In this post we’ll take a look at the best LED strip lights you can buy for your home right now.
If you’re looking for the best LED strip lights for your home improvement and decoration projects, look no further: We’ve collected the 5 definitive LED strip lighting choices available on the market today in this one helpful guide. From outdoor LED strip lights to rgb light strips, it’s all covered here!
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- Our top pick for the best LED strip lights overall
- How to decide on the best LED strip lights for your home
- The best places to buy LED strip lights
So when you’re ready to up your home lighting game, read on to find out more!
Quick Take
If you’re really into efficient browsing, here’s the tl;dr for our favorite LED strip light picks:
- Best Overall: Maxonar LED Strip Lights
- Also Great: Corsair iCUE Lighting Node PRO
- Budget Pick: Govee Smart LED Strip Lights
- The Upgrade: Nanoleaf Rhythm Edition Smarter Kit 15 Pack
And if one of those options catches your eye, keep reading — because we’ll be covering each of them in depth below.
First things first, though: Why should you buy LED strip lights?
A Brief Overview of LED Strip Lights
LED strip lights are an increasingly popular option for adding a splash of color anywhere in your home, from gaming rooms to stairway lighting to outdoor ambience. Energy efficient and easy to install, they’re a convenient and affordable way to personalize any space in your home.
What to Look for When Buying LED Strip Lights
Because of their meteoric rise in popularity, the LED strip light market is saturated with imitators. We know this can make it difficult to distinguish quality from junk, so we’ve put together our top three observations from reviewing dozens of LED strip lights. With them in mind, you’ll be able to know that you’re buying a top notch product.
Consideration #1: Coverage
How much space your LED strip lights can cover should be your first consideration, because it will determine just how good of a value any product is. Additionally, it’s helpful to decide exactly how much lighting you need beforehand so you don’t end up with a huge amount of leftover lighting.
Consideration #2: Smart Features
Plenty of LED strip lights these days are equipped with some sort of Wi-fi enabled smart control feature. If you own an Alexa or Google Home, the ability to control your lights with voice commands is extra cool; if not, smart features will only add to the cost for something you don’t need.
Consideration #3: Colors
The best thing about LED strip lights? In our opinion, it has to be the colors! Make sure that the color options that you’re looking for are adequately represented in the product you decide on, because there’s no way to change that once you’ve set them up.
Top 5 Best LED Strip Lights Right Now
Every one of the five LED strip light sets that follows really impressed us with its combination of quality, value, and features. Check out each category to get a clear idea of what’s available on the market today:
1. Maxonar LED Strip Lights
Offering over 32 feet of smart home enabled LED strip lighting, Maxonar’s waterproof and multicolor strip lights give you the best length of lights for the price. They’re exceptionally easy to install, come with 16 million different customizable colors, and can be cut and rewired every three LEDs. What’s not to love?
As if that’s not enough, though, Maxonar’s lights are covered by an 18 month full warranty. They’re a guaranteed investment in your lighting satisfaction.
Wondering whether the Maxonar LED Strip Lights are right for you? Here are the pros and cons:
PROS
- Extra long light strip is a great value for the money
- Huge selection of colors to choose from
- Easy installation and waterproof coating
CONS
- Syncing the app can be tricky at first
- Adhesive backing can be inconsistent
Here’s the bottom line: Overall, the Maxonar LED Strip Lights are an excellent value for the money and offer versatile installation options for any home.
2. Corsair iCUE Lighting Node PRO — Also Great
Designed specifically for lighting up your gaming rig, the Corsair iCUE Lighting Node PRO is an all-in-one setup for custom PC builds. Though it comes with four light strips, it’s easy to add more as you decide exactly how you want to light up your gaming computer.
While somewhat expensive as a standalone product, the benefit of the Corsair iCUE Lighting Node PRO is its complete integration with other Corsair products. Combine it with fans, keyboards, or other strip lights, and you can use the included software to customize every single LED color you own.
Is the Corsair iCUE Lighting Node PRO? Here are the pros and cons:
PROS
- All-in-one system for lighting a computer gaming setup
- Comes with four LED strips
- Integrates with all other Corsair hardware
CONS
- Cannot control other companies’ lighting hardware
- On the expensive side
Here’s the bottom line: The Corsair iCUE Lighting Node PRO is the premier option for lighting a gaming PC, but you’ll need other Corsair products to make it a great investment.
3. Govee Smart LED Strip Lights
Affordable and easy to use, the Govee Smart LED Strip Lights are a budget-friendly pick that doesn’t compromise on quality. Offering the same 16 million LED color selection as our top pick, but sold at a fraction of the price, these lights make a great introduction to LED lighting setups.
Compatible with Alexa or Google Home via the Govee Home app, these strip lights are only held back by not being compatible with 5GHz Wi-fi networks. If you’re running on 2.4 GHz or less, they’re a wonderful choice.
Are the Govee Smart LED Strip Lights a good choice for your home? Here are the pros and cons:
PROS
- Exceptionally affordable
- Compatible with Alexa and Google Home
- 16 million colors to choose from
CONS
- Not compatible with 5 GHz Wi-fi networks
- Adhesive isn’t very strong
Here’s the bottom line: The Govee Smart LED Strip Lights kit is an affordable alternative to our top choice, offering many of the same benefits at a lower price. It is not, however, compatible with all types of Wi-fi.
4. Nanoleaf Rhythm Edition Smarter Kit 15 Pack
Even though they’re not technically strip lighting, the Nanoleaf Rhythm Edition Smarter Kit 15 Pack is too cool of an LED light kit not to include in this review. It’s more expensive, sure; but have you ever seen another light set that can sync in time to music that’s playing in the room? The Nanoleaf offers that and more.
Fully smart home compatible and easy to install, Nanoleaf’s Smarter Kit lets you create any design you want and light it up in 16 million vibrant colors. They’re an awesome way to add a unique touch to any room of your home.
Are the Nanoleaf Rhythm Edition Smarter Kit 15 Pack lights right for you? Here are the pros and cons:
PROS
- Super cool “rhythm mode” lets your lights sync with music that’s playing in the room
- Easy, no-drill installation can be put on any wall
- Offers a wide selection of customization options
CONS
- Expensive
- App integration can be inconsistent
Here’s the bottom line: The Nanoleaf Rhythm Edition Smarter Kit 15 Pack is the most unique LED lighting solution that you’re likely to find, and can create a signature look for your room in no time.
5. DAYBETTER Waterproof LED Strip Lights
Affordable waterproof strip lights that are perfect for setting up outdoors? Check! The DAYBETTER Waterproof LED Strip Lights offer just the right amount of lighting for a reasonable price, all within a completely waterproof housing that makes them useful for patios, decks, and walkways.
We really love the 3M adhesive that helps these lights stick anywhere, as well as the simple and intuitive setup. They’re not smart home enabled, but an included controller lets you set up to 44 different light and color patterns.
Are the DAYBETTER Waterproof LED Strip Lights a good choice for you? Here are the pros and cons:
PROS
- Inexpensive
- Waterproof and great for outdoor use
- Excellent adhesive makes them easy to set up
CONS
- Not smart home compatible
- Not the brightest lights around
Here’s the bottom Line: The DAYBETTER Waterproof LED Strip Lights are super affordable and versatile in their application, but don’t come with any smart home capabilities. For the price, though, we definitely think they’re worth trying out.
Your Turn
With the five options listed above, you should be covered for any sort of LED lighting situation that might arise. Once you get your new strip lights set up in your home, it’ll be time to sit back and relax!
