Strip lights are a simple solution that can immediately brighten up any room with color and light and transform the feel of any space—at a fraction of the cost of new lamps or fixtures. The best strip lights, which are often installed using pre-applied adhesive, go up in just a few minutes and are controlled right from an app on your smartphone. Our favorite strip lights are the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Lights, which feature over 65-feet of lighting and offer a vast range of pre-set hues. They can also be voice activated from smart speakers, so your strip lights are ready to glow as soon as you give the command.
The best strip lights are easy to install and operate, and immediately transform a room. Whether you ... [+] crave classic white light or seek color and pattern for your dark spaces, here are our favorite options to consider. led panel light ceiling
Strip lights can be installed under cabinets or along the top of walls to add brightness to any interior room. Got a dim area like a closet or basement that could use some illumination? Strip lights provide an easy fix. Another idea is to install them along window edges to add a decorative glow. Some strip lights are fairly basic and only offer one hue (usually white) while others can change colors, make shapes and patterns or even synch in time with music. Here are some of our favorite strip lights that get the job done.
Length: 65.5 feet | Control: Controller, app, voice | Special features: Color changing, audio sync, segmented color grouping
This 65.5-foot long strip of bright RGBIC LED lights from Govee can fill any space with colors of the rainbow, which makes this an ideal product to consider for seasonal decor or for having on display for your next party.
These lights can be operated via a connected controller, using the Govee app, or by using your voice to activate them via Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant speakers. One cool feature is the onboard microphone, which can detect and react to sounds. So if you’re watching a movie or listening to music, it can be programmed to shine brighter when the noise gets louder. Additionally, these strip lights can pulsate, flash or fade, which makes them a fun addition to any celebration.
Length: 16.4 feet | Control: App, voice | Special features: Trim for custom fit, lighting schedule, custom presets
If a low budget option is more of what you’re seeking, these smart strip lights from Roku are worth consideration. There is no manual remote control included, so this product is activated by the Roku Smart Home app or with Alexa or Google Assistant. Colors range in the millions, so you can choose any shade you desire, and they can be easily synced with audio to enhance any movie watching or music listening experience. You can also design your own custom light shows and even set a schedule where the lights slowly dim as the sun goes down and softly brighten to wake you up at a predetermined time. Going away? It’s easy to program the lights to turn on in your absence, so it looks like someone is home.
Length: 16 feet | Control: App, voice | Special features: Color segments, sleep/wake cycle assist, custom color creation
For some, strip lights with more options are simply better. The version from GE’s CYNC division can easily display multiple different segments of lights to glow in various colors —choose from 16 million different shades. When paired with Alexa or Google Assistant, the Dynamic Effects Smart Strip Lights can be effortlessly activated by voice or can be operated via app to sync with your favorite music, games and movies.
For those interested in its alarm clock feature, the lights can be conveniently set to a sleep and wake cycle, which creates a perfectly balanced warm amber light tone (think a warm color temperature of 2000K) at night and then a cooler bluish light (around 7000K) that is similar to an early morning sky.
Length: 6.6 feet | Control: Controller, voice | Special features: Superior cool and warm whites, screen mirroring
Soft and warm white light is the ultimate mood lighting and looks great in any room. The Nanoleaf Essentials Smart LED Lightstrip features specialized white LEDs that can produce bright, cool white and even a soft amber glow, which skews warmer. We are also fans of these for the holiday season, as there’s nothing prettier than white lights in a window. One can also consider lining a mirror with these strip lights, or adding a soft glow behind a TV screen or monitor. This particular strip light is on the shorter side, but for small spaces that need a glow up, they perform beautifully.
Length: 6.5 feet | Control: App, controller | Special features: Seamless color, easy to position into varied shapes, light drawing with app
Seeking strip lights you can mold into fun shapes? These are for you. The Twinkly Flex Light Tube can be easily twisted and formed into just about any design you’d like—from a music note to a smiley face to a flower and much more. Once you’ve created the shape you desire, simply hang it on your wall. To add color, download the Twinkly app and choose from a rainbow of fun hues to personalize your creation. One downside is that these particular strip lights are on the shorter side (6.5 feet long), but if you’re looking for a light source on the small scale, this will do.
Length: 6.25 feet | Control: App, voice | Special features: Designed for placement behind TV, excellent audio/video syncing
The Philips Hue Gradient Light Strip is designed to deliver visual effects to the sounds of your favorite music, movies and games. One caveat is that you’ll also need to buy the Philips Hue Bridge to enjoy all the smart technology these lights offer. However, the ambiance it creates is nothing short of magical. The Gradient Light Strip can detect and sync with audio volume or screen colors, glowing with tones and intensity that will instantly enhance your audio and visual gear.
While on the costlier side, this particular light strip may be the special effect you’ve been seeking for your at-home media and gaming setup. They’re not difficult to install, as mounting brackets are provided, and they easily connect to the corners of the back of your screen. Once the strip lights are locked into the brackets, simply tilt them to angle you desire.
Length: 100 feet | Control: App, remote control | Special features: IP68 water resistance, music syncing mode
These AILBTON Outdoor LED Strip Lights are designed to withstand the elements, including heavy rain and driving snow. With a water resistant tube rating of IP68, these particular lights can endure full submersion in water and will continue glowing. They are offered at a generous 100-feet long, which makes it ideal for lining a walkway or sprucing up your yard for the holidays. If you want to try out strip lights temporarily, this particular product may not be for you. Why? Installation is slightly complex, and will take time as they come with brackets that must be screwed into a hard surface. However, once they are in place, they could last for years. And they can be controlled via app or an included remote control. Bonus: They can be synced with music, which makes for a fun light show.
The Forbes Vetted editors, like all consumers, want products that work efficiently, hold up to regular use and help make our homes more functional and comfortable. In addition to crafting articles on how to add light to our personal spaces both indoors and outdoors, our home and kitchen team also writes, researches and, in many cases, tests a slew of products and appliances that create healthier, cleaner and more efficient dwellings. This includes everything from the best stackable washers and dryers, to the best carpet cleaners for pets, the best vacuums for any living space and the best air purifiers for those who have allergies.
As a contributing writer to Forbes Vetted, I adhere to the depth of research required for all of our home product recommendations. To find the best strip lights, I assembled a list of about a dozen contenders, then whittled it down based on price, functionality and performance. I also personally tested many of these products and evaluated whether they could be installed, programmed and utilized in the ways they were being advertised. Lastly, I researched numerous customer reviews and ratings to see which strip lights performed best to determine the overall categories and winners.
Adding more light to our busiest living spaces can transform them immediately. Here are more lighting stories to help decorate indoor and outdoor areas.
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I started writing using the moniker Taxgirl years ago and love making complicated information accessible to taxpayers and tax professionals.
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I focus on tax law including tax planning and tax controversy matters. My goal is to help taxpayers get compliant and stay out of trouble.
I earned my J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation from Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia, PA. While at law school, I interned in the federal estate and gift tax attorney division of the IRS, and participated in the review and audit of federal estate tax returns.
I started writing using the moniker Taxgirl years ago and love making complicated information accessible to taxpayers and tax professionals.
I hate lists of awards but do have a few that I'm particularly proud of, including the Philadelphia Business Journal \"40 under 40\" and being named one of the Global Tax 50 by the International Tax Review for my \"tireless and passionate tax reporting.\"
I love to travel with my family and spend much of my time explaining to the kids why we can’t move to Europe—this week.
Want more taxgirl goodness? Pick your poison: follow me on twitter, hang out on Facebook and Google, play on Pinterest or check out my YouTube channel.
I’m a London-based freelance journalist who specializes in all aspects of technology including reviews, investigations, comment and news. My Audible original podcast 'The Squid Scam' came out in January 2023. I have also written for The Guardian, TechRadar, The Evening Standard, New Scientist and others. I'm a recovering founder of the investigative journalism focused YouTube channel, Point. (Pronounced: jan-eye).
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