What you can do with color
- Hospitality: a bar that lights up in the color of the evening, or a lounge in soft amber.
- Shops and showrooms: shelves, display cases and walls in your brand color.
- At home: a glow behind the TV, along the ceiling or under the bed, and back to warm white at the press of a button.
- Facades and events: a building in color, with 230V strips up to 50 meters on a single plug.
RGB, RGBW or RGB+CCT?
- RGB: every color from red, green and blue. White is mixed, so it looks cool and slightly bluish. Ideal for atmosphere and effects.
- RGBW: color plus a separate white channel with a fixed color temperature, for example 3000K warm white or 6000K cool white. Color and pure white in one strip.
- RGB+CCT: color plus adjustable white from warm to cool. The most complete choice for spaces that need functional light by day and color in the evening.
- Digital RGB: every segment controlled separately, for chasing effects and color transitions. This needs a digital (SPI) controller.
Only want adjustable white without color? Then choose a CCT strip, which you will find among the COB LED strips.
COB or SMD RGB strip?
On an SMD strip (SMD5050, 60 LEDs per meter) you see individual points of light; in a profile with a diffuser they become one line. A COB RGB strip has hundreds of chips per meter and gives an even line of color even without a profile. For visible lines in shops and hospitality, choose COB.
Which voltage?
- 12V and 24V: for indoors, with an RGB controller between the power supply and the strip. For runs longer than a few meters, choose 24V. See the 24V LED strips.
- 230V: an RGB strip up to 50 meters straight on the mains, with an IP65 coating, for facades, canopies and long contours. See the 230V LED strips.
Control: remote, app or voice
An RGB strip always needs a controller that matches its number of channels: RGB, RGBW or RGB+CCT. With an RF controller (2.4 GHz) and a remote or wall panel you operate the strip directly, in multiple zones too. With a WiFi controller you set color and brightness from an app and by voice via Alexa or Google Assistant. For smart homes and building management there are controllers with Zigbee, Matter and DMX. See the dimmers and controllers.
What you need
- The strip in RGB, RGBW or RGB+CCT.
- A controller with the same number of channels as the strip.
- A power supply of the same voltage, loaded to 80% at most: watts per meter × number of meters ÷ 0.8. Example: 5 meters at 20 W/m is 100 W, so at least 125 W. See the LED strip power supplies.
- Connectors with the right number of pins: 4 for RGB, 5 for RGBW, 6 for RGB+CCT. See the LED strip connectors.
Prefer it complete? The LED strip sets in RGBW and RGB+CCT include the strip, controller, remote and power supply.
Frequently asked questions about RGB LED strips
What is the difference between RGBW and RGB+CCT?
With RGBW the white channel has one fixed color temperature, for example 3000K or 6000K. With RGB+CCT you set the white yourself, from warm to cool. RGB+CCT is more flexible, RGBW is simpler to control.
Can an RGB strip also give white light?
A standard RGB strip mixes white from red, green and blue; that works, but it is cool and less pure. For really good white light, choose RGBW or RGB+CCT.
Can I control an RGB strip with my phone?
Yes, with a WiFi controller and app, also by voice via Alexa or Google Assistant. With a gateway you can also control RF controllers from an app.
Are RGB strips dimmable?
Yes. Color and brightness are set with the RGB controller. A standard 230V wall dimmer does not work.
Can an RGB strip be used outdoors?
The IP65 versions can be used outdoors under a roof. See also the outdoor LED strips.
