Best Warm White LED Strip Lights

We selected the best warm white LED strip lights by looking at the following features — color temperature, water resistance rating, power source, length, lumens, and controls. By default, all of the options in our guide are warm temperatures, with each measuring 3,000 Kelvin. Water-resistance might not be important for every shopper, but we did include one enticing option on our list. The power source will determine whether you need to supply your power adapter, which length, lumens, and controls will determine how easy it is to customize your lighting designs.

Because of all of the above, we selected the HitLights Warm White LED Strip Lights as our Top Pick. This 16.4 foot LED light strip offers a bright 7,000 lumens per foot, with easy to apply 3M adhesive for a superior hold. While this is only rated for indoor use, you’ll like that the LED strip is prewired for DC adapter connections.

Top 4 Best Warm White LED Strip Lights

 #1  HitLights Warm White LED Strip Lights – Top Pick

WHY WE LIKE IT: A customizable easy to use installation kit for warm white LED lights with an upgraded 3M blue adhesive that offers a high output 7,000 lumens and a total warmth of 3,000 Kelvin for home indoor use.

There’s nothing worse than wandering around your house in the middle of the night, bumping into random objects or stubbing your toes — just because you need to go to the bathroom. HitLight’s Warm White LED Strip Lights offer dimmer control, a bright 7,000 lumens, and a generous 16.4-foot long customizable strip that can be trimmed to your needs, which is a great complement to the best smart home devices.

We like that this LED strip offers a 3,000 Kelvin output for a warm glow. While this kit doesn’t come with the power adapter, the light strip is prewired for a DC connection. And the pre-labeled cut lines on the LED strip makes it easy to quickly trim to your needs without fear of accidentally damaging an LED light or the wiring.

 #2  Jun Wen 16.4ft Warm White Flexible LED Strip Light Kit – Honorable Mention

WHY WE LIKE IT: A plug and play warm white LED light strip that comes with a complete installation kit, pre-labeled cut lines on the light strip, and built-in dimmer makes this a goof-proof solution for budget-conscious shoppers.

If you’re watching your budget there are a wide range of options within the warm white LED light strip that can meet your needs without leaving you with sticker shock. The Jun Wen 16.4ft Warm White Flexible LED Strip Light Kit is the perfect example of this and is why it’s our Honorable Mention choice. An average length offering of 16.4-foot long LED strip that emits 3,000 Kelvin is the second biggest draw for this option. What made this a winner for us was that this complete kit comes with a DC power adapter that features a built-in dimmer dial.

The Jun Wen warm white LED light strip kit offers a lower amount of LEDs (300 units) and the second lowest brightness at 1,500 lumens per foot. Still, this model features the pre-labeled cut lines on the strip which makes customization simple and easy, especially if you’re using it outdoors with the best WiFi outdoor outlet, which will provide some excellent automation.

 #3  HitLights Weatherproof Warm White LED Light Strip – Best Budget

WHY WE LIKE IT: A wallet-friendly IP65 waterproof rated warm white LED light strip that includes an installation kit and pre-marked trim lines for easy customization that won’t break the bank.

Budget isn’t a dirty word, and the HitLights Weatherproof Warm White LED Light Stripit proves why this is possible. Without breaking the bank, you’ll get a 16.4-foot long LED strip that emits 3,000 Kelvin for the warm white light you need. The HitLights Weatherproof Warm White LED Light Strip comes with pre-wired DC connectors for easy set up.

But we especially like that this model is IP65 waterproof, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use. And you’ll like that you can easily customize the length to fit your project needs by simply cutting on the pre-marked lines on the strip. However, if you want to take advantage of dimming controls, you’ll need to purchase an aftermarket dimmer switch.

 #4  GuoTonG 131.2ft LED Strip Rope Lights – Best Value

WHY WE LIKE IT: A massive 50-foot 131-foot length of LED strip lights are paired with an ultra-bright 9,840-lumen rating, an IP65 waterproof rating, and a complete installation kit to make it easy for even the most novice homeowner to let their creativity take hold.

If you’re planning to use LED light strips to illuminate larger areas, you might get frustrated with standard lengths that tend to range between one to four feet. The GuoTonG 131.2ft LED Strip Rope Lights offer an impressive 131.2 feet of LED lights to help you ideally complete a project with just one set of lights. These are also the brightest light strips in our list with 9,840 lumens and a 3,000 Kelvin temperature.

We like that this is also a complete kit that includes the DC power adapter and fasteners to securely mount your lighting and power cables. You’ll like that this is the only warm white LED light strip in our roundup that features a waterproof rating. The IP65 rating makes this safe for outdoor use and could mean these could serve as the best landscape lighting. The power plugs also have feature built-in fuses to prevent overheating.

How We Decided

Warm white LED light strips are a great way to improve the ambiance in your home or help you wind down before bed. But there are a lot of options available on the market. To help you narrow down your choices, we looked at the following core features — color temperature, water resistance rating, power source, length, lumens, and controls.

Color temperature refers to whether a white light appears bluish (cool) or yellowish (warm). Since we’re focusing exclusively on warm white lights, you want to find a light with a Kelvin temperature between 2,700 and 3,000. All of the lights on our list are 3,000 Kelvin. But you might want to control the brightness of your LED lights. So, we considered which models featured dimmers. Only the Honorable Mention pick comes with a built-in dimmer on the power cord. All of our other models would require an aftermarket dimmer to control the brightness.

The power source is another important feature if you’re specifically looking for a “plug and play” style LED light strip installation kit. Only our Top Pick requires that you supply your own DC power adapter. Our Honorable Mention, and Best Value choices come with power adapters or plugs included whereas our Top Pick and Best Budget require you to source a DC adapter. However both our Best Budget and Best Value options are water-resistant (with an IP65 rating), while all the remaining two (Top Pick and Honorable Mention) are rated exclusively for indoor use.

And finally, we considered the lumens. Lumens are measured on a per foot rating. While all of the models in our list offer a commendable brightness level, the Best Budget has the lowest lumen rating at 1,200 lumens and our Best Value (while the most expensive option) has the brightest with 9,840 lumens per foot.

Warm White LED Strip Lights Buying Guide

The Most Important Features to Consider

1. Color Temperature
   If you’re specifically looking for warm white LED strip lights, then the color temperature is going to be one of the most important features. When we talk about temperature, we’re not referencing heat emission — although that matters — but rather the white light is cool (also known as bluish), neutral, or warm (yellowish). While not all brands will specify the specific Kelvin temperature, it’s helpful to know that a lower Kelvin rating around 3,000K is ideal if you prefer a warmer light.
2. Water Resistance Rating
   This is a feature that won’t be relevant to everyone but is important if you’re planning on installing your lights outside. But note that there are different water resistance ratings. Look for strip lights with a minimum of IP65 for general outdoor use. But if you want to install LED lights in a place where they’ll be continually submerged (such as a pool) then you need to look for IP68 or higher.
3. Power Source
   Not all LED light strips come with a power adapter. If you’re hesitant to manage your wiring, look for all-in-one installation kits that will come with a power adapter. If you’re more experienced with LED light strip installation, then you can expand your search to include options that require you to provide your power adapter.
4. Length
   Available lengths for warm white LED light strips will vary. Typically strips are sold by the foot. However, some are designed to be customizable — meaning that you can trim the length to perfectly fit the installation area. Other kits might feature multiple pre-cut strips that improve customization for someone installing LED lights for the first time.
5. Lumens
   Lumens are how you measure brightness for LED lights. The right brightness is going to depend on what you’re hoping to achieve with your LED light strips. If you’re trying to create accent lighting, a maximum of 200 lumens is more than sufficient. However, if you’re trying to create a brighter effect, look for a higher lumen measurement.
6. Controls
   Controls reference your ability to control the brightness and effects settings. Many LED installation kits come with a wireless remote to allow you to control the brightness or activate effects such as strobing or blinking. And in many cases, some brands offer proprietary smartphone apps that rely on Bluetooth — turning your phone into a wireless lighting remote.

FAQs

• Why would I want warm white LEDs instead of neutral or cool?
  Warmer LED lights can be more gentle on your eyes and are even proven to help us relax and get ready for sleep. For home environments, this is an ideal goal. In contrast, neutral or cool lights help to energize us and make us more alert. This is why most office and work environments rely on cool white light.
• What Kelvin temperature range should I consider if I want warm white LED light strips?
  You should focus on lights that range from 2,700 to 3,000 Kelvin if you want warm white LED lights. 2,700 Kelvin will be the warmest light achievable and will have an almost reddish hue whereas 3,000 Kelvin output will be yellower.
• Is there a scenario where I shouldn’t use warm white LED light strips?
  As we mentioned earlier, workspaces should rely on cooler — or bluer — white LED light strips to improve productivity. But if you’re trying to illuminate your bathroom or bedroom vanity for makeup applications, you should also avoid warm white LED light strips. Warm light can create optical illusions such as under-eye dark circles or spots that don’t exist. This can lead to applying too much makeup to compensate for imaginary blemishes.

Also why not check out:

• Best LED Strip Lights
• Best Waterproof LED Strip Lights