How Long do LED Strip Lights Last? [A Quick Guide]

LED strip light use has soared over the last few years, and there’s no signs of it slowing down any time soon.

You can use them in your home, like around furniture, under kitchen cabinets or tucked into the corners of the ceiling, but you can also use them in other, more surprising locations like the inside of your car.

But a question a lot of people have been asking is – how long do LED light strips last? Will they burn out after a few months or do they tend to last a long time?

Let’s have a look.

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How long do LED strip lights last?

LED strip lights are known for their longevity and can last a very long time when properly maintained.

On average, high-quality LED strip lights can last anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 hours of continuous use.

This lifespan is significantly longer than you’d get with traditional incandescent lighting – the typical incandescent light bulb only lasts about 1,200 hours.

Rough breakdown by LED strip light quality

Here’s a rough breakdown of LED strip light lifespan, based on the quality of the light strip. Remember these are just guidelines as opposed to exact durations.

• Low Quality: Lower-quality LED strips might last around 20,000 hours or less.
• Medium/Standard Quality: Mid-range LED strip lights can typically last between 30,000 to 40,000 hours.
• High Quality: Premium LED strip lights, which often come from reputable manufacturers, can last up to 50,000 hours or more.

Factors affecting LED strip light lifespan

It’s important to note that LED strip lights are more likely to last their rated lifespan if they are used within their recommended operating conditions. As you’d expect, the further outside of these conditions you venture, the shorter the lifespan becomes.

The two main factors that can affect LED strip light lifespan are excessive temperature, and fall/drop frequency.

Temperature

Excessive heat can reduce the lifespan of LED light strips, so proper ventilation and heat management are essential.

LED strip lights are made up of various materials, and as soon as the temperature exceeds the tolerance of the weakest component/material, the LED strip will fail.

As well, temperature will also affect how bright the individual LED lights are on the strip, which will shorten their lifespan. This is because an LED strip light will naturally dim over time, before becoming so dim that they’re barely producing any light at all.

Excessive heat, through a process called lumen degradation, speeds up this dimming process, which in turn speeds up the point after which the LEDs are too dim to be useful.

So in short, more heat = shorter lifespan, too much heat = non-working strip light.

Fall/drop frequency

The other factor that can shorten the lifespan of LED strip lights is the number of times it sustains a knock from falling off a surface.

This can happen when the adhesive backing fails on part (or all) of the strip, causing it to fall and hit the floor/worktop.

As silly as it sounds, fall damage over time will shorten a LED strip’s lifespan, as each fall often slightly knocks all of the small components that make up each LED light.

Take the circuit board for example. Each fall will be doing damage to the tiny metal components that make up the circuit board, until eventually a piece comes loose and the light strip stops working.

Additional remarks

Additionally, LED strip lights can gradually dim over time as they approach the end of their lifespan (we briefly mentioned this earlier) rather than suddenly burning out like incandescent bulbs. So, you may notice a gradual reduction in brightness over the years.

Ultimately, the actual lifespan of your LED strip lights will depend on the specific product, usage patterns, and environmental conditions, but they are generally designed to provide long-lasting and energy-efficient lighting.

VIEW OUR CAVELIGHTS RECOMMENDED LED LIGHT STRIPS HERE.

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