If you take LED strip lights and rope lights at face-value, you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re almost the same thing. However, they’re two very different LED lighting set-ups. The Linear Lux team are specialists in the industry, and we’re one of Australia’s leading suppliers of LED lighting and control gear. Because we know our products well, we thought we’d break down the differences between LED strip lights and rope lights so you can make more informed lighting decisions.

The Key Differences Between LED Strip Lighting and Rope Lighting

The Pros And Cons

One form of lighting isn’t necessarily better than another, and both LED strip lighting and rope lighting have their pros and cons.

• Rope lights
  • Pros: They’re very inexpensive, they’re a longer length than strip lights, and they’re 360-degree viewing allows them to be used as Christmas decorations.
  • Cons: They aren’t very bright, the plastic or epoxy tubing yellows and cracks with age, they’re thicker and more challenging to install, and they can’t be bent easily, so flexibility is limited.
• LED strip lights
  • Pros: They’re very bright with an option for dimming, they’re very thin and easy to install, they’re great in almost any environment, they have high bend flexibility, they’re usually always of very high quality, and you’re able to control the colour remotely.
  • Cons: They can’t run very far before voltage drop occurs, and they only have a 120-degree beam angle, making 360-degree installation hard.

The Best Places To Use Each

Because rope lights and LED strip lights have their pros and cons, they also have different functional uses.

• Rope lights
  • Christmas decorations
  • Wrapping around a balcony
  • Illuminating walkways
  • Landscape accenting
  • Wrapping around pool fences
  • Wrapping around tree trunks in the backyard
• LED strip lights
  • Around mirrors
  • Accent lighting for benches or shelves in the home
  • Under stairs to create better visibility
  • Inside display cases to accent items within
  • General room lighting
  • Under retail shelving to illuminate product

How To Choose The Right LED Strip Lights

If you’re interested in purchasing some LED strip lights from Linear Lux and trialling them in your home, here is our guide to choosing the correct LED lighting every time.

• Consider your intentions carefully. Before buying, think about what you want from your lights and where they’re going to go. Do you want a dimming function? Do you want one colour or RBG colour-changing lights? Do you want cool light or warm light? How do you want people to feel when they enter the room? If you answer those questions, you’ll narrow your search significantly.
• Compare LED strip size and the number of LEDs on the strip. Measure how much stripping you need and figure out the best LED strip size for you.
• Look at the wattage consumption per strip. Verifying how much power your strip lighting will use will save you getting a nasty surprise in your power bill. Always pick the most economical option for you.
• Consider quality. No matter what, you’ll want to invest in high-quality strip lighting. The better the quality, the more reliable and durable your lighting solution will be. Fortunately, Linear Lux only stock the very best in LED strip lighting, so you can rest assured that when you buy strip lighting with us, you’re getting a premium product.

Head To Linear Lux For All Your LED Strip Lighting Needs

As one of Australia’s leading suppliers of LED strip lighting and control gear, Linear Lux has had the great fortune of working with designers, electricians, builders, and business owners to provide innovative solutions to the design, manufacture, and installation of LED lighting. Our team have years of experience working with LED technology and have an unparalleled, in-depth understanding of our products. If you’re looking for LED strip lighting, browse through the extensive range available on our website today.