Among thousands of smart devices in the market, you will find that smart security products and lighting solutions are the most popular.
Both of these options offer phenomenal convenience to the owners, and you won’t have to spend a massive budget to include these options in your setup.
So, hundreds of competitors have joined this market with their innovative products and competitive price tags.
There is no deficiency of cheap brands, but it is never a good idea to rely on these units in the long run. You should instead stick with more established options like Philips and Nanoleaf.
While the pricing offered by these brands is far more than any other option that you might find on the market, the value and smart features make the investment well worth it.
So, we suggest that you spend a bit more cash on developing your lighting system.
When you browse the smart home community forums for a while, you will notice that a common question regarding LED strips and LED bulbs keeps surfacing.
So, let’s go over a few basics on LED strips and LED bulbs to clear up some of this confusion.
LED Strip Light vs LED Bulb
| Specifics | LED Strip | LED Bulb |
| Pricing | Affordable | Expensive |
| Source | Secondary | Primary |
| Installation | Complex | Simple |
| Brightness | Moderate | Robust |
The specifics here can vary depending upon the brand that you’re choosing and there is no such thing as one percent unit for all owners.
So, you will have to figure it out for yourself or reach out to the dealer when trying to find the right fit for your home.
The experts always have more knowledge on what lighting system can complement your existing setup, and there is no point in wondering about finding the right fit.
You’ll just have to explain your requirements to these experts, and they will take charge of the situation.
With that said, the basic market sentiment is that you can rely on LED strips as the secondary source of light to set the mood.
You will not find any of these strips in professional and formal environments. So, you can’t really use them for your office unless you’re only planning on using one or two colors.
Similarly, LED bulbs are considered a primary source of light and can serve in a variety of situations, from offices to smart homes and much more.
So, you can think of the light bulb as the perfect starting point when you’re not sure about the application.
As far as the installation is concerned, you will have to invest in diffuser channels and other accessories to hold the strip properly.
Depending upon the brand you choose, the lights will fall out of space in no time, and the adhesive will go bad. So, the installation will be a hassle to manage here.
On the other hand, fixing a light bulb into an existing fixture will only take you a few seconds.
While the basic configurations are the same for both of these units, installing a light bulb is much easier for you. This is especially true for owners that are just starting to build their smart setup.
As far as the pricing is concerned, the light bulbs with RGB colors are more expensive.
You will not find any brand that will offer cheaper light bulbs when compared with the LED strips from the same brand. So, be sure to keep the budget in mind when trying to find the right unit.
Lastly, the brightness from the light bulb will be enough to illuminate the whole space. You will not have to worry about any issues with installing more bulbs if the space is moderately sized.
However, with the LED strips, you will only get a shade of the colors, and these are used primarily in entertainment units.
Here are some more specifics on both options to help you figure out the best fit.
LED Strip
LED strips are long strands of LED lights that can be connected to a power source and wrapped around different objects to set the lighting mode.
These are not used as primary sources of light but rather as an accessory that will enhance the lighting present in your house.
So, you can use your lighting requirements as the primary factor to differentiate between LED strips and LED bulbs.
If you’re looking for something just to set the mood, then you need LED strips, but if you need something to help meet the illumination requirements of your house, then LED bulbs are the way to go.
Other than that, both the LED strips and the LED bulbs can be connected with a smart app to provide a ton of accessibility benefits.
In most situations, the LED strips will present a far better price point, and you will be able to manipulate their positioning according to any object easily.
However, that is not the case with LED bulbs. The LED bulbs are fixed in one spot, and they don’t offer as much versatility of use when compared with LED strips.
There are many sections of the LED strips that can be cut and attached to different adapters for more comprehensive coverage.
On the other hand, you will only have the bulb screws in on a single spot.
Ideally, premium bulbs will cost you more than LED strips, but that can vary depending on the brand you’re choosing.
Overall, LED strips are strands of light that are more suitable for mood and bring a cheaper price point if you’re going with the right brands.
The power demands of these lights are somewhat less than a bulb, and a strip can be used in a variety of different methods to cover the whole room.
In terms of pure functionality, LED strips don’t compare well with LED bulbs, and you should spend money on a bulb if you need something to complete tasks.
There is simply no point in going with the LED strips when you don’t have a primary source of light in the room.
LED Bulb
An LED bulb brings similar features to the LED strips when you’re talking about pure accessibility.
The smart applications give complete control to the owners, and you will get the same color options and features with both of these options.
So, in terms of convenience and accessibility, there isn’t much difference between LED strips and LED bulbs.
However, when it comes to the installation and purpose of installation, the story is completely different.
The LED strips are not meant to be installed as the main source of light in a room. Their power is just not enough to match the illumination demands of any room.
So, be sure to keep that in mind before you finalize the purchase and go with the LED strips over the LED bulbs without thinking it through.
The only area where the lights excel is setting the mood after pairing up with another power source.
So, you will often see customers parking up LED bulbs with LED strips to get optimal lighting performance.
A few years back, LED strips used to be more of a smaller niche, but over the years, many competitors have joined the market with cheaper options.
So, now you can actually find LED strips to be a cheaper option when compared with smart bulbs.
All things considered, the LED bulbs and the LED strips both serve separate requirements and can’t be compared with each other.
LED bulbs will always be the better choice when you need a main source of light to get through your daily routine.
However, if you already have a light bulb and need something to set the mood, then going with an LED strip will serve you better.
In the end, it all comes down to your lighting requirements, and both options are pretty effective.
Wrapping Up
Can’t seem to decide between the LED Strips and the LED bulbs for your smart home? Well, you should clarify your requirements before making the final purchase decision.
If you’re aiming for a primary source of light that can also change colors, then going with the LED bulb is the right move.
On the other hand, if you already have a light source in the room and need something more to set the mood for the entertainment system, then going with LED strips is the better idea.
It all comes down to how you’re planning on addressing the lighting situation in the smart home.
Going with either one of these options will serve you perfectly in the long run as long as you’re buying them for the intended purpose.
Using LED strips as a primary source is never a good idea, and you will only struggle with the lighting system if you go with that decision.
For this reason, you should always start out with the LED light bulb and then move towards adding LED strips to make the experience more favorable.
Otherwise, you will be stuck with a lighting system that won’t provide any value to your existing ecosystem.