Buying LED Lighting: The Short Story
| LED | FLUORESCENT | |
|---|---|---|
| ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS | Low | Medium-Low |
| LIGHT OUTPUT (WATTS/800 LUMENS) | 6-8W | 13-15W |
| COLOR TEMPERATURE | Varies by product; select high-quality LEDs for consistency | Ranges from warm (3,000K) to cool (6,000K) |
| COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI) | 80-90+ | Most are 60-70+ |
What is the best LED strip lights to buy?
The Best LED Light Strips of 2021
- Cotanic LED Closet Light, Motion Sensor Lights.
- Best Overall. Govee Smart LED Strip Lights.
- Best Bang for the Buck. Nexillumi 50Ft LED Strip Lights.
- TV Backlighting Pick. PANGTON VILLA Led Strip Lights.
- Motion-Activated Pick.
- Best Overall.
- Best Bang for the Buck.
- TV Backlighting Pick.
What LED light should I buy?
When buying LED strip lights, it is important to look at the number of LEDs per length. For brighter output and higher light quality you should look for the strip lights that have the highest number of LEDs per Foot (Meter, Yard, etc).
What wattage of LED lights do I need?
Equivalent Wattages and Light Output of Incandescent, CFL, and LED Bulbs
| Light Output | LEDs | Incandescents |
|---|---|---|
| 450 | 4-5 | 40 |
| 750-900 | 6-8 | 60 |
| 1100-1300 | 9-13 | 75-100 |
| 1600-1800 | 16-20 | 100 |
What brand sells the best LED lights?
- Philips Hue Bluetooth Smart Lightstrip Plus. Best LED Strip Lights.
- Wyze Light Strip Pro. Best Budget LED Strip Lights.
- Corsair iCUE Lighting Node.
- Elgato Light Strip.
- Corsair LS100 Smart Lighting Starter Kit.
- Govee WiFi TV LED Backlights.
- Maxonar Wi-Fi Enabled LED Strip Lights.
- Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagon Smarter Kit.
Are all LED strip lights the same?
As with most products there are 3 main classes or Grades of LED Strips: Cheap LED Light Strip, Mid-Range LED Light Strip, and High-End Constant Current LED Light Strip. Savvy customers know that it is false economy to cut corners when it comes to buying LED Strip.
How long of LED lights do I need for my room?
To determine the needed lumens, you will need to multiply your room square footage by your room foot-candle requirement. For example, a 100 square foot living room, which needs 10-20 foot-candles, will need 1,000-2,000 lumens. A 100 square foot dining room, which needs 30-40 foot-candles, will need 3,000-4,000 lumens.
What size LED lights should I get?
To determine the needed lumens, you will need to multiply your room square footage by your room foot-candle requirement. For example, a 100 square foot living room, which needs 10-20 foot-candles, will need 1,000-2,000 lumens. A 100 square foot dining room, which needs 30-40 foot-candles, will need 3,000-4,000 lumens.
Is 5000K too bright for kitchen?
5000K is ideal for kitchens with white cabinetry and a modern to transitional style.If you have a darker kitchen with traditional wood color cabinets, a 3000K light would be optimum. It’s important to use kelvin temperature within kitchens instead of warm white, neutral or cool white terminology.
How do I choose an LED ceiling light?
Brightness
Some LEDs are more efficient than others and therefore use less watts to produce the same or more lumens. For general lighting, I recommend using lights that produce at least 600 lumens for standard height ceilings, and at least 900 lumens for tall ceilings.
What is 18W LED equivalent to?
Lumen & Wattage Comparison
| Lumens (Brightness) | LED Watts (Viribright) | CFL Watts |
|---|---|---|
| 400 500 | 6 7W | 8 12W |
| 650 850 | 7 10W | 13 18W |
| 1000 1400 | 12 13W | 18 22W |
| 1450-1700+ | 14 20W | 23 30W |
How bright is a 15W LED light?
LED light bulbs for general use around the home will typically have a wattage between 5W-15W, and will emit between 300-500 lumens.
How do I choose LED bulbs for my home?
How to Pick an LED
- Make a list.
- What color of light do you want?
- Know your watts from your lumens (brightness or light output)
- Calculate your financial and environmental savings.
- Start with one bulb.
- Evaluate your test bulbs.
- Replace the lights you use most to maximize savings.
- Consider bulb longevity.
Where should I put my LED lights in my room?
To level up your light design, try installing LED strips in these five places around your home.
- Under cabinets. As the name implies, under-cabinet lighting illuminates areas underneath your cabinetry.
- Along toe kicks.
- Under shelves.
- Under the bed.
- Behind computer and TV screens.
What is the brightest LED light strip?
SMD (Surface Mounted) 5730 series is the brightest LED strip because it contains powerful LEDs that can create a lot of light.
Do LED lights burn out?
Unlike incandescent light bulbs, LEDs don’t produce light using heat. This is part of what makes them so energy efficient. The downside is that their components can be sensitive to overheating, which can cause them to burn out prematurely.
Are all lights LED compatible?
LEDs can be used in any light fixture, as long as it’s not enclosed or air-tight, and is not an old-style dimmer system. Both these will shorten the lifespan of LED bulbs.
Do LED strip lights raise electric bill?
LED strip lights do not cost a lot of electricity compared to traditional incandescent lights. Consumption is directly determined by the length of the strip light and its light density. A standard 5-meter strip will cost less than $3 a year to run, on average.
What does 5050 mean for LED lights?
Simply put, these LED chips are called SMD 5050 because the dimensions of the chips are 5.0mm x 5.0mm. They have 3 LED diodes in one housing (sometimes called tri-chips), and are a lot brighter than individual 3528 LED chips.
Can I cut LED strip lights?
1. Can Your LED Strip Lights Be Cut? Yes. All of our LED tapes can be cut.
Do LED lights attract bugs?
LED lights produce little to no UV light and a minuscule amount heat, which makes them less attractive to bugsso long as they emit longer wavelengths of light.
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