Built for real installs
The strip uses Epistar 3528 SMD chips on a 2-ounce copper circuit board — heavier copper means better current spread and better heat management along the run, which is what keeps colour and brightness consistent from the first LED to the last. At 120 LEDs per meter, the diodes sit close enough together to read as a continuous line rather than a row of dots, especially behind a diffuser. The band is 10mm wide and only 4.25mm high, so it tucks into tight valances, shelf lips and cabinet rails, and the factory 3M self-adhesive backing holds on clean, dry surfaces. Cut marks every 3 LEDs (25mm) let you tailor each segment to the millimetre instead of hiding an awkward leftover.
Light quality you can live with
Rated at a typical 800 lumens per meter in 3000K warm white, this is the cozy, lamp-like tone most people want in kitchens, bedrooms and living spaces — flattering on wood, warm on white paint and never clinical. The CRI 80+ keeps colours honest, an asset for display cases, closets where you pick your outfit, and bathroom vanity lighting. The 120° lighting angle spreads light wide, so a strip mounted close to a surface washes it evenly instead of striping it. Rated lifespan is 50 000+ hours.
Technical specifications
SKU: 35281212065-3000
Model: MTL-FP8AEHWK-120AXX
Chip: Epistar 3528 SMD
Chip density: 120 LEDs per meter
Length: 5 meters
Width: 10mm
Height: 4.25mm
Voltage: 12V DC
Power consumption: 9.6W/m
Recommended power supply: 12W/m
Luminous flux: 800 lumens/m
Colour temperature: 3000K warm white
CRI: 80+
Lighting angle: 120°
Can be cut: every 3 LEDs (25mm)
Circuit board: 2 ounces
iP rating: iP65+
Operating temperature: 40C to -10C
Lifespan: 50 000+ hours
Certification: cULus for Canada and USA E498952
Electrical, dimming and installation
Everything runs on safe 12V DC, which is why designers, architects and cabinetmakers like it inside millwork. Size your driver to the total metreage: at 9.6W/m the spec sheet recommends budgeting 12W per meter so the power supply is never running at its limit. Each reel comes with a female DC plug (17cm) on one end and two bare wires (17cm) on the other, so you can plug into a matching driver lead or hard-wire into a junction box. Dimming works two ways: a low-voltage dimmer and remote combo on the DC side, or a dimmable power supply controlled by a 120V AC dimmer. Heat dissipation is not mandatory, but mounting the strip on a heat-dissipating surface or inside an aluminum channel is recommended — it also hides the strip, protects the adhesive and diffuses the dots. Always clean and degrease the surface before sticking, and avoid sharp folds over the copper pads.
Where to use it and documentation
The iP65+ rating means the strip is suitable for dry and humid environments, indoor and protected outdoor use — think kitchen under-cabinet runs, bathroom vanities and shower surrounds outside the direct spray, basements, garages, workshops, covered porches, soffits and three-season rooms across Canada, where it holds from -10C to 40C. In commercial work it dresses up retail shelving, bar and restaurant backlighting, reception desks, display cases and hotel corridors, and the cULus certification (E498952) makes it easy to specify on both sides of the border. The full technical spec sheet for this SKU is available in the Documentation tab of this page — download it for the complete dimensions, electrical data and installation notes before you order your driver and channels.
