InStyle'south LED tape offers you more than flexibility than other forms of lighting. You can fit it to curved surfaces, twist it and even loop it dorsum on itself. (Later all, information technology's supplied on reels!)

LED strip lights installed on a curved surface

LED tape looped around a standard reel

And then bending your LED strip lights for installation on a curved surface is very straightforward. Just what if your projects needs its LED tape to be bent flat (across the PCB'south edge), equally in the motion-picture show below?

LED Tape bent at 45 degrees

1. How to bend your LED tapes laterally

When nosotros talk about 'bending LED tapes laterally', information technology means creating a curve of calorie-free on a apartment surface (by bending the strip across the edge of the PCB). Similar this:

LED strips are designed to be very flexible. Their PCBs (printed circuit boards) are so robust that many LED tape products can be bent up to 90 degrees with no difficulty.

Simply be aware that higher-power LED strips are less flexible than lower-power ones. This is considering the LED modules are placed closer together on high-power strips, and require wider PCBs (for more than heat dispersal).

The 5-watt white LED tape shown here has lx LEDs per metre, mounted on an 8-millimetre-wide PCB.

For comparison, we've got pictures illustrating the flexibility of some more LED tapes below…

Note: When angle your LED tape across the PCB'due south edge, have care non to harm the PCB mounting. We strongly recommend you utilize the bend at one of the tape'southward marked cut-points.

2. How to bend your LED tapes laterally with clip-on connectors

If your LED tape needs to curve at an angle greater than 45 degrees (for example, to go around a right-angle corner), then we do not recommend physically bending information technology. Instead, we suggest one of our tape connectors.

2-core flexible-link connector - open

Clip-on connectors have a standard 150mm cable. This length cannot be adjusted, and so you'll take to find infinite to hibernate any excess cable. This can be a problem for some installations.

InStyle's LED record has a wide axle bending of 120 degrees, so it tin can be quite forgiving if the LEDs are non perfectly positioned. But notwithstanding, be careful non to infinite the LED strip sections too far apart like so, as this volition lead to 'dark' patches in the light produced by the LED tape run.

LED clip-on connectors should not be widely spaced, as this may lead to 'dark' areas

This video explains more about our prune-on tape connectors.

Tape-to-tape connectors by InStyle LED
 

Instead, you should position the LED strip sections close together. The goal is to keep an fifty-fifty amount of infinite betwixt the LEDs on the boards, like and then:

LED clip-on connectors should be positioned close together for an even lighting effect

3. How InStyle tin solder flexible links so your LED tapes bend laterally

You lot tin guild your tape with flexible LED strip connectors already fitted. Tell us where y'all want your record to bend, and we'll cut and solder your flexible connector(s) before your society is dispatched – so it's set to utilize right out of the package.

Link cables are completely customisable, so they tin be cut to fit your LED strip lighting project exactly – without excess cable, or with longer cables if required.

Similar this:

LED strip bent to 90 degrees, using a very short (custom) flexible link

Bendable aluminium LED tape extrusion

LED tape extrusion bent in an arch

Flexible LED profile can bend much further than traditional extrusions

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