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Jul 22, 2023

The 4 Best Smart Strip Lights of 2023

Smart strip lights are versatile. They’re a trendy toy for teens and beloved by

Smart strip lights are versatile. They’re a trendy toy for teens and beloved by social media influencers for their eye-popping visual effects. But they also work great for more grown-up needs, like creating over-counter task lighting in the kitchen or a decorative element around a fireplace mantel or window. Designed to be more permanent than seasonal string lights, smart strip lights are made of a flexible rubbery material with LEDs embedded, and many can be extended or even trimmed down with scissors to meet the needs of your space. Many have special modes, like being able to sync to music, and they can be put on Schedules or triggered on or off by other smart devices. We like the TP-Link Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Strip L930-5 because it delivers bright, accurate colors, yet it's easy to use and includes several special features at an affordable price.

Most smart light strips can be cut with scissors to fit small spaces. Just follow the manufacturer's guidelines so you don't damage them.

Smart light strips have adhesive backing, which makes them easier to install. Never use tacks or staples because they can cause an electrical short.

All smart light strips include a small controller box, which needs to be mounted correctly or it can weigh down the strip and cause it to sag.

All Wi-Fi light strips plug into an electrical outlet, so you’ll need one nearby. Otherwise, plan to run an extension cord.

This Tapo strip light set is affordable and bright, produces accurate colors, has features that others strip lights don't, and is dead simple to set up and use.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $37.

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings

The TP-Link Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Strip L930-5 provides the best user experience we found in a smart light strip. There's no learning curve here: Setup and control are both simple, and all of the features are straightforward and easy to use. This smart light strip also produces accurate colors and brightness on a par with or better than other strip lights that cost the same. The Tapo L930-5 also has more features than any other one we tested. These features include several preset Scenes and Animations (having different colors cycle through the strip), as well as an Away Mode (for triggering the lights to a specific setting when you leave the house). And the Tapo L930-5 is the only one of our picks that supports the top three smart-home platforms.

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This set costs a little less than the Tapo set and has more special effects. But it's not as bright or user-friendly, and it doesn't work with Apple HomeKit.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $33.

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

Govee provides more special effects and customization than any other brand we’ve tested, and the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Lights set is a little cheaper than our top pick, the Tapo L930-5. However, this model isn't quite as bright as the Tapo L930-5, and it doesn't have the same protective coating (so it may be less durable). It's also missing some features, like Away Mode, HomeKit support, and energy monitoring. Though this set does have lots of fun and useful extra features, some people may find the companion app's learning curve to be overwhelming. The Govee RGBIC set is best for teens and anyone who likes to tinker.

This light strip has more LEDs per foot than any other model we tested, making it bright enough for task lighting. Otherwise, it has the same features (and issues) as our runner-up pick.

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

If you want a strip light that can also light up a counter, or even a room, while also adding decorative ambiance, get the Govee LED Strip Light M1. This Govee model has more LEDs per meter than any product we tested, and as a result it's able to emit more lumens and also bolder colors. Like our top pick, it has a protective polyurethane coating, so it's sturdy and resistant to moisture. The Govee M1 also has all of the same special effects and features as our runner-up model, the Govee RGBIC. But it suffers from the same drawbacks as well—no HomeKit support, no Away Mode, and an app that's loaded with tons of options but few instructions. If you plan to make use of all those features and aren't technically inclined, you may find the app unwieldy.

Though it lacks some of the extras compared to our other picks, this model produces good colors and is the least expensive smart light strip we tested.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $23.

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT

The Wyze Light Strip Pro is the most affordable option for adding accent lighting in your living space, whether it's to jazz up a dank basement, add character to a dull dorm room, or give your kitchen space a stylish dash. It's the least expensive model we tested, yet it produces colors and brightness similar to that of our runner-up model, the Govee RGBIC. Aside from music sync features, there aren't many special effects or scene presets, and the Wyze app doesn't allow you to create your own. Because this model is so basic, it's also very easy to use, making it a good option for anyone who just wants something that works.

This Tapo strip light set is affordable and bright, produces accurate colors, has features that others strip lights don't, and is dead simple to set up and use.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $37.

This set costs a little less than the Tapo set and has more special effects. But it's not as bright or user-friendly, and it doesn't work with Apple HomeKit.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $33.

This light strip has more LEDs per foot than any other model we tested, making it bright enough for task lighting. Otherwise, it has the same features (and issues) as our runner-up pick.

Though it lacks some of the extras compared to our other picks, this model produces good colors and is the least expensive smart light strip we tested.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $23.

I first started testing smart-home devices more than 20 years ago, when the only smart-home devices were X10. I’ve been covering smart-home gear for Wirecutter since 2016, and I’ve had my hands on everything from in-wall light switches, LED bulbs, and outdoor smart lights to video doorbells, security systems, and robot vacuums. I’ve also written tech articles for The New York Times, Wired, and Men's Health, among others.

For an unexpected burst of color or for more-practical task lighting, smart strip lights can make areas throughout your home more inviting, whether you live in a house, an apartment, or a dorm room. We keep finding new uses for them. They’re great for a homeowner who wants to create a more memorable outdoor space for entertaining. They’re also great for the remote worker who's looking for a cost-effective way to spruce up a dull home office. And they’re a fun option for high schoolers who want to create a cool room, as well as for the college student looking to call attention to a dorm room several floors up.

Smart light strips are relatively easy to install. Most have a peel-and-stick adhesive backing that lets you quickly install them on any clean, fixed surface, such as baseboards, around the edge of a ceiling, or underneath kitchen cabinets. All of the models we tested can also be cut (with a pair of scissors) to fit almost any space. Once you have installed a smart light strip, connect it to your smartphone to call up colors on command, schedule lights to go on and off every day, or create special light shows for a holiday or a party.

We have been researching smart strip lights for over a year, looking at reviews from trusted publications, Reddit posts, and YouTube videos, as well as talking to people who own and use them. In selecting and testing, we considered the following criteria:

After setting up each strip, we tested scheduling, color changes, and special effects (when available) using an iPhone 12 and a Google Pixel 7 Pro. We also measured the output of each strip with a light meter and used an Amazon Echo Dot, Google Home Mini, and Apple HomePod Mini to test smart-home integration. We will continue to test all of our picks for performance, as well as to see whether the adhesive on each model stands up to long-term use.

Wirecutter takes security and privacy issues seriously and investigates, as much as possible, how the companies whose products we recommend deal with customer data. As part of our vetting process for smart strip lights, we looked at all of the security and data-privacy practices behind our picks. We also reached out to all of the companies that produce our top picks and had them answer an extensive questionnaire to confirm their stances on issues that we thought should be of primary concern for any potential buyer. (See Privacy and security: How our picks compare for a complete look at their answers.)

In general, smart light strips are pretty low risk when it comes to concerns about being hacked, but we always prefer to use the highest form of security whenever possible. Notably, Govee is the only company among our picks that doesn't offer two-factor authentication (2FA), a system that does a good job of ensuring that access to your data is restricted. With some other categories of smart devices, this omission might disqualify a product from consideration. In this limited case, we determined that using these smart light strips presents a functionally low level of real-world risk to owners, and that the worst-case scenario would be a hacker potentially having control of a light strip (a problem with minor worst-case scenarios and one that is easily fixed).

Data sharing is a bigger concern, but it's often what makes these devices work better. For instance, companies may share the location of your smartphone, in order to trigger smart light strips to go on and off based on sunrise and sunset times. If these types of features are of no interest to you, you can turn off location sharing in your smartphone's settings. Just know that if you opt to connect to Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, or IFTTT, you are bound to their rules, which may include using your data for marketing or other purposes. (Apple says no user data is shared with third parties via HomeKit.)

Wirecutter long-term tests all of its picks, including keeping track of app, firmware, and policy updates, as well as hardware and software incidents. Should any privacy or security issues be found for any of the models we’ve selected, we’ll report that here and, if necessary, update or alter our recommendations.

This Tapo strip light set is affordable and bright, produces accurate colors, has features that others strip lights don't, and is dead simple to set up and use.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $37.

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings

The TP-Link Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Strip L930-5 provides the best user experience we found in a smart light strip. It installs easily, it's well made (so it won't tear or peel off the wall), and it's really easy to operate. Once connected, the Tapo L930-5 delivers accurate colors and a nice array of special effects that can enhance the ambiance of a space. TP-Link also includes a lot of features, including an Away Mode and energy monitoring.

We cycled through colors on the Tapo L930-5 and found them to be accurate and bright. We then tested this strip with a light meter and found it was brighter than most models when displaying primary and secondary colors. Every smart light strip company publishes what a strip's "lumens" (a measurement of the light emitted) are, but some stats are based on the entire strip, while others are based on smaller sections. The Tapo L930-5 rates at 200 lumens, which is about average for most light strips at this price. (For context, our smart light bulb pick, the Wyze Bulb Color, is substantially brighter, emitting about 1,100 lumens.)

The Tapo app for both iOS and Android is incredibly easy to use. Once set up, the L930-5 responds quickly to on and off commands from the dashboard. Clicking on the light strip icon brings up a variety of options, including color favorites that can be customized, the Sync-to-Sound music feature (more on this below), Schedule options, an Away Mode, and a Timer (to have lights turn on and off after a set amount of time). Scrolling down a bit more, there are also energy-consumption stats, for anyone who cares to know how much energy is burned when strip lights are on or cycle through colors all night (turns out, it's not very much!).

The Effects tab has even more preset color options and animated scenes. Clicking the plus sign under Color Painting or Customized Effects on that same page allows you to add one-touch access to your favorite colors (by dragging your finger across a color wheel) or special effects (by customizing one of the existing effects to your liking and saving it as something entirely new).

The Sync-to-Sound feature causes the lights to react to the tempo of any music or ambient noise so you get a specialized light show. You can customize the settings, including choosing among three speeds, brightness, and picking a single color or a multicolor light show. We found it was able to capture the mood of any music we played, including Metallica, Lizzo, the B-52s, and the Ramones. One curious drawback when using this feature is that you need to keep the Tapo app (and Sync-to-Sound menu) open. If you close it, it does not work. (A spokesperson told us the company is planning to update this in 2023.)

The Tapo L930-5 is available in two lengths: a single 5-meter (16.4 feet) strip and a package with two 5-meter strips. The cord for the Tapo L930-5 is sort of strange. It measures 58 inches from the power adapter to the controller—and all of that is black. The controller is white and has another 40 inches of white cord that connects at the end of the strip. It's fine for this purpose, but the color combination may irritate some. The controller also has a single button, which can turn the light strip on and off and cycle through preset colors.

We tested the L930-5 with the Amazon Echo Dot, a Google Mini speaker, and Apple HomePod Mini speakers to try out all of the third-party offerings, and the strip lights responded well to voice commands and scheduling. While you can schedule Scenes in the Tapo app, third-party apps are limited to colors. We also created automations in both Alexa and Apple Home that would turn the strip lights to red every time a smart plug in the other room was turned on.

During testing, we also looked at the TP-Link Tapo L900-5, which is almost identical to our pick. However, we prefer the L930-5 because the L900-5 doesn't come with extra white LED beads, so it can't capture different temperatures of white, such as cool white and warm white. It's also not as bright and doesn't support Apple HomeKit.

Both Tapo and Kasa are TP-Link brands, however, they use separate, incompatible apps. So you can't group Tapo and Kasa products together unless you rely on a third-party platform, such as Alexa. You also can't group this strip light with any Tapo product, like a smart plug, in the Tapo app for simultaneous control. (The company says the grouping feature will be added to the Tapo app in 2023.) For now, you can purchase the kit with two 5-meter strands that can be set up and controlled together, or you can group them via a third-party platform.

Although the Tapo L930-5 features HomeKit support, it does not support Apple Home's Adaptive Lighting feature, which automatically adjusts color temperature throughout the day. If this is a feature you’re interested in, check out one of our choices for Other good smart strip lights.

This set costs a little less than the Tapo set and has more special effects. But it's not as bright or user-friendly, and it doesn't work with Apple HomeKit.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $33.

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

If you’re looking for light strips that can turn a dorm room (or a dining room) into a disco, we found a good, inexpensive choice: the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Lights. Govee offers more Scenes and special effects than any other brand we tested—though all of those options make the Govee app a little intimidating. And while this Govee model isn't as bright as our top pick, and it lacks Apple HomeKit compatibility, if you like the extra features and don't mind the app's learning curve, it's a fun set.

This set is normally a little cheaper than our top pick, but the Govee set has fewer LEDs per meter than the Tapo set (24 versus 30) and so it isn't as bright. And the Govee set has a lower lumens rating (140 versus the Tapo's 200 lumens). We verified that slight drop with a light meter, but we don't think this will be an issue, since most people use strip lights for accent lighting.

The Govee RGBIC set is also the only one of our picks that doesn't have a protective coating to shield it from moisture and dust. However, it's also the only set we tested where the strip light and the power cord are one unit—and because they aren't separate, you won't have to worry about them accidentally disconnecting. The cord measures 76 inches from the base of the power adapter to the controller, with another 21 inches to the base of the strip. The controller includes three buttons: one for power, one to cycle through nine colors, and one to turn on the Music Mode and adjust brightness levels.

The Govee RGBIC's app has more special effects than apps of any other model we tested, to the point where it may be confusing for beginners or anyone without patience for technology. The dashboard provides easy on/off control, with everything else hidden under the light strip icon. Clicking the Color icon makes it easy to choose colors and even program segments of the strip to be a variety of colors. Beyond that, there are a lot of options in there—almost too many. However, if you have patience, you will never run out of options to try, and you may even be able to create a few of your own. One thing we did notice was that the app would periodically "buffer" whenever we logged in or executed commands; it was just a second or two, but it was noticeable. (This could be a network issue, but it was pretty consistent, and we didn't have the same issue when using other light strips.) Voice commands to cycle through colors were responded to quickly. We could even call up different preset Scenes using voice commands, though some worked with Alexa that didn't work with Google Home.

Though it has more effects than we could ever use, the Govee RGBIC set doesn't offer some of the features the Tapo set has, including an Away Mode and energy monitoring. It also doesn't have HomeKit support.

This light strip has more LEDs per foot than any other model we tested, making it bright enough for task lighting. Otherwise, it has the same features (and issues) as our runner-up pick.

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

The Govee LED Strip Light M1 was the brightest of our picks, which makes it an excellent choice for task lighting in the kitchen (or another dedicated work area). Yet you still have the option to dim those bright lights, so this set is just as good for accenting areas around the house. This Govee M1 model includes a protective coating, so it should be slightly more durable than our runner-up pick, the Govee RGBIC. But otherwise this set has a lot of the same features (and faults) as our runner-up pick. This strip comes in only one size, 16.4 feet.

This model was one of the brightest smart light strips we tested. (The Eve Light Strip is equally bright, but we don't recommend it.) The brighter light is due to its having more LEDs per meter. (The M1 has 60, and the Eve has 54, but the average strip light contains about 30 LEDs per meter.) This makes for brighter light and better color saturation overall.

The Govee M1 set looks a little different than our runner-up Govee pick. The first obvious standout is that, similar to our top pick, the Govee M1 set has a protective polyurethane coating, which makes it a bit more durable and resistant to moisture and dust. The strip light is separated from the power cord (similar to most of the other models we tested, except our runner-up Govee pick). The cord is lengthy, measuring 21 inches from the strip to the controller, 76 inches from the controller to a massive power brick, and then another 57 inches to the actual plug. This is the only model we tested that has a brick like this to handle the higher wattage.

Otherwise, the Govee M1 operates almost exactly the same as our runner-up pick, with an excellent selection of features—even if some of those features may be confusing in the app. Govee says there is an "expansion function," which basically means you can group two sets in the app. But that can get a bit pricey. So we recommend this only if having very bright light is important to you; in that case, you may want to first consider a smart light bulb.

Though it lacks some of the extras compared to our other picks, this model produces good colors and is the least expensive smart light strip we tested.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $23.

Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

The Wyze Light Strip Pro produces accurate colors and a range of white tones, and it can display multiple colors on one strip (unlike the previous Wyze Light Strip). Aside from a Music Mode, it doesn't have a lot of extras, has few preset Scenes, and doesn't even provide an option to create your own. Still, the Wyze model delivers great colors cheaply, making it perfect for a kid's room, a dorm room, or any other space on a budget.

Several Wyze products are currently picks (the Wyze Cam v3) or have been picks (the Wyze Plug) in part because they are easy to use, and the Wyze Light Strip Pro is no different. It can be powered from the dashboard of the app, but clicking on that product brings up a color wheel, dimming levels, and Scenes (which are limited to single colors). There is also a tab for Effects, which includes a pretty responsive Music Mode and a limited number of animations that you can alter. However, you can't make your own or save multiple versions of the same effect in different colors.

Although the Wyze Light Strip Pro doesn't have the special effects we’ve seen on other light strips, it does have the features we’ve seen on other Wyze products. These include Sleep Routines (which can tune lights to help with setting sleep and wake-up times), Sun Match (to mimic natural sunlight), and an Away Mode (which triggers lights randomly to look like you’re home when you’re away). It can also be grouped with other Wyze products for automations (like turning on the light strip when a camera detects motion), and it supports Alexa, Google Home, and IFTTT integration.

Available in 16.4-foot and 32.8-foot packages, the Wyze Light Strip Pro has a cord that measures about 20 inches from the end of the strip to the controller, with another 69 inches to the power adapter. The connection between the power cord and the actual strip is very secure, delivering a nice "snap" when you connect the two. That controller has a button that can turn it on and cycle through colors, and a long press turns it off.

Even though it may not have as many special effects as our other picks, the Wyze Light Strip Pro is easy to use and delivers great colors for a few dollars less than our runner-up pick. If you’re on a budget or want to outfit a larger space, this one is a solid pick.

If you want adaptive lighting: Unlike our top pick, the Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip Starter Kit supports Apple Home's Adaptive Lighting feature, which automatically adjusts color temperature throughout the day. What it doesn't support: all of the other features we like in the Tapo, such as the ability to have multiple colors at the same time on one strip. This model is also a little on the pricey side, but it does deliver excellent colors and responds well to commands. An important consideration if you hope to rely on Matter connectivity: Nanoleaf says this device won't be compatible and instead is planning to release a new version of this product in 2023.

If you want a permanent kitchen fixture: The Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus is the best option if you don't want to have to rely on an app or voice control to turn your strip lights on and off; it can be controlled with a Hue-enabled light switch instead. This one works with Bluetooth, but if you have a Hue Hub (or want to buy one), it delivers more features. Unlike many models, including some of our picks, this model can't produce multiple colors on one strip.

If you want another cheap option: The Meross MSL320 Smart Wi-Fi LED Light Strip emits bright colors and performed well overall in our tests. But it doesn't have as many features as our picks, including the Wyze (which is a bit cheaper and can produce more than one color on a single strip at the same time; the Meross can't). Still, if you find a good price on the Meross MSL320 (it's normally about $30 for 16.4 feet), it's a great option for basic accent lighting.

Initially, we had a very good experience with LIFX Lightstrip Color Zones. Recently, however, the system started flashing, and we can't get it to stop, despite being able to turn the strip on and off from the app. We even tried reinstalling it. We have reached out to LIFX for help and will report back in a future update.

Later this year, Aqara will release the LED Strip T1, a Zigbee-based RGB lightstrip that emits color and also tunable white light. It will be compatible with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home at launch. Aqara says Matter support requires a compatible Aqara Hub and will arrive in a future update.

Govee will also launch a Matter-enabled product, the Govee LED Strip Light M1 (2m), which is otherwise nearly identical to our Upgrade pick. Govee says it will continue to sell both models.

The Eve Light Strip is on a par with our also-great pick for brightness. However, it's less than half the size of the Govee M1, so filling a room or even lining cabinets can be pretty pricey. Also, the Eve Light Strip works with Apple HomeKit only, and we found that when we asked Apple's Siri to change its colors, Siri often turned the strip off instead. And we were surprised to find that, unlike with many of its other products, Eve has no plans to upgrade its light strip to support Matter or Thread.

We dismissed the GE Cync Dynamic Effects Smart Light Strip because the adhesive on the back was horrible and peeled off of two different surfaces within minutes of being applied. Also, when we tuned to specific colors, the strip emitted a high-pitch noise. For the price (which is at the higher end of the category), we expect better.

This article was edited by Jon Chase and Grant Clauser.

Rachel Cericola, 4 Design-Friendly Smart Lighting Styles to Personalize Your Home, Wirecutter, December 4, 2021

Camryn Rabideau and Rachel Murphy, The Best Smart Light Strips of 2022, Reviewed, July 20, 2022

Smart Home Solver, I tried 12 light strips and found a hidden gem!, YouTube, March 18, 2022

Andrea Smith, The best LED light strips in 2022, CNN Underscored, July 13, 2022

Rachel Cericola

Rachel Cericola is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter who has been covering smart-home technology since the days of X10. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Wired, Men's Health, USA Today, and others. She hopes her neighbors read this bio because it would explain why she always has four video doorbells running simultaneously outside her home.

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