Should I go with Single Colour or RGB LED Strips?

A question we often receive from customers is whether or not they should purchase single colour or RGB/RGBW LED strips for their home. This often comes from people who are new to LED technology and generally have little understanding of their own needs. The truth is, we can't assume this for anybody, we can only steer customers in the direction which feels natural to them after some discussion. After all, we're talking subjectivity here; there is no right or wrong answer - a warm white strip is no better or worse than a natural white strip, and so on.

Before doing anything, it's worth considering "What do I actually need and what light will I most likely use the most around the home"? Many people prefer to simply pick up an RGBW option, thinking that more options is better, but then find themselves hardly using those available options. With this little guide, we'll try to help the reader to decide what works best in their environment. Sometimes, going with a single white option can streamline your home and create a great sense of uniformity. RGB, however, can open a range of mood-altering scenarios which might fit more in line with one's own personality. 

Single Colour LED Strips:

Single colour LED strips come with several options. The most commonly available strips offer three main white balances: Warm White (2100K - 3500K), Natural White/Pure White (4000K - 5000K) and Cool White (6000K). A common mistake people make is to assume that the higher the kelvin rating, the brighter the strip, but the reality is that the kelvin rating is an adjustment of colour temperature, not a reflection of lumen output or wattage. For an idea of how brightness remains constant but colour temperature changes, take a look at the visual guide below. Note that 1000K-2000K and 7000K - 10000K aren't so common for LED strips and tend to come in a wider range of bulb options.

Based on the above, then, you might start to form a better idea about what suits you best for a particular environment. Let's say you want to start with the living room. Well, it's the place where we no doubt spend the most amount of our time outside of the bedroom. Given that we often use this space to wind down, kick the feet up and watch TV or read a book, might it be that a preferable choice would be to go for something a little on the cosy side? If so, a nice 2000K-3000K warm white could create an ideal mood for relaxation, while still offering peak brightness. This could, in effect, apply to the bedroom as well. The kitchen area is another popular gathering area and is often the room which receives the most amount of natural light. You might decide to install 4000K - 5000K in order to keep that feeling, long after the sun has gone down.

The above are just suggestions of course, but very easy scenarios to think about. Beyond this, there are even Single Colour Tunable White LED strips, just in case you want complete control of the white channel, ranging between 2700K and 6500K.

Single colour LED strip options also come in Red, Green, Blue and Amber and these should be considered if your requirements are even more specific. Blue, for instance, might be chosen if you are building an in-home cinema and wish to create an authentic atmosphere and Amber or Red might be required for a bar setting. 

RGB/RGBW LED Strips:

When asked about RGB strips, many customers are also quick to mix up RGB and RGBW terms. The difference comes down to RGBW offering a white channel and if going this route you have a choice of 2700K, 4000K and 6000K to go with the individual Red, Green and Blue channels, while a dedicated RGB + Tunable White LED Strip is available if you prefer. RGB Strips are often mistaken as being able to create a white channel, which isn't strictly true; they mix channels to create off-white colours, so while you might think you can get a white out of them, it's not a true white, which is why you should consider RGBW if having a white channel is paramount to your installation.

There are many reasons why RGB or RGBW strips are preferred and this could be anywhere from social gatherings, production design and events to relaxation purposes. Their application is wide and their appeal comes from being able to dial in the colour which fits the mood. 

Tests have proven that coloured LED lights alter the way in which we behave, having properties which can be associated with sleep and relaxation. Red, for instance, is linked to the body's energy and is considered a very passionate colour, whilst Green can accelerate the sleeping process due to the way in which the photopigment, Melanopsin, is activated. Lastly, Blue is often used in decompression; proven to destress the body and can be found anywhere from tanning salons to medicinal facilities. In all, the possibilities are quite endless and there are those of us who have an absolute favourite colour, which makes us feel safe when we add it to our lighting. Whatever makes you happy, the choice is here if you select RGB and RGBW LED strips.

There is a lot to talk about when it comes to strip lighting but we hope this small guide helps out by simplifying the decision process. Make the decision which is the right one for you.

You can always contact us for further advice but remember: the more information you provide us with, the more efficiently we can help. 

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