How to Choose LED Strip Channel

One LED channel could come in a wide variety of sizes and forms. Senbe Lighting offers a wide variety of profiles for LED lighting fixtures for different installations and environments, so users can choose the type he or she needs depending on the situation. This article guides you through all LED strip channel options and the applications that best fit.

Get to know LED strip channel.

Typically, LED strip channel includes channel body, light diffuser, end caps, and mounting brackets. The channel body is made of anodized aluminum. Light diffuser is made of PC or PMMA. End caps and mounting brackets can be made of PC or metal.

Standard Aluminum Profile

LED strip diffuser - LED strip channel cover.

The major effect of light diffusion comes from the lens, which is the cover diffuser that often comes with the LED aluminum channel. It is the lens that light passes through, blocking or alleviating the light dots and creating better light diffusion. There are three major options for LED strip channel cover: clear, frosted, and opaque. And their major difference lies in the visible light transmittance.

Visible light transmittance (VLT) is expressed as a percentage, a measurement of the amount of light in the visible portion of the spectrum that passes through the LED channel cover.

Combination of the channel height and the LED density of light strip

If better light diffusion is desired, we must also consider two factors: the height of the LED strip channel, and the LED density of LED strips. The higher the channel, the better the light diffusion. Similarly, the higher LED density, the better the light diffusion. The combination of the two factors determines which LED strip channel is the best for the strip light project.

Check the dimensions of the LED channel carefully. Read the part of the inner width specification, make sure it is wider than the LED strip lights.

For waterproof LED strip lights, its LED density and the height of the LED strip channel have the same relationship as with non-waterproof LED strip light. One thing worth noting is the width the waterproof LED strip. It is usually 2mm wider than its non-waterproof counterparty due to the outer waterproof material. So read carefully, make sure that the inner width of the LED strip channel is bigger than the width of the waterproof LED strips.

Solderless LED strip connectors.

Soldering is the best connection and won't increase the width of LED strip lights. However, most solderless LED strip connectors are wider than the LED strips. If you need to place the strip connectors inside LED strip channel, it is the width of LED connectors, not the width of LED strip, that determines the inner width of LED strip channel needed. For this reason, please choose the slim connectors for LED strips if you want to use small or slim LED channels.

The relationship between the inner width of the LED strip channel and the brightness of strip lighting.

In addition to the brightness of the LED light strip itself, the brightness also depends on the combination of the LED strip channel and the number of LED strips. Generally speaking, you can choose a high-brightness LED light strip if you need high brightness. If you want the strip lighting brighter, you can choose a wider LED aluminum channel, which can arrange two or more light strips side by side.

Choose LED strip channel by its installation method

1. Surface mounted channel series

2. Recessed mounted channel series ( also known as flush mounted)

3. Corner mounted channel series

4. Pendant mounted channel series

5. Ceiling LED strip channel series

Choose the appropriate LED channel according to the application

If it is for major lighting or task lighting, choose the medium size and large aluminum channel. Large and medium-sized profiles have a larger light-emitting surface, and can place one or multiple light strips side by side, which delivers higher brightness.

Kitchen cabinet lighting usually use small sized LED channels, the same for under counter and kitchen island lighting. Choose medium sized or large channels for ceiling LED strip lighting. Stair steps usually use small sized.

LED channel can better dissipate heat and provide protection for LED light strips.

We all know that aluminum can better dissipate heat. The LED strip channel made of aluminum oxide has this function, prolonging the lifetime of the light strip. It should be noted that the light strip we designed has an operation temperature of -25 to 68 degrees Celsius (-13 to 154 degrees Fahrenheit). If the LED strips work for a long time in a place exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), it is recommended to use aluminum channels to help dissipate heat.

LED channels also protect light strips from UV, dust, scratches, collisions, etc.

At last, we offer customized LED strip channels. If you don't find the model you need, such as the shape or the specifications, please contact us. We accept order of custom made LED channels according to your design and application requirements.