LED Strip Lights From Instyle LED
What is LED tape?
LED tape is a versatile light source that will let you create new worlds of lighting possibilities. Easy to install and connect, this kind of lighting can be fitted pretty much anywhere.
Each metre of LED tape has dozens of light-emitting diodes mounted serially (in a line) on a strong, flexible printed-circuit board (PCB). When illuminated, a well-designed LED installation gives any location or surface a smooth, gorgeous glow.
InStyle are a leading UK provider of LED supplies, so you can order your strip lights from us with confidence. Because we’re lighting specialists, we’ll deliver everything your LED project or installation needs. We supply drivers/transformers, dimmers & controllers, LED extrusions, and accessories – all manufactured to commercial-grade as standard!
Unlike many LED companies, we’ll deliver your LED strips pre-cut to length. We’ll solder flexible connectors, add extended starter-leads, and we’ll even waterproof your striplights if required. That sets us apart from non-specialist sellers of cheap throwaway LED strips (like eBay and Amazon).
Our LED supplies run at low wattage, with a lifespan of 10 years or even more. So you get economical running costs, with virtually no need for maintenance.
Even better, InStyle offers great technical support and installation tips for all your LED projects. Why not check out the how-to guides on our support page and our what-where pages (detailing specific LED projects/applications), or simply give us a call? You’ll get lots of useful advice and answers to your LED questions.
Why choose LED Tape Lights?
Our LED strip lights are available in a wide choice of brightness levels. And they’re flexible enough to fit any space, so there’s no limit to the applications and projects you can use them for.
LED strips are perfect for signage, restaurants, hotels, bars, LED tape for cars, and for your home. And you can get all of our strip lights in IP65 (splashproof) or fully waterproof versions, so they’re ideal for both inside and outside LED lights.
We offer a wide variety of LED tape colours – from warm whites to pure white, and red, green, amber or blue LED light strips. Or choose our RGB or RGBW (colour changing) LED strips, which will let you mix any shade you want when linked with a controller.
LED strip lights are very easy to install, because they’re supplied with 3M self-adhesive under a protective backing. Simply peel and stick!
You can buy your LED lights today by calling 0116 2799083.
A wide range of LED tape projects
LED lights can be installed almost anywhere, and flexible LED tape is especially versatile.
It can be used in a wide variety of settings (commercial and domestic) and applications – from hotels, clubs, bars, restaurants to kitchen and bathroom LED lights in the home. They’re great for covings, plinths, signage, ‘working light’ and more.
And if you’re looking for a simple way to install lights under your kitchen cabinets or install shelf lights (which can often be too small and tricky to access for other types of lighting), then LED tape is the best solution.
We supply outside LED lights too (IP67-rated)!
How bright should my LED striplighting be?
LED tape is available in a choice of wattages. Each gives a different level of light output, to suit your project’s needs.
The wattage drawn by a strip of LED tape is measured by the metre. So when buying your strip lights, you should always compare by calculating total wattage (wattage per metre, multiplied by the number of metres) and total lumens (lumen output per metre, multiplied by the number of metres). Don’t simply compare the number of diodes on each metre of LED tape!
InStyle offer LED tape wattages ranging from 5W per metre to 24W per metre.
LED tape brightness by wattage
- Our 5-watt LED tape lights are our best-selling product. They draw the lowest wattage in our range, but that doesn’t mean they’re not powerful. In fact, these LED strip lights are very bright compared to comparable LED products. 5W LED tapes are ideal for feature lighting – great for highlighting areas such as covings, TVs and media panels, bathroom mirrors, kitchen LED strip lights, outside LED lights etc.
- 10-watt LED lights are suitable for feature lighting too, especially in locations with a lot of ambient light (daylight). 10W LED tapes are also perfect for highlighting areas, creating halo effects, and for signage etc.
- InStyle’s 12W and 20W per metre versions are ideal for LED tape ‘working light’. They’re perfect for areas with ambient light (e.g., outside LED lights). Our 12W LED strip lights and 20W LED strip lights are fantastic for locations such as front bars, back bars, or desk fronts, and can be used to provide ‘working light’ under kitchen cabinets etc. We can also supply optic-lens extrusions so your LED strips can ‘throw the light further’. Combined with 12W / 20W LED tapes, this creates a good wall-washer effect – perfect for exterior LED strip lights.
- 24-watt LED tape is more than 6 times brighter than standard 5W per metre LED tape. So it’s a great choice for full-strength general lighting or as ‘working light’. 24W LED tapes make a good replacement for fluorescent tubes. Or why not use them in applications such as under-cabinet lighting, signage, bars, restaurants and more?
What is ‘colour-changing’ LED tape?
Colour-change LEDs let you create any shade of light, by mixing multiple colours from a single LED.
- ‘RGB LED tape’, the original colour-change lighting, housed three separate light-emitting chips within each diode – red, green and blue. This combination enabled the user to mix of the three primary colours in order to produce any shade of light. (Including white light, when the three colours were equally mixed.)
- Adding a fourth white light-emitting chip led to the introduction of more advanced ‘RGBW LEDs’. This opened up the ability to create pastel colours by adding some white light to the three primaries, as well as offering an unmixed warmer white.
- Most recently, we’ve seen the arrival of ‘dual-white (CCT) LEDs’. These combine cool-white and warm-white chips to enable the creation and control of a huge palette of white light shades.
With colour-change LEDs, you’re in complete control… simply set your perfect lighting, and then sit back and chill!
How you’ll control your LED strip lights will depend on the type of LED controller you’ve selected. Every one of InStyle’s LED controllers offers a full colour palette (and will also let you select a pure static colour option, if you prefer).
How wide are LED tapes?
InStyle’s strip lights are mounted on high-quality PCBs (printed circuit boards), in order to provide enough heat dispersal for the LEDs’ power and brightness.
Our narrowest LED tape PCBs are 8mm wide by 3mm in depth. Our widest PCBs are 12mm wide and 3mm deep.
How long are InStyle’s LED tape reels?
Our LED strip lights are manufactured and supplied on 5-metre reels as standard. But with InStyle, you’ll get personal service to make your installation project go smoothly – so if you know your project’s measurements, we will cut/solder your LED tape order to the exact length (or lengths) that you need.
If you only require 1.75 metres, for example, then you can buy LED strips of exactly that length… so you won’t have to discard 3.25 metres of a 5-metre reel.
(Note that cut-point spacing varies for different LED tape products. Depending on the type of LED tape you choose, cut-points are positioned at 25mm, 50mm, 100mm, or 166mm intervals. See the specifications on each product page for details.)
Typically we don’t supply custom-made LED runs in lengths over 6.5m. This is because longer lengths will produce a voltage-drop towards their end (as an LED strip’s PCB cannot maintain a constant current over that length). In other words, your LED tape would appear less bright towards the end of any strip longer than 6.5 metres.
For a guide to installing LED strip lighting in projects than require runs longer than 5 metres, see our support page on how to install large projects.
Can I cut LED strip lights myself?
Yes you can! If you don’t want us to pre-cut your LED strips, then we’ll send your order on 5-metre reels and you can cut them yourself. Simply use a pair of scissors to cut your strip lights at the printed cut points. Do make sure that the power is disconnected before you cut!
Cut points are spaced at 25mm / 50mm / 100mm / 166mm intervals, depending on the type of LED tape product you’re using. Your LED strip’s cut points are indicated by the lines on the tape’s PCB. (You’ll find them between the solder pads. Single-colour LED tapes have 4 solder pads, RGB tapes have 8 pads, and RGBW tapes have 10 pads.)
Once you’ve cut your tape, you don’t need to do anything else. There is no need to terminate the PCB circuit.
(N.B. Note that if you cut waterproof LED strip lights, you’ll compromise the strip’s heatshrink seal. For outside LED lights, you’ll need to reseal the end with a glue-gun. Or why not ask us to pre-cut your waterproof LED strip lights to length when you order – we’ll handle all the heatshrinking and glued ends for you.)
Do you supply extrusions (aka profiles) for LED strip lights?
Yes we do.
InStyle have a wide range of aluminium extrusions (LED profiles) in stock. By using extrusions, you can improve the look of unconcealed LED strip lights for a more professional finish. Extrusions also provide extra protection for LED lights installed outdoors or in damp / humid locations.
All of InStyle’s LED tape products can be mounted in our LED strip light extrusions. Our extrusion range includes everything from corner LED profiles, to frosted extrusions specifically designed for stair-treads, risers and skirting-boards, to optic lens extrusions that will throw your LEDs’ light further.
InStyle always carry a variety of white shades in stock. And if your project needs a non-standard colour, then we can probably manufacture it for you.
What LED tape light colours are available?
LED strip lights are available in a range of colours. Choose from red, green, blue, amber, warm white or pure white, RGB / RGBW colour-change LED strip lighting, or specialised LED tapes for specific projects/applications (including UV LEDs and dual-white CCT LEDs that can mix a range of white-light shades).
LED strips offer a choice of wattage options (brightness). Please see the product links at the top of this page for more details.
White-light LEDs are produced in several standard colour shades or tones. The shade of white is measured by the colour temperature scale, rated in Kelvins (K). Lower Kelvin values produce a warmer light, and higher Kelvin values produce a cooler light.
LED extrusions are available in 1m and 2m lengths. You can cut them to length simply, using a hacksaw. For more about our LED lighting extrusion range see here.
Is LED tape easy to install?
Yes, LED strips are very easy to install and connect. And don’t forget that InStyle offer a cutting and soldering service when you place your order, so you can have your LED supplies delivered pre-cut to the exact lengths you require. If you need them, we’ll even solder in link-cables to go round corners, and starter-leads that connect to your transformer.
Connecting your LED tape is straightforward too. We’ve got helpful wiring information on our ‘how to connect LEDs’ support page.
And our ‘positioning LED strips’ page has plenty of advice on the best way to fit your striplighting in covings and drop-ceilings, under cabinets, on kitchen plinths and bookshelves, and other locations.
One question we are often asked is, ‘can I wire more than one LED tape length back to a single transformer?‘ The answer is, yes you can! Many LED drivers are supplied with multiple power cables, which you can connect or leave unconnected as you choose. If your driver only has one power cable, then you can wire multiple LED strips to it by simply connecting two cables together using a screw-in connector block (available from any electrical wholesaler).
How do I fit my LED strip lights into position?
InStyle’s striplight products are all supplied with 3M self-adhesive backing. Simply peel off the protective layer, and you can quickly and easily fit your LED strips into place.
Follow these simple steps:
- Start by cleaning the surface.
- Once it’s clean, wipe it completely dry.
- Then peel off the 3M self-adhesive backing’s protective cover, and press into place. Try to avoid placing pressure on the resistors with your fingers.
If you are fitting waterproof LED tape, you’ll find that InStyle’s IP-rated waterproof strip light products have exactly the same 3M self-adhesive backing. In most circumstances, this will be enough to keep the LED tape in place. However, we can also supply extra-strength adhesive backing and screw-in fixing clips that will hold your LEDs in position even more securely. (These clips can be especially useful when installing exterior LED strip lights, or LED strips in other locations where moisture may be an issue.)
You’ll find more useful tips on our LED installation page. Or why not see our support section for advice on the best way to position your LED strips for plinth lighting, drop ceilings, coving and under-cabinet working lights.
Do you supply a waterproof version of your flexible LED strips?
Depending on the protection your project requires, we’ll supply your LED tapes in a choice of three versions. You can choose our standard non-waterproof type, our coated IP65 LED strip lighting, or our fully-sealed IP67 waterproof LED strip lights.
- IP65-rated LED strips have a heatshrink coating that offers clear advantages over older resin coatings. It won’t discolour over time or go brittle in the cold, and it allows easy cutting and soldering if required.
- Our IP67 version starts with the same heatshrink coating. Then we fully glue-seal the ends of each LED strip as well, for maximum protection.
An IP67 rating indicates that your LED lighting strip is waterproof. So it’s perfect for applications that will come into contact with humidity and moisture – for example, splashproof LED strip lights in the kitchen, bathroom LED lights etc. And IP67 strips can also be fitted outdoors, which makes them ideal for
Please note that you should not fit waterproof LED strip lights in a permanently submerged location. (Outside LED lights in a pond, for example.)
Are there different grades of LED strip lights?
LEDs are manufactured to many grades and specifications. At InStyle, we mainly supply commercial-grade LED strip lights. These products are built to last, highly reliable, colour consistent and the brightest LEDs on the market.
If you prefer, we can also offer cheap LED lights, manufactured to a domestic grade. The exhibition and display market is the main user of these lower quality LED strip lights. This is because exhibitors often require cheap LED lights as a short-term throwaway product.
See our detailed explanation of the benefits of commercial-grade LED supplies here.
What’s the difference between 3528 diodes & 5050 tape-light diodes?
If you’ve ever discussed LEDs, then you’ve probably come across the terms ‘3528 SMD’ and ‘5050 SMD’. They are the two types of LED chip most commonly used in LED strip lighting. One SMD (surface mounted diode) isn’t better than another; the right LED for you depends on the application you intend to use it for.
- LED strips designated ‘3528’ are so-called because their diodes are 3.5mm x 2.8mm; in the same way, 5050 SMDs are 5mm x 5mm in size.
- 5050 SMD LED strip lights output more light than 3528 SMDs – they’re about 3x brighter, and therefore pull 3x more power.
InStyle’s 3528 LED tape SMDs are typically used for feature lighting in coving or plinths (inside and outside LED lights). Our 5W, 10W and 20W white LED strips all use 3528 chips.
By contrast, LED lighting strips mounted with 5050 SMDs are typically installed in projects/locations where brighter, stronger light is needed – such as kitchen ‘working light’ strips under cabinets, or nightclub lighting. Check out the specs for our RGB and RGBW LED tapes to see some examples.
See our support article comparing a range of different LED SMDs here.
Can I connect LED tape lengths together without soldering?
For our standard (non-waterproof) LED strip lights, we offer three types of clip-on connectors.
- The first is a tape-to-tape connector, which is used to join lengths of LED strip together without soldering.
- Our second connector is a flexible-link connector. If you’re installing LED tape around corners or other obstructions, flexible-link connectors are ideal.
- Lastly, we offer a tape-to-starter-lead connector. This connector clips onto the cut end of an LED strip light, to easily extend the starter-lead cable for connection to a transformer or controller.
Please follow these links for full instructions and an instruction video.
Clip-on connectors are not suitable if you’re using either IP65 (splashproof) or IP67 (waterproof) LED strips for your outside LED lights. (This is because they will pierce the strip’s heatshrink coating.)
Do you offer a warranty on your LED strip lights?
Yes we do. InStyle’s LED strip lighting, like our other products, is supplied with a 2-year warranty.
For more details, see our warranty support page.
How flexible are LED strip lights?
LED tape is very flexible indeed. So it’s ideal for use in a wide variety of applications – including signage.
And the heatshrink used to seal and protect our waterproof LED tape is as flexible as InStyle’s standard strip lighting. Even with full heatshrink coating, you’ll be able to bend and twist your LED tapes to the shapes you need.
Is LED strip lighting dimmable?
There are several methods you can use to dim any product in our flexible LED strip light range.
Most simply, you can dim your LEDs using a mains-dimmable transformer (TRIAC). This can be controlled using a standard household rotary dimmer switch (see the full range here).
Alternatively you can order one of our high-powered receivers when buying your LED lights. These include 0-10v, DMX and DALI units. All of our LED tape light dimmers are commercial grade products, offering smooth 0-100% dimming. They also work with leading-brand control systems.
How long will delivery of my LED strip lights take?
Our LED products are in stock and ready for next-day delivery.
Depending on the time your order is placed, delivery may sometimes take slightly longer. And the amount of cutting and soldering your LED strips require may also affect your delivery date.
Our sales reps can tell you when your delivery will arrive, so please ask when you buy your lights or any other products.
Have reputable brands used your LED strip lighting products?
They certainly have! InStyle has been a leading UK manufacturer / supplier of LED strip lights and other lighting products for almost 20 years. In that time, we have built a reputation for quality and reliability.
That’s why so many customers trust us when buying their LEDs. Big-name premium brand customers include:
