LED strip lighting is a great alternative compared to incandescent, xenon and halogen linear lighting. Benefits like durability, long-lifetime, low energy consumption, easy powering and controlling make switching or choosing LEDs the obvious choice. However, there are some general guidelines to consider before buying LED strips. We offer a few helpful tips on buying LED Strips in the Ultimate Guide.
12V LED Strip lights (also known as LED tape) are available in a variety of colors, lengths and intensities. This is the prime DIY LED strip for common applications including under-cabinet lighting, cove lighting, shelf lighting, stair lighting, bar lights, display lighting and accent lighting in cars. LEDSupply offers quality information on how to power and wire these flex strips here.
LED strip lights with a 120V wall receptacle so lighting up is as easy as a simple plug in. These plug-in LED lights come in high output SMD strip lights, SMD Strip lights and Omni-directional LED Rope Light. Superb light for both indoors and outdoors available in lengths up to 150 feet!
Take this LED strip wherever you go. Powered from the included 8 Cell AA battery pack this 20-inch strip works great as a discrete light source for task or accent lighting. Strip and battery pack come with adhesive backing for mounting with ease. Great light for camping, tough-to-reach places, backlighting pictures/wall art and so much more!
Foot long linear MCPCB boards mounted with High Power LEDs and on-board drivers. These LED strips are extremely bright and just need a 12-24V source. Connectable up to 10 feet long and 0-10V Dimmable!
What are applications for LED strips?
Use Flex strips or High-Power LED strips?
The low-profile, adhesive backing and trimmable length makes LED flex strip easy to hide almost anywhere. Imagine a softly lit cove inside your living room, above and in decorative display cases, below cabinets, behind mirrors, underneath toe kick areas. Outside applications often include indirect lighting under hand-rails, porch railings, and eves. We have seen color strips on motorcycles, under vehicles and inside bars for a modern look and feel.
High-Power LED strips use LEDs capable of drive currents up to 700mA making them perfect applications that require more light than accent or indirect lighting. Our High-Power strips also have on-board drivers that deliver constant current and provide low-voltage dimming control. The Flex strips are much less bright, and obviously flexible where the High-Power strips are rigid. For example a High-Power LUXstrip can produce more than -lumens per foot where a 3-foot piece of Flex strip produces 300-lumens.
Is dimming available?
Do I need to heatsink my LED strip?
Yes, dimming is available for both High-Power strips and Flex strips.
The High-Power LED strips do require additional heatsinking, but the Flex strips do not require a heatsink.
LED strip lights are all the rage nowadays. Lighting designers are choosing LED strip lights to light residential, commercial and industrial spaces because they are easy to install, efficient and look great.
Finding the right LED strip manufacturer can help you choose the best LED light strip products that will last you a lifetime. We have compiled a checklist of what to look for in a reliable LED strip manufacturer.
Where Can You Find LED Strip Manufacturers?
LED strip light manufacturing businesses aren&#;t that difficult to locate. A simple search on Google can help you locate many. However, not all LED light manufacturers are the same. Here are some of the ways you can find and buy LED strips.
1. E-Commerce Websites (Amazon, eBay, etc.)
The internet is full of e-commerce websites that bring buyers and sellers together. Some of the more famous ones include Amazon, Alibaba, eBay, AliExpress, Newegg and Overstock. Finding LED lights on these websites is as simple as typing in what you need and browsing through the results.
Pros
Variety: These websites house a wide range of sellers from all over the world. This means you get access to a huge variety of LED lighting products.
Easy Access: Anyone with a desktop/smartphone can access these websites so you can easily order the LED lights you need.
Cost-Effective: Some websites like AliExpress allow sellers and buyers to interact with each other. This means you can negotiate on price. You can also buy LED light strips on websites that have an auction-based selling system like eBay.
Cons
Unreliable Quality: The biggest drawback of buying LED lights on these websites is that there are no guarantees offered. You don&#;t know what you&#;ll get till it&#;s delivered. There is always the possibility of getting defected strips or the wrong size and shape of lights.
Hidden Costs: Since these websites are intermediary agents for sellers, you have to pay extra costs to get your items. You may decide on one rate for your LED strips only to find some additional costs added at checkout.
No After-Sale Services: Once your LED lights are delivered, the seller is free of any obligation. So you will need to manage any malfunctions or glitches by yourself.
2. LED Strip Light Manufacturer Websites
LED light strip sellers on e-commerce websites can be manufacturers, suppliers or individuals. To ensure you get quality LED lights that suit your needs it is better to seek out LED manufacturers that are experts in the field. Most leading manufacturers has the advanced product process such as pick and place automation. One way to scout these manufacturers is to take a look at their websites.
Pros
Information: LED manufacturers&#; websites usually contain a ton of information on the products they sell. This can help you identify the right LED lights for your needs.
Safety Certifications and Test Reports: Top LED light manufacturers provide information on how they test their products for quality assurance. Safety certifications and test reports help you gauge a company&#;s legitimacy and professionalism. For example, our website features our entire
LED manufacturing and testing process
so you can make an informed decision.
Guidance and Customer Support: Since LED manufacturers are experts in their field they can help you choose the right LED product as per your requirements. The best LED light strip manufacturers offer customer support to help answer your queries.
Cons
Miscommunication: Just like any other purchase, there is a chance of miscommunication between you and the LED manufacturing company. You can end up with a LED light strip that doesn&#;t meet your requirements.
3. Local LED Strip Light Suppliers
Local LED light strip manufacturers and suppliers are also a good option to buy LED lights. You can search the web or the local newspaper to find out if there are any LED manufactures in your area and pay them a visit.
Pros
Quality Assurance: Visiting a physical store would give you the chance to personally examine LED products and choose the one that meets your needs.
Guidance: LED light strip manufacturers will give you first-hand information on all products and help guide to the one that is perfect for you.
For more information, please visit Joineonlux.
After-Sales Services: Any glitches or delivery mix-ups can be easily remedied since you can visit the store and have them fix the problem.
Cons
Lack of Variety: Local stores may not carry a wide variety of LED light strips and fixtures. Especially if they are simply suppliers and not manufacturers. The product spread may differ from store to store and branch to branch.
Inaccessibility: There is always a chance of not finding a LED manufacturer store in your locality. You may find a store that is located far from your home and/or workplace. In this case, it would be inconvenient to visit the store frequently and may take away from the benefits of going there altogether.
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Find the Best LED Strip Manufacturer Online
It may seem an easy task, but finding reliable manufacturers online can be difficult. With all the information available on the internet, things can get overwhelming and may cause you to lose your momentum. To keep you on track, here&#;s a step-by-step guide on what you should do when looking for a trusted manufacturer online.
Step 1: Determine Product Requirements
Before you start to search and contact suppliers, you must determine what kind of LED strip you want. Not sure which LED strip is right for you? Read our LED strip light buying guide to make an educated decision. Still confused? Reach out to us and our team of experts will help you decide the perfect LED for your needs.
You need to have a clear idea of what you want because that will help you search for the best LED manufacturer. This is important because even though LED manufacturers produce different kinds of LED lights, they might not produce the one you want. If you need the LEDs to light your workplace with the high-accuracy mig welding robot, then the LED strips must be durable and efficient.
Knowing what kind of LED light strips you want also helps you ascertain the quality of LED products on LED manufacturer websites. You&#;ll be able to match your requirements to the LED product features mentioned on the manufacturer websites. This will help you decide if a manufacturer is producing good quality LED products.
Step 2: Research the Market
The most effective way to find LED light strip manufacturers is to look for them online. A simple Google search can help you find dozens of LED manufacturers around your area. You can use keywords like &#;LED strip manufacturers,&#; &#;LED strip suppliers,&#; &#;LED strip wholesalers,&#; and so on. Make sure to look at at least the first three pages of your Google search. This is because LED manufacturers and factory sites are usually further down on search pages.
We recommend doing some specific keyword searches as well. For example, you can search for &#; Flexible LED Strip Lights&#;, &#; LED strip&#;, &#; LED strip&#;, &#; LED Light Strips&#;, &#;RGB LED strip lights&#; and more. Specific keyword search will help you narrow down the LED manufacturers that produce that specific LED product.
A specific keyword search can also help you look for LED manufacturers and factory sites. Use keywords like &#;LED strip light manufacturing process&#;, &#;LED light quality tests&#;, &#;LED power supply&#; and more. This will help you weed out resellers and suppliers and take you to LED manufacturer websites.
Step 3: Analyze Your Choices
Now that you&#;re online search has yielded some results, you need to gauge each LED manufacturer website to see which one/s is the best. Here are some of the factors you need to consider for each LED manufacturer:
Variety
The best LED strip light manufacturers house a variety of LED products. In addition, they also offer LED light batteries, mounting support, and installation kits. Our spread of LED strip light products includes flexible, silicone and rigid LED strip lights along with LED strip controllers, power supplies, strip connectors, and LED aluminum channels.
Information
Good LED manufacturers have tons of pertinent information regarding their products on their websites. Information regarding lumens, power, size, color, features, and QA tests is very important when buying LED strip lights. If you can&#;t find this information on an LED manufacturer website, you won&#;t be able to decide if their products are right for you.
Support
Customer support makes or breaks your LED lights purchasing experience. Good LED manufacturing companies keep in touch with their clients throughout the purchasing cycle. They provide after-sale support to make sure that your LED light strips are working fine. They also help solve any technical or delivery related problems that may arise.
Ease of Operation
A smooth buying operation leaves customers happy and increases the chance of a repeat purchase. The top LED light manufacturing companies make the process of choosing and buying LED light product seamless and user-friendly.
Responsiveness
Good LED light strip manufacturers are always open and responsive to their clientele. They provide you with all pertinent information regarding the technical and aesthetic elements of LED lighting. They listen to your requirements and help you choose LED light products accordingly.
Customization
You may want to add LED lights to your new custom staircase or add LED backlights to the mirror in your beauty-room. Your new sneakers might need some LED lights for jazzing up a party or you may even want to experiment with a LED lights costume. A good LED light manufacturer should help you do it all. Take a look at some of our custom LED strip light designs for clients to get inspired.
Step 4: Shortlist Your LED Strip Manufacturers
Narrowing down your suppliers will save you ample time in making the final decision. The following are some factors you need to consider when shortlisting your manufacturers:
&#; It&#;s better to work directly with a factory because they are more affordable. Check their &#;About Us&#; page and factory location.
&#; It&#;s imperative that each manufacturer has high-performing machines, such as pick and place industrial robot and high speed robot arm . This is to ensure that they will only produce high-quality and reliable products. Go to their &#;Manufacturing Process&#; page to give you an idea on how they handle the manufacturing process.
&#; Factories that have been in the business for many years are mostly reliable. This will also mean they have excellent experience in handling different clients. Also, they&#;re most likely financially stable.
&#; Some manufacturers only perform one quality assurance process, which isn&#;t fitting for some products. Take note that the more quality assurance processes the manufacturer will perform, the better. This means that there are lesser chances for their products to have defects.
&#; Since Alibaba is probably the most famous B2B site, we&#;re going to include these factors. The
transaction level
represents the scores clients give their manufacturers. A high score will mean the manufacturer has many happy customers. The transaction level indicates the number of successful orders.
Step 5: Contact Your Selected Manufacturers
After selecting your potential manufacturers, you need to contact each of them to find out more. Here are the things you need to cover when talking to them:
Inquire about their MOQ or minimum order quantities. Before contacting them, you must already have an estimate on how much and how often you&#;re going to buy.
Ask about their quotes to check if they&#;re within your budget.
If you&#;re okay with the costs, ask for samples. This is to check if the product quality and materials meet your expectations. Inform your manufacturer you can only continue the negotiation after checking the samples.
Conclusion
Though the LED market is highly saturated, you can still get your hands on a quality product by being aware of your requirements and choosing an LED light manufacturer that can meet them. We house a variety of LED strip light products that are perfect for every need. If you still can&#;t find what you&#;re looking for, you can always contact us and we&#;ll custom-make LED strips as per your requirement.