There are many details and features that affect your decision when choosing a LED strip light. Color, light intensity and length are the first to come to mind. An important property that is often neglected is voltage. 12V and 24V LED strip lights are widely available in the market. So which one should you choose?
There are many details and features that affect your decision when choosing a LED strip light. Color, light intensity and length are the first to come to mind. An important property that is often neglected is voltage. 12V and 24V LED strip lights are widely available in the market. So which one should you choose?
12V LED strip lights have shorter cutting points. For example; While 12V LED strip lights can be cut every 4-5 cm, 24V strip LEDs can be cut in a minimum length of 8-10 cm. This difference is a challenging situation regarding the operating voltage of the LEDs. If you need to use the LED strip in short turns, 12V may be the right choice.
If you are going to light a long line (8-10 meters) or your power supply will be located 10-15 meters away from the LEDs, you should choose 24V LED strip lights. In such a case, if you use a 12V LED strip lights, some LEDs may light up at low brightness because there will be a voltage drop on the line. Voltage drop in 24V LED strip lights is minimal. In this way, maximum level of light can be produced along the entire line. If you have a long application area and you prefer 12V LED strip light, you should make a power connection (using a new power source or line from the same source) every 5 meters to avoid voltage drop.
24V LED strip lights draw less current (half as much) than 12V ones. This doubles the drive capacity of the controller used when operating RGB or RGBW LED strip lights. For example, the control unit that supports up to 20A current can manage a power of 240W when using a 12V LED strip lights, while this power can go up to 480W when using a 24V LED strip lights.
There is no difference in terms of brightness for both options. In other words, there is no light difference between 12V LED strip lights of the same power and 24V LED strip lights due to voltage difference. However, high voltage makes it possible to use more LEDs (such as double-row array of LEDs). This means higher light output.
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