What Is The Best SMD LED for LED Strip？

5.1 Generation 1 SMD LEDs: 3528 SMD and 5050 SMD

When it comes to surface mount style LEDs, the first generation comes in 3528 and 5050 sizes.  The 3528 LED has a single 20mA LED chip that is approximately 0.06 watts. The 5050, on the other hand, has three 20 mA LED chips that are approximately 0.2 watts. As such, one 5050 LED package supports a capacity of 3x 3528 LEDs.

The 5050 package not only has a higher capacity, as it has ample space for three different LED chips, it is also a popular way of packaging RGB LEDs that need multiple colors. However, this package can also package single color white LEDs, where three blue LED chips can be used.

There are also some 3528 RGB LEDs, but they only have one color in an LED. This may cause issues to crop up such as color shifts or shadowing because of the uneven spacing. As the RGB LED chips are often found in a single package in a 5050 LED, having a single point source works better.

5.2 Generation 2: 2835 SMD and 5730 SMD

The second generation of LED Packages come with an increase in power density.  The 2835 LED is driven at 60mA each, that is, 0.2 watts. The 5730 LED, on the other hand, is driven at 150mA each (0.5 Watts).

Additionally, the power levels in the LED have also increased considerably following improvements in LED chip technology as well as thermal design improvements in the package. Actually, some of the power levels in these LEDs surpass the overall thermal capacity of the whole LED strip system. This is because the thermal dissipation of an LED strip is constrained due to lack of heat sinking or because of the material.

Likewise, the second generation of 5730 and 2835 LEDs offer a lower profile. If you have limited vertical space but have to fit LED strips in the location, this can work to your advantage. Additionally, the package design cuts on issues with fringe yellowing.

5.3 Comparison between the First and Second Generation

2835 LEDs that operate on 20mA can substitute the former 3528 LEDs. In comparison with 3528, they boast of better stability, lower cost, better consistency, and higher efficacy.

The 2835 60mAs are considerably smaller and thinner than 5050s. They are therefore an efficient replacement for the 5050 LEDs as they produce 20 percent more light while having the same power consumption.

The 5730 LED that runs at 150 mA each (0.5 Watts), produces more light compared to the common 5050 or the 2835 SMD. In fact, the high-quality 5730 chips on 60 LED p/m give out around 2000 lumens.

5.4 Other Types of SMD LED

• You might come across the 3014 SMD LED.  This LED package is designed to consume low power, that is, approximately 20mA. They are mostly used in LCD backlighting applications that require a high LED count for uniformity. Also, some LED strip light products utilize them in a diagonal pattern and at a high density, so as to come up with a uniform linear light source.
• 3030 SMD LEDs are also utilized on LED strips. A number of these products employ the symmetrical circular light emission surface for they can be coupled with secondary optics and lensing. The 3030 LEDs are designed to operate at 300 mA or above (up to 1.0 Watts). However, following thermal concerns, they are often not run at full capacity when on LED strip products.
• 315 SMD packages are also popular and mostly utilized inside emitting strips. Their working voltage is 12V/24V and are white in color.
• 2110 SMD LED packages is the smallest decorative lighting and is therefore used for high density strips. They are small in size and can accurately achieve a combination of colors.
• 3838 SMD LED type are mostly used in RGB strips. They are utilized in outdoor lighting and decoration lighting.
• 3527 SMD LED packages can be used in RG and BW strips. They can also be used in dual white or dual color strips. They deliver adaptable lighting and can be used to mimic daylight.
• LED packages’ main goal is to boost light output efficiency, device reliability as well as high light color performance. Let’s take a deeper look into these.

5.5 The comparison table of mainly used SMD LED:

We compare some parameters of several commonly used SMD LED packages for your reference.