5V and 12V LED Strips' 3 Differences

When you are looking for some LED light strips to decor your house, you may find thousands of LED strips with different working voltages such as 5V and 12V on Amazon, eBay, and other websites of LED strip suppliers. Do you feel confused by so many different specs and don't know how to choose? In this article, we'll introduce their difference and let you know which is better for you.

1. Materials/ Components
Most of the components of the 5V LED strips and 12V LED strips are universal except the printed circuit board, aka PCB. Generally, the cutting unit of the 12V PCB contains 3 SMD LEDs and 1 resistor, and that of the 5V PCB is 1 SMD LED and 1 resistor. The minimum cutting length of the 5V LED strip is much shorter, which means that it's more likely to suit the specific length you need.

2. Input voltage
The power supply is a device that provides electrical energy to the LED strips. The output voltage of the power supply is constant. At the same power, the higher the voltage, the lower the current. And the lower the current, the longer the LED strip can be connected in series. Therefore, the 12V LED strip is more convenient for installation. But the 5V LED strips also have an advantage that is they can be driven by USB ports and batteries.

3. Applications
The 5V LED strips can be used to decor our TV background, computers, etc., for these devices can supply power to the LED strips through the USB ports. And the 5V LED strips are widely used in bike, skids, and other portable items, with a batteries pack. Oppositely, the 12V LED light strips are more suitable for large decoration lighting, such as ceiling, bed, wall, roof, and so on, for it is more stable and durable.

According to the comparison and description above, you can know which is better for your projects. If you have any questions about LED lighting, welcome to contact us. Shenzhen Mailederun Technology Co., Ltd. (MLDR®)