WHAT'S INCLUDED?
- Four 1' RGB Color Changing SMD5050 LED Light Strip
- Four 4-Pin Connectors
- One Power Adapter
- One RGB Controller (Remote)
PROS:
+ LED's are SMD5050 rather than SMD3528 (read below for the difference)
+ Kit includes everything you need for connecting these together
+ Remote control with numerous functions or modes
+ Waterproof
+ 1 year warranty
CONS:
- Power cord is short at a bit over 3' long
- Orange and Yellow colors and not orange and yellow (they have a greenish tint to them) and no warm white led color
- Connector pins are not labeled for quickly connecting LED strips - you have to guess when connecting to led strips (50/50 chance of proper alignment)
- 1 LED every inch rather than 2 every inch like many LED light strips offer
- The strips don't have lines indicating where to cut (if that's even possible with these strips)
- Connector pins are prone to bending
HOW DO THESE LIGHTS WORK?
These are somewhat flexible. You just plug the socket into the electrical outlet, connect the 4-pin connector and then attach either the light strip (or an adapter if you want). plug the light tape to the controller. You are now able to stick it where you intend (under cabinets, in crown molding, behind a television, etc.) or connect the remainder of the light strips together. Unfortunately, the 4-pin connectors don't have an indicator such as an arrow to let the user line it up correctly the first time. It's a guessing game (50/50 chance) whether you insert the connector pins correctly.
WHAT ARE SMD5050 LED LIGHTS AND HOW DO THESE COMPARE TO SOME OTHERS AVAILABLE FOR SALE?
SMD is an acronym for surface mount diode. SMD's are the small LED's on the rolls of tape. The 5050 means that the packages are 5 millimeters x 5 millimeters. Bigger SMD's mean more light output, and SMD5050 are bigger than SMD3528 which are 3.5 millimeters by 2.8 millimeters.
MODES:
There are modes called "Jump 3", "Jump 7", "Fade 3", "Fade 7", "Flash", and "Auto". The numbers with each mode pertain to the transition between 7 colors or the 3 primary colors.
LED's PER METER:
These LED lights have 12 LED's per strip (12 inches). There are options from Tirin and many others that offer more LED's per foot. You don't always need the extra LED's for every application, but they certainly don’t hurt. The closer the lights are together, the more they appears to be a constant strip of light rather than individual lights. Also, additional LED's put out more lumens of light. Keep in mind that the controller would also let you dim them if you want subtle mood lighting at night.
MOUNTING THESE STRIP LIGHTS:
If you are mounting these facing upwards, clean the surface, remove the backing and stick them where you'd like them. However, if you are mounting them facing downwards (for instance, under cabinets) then the tape alone may not hold them for a long amount of time. You might need to get a glue, screw-in mounting brackets, clips, or aluminum channels with covers.
CUTTING THE STRIPS
Most strips allow you to cut them. I don't see any designated lines indicating that these are able to be cut. It's possible they are though. I suppose that these lights, at 12 inches, are short enough for most applications.
CONCLUSION:
That was a long-winded review, but I hope you found it helpful (or at least found a portion of it helpful). The lights work for putting behind the television, but they aren't very bright when reflecting off a dark surface. It also could have been a bit easier if the 4-pin connectors were labeled and built into the LED strips. As they are, the connectors are easy to lose, annoying to insert (and hope you did it right), and prone to bending. The orange and yellow aren't actually representative of those colors. It also doesn't have a warm white LED setting. At any rate, I suppose these do function. They have some benefits, but I would likely go with a different set next time. At any rate, if I can help you please hit that button drop comment below.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION (FTC) DISCLAIMER:
I received this product free for purposes of testing. However, the opinions expressed herein were formulated based on my personal use of the product. I welcome any and all suggestions, feedback and/or product questions!
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