Best LED strip lights 2024: Tested picks to add style to your bedroom, living room, kitchen and more | Expert Reviews UK

Available in a range of bright, user-customisable colours, the best LED strip lights can enliven your space with their colourful, ambient illumination. The right kind and you can even replace your trusty desk lamp. They can also elevate your TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram videos and even help light your kitchen cabinets, television surrounds or car interiors.

Our eight picks have been carefully selected after meticulous research of manufacturer websites, customer reviews and data sheets along with a rigorous testing process. Our methodology involved cutting the strips in a range of lengths, attaching them to various surfaces (such as cabinets and television surrounds) and then testing each feature via remote and smartphone app connectivity. We played around with different colours, lighting patterns, general brightness settings and even voice command control for the lights that offered this.

Toward the bottom of the page, you will find our brief buying guide focusing on key features and elements that come to mind when searching for the best LED lights. However, if you already know what you’re in the market for, you can skip straight ahead to our round-up here.

Price when reviewed: £45 (5m) | Check price at Amazon

TP-Link’s Tapo L930-5 Smart Light Strip is an incredibly well-rounded LED lighting kit. With strong 3M adhesive backing tape, robust connectors and a dedicated controller, it’s easy to install, while the companion Tapo smartphone app is both quick to set up and intuitive to use.

The LEDs themselves are super bright and punchy and once connected to the app can be set to your choice of 16 million different colours. Unlike some LED Strip lights, the Tapo light lets you display more than one colour at a time. There are a number of themes already built-in, or you can use the colour painting option to set up your own custom patterns. It even offers effects, including the ability to sync to music. For more neutral settings you can also precisely dial in the colour temperature of the white light to match it to the ambient lighting in the room.

The TP-Link Tapo Smart Lights can be scheduled and synced with other TP-Link devices and controlled via Alexa, Google Home or Apple HomeKit without the need for an additional hub.

Key specs – Strip length: 5m; Self-adhesive backing: Yes; Colour: User selectable multicoloured; Dimmable: Yes; Remote control: No; App control: Yes

Price when reviewed: £25 (5m) | Check price at Amazon

Govee’s smart LED strip light takes everything we love about its standard LED strip and adds app support. Once paired with your smartphone you’re able to control the brightness, colour temperature, colour combination and even have the lights pulse in sync with your music. Additionally, the lights are compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa allowing for voice-controlled operation.

The standard kit includes a 5m strip or you can buy a 10m twin pack for a slight discount.

Key specs – Strip length: 10m; Self-adhesive backing: Yes; Colour: User selectable multicoloured; Dimmable: Yes; Remote control: No; App control: Yes

Price when reviewed: £100 (4m) | Check price at Amazon

Innr’s Smart Outdoor Flex Light is ideal for adding a pop of colour to your garden, decking, patio or balcony. The flexible 4m strip can be shaped to suit, clipped into place and controlled using Innr’s intuitive smartphone app.

Using the app you can set the lights to one of 16 million different colours, adjust the brightness, program automatic timers and pair the strip with other compatible lights. The strip does require the additional purchase of a compatible hub for set up, but as it runs on the Zigbee standard you can use Innr’s own Bridge, a Philips Hue system or a different Zigbee-compatible smart plug.

The strip and plug are weather-resistant and so safe to set up outdoors, although this does mean that you’re unable to cut or extend the strip as you can with traditional LED strip lights. The Outdoor Flex Light can, however, act as a signal repeater should you want to pair it with other compatible lights.

Key specs – Strip length: 4m; Self-adhesive backing: No; Colour: User selectable multicoloured; Dimmable: Yes; Remote control: No; App control: Yes

Price when reveiwed: £89 (2m) | Check price at John Lewis

While Philips’ Hue Lightstrip is certainly a pricier option, if you’re looking to invest in the Hue ecosystem then this strip is the obvious choice.

The base kit contains a 2m Hue Lightstrip, mains adapter and a Hue connector. Once you’re set up with the base kit, additional Hue Lightstrip Extension strips can be added on using the Hue connector.

The lights can be controlled over Bluetooth using the Philips Hue app or via voice control using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit. There are 16 million colour options available along with colour temperature and dimming options. And, being a Hue light they will integrate seamlessly into any existing Hue system.

Key specs – Strip length: 2m; Self-adhesive backing: Yes; Colour options: User selectable multicoloured; Dimmable: Yes; Remote control: No; App control: Yes

Check price at John Lewis

Price when reviewed: £22 (6m) | Check price at Amazon

While most of the LED strip lights in our lineup are rather flashy, if you’re after something a little more subdued then this kit from Wobane may be the perfect fit.

The kit includes six 50cm LED strip lights along with a selection of connectors that allow you to arrange them in your desired pattern. These lights are ideal for installing underneath kitchen counters and cabinets, along shelves or inside cupboards.

The lights are controlled via the included remote control, and, while they’re limited to a single colour (available in warm white or bright white) the remote allows you to control the brightness and set illumination timers.

Key specs – Strip length: 3m; Self-adhesive backing: Yes; Colour options: Available in bright white or warm white; Dimmable: Yes; Remote control: Yes; App control: No

Price when reviewed: £7.99 (1m) | Check price at Amazon

While this may not be the longest light strip in our round-up, it’s arguably one of the most versatile. Rather than requiring mains power, this strip from Foeska can be run directly from a standard USB port. This means it can be easily set up next to a PC, games console, behind your television or even in your car. Should no USB port be within easy reach it can even be powered using a USB power bank.

The strip features 16 different colour options selected via wireless remote along with a selection of multi-coloured modes.

Key specs – Strip length: 1 or 2m; Self-adhesive backing: Yes; Colour: 16 colours to select; Dimmable: Yes; Remote control: Yes; App control: No

Price when reviewed: £109 (2m) | Check price at Amazon

Elgato’s Light Strip is aimed squarely at YouTube video makers, Twitch streamers and social content creators on Tik Tok, Instagram and Snapchat.

At 2000 lumens it’s the brightest LED strip light we’ve tested, offering up punchy, saturated colours that are ideal for video and live stream backgrounds. Crucially for content creators, the lights are also flicker-free on camera, allowing you to avoid distracting strobing effects that can occur while filming cheaper lights.

Elgato’s app gives you full control over the brightness and colour of the strip, with 16 million different colours on tap along with a clean white light mode with adjustable cool to warm white balance. Like all of Elgato’s lights, the Light Strip can also be controlled via Stream Deck.

If you’re looking for a general purpose light then there are more affordable options out there, but if you’re in the market for a bright, flicker-free LED strip for video and streaming, Elgato’s Light Strip may be well worth the premium.

Key specs – Strip length: 2m; Self-adhesive backing: Yes; Colour: User selectable multicoloured; Dimmable: Yes; Remote control: No; App control: Yes

Installation couldn’t be simpler. The flexible nature of LED strip lights allows them to mould to a wide range of different environments while the included adhesive backing means you can stick them just about anywhere from the floor to the ceiling. The backing should be strong enough to provide a secure, long-lasting fit, but still allows the strip to be removed again later if required.

The available level of control varies from model to model, but even the most basic types of LED strip light offer control over colour and intensity. On more budget-friendly options control is handled via a dedicated remote control. More premium strip lights can offer more advanced wireless control via a companion smartphone app or even Alexa or Google Assistant support.

Most LED strip lights feature connection cutting points that allow you to trim the strip down to the size you need. Should you need a longer run of lights, then it’s possible to combine multiple strips using a compatible connector. Many manufacturers sell strip extension kits, allowing you to extend the length of your strip without having to purchase an entirely new kit. You can’t, however, mix and match strips from different manufacturers.

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