Oct 02, 2026 / By the Lumibox team / in LED Guides
Wondering how to choose LED strip lights for a kitchen, a bedroom, a storefront or a deck? It comes down to a few decisions: the LED type (SMD, COB or SOB), the voltage (12 V or 24 V), the colour mode, the brightness, the IP rating, the power supply and the aluminum profile. This guide covers each one with the specs you will actually see on product pages, so you buy the right LED strip the first time.
An LED strip (LED tape, ribbon) is a flexible circuit board carrying LED chips, cut to length and powered by a low-voltage supply. It goes where no fixture fits.
Settle the COB vs SMD LED strip question first, because it decides how the light looks.
SMD (Surface Mounted Device) strips carry individual LED packages spaced along the board. The four-digit code is the chip size in tenths of a millimetre: 2216, 2835, 3014, 3528 and 5050 are all in our catalogue. Densities run 30, 60 or 120 LEDs per metre, up to 300 or 320 per metre on the small 2216 chip. SMD is the most economical format and the standard for RGB and RGBW, which use the larger 5050 chip.
COB (Chip on Board) strips pack hundreds of tiny chips under a continuous phosphor layer: 480 chips per metre on an 8 mm board, 608 to 630 on 10 mm, 896 on 12 mm. The result is a seamless line of light, even without a diffuser. COB is the choice wherever the strip itself is in view: shelving edges, mirrors, kitchens.
SOB (Surface on Board) is a newer high-output variant with flip-chip LEDs on the board surface. Our SOB strips run 288 LEDs per metre at 9.6 W/m, rated 1300 lm, in 2700 K to 5000 K: COB continuity with higher efficiency.
| Type | Look | Density in catalogue | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMD | Dots unless diffused | 30 to 320 LEDs/m | Budget runs, RGB, RGBW, hidden coves |
| COB | Continuous line | 480 to 896 chips/m | Visible strips, shelves, mirrors, kitchens |
| SOB | Continuous line | 288 LEDs/m, 9.6 W/m | High output, seamless look |
The 12V vs 24V LED strip decision is about run length. Current travelling along the copper traces loses voltage, so the far end of a long strip dims visibly. Doubling the voltage halves the current for the same wattage: a 24 V strip loses far less and runs longer from a single feed.
The industry rule of thumb: about 5 m (16 ft) per feed for 12 V, about 10 m (33 ft) for 24 V, then feed again from the supply. The real limit depends on watts per metre, so follow the maximum run printed on the product page. Our catalogue reflects it: 12 V strips come mostly in 5 m reels, 24 V strips in 5, 8 and 10 m reels, and "long run" 24 V tape at 2.6 W/m in 10 m lengths.
Never mix: a 12 V strip on a 24 V supply burns out instantly; a 24 V strip on 12 V barely glows.
Fixed white comes in one colour temperature. In our range: 2700 K (warm, residential), 3000 K (the kitchen and hospitality standard), 3500 K, 4000 K (neutral, offices and retail) and 5000 K (cool, garages and task areas).
CCT or tunable white carries warm and cool chips and slides between them (2700 K to 5000 K on the remotes in our range). Dim-to-warm shifts warmer as you dim, like incandescent.
RGB mixes red, green and blue for colour, but its "white" is bluish. RGBW adds a true white chip. RGB+CCT (RGBCW, RGBWW) adds warm and cool white: full colour and tunable white on one strip. Pixel or addressable strips (SPI, "RGB + IC") control each segment for chasing effects.
Watts per metre is power draw; lumens per metre is light. Our catalogue runs from 1.5 W/m accent tape to 28.8 W/m high-output strips, with 4.4, 4.8, 7.2, 9.6, 14.4 and 19.2 W/m in between.
Lumen ratings on our pages run from about 200 lm for a 3 W under-cabinet bar to 1950 lm for high-lumen SMD strips.
Colour Rendering Index measures how faithfully a light shows colours (100 is daylight). For LED strip lights for kitchen counters, bathroom mirrors, clothing racks and food displays, designers specify CRI 90 or higher. CRI 80 is fine for coves and accent lighting where nothing is viewed under the light. Look for "CRI90" or "high CRI" in the product title.
The IP code (IEC 60529) has two digits: solids, then water.
Rule: strip, connectors and power supply must all carry the rating of the wettest point. That is why IP67 end caps and IP67 supplies exist.
You do not need an online LED strip power supply calculator; the formula fits on one line:
Watts per metre × total metres ÷ 0.8 = minimum power supply rating
The ÷ 0.8 is the 80 % rule: never load a supply beyond 80 % of its rating, a 20 % safety margin that keeps it cool and long-lived.
Worked example: a kitchen island with 5 m of 24 V SOB strip at 9.6 W/m. Load = 9.6 × 5 = 48 W. Minimum supply = 48 ÷ 0.8 = 60 W. Choose a 60 W 24 V driver; a dimmable 60 W junction-box driver is a standard item.
Match the voltage, confirm the class (Class 2 or Class 1) your electrician requires, and for wall-switch dimming choose a TRIAC or 0-10V dimmable driver. Our LED power supplies and drivers range from 12 W plug-in adaptors to 96 W junction-box drivers and 150 to 200 W IP67 outdoor units.
See all LED strip controllers and remotes.
An aluminum LED profile does three jobs. It pulls heat away from the chips, keeping output stable and extending life, essential above 9.6 W/m. Its frosted (opal) diffuser blends dots into a continuous bar of light. And it finishes the job: silver anodized, black or white, in surface, recessed, corner, drywall, suspended and wall-wash versions, 1 m to 16 ft long. Clear covers keep maximum output where the strip is hidden. Details in the aluminum LED profile guide.
Cut only at the marked copper pads. The interval follows the series groups: every 3 LEDs on a 12 V strip, every 6 on a 24 V strip of the same density, every few centimetres on COB; the exact spacing is on each product page.
Solderless LED strip connectors clip onto the pads: strip-to-wire leads, strip-to-strip couplers, L-corners for 90° turns and jumpers to bridge a gap. Match the board width (8, 10 or 12 mm) and pin count (2-pin single colour, 3-pin CCT or pixel, 4-pin RGB, 5-pin RGBW, 6-pin RGB+CCT). For IP65 and IP67, use waterproof connectors and end caps sealed with silicone. Mounting is covered step by step in how to install LED strip lights.
COB gives a continuous, dot-free line and wins wherever the strip is visible. SMD is more economical, offers the most RGB and RGBW options, and looks just as smooth inside a profile with a frosted diffuser.
24 V for most homes and all commercial work: roughly 10 m per feed versus 5 m, with less voltage drop. 12 V suits short runs, battery kits and existing 12 V systems.
Multiply the strip's W/m by 5 and divide by 0.8. A 9.6 W/m strip is 48 W of load and a 60 W supply; a 4.4 W/m strip is 22 W of load and a 30 or 36 W supply.
IP65 handles rain and splashes under a soffit or on a covered patio. For standing water, snow or immersion, choose IP67 with IP67 connectors and power supply.
A 24 V COB or SOB strip in 3000 K or 4000 K, CRI 90+, around 5 to 10 W/m, in a surface aluminum profile with a frosted diffuser, powered by a dimmable driver.
