LED Strip Lighting

Choosing a strip

Most of our strips run at 12V or 24V. A 24V strip can run further from its driver before the far end starts to dim, so it is the better choice for long runs and whole rooms, while 12V suits short lengths inside a cabinet or under a shelf. COB strips place the LEDs so close together that the light reads as one continuous line with no visible dots, which matters wherever the strip is on show. RGB strips mix colour, and single colour strips come in warm white, cool white and daylight: warm white for living spaces, cooler light for kitchens, garages and work areas.

Powering the strip: drivers

An LED strip needs a driver to turn mains power into the low voltage it runs on, and the two have to match: a 24V strip needs a 24V driver, and LED strip runs on a constant voltage driver. To size one, multiply the strip's watts per metre by the length you are fitting and add about a fifth as headroom, so the driver is never working at its limit. A dimmable strip needs a dimmable driver or a compatible controller. Hard-wired drivers should be connected by a qualified electrician, and some electrical work in the home, including new circuits and work in bathrooms, is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations.

Profiles: a neat finish and a cooler strip

An aluminium profile gives a strip a clean edge, hides the individual LEDs behind a cover and draws heat away from the strip, which helps it last. We stock surface-mounted and corner profiles for fitting under cabinets, along shelves and into the angle of a wall, with covers and end caps to finish the run. Where a strip will be seen directly, a profile with a cover turns a line of dots into an even glow; where it is hidden above a cupboard or behind a pelmet, a strip can often be fixed without one.

Joining, cutting and corners

A strip can be cut to length at the marked points along the tape, usually every few centimetres, and never between them. To join lengths or turn a corner without soldering, use a connector made for the strip's width and type: straight strip-to-strip connectors for a continuous run, and T, L and X connectors for junctions and corners. A single colour strip and an RGB strip take different connectors, so check which one the strip needs before ordering.

Planning a run

Start with the length. Measure every section, allow for corners, and decide where the driver will sit: it needs to be reachable for maintenance, kept ventilated rather than buried in insulation, and close enough that the cable to the first strip stays short. Most strip comes on 5m reels, and a long run is best powered from both ends, or split into sections with their own feed, so the brightness stays even from one end to the other.

Kitchens, bathrooms and outdoors

Around a fifth of this range is rated IP65 or higher, sealed against dust and water jets for kitchen splashbacks, bathrooms and outdoor use, while IP20 strips are for dry indoor spaces only. In a bathroom the rating has to suit the zone the strip is fitted in, and the driver should sit outside the wet area unless it is rated for it. Outdoors, choose an IP65 strip and keep every connection sealed, because a single open joint lets water into the whole run.