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Light has the power to set a scene and transform the feel in your home. Warm, subdued light can instantly bring up that intimate feel.
Likewise, splashes of changing colors can bring the party atmosphere, while bright, cool color light will help stay focused.
The good thing is that you can achieve this atmosphere with simple additions such as LED strip lights.
Some of the best LED strips can add cooling lighting to your kitchen counter, glow up your social video, and accent your fireplace.
Designed to be more permanent than your seasonal string lights, LED strip lights are made of flexible, rubbery material.
You can extend them or even trip down to fit your space. And the best thing is that they come with varying color presets, some with millions of colors to choose from.
You can also connect to your digital assistant so that you can turn them on and off or trigger a schedule. In this guide, we will take a deep dive into the world of strip lighting.
We will do so by reviewing some of the best LED strips on the market. Doing so will help you in choosing the right lighting for your home. So, read on to learn more.
The Best LED Strips for Your Smart Home
1. Govee M1 Smart LED Strip Light
The Govee M1 Strip Light is one of the best in the industry because of its versatility.
Whether you are planning to throw a vibrant party in your backyard or setting up a dreamy mood, this light will bring out the magic.
This is possible because of Govee’s RGBIC technology that allows for endless customization.
We also ranked the Govee M1 as one of the best LED strips because of its ease of setup. Setting it up is a breeze and can fit well on most surfaces.
Only with a pair of scissors can you customize the length of the strip and fit it anywhere. Another nice thing about it is the companion app.
The app is accessible through a QR code on the box and offers several cool features.
They range from brightness control to timers and themed color groupings and flashing patterns. We also love the app because of its user-friendly interface.
Reasons to Buy
- It is customizable.
- Easy to install and use
- Works perfectly with Alexa and Google Assistant.
Reasons to Avoid
- Limited trip options
- May leave residue behind when you remove it.
Price: $72.99
2. Philips Hue Bluetooth Smart Lightstrip Plus
Many people respect Philips Hue because of its quality offers. It shines when it comes to making smart bulbs, and that is not all.
It also makes the best LED strips. That is why we include its Bluetooth Smart Lightstrip Plus here.
The light works with popular smart ecosystems such as Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, Micrososft Cortana, Apple HomeKit and IFTTT.
The only challenge is that you will need to buy a Philips Hue hub if you want to access the light remotely.
But there is a solution to overcome this challenge. You can opt for Bluetooth control via the Philips Hue Bluetooth app. But for it to work, you should stay within range.
With over 1600 lumens and 16 million colors, the Philips Hue Light Strip Plus can illuminate the darkest of places.
All you need is to choose one of the preset light settings on the Hue app. The good thing is that the app is straightforward to navigate.
Reasons to Buy
- It is bright
- Comes with robust lighting effects and presets
- Can integrate with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant
Reasons to Avoid
- You need the Hue hub if you want to access some of its best features.
Price: $99
3. Govee Strip Light 2 Pro
This is another fantastic strip light from Govee.
The best thing about this light strip is that it allows you to experiment with all manner of settings and colors.
In fact, the Light Strip Pro 2 happens to be one of the densest, brightest, and most color-accurate strip lights.
We also included this on the list of the best LED strips because of compatibility with Matter. It is also less expensive than the Govee M1.
Reasons to Buy
- Matter support
- Excellent color reproductions
- Plenty of customization options
Reasons to Avoid
- Cluttered Grovee app with tiny fonts
Price: $99
4. Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Lightstrip
The Nanoleaf Essential Matter Lightstrip is one of the best LED strips that offer maximum brightness.
With 2,200 lumens and a temperature range from 2700K to 6500K, you can set the best color to suit every mood.
Moreover, you can produce vibrant shades of tunable whites, thanks to its 16 million plus colors. Additionally, it supports Matter.
So, you can connect to nearly every smart home ecosystem like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit.
We also love the fact that the strip is thick and durable, meaning you can use it for the long run. The only drawback of this strip light is that the Nanoleaf app is difficult to navigate.
Reasons to Buy
- It supports Matter.
- Offer very bright lights with rich colors.
- Durable
Reasons to Avoid
- Nanoleaf app can be confusing to use
- It can get hot to touch
Price: $49.99
5. WiZ Smart RGBIC LED Light Strip
The WiZ Smart RGBIC LED Light Strip is one of the best budget options out there.
The light strip comes in three sizes: 16.4, 32.8, and 65.6 feet (ca. 20 m).
We included it on this list because it also has the best connector between the light strip and the cord.
This makes it easy to snap into place and makes it impossible to come unattached.
Reasons to Buy
- Budget-friendly
- Easy to set up
- Great for smart home beginners.
Reasons to Avoid
- No support for HomeKit
- Very basic
Price: $12.49
6. LIFX Lightstrip Color Zones 40”
This RGBW LED strip works perfectly with WiFi connection and can support multicolor lighting.
To be specific, it lets you choose up to eight different color zones.
You can adjust each of these zones based on millions of options, therefore allowing you to customize your lighting setup.
It also works seamlessly with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit.
The strip light comes in two lengths: 80 inches (ca. 2 m) and 40 inches (ca. 1 m).
The best thing is that you can add up to 33 feet (ca. 10 m) of the additional 40-inch extension.
Besides this, you can coordinate things like scheduling, grouping, and customizing color themes via the LIFX app.
Reasons to Buy
- Bright, vivid colors
- Great lighting effects
- Works with major smart assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant
Reasons to Avoid
- It can go offline randomly.
Price: $55.99
7. TP-Link Tapo Smart WiFi Light Strip L930-5
The Tapo Smart Wifi Light Strip may not be one of the brightest on this list, but it is easy to set up and use.
All the features are straightforward as there is no learning curve. Besides this, it produced accurate colors and brightness on bars with some of the top picks here.
We love the Tapo L930-5 because it comes with preset scenes and animations. The Away Mode feature is a nice addition.
Activating this feature will allow you to trigger lights on a specific setting when you are away from home.
Reasons to Buy
- Easy to install and use
- Neat lighting effects
- Brighter and higher-quality white light
- No Hub required
Reasons to Avoid
- No HomeKit Adaptive Lighting support
- Works only on 2.4 GHz WiFi
Price: $29.99
8. Philips Hue Solo Lightstrip
Philips Hue is one of the most reliable smart lighting systems because of their flexibility.
In fact, they don’t rely much on the internet to control lights.
The only issue is that you need to invest in a $60 Hue bridge to be able to access some of its useful features.
Reasons to Buy
- Easy to hang, thanks to the adhesive strip.
- Emits 16 million different colors.
- Flexible as you can extend or trip to your space.
Reasons to Avoid
- Will only work best with a stand-alone Hue bridge.
Price: $70
9. Govee COB Strips Lights Pro
The COB strip is also among the best LED strips, thanks to its brightness advantage.
The M1 and Light Strips Pro 2 may be denser than most strips here at 60 LEDs per meter but not comparable with this strip light.
The COB packs a whopping 1,260 LEDs per meter.
Reasons to Buy
- Bright, vivid colors
- Diffused light
- Comes with an adhesive acrylic back for easier sticking on the wall.
Reasons to Avoid
- Pricey
- Too bright on low settings
Price: $119
10. Eve Light Strip
If your home runs entirely on the Apple ecosystem, then you will find value in the Eve Light Strip.
Actually, it is among the best LED strips for HomeKit.
With about 1,800 lumens, you can choose a wide array of full-spectrum whites and colors.
We also love that you can connect it to your Siri.
This way, you can adjust brightness and change colors with voice commands.
Reasons to Buy
- Offers very bright light
- Supports Apple HomeKit’s Adaptive Lighting
- Reliable connection
Reasons to Avoid
- It doesn’t support Alexa and Google Assistant
- Not compatible with Android devices
Price: $79
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Generally, RGBIC is superior to RGB as it provides an extensive list of features.
But note that it is also more expensive than the traditional RGB strip lights.
So, if you want more functionality and don’t mind spending a little more, then RGBIC is ideal.
The 5050 chips, which are 5.0mm x 5.0mm, are typically brighter than 3528 chips.
Specifically, it is three times brighter than 3528 chips.
That is why most people use it underneath kitchen cabinets and other areas that require task lighting.
It will depend on how continuous you want your strip light to look.
So, you can choose high-density, standard, or low-density LED strip lights.
You can find the strip light density by looking at the LEDs per foot.
Final Thoughts
There are so many ways to transform your smart home. Some of them could be as simple as adding smart LED strip lights.
It is not only an affordable way to illuminate spaces like the dining area or underside of kitchen cabinets.
The good thing is that some of the above smart LED strip lights are versatile in use. The best of which is the Govee M1 LED Strip Light.
We picked it as one of our best LED strips because of its customizable lighting features, durability, and ease of setup.
But if you are looking for a Matter-compliant smart strip light, then the Nanoleaf Essentials is the best bet. Just ensure that what you choose fits your situation.
After all, each of the above strip lights has their unique strengths.
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