COB LED Flexible Strip Lights

COB Strip Lights - Consistent light from start to finish – New Strip, No Spots!

COB is the abbreviation for Chip on Board, which basically means to package the LED die directly on the circuit board (PCB). The ‘Chip on Board’ LED used on flexible strip lights is also sometimes called a flip-chip. 

COB LED Flexible Strip Lights Series

How are COB LED Flex Strips Made?

The strips are manufactured with the same quality PCB as our other LED Flex Strip lights. Flip chip LEDs are then placed side by side down the center of the strip light, so tight that there are 512 LEDs for every Meter of strip! The strips are finished after a phosphor layer is placed over the LEDs. This helps balance out the color temperature while also acting as a protective layering for the tiny flip chip LEDs underneath.

Advantages of COB LED Flex Strips

Now that you have a basic understanding of how this new light technology has been produced, it is time to see what makes them superior or better for certain strip light applications.

No LED Hotspots, even in tight spaces!

One of the biggest complaints about your traditional LED flex strip is the hotspots throughout the strip. A Hotspot is the term for the brighter areas through a fixture or strip where you can clearly see where the light is coming from. Light is much more inviting and attractive when it looks like a smooth source of light, not a spotty mess.

With 5050 SMD Flex Strips the larger sized diodes are packed close enough so that at a distance the light is spread out and consistent on the surface being illuminated, but if the lights are too close to the surface or the strips themselves are visible, the hotspots are an eyesore that cannot be ignored by the human eye.

The strips 512 LEDs/M it would be pretty hard to pick out any hotspots on the COB Flex Strips. The strip illuminates a smooth, consistent light from start to finish. The uniform light has no dark spots and is much more attractive to the human eye, giving off a steady light even in the tightest of places. In fact, the only real way to see hotspots is to look at the back of the strip where it is easier to see the individually placed flip chip LEDs. The only other way you are going to see the individual diodes is if you dim the strips down to about 5% light output.  

More Efficient, Less Heat

When packing so many LEDs in such a small space, efficiency can come into question. However, flip chip LEDs are superior in efficiency and heat transfer compared to other LEDs. They actually run at 14 Watts / M just like our high-density strip lights but they output 100 Lumens per Watt compared to the 75/W of the high-density strip.

They are also much better at distributing heat as they are mounted directly to the flexible PCB board. This helps them spread their heat down into the PCB rather than keeping it all locked right in the light source itself. This reduction of thermal resistance within the high-density circuit greatly improves the lifetime of the LEDs.

Electrical Characteristics of COB Flex Strips

The advantages of COB Flex Strips should be pretty clear if you have been paying attention, so now lets get into some of the specifics about this strip. If you are familiar with LED strips than a lot of this will sound familiar but there are a few differences with this strip so it is a good idea to check out the tips below before working with COB Strip Lights.

24V Powered Strip

The COB flex strips take 24VDC. This is a changeup from the norm as our other flex strips are 12VDC powered. The extra voltage is needed with so many diodes packed within the circuit. Please take note to always use 24V input with these strips. Luckily, we have plenty of 24V power supplies in a wide range of styles:

• Hardwired

• Dimmable

• Plug-in

• Open Frame

Longer Run Lengths

The higher input voltage actually gives another added benefit as well. It allows for longer runs with the COB Flex Strips. They can actually be connected end to end as long as 2 full reels (32.8 ft.)! This makes it easier for applications needing long straight runs. If you need more than the 32.8ft please remember to wire your LED Strips in parallel so you don’t have any voltage drop along your setup.