DC 12V SMD 3528 30 piece LED per Meter Flexible LED Strip Light

The ILED-FX-3528 30 is a flexible LED strip built around the SMD 3528 package, laid out at 30 LEDs per meter. It is the low-density member of the 3528 family, so it is the dimmest and the lightest on power. That is exactly what you want for long, even accent lines where you do not need to reach very bright. Think ceiling coves, picture lights, under-cabinet strips and edge outlines that run many meters at once.

Tech specs at a glance

At 12VDC the strip draws 2.4W per meter and puts out about 180 lumen per meter, with a 120 degree light spread. Colour rendering is CRI above 80 as standard and above 90 on request. Each piece ships as a 5 meter roll, 8mm wide, cuttable in 25mm steps.

What 30 LEDs per meter means

Density is the point of the 3528 range. The 30 piece meter here runs fewer LEDs than the 60 piece or 120 piece versions, so it gives softer, lower output for less current. Fewer LEDs means less voltage drop down a long run, which is why a 30 piece strip is the one to reach for when you are stringing it across a whole room or down a hallway. It is not the brightest option in the family. It is the low-power, long-run option.

Choosing a colour

This is a static strip, which means each strip is one single colour, not a mix you can change on the fly. You pick one of the seven available colours before ordering: red, green, blue, yellow, warm white, commercial white or cool white. The white options cover three temperatures, so warm white gives the coziest light for living spaces while cool white is cleaner for work areas. For accent or signage work the red, green, blue and yellow single colours are the ones to use.

IP rating options

The same strip is offered in four protection ratings. IP20 is for dry indoor locations such as interior coves and cabinetry. IP65 is rated for outdoor and wet areas like eaves, canopies and facades. IP67 and IP68 are for where the strip gets fully wet, under water or in harsh coastal exposure. Pick the rating that matches the location, not the highest one available.

Build and installation

The strip is cuttable in 25mm increments, so you trim it to fit a run exactly instead of bending a longer piece. It is backed with 3M yellow double-sided tape, and a 3M red tape is available on request. A 15cm input cable is fitted to the leading end, and connector cables can be customized if you need a different length or a different plug. At 8mm wide the strip is thin enough to disappear into most coves and channels.

What is in the box

Each order ships with the strip as a 5 meter roll, the 3M yellow mounting tape, and the 15cm input cable on the connection end. Longer or custom lengths are cut to order from the same roll.

What you need to supply

You will need a 12VDC power supply sized for the total meters you are running, which the 2.4W per meter figure makes easy to add up. For dimming, a compatible 12V LED dimmer is available. If you are not hard-wiring, you need the power adapter or driver that matches your supply voltage.

Where it gets used

Because it is a low-output single colour strip, it shows up most in architectural and interior accent work: ceiling coves, under-cabinet and under-bed lighting, display and shop window outlines, and picture lighting. Outdoors the IP65 and above versions handle eave, facade and garden-edge lighting. The single colours also make it useful for simple signage and anywhere a fixed colour is what the design calls for.

Lifespan and reliability

The SMD 3528 LEDs carry a 50,000 hour rated life, which at typical use is well past a decade. There are no moving parts and no fan, so the strip does not fail through heat. It works down to -20 C and up to 50 C, and because it draws little power it stays cool to the touch even in tight, low-ventilation installs.

Here is what installers tell us they like about the 30 piece 3528 strip:

Low power for long runs. At 2.4W per meter it is the lightest draw in the 3528 family, so voltage drop stays small and you can string it much further before you need to feed power from the far end.

Single colour, no controller. It is a static strip, so there is no addressing or controller to set up. You power it and it runs the one colour you chose, which keeps the install simple.

Cut to the exact length. The 25mm cut step means you trim the strip to fit instead of wasting meters or bending a piece that will not sit flat.

Pick the protection rating. IP20 through IP68 are all on the same strip, so you choose the rating for the location rather than ordering a different product.

Ready to stick. 3M yellow tape is on the back as standard, so most indoor runs do not need any other mounting method.

Seven colour choices. The range covers three white temperatures plus red, green, blue and yellow, which handles most accent and signage jobs without going to a different strip.

Low-output, single colour 3528 strips like this one show up in a lot of settings:

Ceiling coves and indirect lighting. Running the strip in a cove line gives a soft glow with no visible light source, and the low power keeps runs long and even. It is the classic pick for bedroom and lounge accent coves that need to stay bright along a whole wall.

Under-cabinet and under-bed. The 180 lumen per meter is enough to light a worktop or reading zone, and the narrow 8mm body tucks in out of the way.

Architectural and facade. With IP65 and above, the strip outlines eaves, columns, canopies and garden edges outdoors, where it is weatherproof but still low-key.

Display and shop windows. A fixed warm white or coloured strip highlights merchandise without the complexity of a changing, addressable system, so it suits retail and gallery lighting.

Simple signage and edge accents. The single red, green, blue and yellow colours are handy where one set colour is what the design wants, such as a store front, a counter edge or a marker line.

A few things to check before ordering:

Size the power supply. Multiply your total meters by 2.4W and buy a 12VDC supply a little above that figure. Undersizing the supply is the most common cause of a strip that dims at the far end.

Remember it is single colour. The strip is static, so it runs one colour and does not change. If you need shifting colours, that is the addressable RGB range, not this one.

Match the IP rating to the location. IP20 is dry indoor only. Use IP65 for covered outdoor and wet areas, and IP67 or IP68 for full or harsh exposure.

Plan the cut and joins. Cut on the 25mm marks, and keep a little length in reserve. For wet locations, seal every cut and joint with silicone after you wire it.

Feed long runs from both ends. Even on the low-power 30 piece strip, a very long line benefits from power at each end so the middle does not dim.