, indicating how much light intensity they produce within a given area. High lumens indicate brighter light, and the brightness also depends on the application.
4. Size
You can get LED strips between 30cm and 5m or more. Your size depends on the size of your target space and application.
5. Power source
LED light strips can utilize AC or DC. DC power is more efficient, meaning the lights consume less power and generate less heat. However, AC power can travel over long distances.
6. Service
Before purchasing from a company, ensure it has strong customer service policies. It should also have smart and experienced power plus lighting experts and engineers.
7. Warranty
High-quality smart LED light strips have over five years of warranty. You should also ensure the strips are U/L listed for extra quality assurance.
What Is The Best LED Strip Light?
The Aqara LED Strip T1 has become an industry-leading option because of its over 16 million vibrant hues with tunable white. You can also customize it to dynamic and static RGB with options like flash and rainbow effects.
Its smart connectivity features also allow it to outperform competitors. It is compatible with your smart hubs and ecosystems like Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Matter, and IFTTT. You can also control it by voice, increasing its remote usability.
It also has Wi-Fi connectivity, but is superior to competitors because it avoids network congestion and acts as a dependable Zigbee mesh repeater.
The Aqara LED Strip T1 has ten segments you can configure separately, supporting different dimming and colors. You can also cut it into sections of up to 20 cm or expand it up to 10 meters using the connector.
If you are a music lover, this smart LED light strip has a built-in microphone that allows you to sync music without a nearby mobile device.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many watts are in a smart LED strip light?
This varies depending on the type and number of LED bulbs per meter, strip length, and specific strip features. However, the average range is approximately 4-14 watts, but ensure you refer to the manufacturer’s product specifications.
How much does a smart LED strip light cost?
With so many options in the market, you can find smart LED strip lights at different prices. That depends on the brand, features, quality, and length. The average prices are between $20 and $80.
Are smart lights voice-activated?
Many smart LED strip lights have voice activation, allowing you to control them with voice commands via virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa. Ensure you ask the seller or read the product description before purchasing.
Are smart LED strip lights waterproof?
The waterproofing features of smart LED strip lights depend on the specific product and application. Those that are waterproof come as water-resistant (IP65 or IP67) or fully waterproof (IP68).
Where To Buy The Best Smart LED Strip Lights
Aqara has created a reputation as one of the most reputable and dependable places to buy smart LED light strips in person or online. You can order their products from countries in America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania.
You can get the strips from online platforms and physical stores like eBay, Amazon, Walmart, Falabello, Adorama, XiStore, SmarterHome, My Smart Home, etc. All you have to do is enter your region and select the best option here.
