12V vs 24V LED strip lights

Hi-Line Lighting stocks LED strips in 12V and 24V.

When choosing the right strip for your needs, you must first consider voltage required. This is because of various applications needing to run off a very particular power supply.

Our most popular LED strips are at 24V. This is because they're great all-round performers, which are well suited to home and office environments. As such, they require 24V PSUs and are capable of maintaining high brightness in the event of slight voltage drop. 

When it comes to selecting 12V LED strips and power supplies, we advise that these be used for smaller installations, such as in vehicles or other applications where a 12V battery is required. For something like a car - where only 2m of strip may be required - the voltage drop in a 12V strip won't be noticeable. However, if you plan on installing much longer runs, you must be aware that voltage drop becomes much more apparent than it would with a 24V LED strip; therefore, it would be worth consulting with a professional, who can help determine what kind of wiring might be needed (this is based on effectively doubling the thickness of a normal 24V cable).

Q: Is 24V brighter than 12V?

A: There is no discernible difference in brightness, whether you're using 24V or 12V LED strips. However, due to voltage drop, a 24V strip may perform at a higher efficiency with the same amount of brightness.

Consider that we lose 2V when installing a run of tape. At 24V, the strip won't be greatly affected, with a lowering of brightness being marginal. If we look at the 12V strip losing the same 2V, this results in a greater percentage of loss, especially if you are installing longer runs, as mentioned above. That is why we stress the importance of consulting with a professional if you know you want to install 10m and beyond.  

In summary - Using 12V LED Strips is generally advised for smaller installations, such as in vehicles or other applications where a 12V battery is required. For home and office installations, please consider 24V LED Strips.