LED Strip 220V vs 12V

LED strips are often used to outline the contours of buildings, to build large lighting patterns, interior decorations, home lighting, and so on.

Classified according to the input voltage, the SMD LED strip lights can be divided into the high-voltage and the low-voltage. The input voltage of the low voltage light bar is commonly 12V or 24V DC, and the high-voltage light bar is 220V AC. So what are the differences between the two? What are the advantages and disadvantages of them? This post will give you the answer.

1. Safety performance: As we all know, the voltage of AC 220V is dangerous, which is not suitable for some places that people can easily touch. The low-voltage LED light bar works under the working voltage of DC 12V or 24V that is no danger to the person. To avoid hurting people, LED strip lights manufacturer will encapsulate the rigid strip with plastic profile and cover seal the flex LED tape with the plastic tube. Despite the improved safety performance, the cost of production has also increased.

2. Installation: The high voltage is used in daily life so that the installation of 220V LED strips is relatively simple. However, the 12 volt and 24 volt LED tapes are need corresponding LED adaptor to transfer the 220V AC to DC low voltage, which is relatively complicated during installation.

3. The price: The price of the LED lights themselves are close, but it is different from the overall cost. At current market prices, the cost of the low-voltage power supply accounts for a large share of the total cost. Therefore, the overall usage cost of low-voltage LED strips will be higher.

4. Service life: The lifespan of the low-voltage LED strips will be 50,000 hours. Using the same material, the high-voltage LED lights will have a higher working temperature and faster droop, which directly shorten the working life.

The above analysis shows that the two types of LED strip lights have their own advantages and disadvantages. We should choose the right product according to different usage environments and requirements.