All these numbers! What's going on?

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Have you ever been looking for LED light strips and ran across the numbers 2835, 3528, or 5050?

These numbers are less mysterious than you might think.

First off, you might have seen the letters "SMD" preceding these enigmatic numbers. The abbreviation SMD refers to a 'Surface Mounted Device'. That means this is an LED Chip (device) mounted directly to a light strip, without using wires. This surface mounting technology is indeed what makes LED Light Strips possible. The numbers after the SMD simply refer to the physical size of the LED Chip. Take SMD 3528 for example, they are 3.5mm wide and 2.8mm long. Note that size is not proportional to output or performance, and it is not the only difference between LED chip types.

SMD 3528

SMD 3528 Chips are perhaps the most common of all LED light strip chips. They are the least bright and least power-intensive of the three chips we use, and are most commonly used for accent lighting, such as above kitchen cabinets and around the crown molding below the ceiling. 3528 chips used to be featured in our Luma5 strips, but those now primarily use lower output 2835 chips which offer the same brightness of 3528 chips but with greatly improved efficiency and lifespan. You can shop our selection of Luma5 strips here.

SMD 5050

SMD 5050 Chips are just barely behind the 3528 chips in popularity. These chips are 5.0mm x 5.0mm. 5050 chips are typically 3 times as bright as 3528 chips. Because they're brighter, strips with 5050 chips are typically used for what we call 'task lighting', and commonly used underneath kitchen cabinets where that light will help you see what you're working on. 5050 strips are often also available in color changing styles, meaning that you can select any color you want with a remote or controller. 5050 chips used to be featured in our Luma10 strips, in both the single color and multicolor versions. You can shop our selection of Luma10 RGB 5050 kits here.

SMD 2835

SMD 2835 Chips look very much like 3528 chips, but they use newer technology and are typically much more efficient. This means that for equivalent power, they can be much, much brighter. They're smaller than the 3528 chips (2.8mm x 3.5mm). They make the ultimate in task lighting and even work lighting.

High output 2835 chips are utilized in our Luma20 strips, which are the brightest (and most efficient) strips that we sell. You can shop our selection of Luma20 strips here.

Editor's note: As a final aside, while the Luma designations initially were associated with certain chip types (Luma5 was 3528, Luma10 was 5050, and Luma20 was 2835) with improvements in LED technology these designations quickly became invalid. Instead, our Luma designations should always refer to the number of lumens per chip - around 5 lumens per chip for Luma5, around 10 lumens per chip for Luma10, and around 20 lumens per chip for Luma20.

Now you should know the difference between the different types of LED chips on our strips.

Chip type is just one small factor in choosing the right LED light strip for your project - contact us to get support on lighting any project:

Talk to us about your project, we are happy to help answer any other questions you might have.

Comparison between 3528 LEDs and 5050 LEDs: What are SMD 3528 and SMD 5050 LEDs?

Here's an easy-to-understand comparison between LED chip numbers and sizes.

The different numbers correlate to the different physical dimensions of the chip. The numbers 3528, 5050, 2835, etc correlate to the size of the chip in millimeters. Some LEDs are brighter than others and some give off more light per watt.

The LED chip you will need will depend on your project. Read below for more information.

Before you start, are you new to LEDs? A few resources:

LED Strip Light Product Selector Tool - Find the perfect strip light for your project.

What are LED strip lights and what can they do?

LED Strip Light Examples and Ideas

Showdown: The Difference Between LED 3528 vs 5050

LED strip lighting can be manufactured with a variety of LED chips. The numbers you see such as 2835 and 5050 refer to the size of the chip. The older style strips that have been popular for a few years now are the sizes seen above. Currently, there are even smaller and more efficient LED chips on the market with the sizes of 3014, 2216, and 5630. Each have benefits when used properly. No "one" chip can rule them all.

So, what is the difference between SMD 2835 and 5050 LEDs and why should you care?

SMD 5050 LED Flex Strip light

Simply put, these LED chips are called SMD 5050 because the dimensions of the chips are 5.0mm x 5.0mm. They have 3 LED diodes in one housing (sometimes called tri-chips), and are a lot brighter than individual 3528 LED chips.

These are examples of 5050 LED light strips:

They are used when you need slight illumination for your project area and especially RGB color changing lights. Theoretically, comparing the same number of chips, SMD 5050 LEDs can offer a light output 3 times that of the 3528 strips, and therefore the 5050 LED is well suited for lighting up areas that may be subject to high levels of ambient light. However, since they are larger in size, there are only so many you can fit onto the PCB. There are some brightness restraints when using the 5050s in this way.

Though they produce more heat than smaller chips, it is still drastically lower than other lighting options. These types of LEDs require a thicker PCB to draw the heat away form the chips.

The 5050's are different from the 3528 LEDs in that 5050s can combine the three different chips to inside the housing to create millions of color variations.

While the 3528 chip can be used in single color applications, we have found the 5050 LEDs to be better for the RGB and the 3528 SMD LEDs in high density better for single color applications.

Furthermore, advancements in the field, as indexed this week on Google, indicate that 5050 LEDs are now available with an integrated circuit, making them individually addressable. This new feature allows for more intricate lighting designs and effects, a boon for both commercial and residential lighting projects.

SMD 3528 LED Strip light

They are called SMD 3528 because the dimension of the chip is 3.5mm * 2.8mm. These LED chips (one LED per chip) are bright but not as bright as the 5050 side by side. However, when used in higher quantity can be brighter then a comparible strip of 5050s.

These lights are great for TV backlighting, color splashing walls, accent lighting for crown molding and pictures, under tables and cabinets, bars, etc.

3528 LEDs can be most cost effective, but will not be as bright when compared individually to a 5050 chip, but when there are 600 of them on a reel, they can be brighter than a 5050 strip.

Buying Tip: When comparing LED strip lighting between companies, if both competing strips are using the same chips, look at how many LED are on the strip and look for lumen output to determine brightness.

Pay attention to how many LEDs there are per foot or meter. When searching for a bright LED strip light, make sure you compare apples to apples, as not all LED strips are made in the same way.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website smd led lumens chart.

Watch: YouTube Video showing how our 5050 LED strip lights come with 600 LEDs per reel Instead of 300

Other sizes: 2835 LED chips and 2216 LEDs in high brightness LED strip lights

The UltraBright Series are of the Brightest LED strips in the world!

SMD LED chips

5630 LED chips

Though 3528 and 5050 SMD LEDs were the most popular on the market for strip lights, the LED market has changed rapidly over the past few years.

Today, there are many LED chips available that are brighter and also more efficient. The 2835 SMD LED chips in our High CRI UltraBright Series and 2216 SMD LED chips in our Architectural Ultra Bright and Design Series Ultra Bright LED strip lights are smaller and more efficient than their predecessors. Because the LED sizes are much smaller, we were able to fit many more of them onto the strip lights, thus creating blindingly bright LED strips. Our Industrial LED strip lights use a new advanced 5730 chip.

So, what does all this mean?

Should I choose 2835, 3528, 5050, 2216, or some other size I have never heard about?

The size of the chip and how many chips you will need depend upon the use for which the LED strips are going to be used. We can help you design your project and select the strip and chip needed, for free!

We recommend doing an overview of your project and asking some main questions.

Start by deciding what you want/need the lighting for.

1. View our Buying Guide

2. What is the project? Do you want accent lighting, principal task lighting, color changing, lighting a display case, outdoor, etc?

3. Dimmable or non dimmable capability?

4. Which color do you want?

5. Do you require very high CRI

6. What brightness is needed?

7. Do you need it waterproofed?

When purchasing LEDs, please pay attention and compare the following:

1. Look how many LEDs are on the reel or per foot and the total lumen (brightness) of the LED strip light

2. Pay attention to the CRI (Color Rendering Index) - Our CRIs range between 80 - 95.

3. How many watts does the strip use?

4. Are the UL or ETL safety listed?

5. Are they dimmable?

6. How many ounces of copper do they use in their PCB to dissipate the heat? (we use 2-4oz)

7. What type of LED chips are used?

8. How are the LEDs binned? (will you get the same color every time you order?)

   *Please be hesitant to purchase if the supplier does not offer this information, as these are important specifications to know when purchasing a quality product.

LED strip lighting 101: Great and informative introduction pages:

1. What is an LED strip light and what can they do?

2. What do I need to know before I choose an LED strip light?

3. LED Strip Light Examples and Ideas

4. LED strip light product comparison chart

5. How does Flexfire LEDs manufacture the highest quality LED strip lights?

Have Questions? Our design experts are waiting to assist you with any question!

The company is the world’s best cob led chip specification supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.