LED tape lights are one of the handiest fixtures around. By themselves, the lights look old-fashioned and futuristic at the same time – stored in rolls reminiscent of vintage film reels, featuring space-age looking LED lights. But, once you install LED tape lights, they’ll bring your space to life unlike any other light fixture.
What Makes The LED Tape Light So Wonderful?
LED tape lights (also sometimes called LED ribbons) have a ton of special features that other fixtures just can’t measure up to:
- The strong adhesive backing on every reel will stick to almost any surface with ease.
- You can’t find a thinner, lower profile light strip on the market.
- The trimmable fields allow you to tailor the length of your tape lights, fitting the specific requirements of your project.
- Their dimming capabilities (when powered by dimmable drivers) let you customize your space’s light levels, no hassle.
- Many are wet location listed, so you can have great lighting indoors and out.
- You can choose between warm white, cool white, colored, and color-changing varieties.
On top of all that, LED tape lights have a 50,000 hour rated-life, and because they’re LEDs, you know they’re going to save you energy.
Ways To Use LED Tape Lights
You want versatile? We’ve got your versatile.
You can use LED tape lights for residential and commercial applications, everywhere from the bathroom to the boardroom, the kitchen to the casino, the home theater to the pool, and everywhere in between. Here’s a list of some of the most popular uses:
- Accent Lighting
- Backlighting
- Book Case Lighting
- Cabinet Lighting
- Cove Lighting
- Display Case Lighting
- Handrail Lighting
- Halo Lighting
- Indirect Lighting
- Niche Lighting
- Over Cabinet Lighting
- Shelf Lighting
- Step Lighting
- Task Lighting
- Toe Kick Lighting
- Trade Show Lighting
- Under Cabinet Lighting
- Under Counter Lighting (as opposed to Under Cabinet Lighting)
Installing LED Tape Lights
Compared to other light fixtures used for the applications listed above, installing LED tape lights is fairly simple (thanks again to that handy adhesive backing).
You’ll need an LED driver for each continuous tape light run. Make sure the driver’s wattage rating is equal to or slightly greater than the total wattage of the tape lights you’ve chosen to power. To find the total wattage of your tape lights, multiply the number of feet you intend to use by 1.5W. If you plan to have 16 feet of tape light, you’ll need a driver with a rating of 24W or more.
Before installing this product, it may be beneficial to consult with a licensed electrician in your local area to make sure that your project is up to all of the appropriate electrical codes.
Click here to browse our selection of LED tape lights.
I have a need for under cabinet desk lighting- will these tape lights be of sufficient lighting? . The length of the under cabinet is about 16′. The distance between the place the lights would go and the desk is about
24 inchwa.
If this is not the best lighting what would you suggest?
Cole,
You could use LED tape lights for a project that small, but it’s probably easier to get one linear under cabinet task fixture to light your desk. It will require fewer accessories. This is one of our favorite, bestselling LED task lights, definitely worth a look. Personally, I use this linear microfluorescent to light my desk, and I love it. Both will provide plenty of light.
I have cement and steel ceilings. They are difficult to wire. Could I use led tape lights around part of the room instead?
Thanks,
Carol
Carol,
Do you intend to attach the tape light to the cement/steel?
I think it will be difficult getting the 3M backing to securely attach.
I would suggest using a mounting channel or mounting clips but it will still be difficult to drill into a cement/steel surface to properly secure the channel/clips.
I have a glass display case about 5ft. long and 3ft. tall with one full length glass shelf and 2 half glass shelves could you suggest the type of lighting for it. I am thinking of strip lights.
Faune,
I agree – LED tape light (also known as LED strip lights) would be a great solution for a glass display case. You could easily tape the lights to the glass and have a low profile and energy-efficient solution.
Check out our full selection of LED strip lights here – http://www.pegasuslighting.com/led-strip-lights.html
I’m building a wine cellar and would like to use LED rope or tape lights on the display row, which has a light valance. It is not a continuous run as there is an open display cabinet on one of the three walls. The question is, rope or tape? Can both rope and tape lights be cut to measure in the field?
Cameron,
Rope light cannot be cut in the field. It voids the UL rating.
Tape light can be cut in the field.
Rope light is generally going to be the lower cost solution and can be installed simply by plugging in. Tape light is much lower profile and can require professional installation because of the need for an LED driver.
An interesting product to consider is our tape-rope hybrid kits – http://www.pegasuslighting.com/led-flexible-tape-rope-light-kits-wet-location-120v-high-output.html
It’s flat like tape light but easy to install like rope light. These kits cannot be cut but they can be ordered in different sizes and connected using jumpers.
I have a custom built queen size bed, made of oak, which currently sits with its headboard against the wall. It was built with a plinth which forms a toe cove on the other three (non-headboard) sides. I’d like to install a single 220″ circuit of dimmable white ribbon lighting (three sides, two corners) in the toe cove in order to dimly illuminate the floor around the bed, controlled by a single switch. What products do you recommend?
Eliot,
I would recommend this product – http://www.pegasuslighting.com/led-flexible-tape-light-wet-location-24v.html
It’s dimmable and the max run is 64ft, so there’s no issue with the length of your circuit. You can use interconnection cables to make any jumps needed between sections.
can i use these lights effectively recessed directly into a ceiling with a diffuser or is the direct light too bright?
David, I’m not really sure how or why these would need to be recessed into a ceiling unless you mean a cove around the ceiling. Tape light is incredibly thin. We do not have a diffuser accessory for our tape light. When installing on the ceiling it’s generally best as ambient or accent lighting… it’s not going to be bright enough to provide general lighting.
Hi. I am trying to figure out what all I need to purchase for my under cabinet lighting install. I want to go with the LED tape lights. Not sure if I need normal or high output, and what I need with regard to power supplies, drivers, etc. Attached is the layout for the kitchen. There are three sections of cabinets under which the lights will be installed. the electrician has run wiring to connect all three sections to one primary https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f7029efcdd7e6c7a85a57e7ae3436ecbb42da2200534e023c5b7d648ce7d3bc3.jpg switch which will be dimmable. Please let me know what other info you might need. Thank. TC