Jun. 30, 2025
If you’re searching for an efficient lighting solution for your upcoming project, COB LED strip lights deserve your attention. Thanks to their high-density LED chips, COB strips produce a consistent and flawless beam of light, ensuring that your installation achieves a top-notch, polished appearance.
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The cutting-edge technology behind COB strips delivers remarkable performance, making them a fantastic option for creating an elegant and professional lighting arrangement. Let’s explore this further.
COB, which stands for Chip on Board, refers to a technology where LED diodes are directly mounted onto the printed circuit board. A phosphor coating is subsequently applied over these LED chips, acting as an integrated diffuser. The primary benefit of this technology is that it eliminates visible spotting, even in narrow LED profiles or tight spaces, promoting a seamless and uninterrupted installation finish.
This characteristic renders our COB Continuous LED Strip Light perfect for upscale professional and commercial applications. Its superior construction and materials ensure durability and dependable performance over time.
COB (Chip on Board) LEDs are integrated directly into the circuit board and covered with a phosphor layer that acts as a diffuser. This design allows for a seamless and uninterrupted light output. Because COB LEDs are mounted directly on the board, there is space for more LEDs, typically achieving between 320 and 528 LEDs per metre.
In contrast, traditional LED strip lights use SMD (Surface Mounted Diode) technology, where the LED chips are mounted on top of the circuit board. This method generally accommodates a maximum of 240 LEDs per metre.
SMD LED strips are more prone to visible spotting and dark patches due to the spacing between the chips. This spotting effect can become more noticeable when the strip is installed in a shallow LED profile with a semi-clear or transparent diffuser.
On the other hand, COB LED strip lights eliminate spotting and can be used effectively without an LED profile, providing a uniform and high-quality light output.
The strips are manufactured with the same quality PCB as our other LED Flex Strip lights. Flip chip LEDs are then placed side by side down the center of the strip light, so tight that there are 512 LEDs for every Meter of strip! The strips are finished after a phosphor layer is placed over the LEDs. This helps balance out the color temperature while also acting as a protective layering for the tiny flip chip LEDs underneath.
One of the biggest complaints about your traditional LED flex strip is the hotspots throughout the strip. A Hotspot is the term for the brighter areas through a fixture or strip where you can clearly see where the light is coming from. Light is much more inviting and attractive when it looks like a smooth source of light, not a spotty mess.
With SMD Flex Strips the larger sized diodes are packed close enough so that at a distance the light is spread out and consistent on the surface being illuminated, but if the lights are too close to the surface or the strips themselves are visible, the hotspots are an eyesore that cannot be ignored by the human eye.
The strips 528 LEDs/M it would be pretty hard to pick out any hotspots on the COB Flex Strips. The strip illuminates a smooth, consistent light from start to finish. The uniform light has no dark spots and is much more attractive to the human eye, giving off a steady light even in the tightest of places. In fact, the only real way to see hotspots is to look at the back of the strip where it is easier to see the individually placed flip chip LEDs. The only other way you are going to see the individual diodes is if you dim the strips down to about 5% light output. This makes COB Flex Strips ideal for applications where:
That’s right, these COB LED Flex strips are even brighter! At Lumens/M these are even brighter than our high-density strips! The consistent, bright light also emits at a wider angle thanks to the flip chip LEDs not being encapsulated in a plastic holder like SMD LEDs. This lets them emit some light out the sides so that they spread at 180 degrees off the strip. Wider light angle means more light for you so this is important in the long run for brightness as well!
The flexibility of these strips is much better than other flexible strips because of the smaller diode size and even distribution of weight. The diodes are so small and tightly spaced that any point of the strip is the same as the other. The uniformity makes it easy to set up strips without having to plan around a SMD LED sticking out where you don’t need it. This added flexibility will make them easier to fit into tight areas and turn around corners in your application.
When packing so many LEDs in such a small space, efficiency can come into question. However, flip chip LEDs are superior in efficiency and heat transfer compared to other LEDs. They actually run at 14 Watts / M just like our high-density strip lights but they output 100 Lumens per Watt compared to the 75/W of the high-density strip.
They are also much better at distributing heat as they are mounted directly to the flexible PCB board. This helps them spread their heat down into the PCB rather than keeping it all locked right in the light source itself. This reduction of thermal resistance within the high-density circuit greatly improves the lifetime of the LEDs.
COB (Chip on Board) LED strips are versatile lighting solutions known for their high brightness, uniform light distribution, and energy efficiency. They come in various types, each designed for specific applications and lighting needs. Below is a comprehensive overview of the different types of COB LED strips available:
Single-color COB LED strips emit a consistent color, such as warm white, cool white, or any specific hue like red, blue, or green. They are commonly used in applications where uniform lighting in a single color is required.
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RGB COB LED strips combine red, green, and blue LEDs to produce a wide range of colors. They are ideal for creating dynamic, colorful lighting effects.
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RGBW COB LED strips include an additional white LED along with the standard red, green, and blue LEDs, allowing for more versatile lighting that includes both colored and white light.
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Tunable white COB LED strips allow you to adjust the color temperature from warm white to cool white, providing flexible lighting options for different settings.
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High-density COB LED strips feature a greater number of LED chips per meter, providing extremely bright and uniform lighting with minimal gaps or shadowing.
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Flexible COB LED strips can be bent or shaped to fit around curves and angles, making them ideal for custom and intricate lighting designs.
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Waterproof COB LED strips are coated with a protective layer that makes them resistant to water and dust, making them suitable for outdoor and wet environments.
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Ultra-thin COB LED strips are designed with a very low profile, making them suitable for installations where space is limited.
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Dimmable COB LED strips allow for adjustable brightness levels, providing flexibility to set the right light intensity for any occasion.
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Cuttable COB LED strips can be trimmed to specific lengths, making them ideal for custom installations where precise fit is crucial.
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High-CRI (Color Rendering Index) COB LED strips provide excellent color accuracy, making them suitable for applications where true color representation is essential.
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RGBCCT COB LED strips integrate five types of LEDs into one strip: red, green, blue (RGB), and two types of white LEDs (warm white and cool white). This configuration allows the strip to produce a full spectrum of colors, as well as adjustable white light that can range from warm to cool temperatures. The “Chip on Board” (COB) design ensures high brightness and uniform light distribution, with no visible LED dots.
Architectural Lighting:
COB LED strips are perfect for highlighting architectural features, providing both functional and decorative lighting that enhances building aesthetics.
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Retail and Display Lighting:
The high CRI and bright output make COB LED strips ideal for showcasing products in their true colors, attracting customers and enhancing the shopping experience.
Residential Lighting
From accent lighting in living rooms to task lighting in kitchens, COB LED strips offer versatile and energy-efficient solutions for home lighting needs.
Automotive Lighting
Due to their compact size and high brightness, COB LEDs are used in automotive applications, including headlights, interior lighting, and custom lighting modifications.
Industrial and Commercial Lighting
COB LED strips provide powerful illumination for warehouses, factories, and offices, improving visibility and safety while reducing energy consumption.
Entertainment and Stage Lighting
The high light output and uniformity of COB LEDs are ideal for creating dynamic lighting effects in theaters, concerts, and other entertainment venues.
Selecting the perfect COB LED strip light for your project requires considering several factors. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed decision.
Illumination Needs:
Brightness: Determine the desired level of illumination. High chip density (360-480 chips/meter) offers brighter light, ideal for task lighting or under-cabinet applications. Lower density (60-120 chips/meter) is suitable for accent lighting or creating a soft ambiance.
Color Temperature: Choose the color temperature that best suits the application and desired mood:
Length: Measure the area where the strip will be installed to determine the required length. Consider purchasing extra length for potential cutting and connection.
Flexibility: COB strips are generally more flexible than traditional SMD strips. If navigating tight spaces or curves is necessary, choose a narrower PCB width (2mm-5mm) for better maneuverability.
Power Supply: COB strips typically operate on 12V or 24V DC power.
12V strips are easier to work with for smaller projects due to readily available low-voltage power supplies.
24V strips are better for longer runs or high-power installations to minimize voltage drop over extended distances.
Why is the LED lighting industry abuzz with light-emitting diode chips on boards (LED)? What makes these the current favorite? Which applications are these good for and for which ones should these be avoided? Most importantly, what are the factors based on which you should choose the right LED COB chip? These are some questions I have tried to answer here.
Before we get down to discussing the parameters based on which you should choose your LED chip—mainly COB LED—let me give you a perspective of the different technologies that power different types of LEDs.
DIP LEDs: Dual inline package (DIP) LED technology, as shown in Fig. 1, is likely what you think of when you picture a LED. It has been around for more than 50 years. Though it is old, DIP LEDs are far from outdated as these are still used extensively for large signs and displays.
These LEDs are typically found in electronic and electrical gadgets as indicator lights because of their low cost, high brightness, and ease of installation. DIP LEDs generally produce between three lumens and four lumens per LED.
SMD LED chips: SMD or surface-mounted devices or chips (Fig. 2) have become very popular due to their versatility. These are much smaller in comparison to DIP. SMD LEDs have been used to create everything from light bulbs to strip lights.
SMD chips have the ability to put three diodes on the same chip. When a chip includes a red, green and blue diode, you have a chip that can create any colour you want by adjusting the level of output from each individual diode on the chip. Because these are bright and can change colours, these chips are used extensively for LED strip lights and light bulbs.
COB LEDs: COB chips have multiple diodes (more than three) on the same wafer. This is where the similarities between SMD and COB end. In fact, on every COB chip (Fig. 3) there are multiple diodes.
While SMD requires a circuit for every diode included on the chip, a COB device has only one circuit with two contacts for the entire chip, regardless of the number of diodes. This single-circuit design, regardless of the number of diodes on the chip, leads to design simplicity.
More importantly, LED COB has improved lumen-per-watt ratios in comparison to other LED technologies such as DIP and SMD. Unfortunately, the big drawback of COB (due to single-circuit design) is that multiple channels are necessary to adjust individual levels of light output to create colour-changing effects. Thus, LED COB lighting is powerful and efficient for single-colour applications, but cannot be used to create colour-changing lights.
LED COB chips vary widely in their applications and thus different chips require different wattage, voltage and produce vastly different lumen counts. However, LED COB chips have good lumens per watt ratio, starting typically from 80 lumens per watt minimum and going up to 100 lumens per watt or more. This attribute of high efficiency makes these a clear favourite for all applications running on batteries, including mobile phones, cameras and more.
MCOB LEDs: A variant of COB is now gaining popularity—MCOB or multiple chip on board. MCOB devices (Fig. 4) are very similar to COB chips in their application and are essentially multiple COB chips together in series. MCOB devices produce a lot of light and are even better than COBs for low-wattage applications. MCOB is a very new technology at this point that not many manufacturers are producing, but will likely catch on.
From the above, it is clear that COBs are one of the best options available. These promise to lower the overall cost of LED luminaires by providing several benefits, such as greater design flexibility, better light distribution and simpler manufacturing process. Here is why:
1. COBs produce less heat as compared to other forms of LEDs. This, in turn, results in higher efficiency. Better thermal dissipation is achieved because the LEDs are directly mounted on an aluminium sheet, which, in turn, offers better heat dissipation as compared to other materials.
2. COBs have a lower failure rate because spot soldering is no longer required as it is built directly onto the PCB.
3. Another major factor is that, typically COBs have a much wider beam angle and thereby a higher colour rendering index (CRI). This makes these a preferred choice for outdoor lighting luminaries such as streetlights.
4. It is also possible for COB LED package to be assembled in the heat sink directly. In such a scenario, a separate mounting and PCB are not required.
Let us now discuss some of the parameters that are important while choosing COB LEDs:
Forward voltage: This is the amount of volts the LED requires to conduct electricity and light up. A typical 20-watt COB LED would require a forward voltage of about 29V DC to 32V DC.
Forward current: It is the current flowing through an LED when forward voltage is applied to it. A typical 20-watt COB LED draws about 640mA. Therefore you should choose the appropriate current driver as per the rating on the LED package.
Power consumption: An LED lamp packaging may be specified with power consumption in watts, lumen output, colour temperature, operating temperature range and others. Power rating in LED lamps should not be confused with power ratings in other lighting systems. With less wattage rating in LED lamps, as compared to other lighting products, you can get more light output or lumen output as shown in the table on the previous page.
Luminous flux: It is used as an objective measure of the total amount of visible light that your lighting source produces. The SI unit of luminous flux is lumen (lm). If you compare a CFL and a normal white LED, the latter is highly energy efficient and uses very little energy.
The lumens produced by an LED bulb as compared to other lighting sources are shown in the table. COB LED offers a greatly improved lumen-per-watt ratio compared to other LED technologies.
Efficacy: This parameter is for deciding the performance of the LED. It is the effectiveness of the LED at converting electricity into visible light. Thus, efficacy is total lumens per watt. For example, if a nine-watt light bulb comes with lumens of 800, it means it has an efficacy of about 90 lumens per watt.
CRI, or colour rendering index. CRI is a measure of light quality, showing how well a light source replicates colour to the human eye. White light is made up of all the colours in the light spectrum. We can see the colour of every material object in daylight. Natural daylight has the highest CRI rating, while artificial light sources cannot produce all the colours of the light spectrum. CRI of 80 is the standard requirement for general home use.
CCT, or correlated colour temperature: CCT is measured in Kelvin (K) to refer to the warmth or coolness of the white light that the LED produces. The higher the temperature, the cooler the light looks. An LED bulb marked with K does not actually heat up to °F, but still gives off a warm light.
Some LED bulbs have more than K CCT, which makes the light more towards bluish rather than white. A warm light is around K, while neutral white at around K and cool white at K or more.
Lifespan of LED COB: Another important specification is the lifespan in hours. Some LED lamps may last for 50,000 hours. So if you consider daily use of eight hours, it may last 17 years.
Life of the LED also depends on the heat-sink used. COB technology gives the best conditions for optimal cooling, which, in turn, increases efficiency and lengthens the overall life of the lamp.
Beam angle: Beam angle of a bulb refers to the spread of light to your surroundings. For example, a spotlight in a kitchen will have a beam angle of between 35 degrees and 60 degrees. Standard and candle-shape bulbs require a beam angle as wide as possible when fitted to lamps. Though, ideally the beam angle should be over 200 degrees.
To distribute light better, to more areas, you would need a wider beam angle. But a narrow beam angle is required when you want to have the light more focused and intense. Adjusting beam angles correctly can vastly improve the lighting effect in a room.
Junction temperature: It is the highest operating temperature of the actual semiconductor in an electronic device. This temperature is normally specified in the datasheet. You will require this value when calculating the case-to-ambient thermal resistance for a given power dissipation. This will help you select an appropriate heat-sink.
Many publicly available industry reports claim that there is an increasing demand for COB LEDs in the global lighting industry. As of now, you can see LED COB in many consumer and industrial products including bulbs, downlights, tube lights, street lamps, bay lights and others. One can confidently state that their future looks bright, for now.
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Sani Theo is senior assistant editor – tech at EFY
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