To use our LED light strips, you need to first have a 12V DC power source. If you don’t already have one, HitLights sells adapters that convert the 110AC power in a U.S. outlet, to a usable 12V DC current. If you have one of our LED color changing light strips, you will need a controller to change the color of the strip. We also have other options for controllers, dimmers and power adapters in our LED Light Strip Accessories section. All of these accessory options will help you get the most out of your strip light.

All of our LED Strip Lights, with the exception of our Dreaming Strip, can be cut after every 3rd LED chip. If you decide to cut an IP 67 (Waterproof) strip, you will have to place a waterproof cap on the end of the strip to keep the strip waterproof.

To connect HitLights LED light strips with solderless connectors, follow these steps:

1. Determine if you have an SMD 3528 (Luma5), SMD 5050 (Luma10) or S35 (Luma20) strip.(Note: RGB Color Changing Light Strips are SMD 5050 or Luma10.)
2. Select the proper connector from our LED Wiring and Connectors section. (If you are using an SMD 3528 (Luma5) High Density Light Strip, please use our SMD 3528 (Luma5) High Density Strip-to-Strip Connector).
3. Take the cut end of your strips with the copper pads and slide them under the connectors. Make sure that you align the positive side of the strips. (Look for 12V+)
4. Turn on your light strip to make sure you have a good connection.- If you do, then go ahead and close the connectors.- If you don’t, then leave your lights on and keep trying to make a connection. (If you have an RGB Color Changing Strip, then set your strips to white while you make this connection).

LED strip lights can be dimmed using a low-voltage dimmer or a dimmable driver available from HitLights.We offers low-voltage (12V) in-line dimmers and low-voltage wall-dimmers.For dimming strips using a high-voltage wall dimmer, you can use a 12V DC dimmable driver.(which acts as your power adapter)For dimming strips using a high-voltage wall dimmer, you can use a 12V DC dimmable driver.(which acts as your power adapter

UL products are mostly used among professionals who prefer high-quality components. Our UL LED light strips and bulbs carry the official UL mark for quality and their components of higher standard than non-UL. What is UL? UL stands for Underwriters Laboratory and is one of the world's largest and most respected consumer safety organizations. When you see the UL logo on lighting packaging it means that product has undergone extensive testing to ensure that it is safe to use by the consumer.

Our LED light strips vary between 24 and 72 watt power requirements. Every strip on the site has its wattage listed. When selecting a power adapter, simply add up the combined wattage you need for all of your strips! The watts required are also proportional to the length of the strip you are using. For example, using 1 foot of our 16.4 ft., 72 W spools will draw roughly 1/16th of 72W, or 4.5W.

Yes, you can power our light strips with any 12v power source.
LED Strip Lighting Learning Center
You also have the option of purchasing our Rechargeable Battery Packs for LED Light Strips and Bars.
LED Strip Lighting Learning Center
You also have the option of purchasing our Rechargeable Battery Packs for LED Light Strips and Bars.

Yes!

Our LED light strips can be directly wired with any wire 22-gauge or larger!This means that the most common electrical wires can be used to connect our LED strips.The wire can be directly soldered to the copper ports where the LEDs are cut.

No.

HitLights color-changing (multicolor) LED light strips use 4 connections, as opposed to the 2 (+/-) connections on our single-color SMD 3528 (Luma5) LED strips.For this reason, color-changing strips require a controller and cannot be connected to single color SMD 3528 (Luma5) strips.

Indoor strips can resist some dirt, dust and minor contact with water but will not handle huge amounts of water or dirt.
Weatherproof strips can resist wind + water, but cannot be submerged underneath water for long periods of time.
Waterproof strips are robust and can be submerged underwater.

We can offer a tailor fit solution to any of your project, simply contact us and our lighting experts can help you get started.

No, There is no apparent or noticeable brightness difference between the indoor and outdoor versions of the same LED versions.

This greatly depends on the type of strip, (i.e. Luma5 vs Luma20) and their LED densities but the general rule would be; You cannot run/daisy-chain more than 2 spools of standard density strips and not more than 1 spool of High-density strips.

Yes, but they will have to be cut at the proper cutlines to keep them functional. The strips will have cut lines after each 3 LED.

Not all LEDs will be suitable for outdoor use as they will have to be protected from the elements such as water and moisture to prolong their useful life. But we do have some Strips for outdoors that are IP67 rated.

Our IP67 Strips come coated in a silicone sleeve that protects the strip from moisture.

When we describe what color an LED light emits, we compare it (or correlate it) to these temperatures. That's why it's called "Correlated Color Temperature" or CCT. When we describe what a specific color temperature looks like, we often use words like cool and warm. These descriptions have less to do with the actual color temperature than they do with how the colors look. Light that is more red, while technically a lower temperature, is considered "Warmer". While light that is more blue is considered "Cooler", even though it's technically a higher temperature.

There is a scale of what is energy efficient and what looks good at the same time, for outdoor lighting in this case, it will range from 12-1300 depending on where they are being installed.

Standard Density and High Density refers to the number of diodes (led chips) on a strip and how close together they are. For Example: A Standard density, Luma5 (3528) LED Light Strip has 300 diodes on a 16.4ft strip. A high density, Luma5 LED Light Strip has 600 diodes on a 16.4ft strip.

24V high density strip lighting options, with the proper power supply and drivers. 

U and S drivers are Universal type drivers that use both forward phase and reverse phase style dimming while the E and M series use Forward Phase Style dimming only. This means that only a dimmer switches that use Forward Phase style dimming will be compatible with E and M Series drivers. The difference between E and M series drivers on the otherhand are the M or magnetic series drivers will be more durable and quieter than their E series counterparts.

Your total load (strips' w/ft x total length) must be between 30%-80% of the driver's total wattage capacity. Anything less than 30% will overload the strips while anything more than 80% will overload the driver.

Yes, but you need to understand the power requirements and the functions of control. It really depends on your installation, and your components. The first thing to determine is if the driver is separate and accessible or if it is integrated within LEDs. Our led dimmable drivers are manufactured to be dimmable and are not integrated with any of our strip lights. Contact us and well provide the correct power consumption for your projects with the perfect dimming solutions. 

Yes, but you need power + a dimmable form of control. You won't be able to dim lights with just a dimmable driver, you need a form of control.

Dimmable drivers adjust the level of brightness for led lighting by controlling the current passing through the stacked layers of semiconductor material mounted on a substrate. LED drivers rectify higher voltage alternating current to low voltage. Dimmable drivers offer superior dimming and control to inexpensive PWM dimmers that install on the low voltage (12V or 24V DC) side of the circuit. They’re a permanent and elegant solution that keeps wires hidden away inside your walls, and dimming control where you expect it - right at the switch. What is a dimmable driver?

LED drivers are power regulators. A circuit which is responsible for regulating and supplying the ideal current to the LED. The LED driver provides power and regulates the variable needs of LEDs by providing a constant amount of power as the properties of it change with temperature. 

All of 3 features are infinitely variable

The color of the wire should not matter what matters is the channels on the strips are connected to the correct channel of the controller

Can it be done? yes. Is it reliable? No. Do we recommend it? NO.

IR(Infrared) = Line of sight. Remote and Receiver must literally SEE each other to communicate. RF(Radio Frequency) Remote emits a radio signal to communicate to the receiver.