Underglow lights are a popular way to make your car stand out. But how do you choose the best one? Don’t worry, we’ll guide you through the main factors: brightness, waterproof, LED strip, controller, wire harness, and installation. Follow our tips and find your ideal underglow light!
Types of LED Lights
There are three types of LED lights: SMD, COB, and Neon. SMD is bright, cool, and cheap. COB is brighter and more even, but may vary in quality. Neon is flexible and durable, but less bright and more expensive. Pick the one that suits your preference and budget.
Luminance
Brightness is measured in lumens. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light. You can use a device to test the lumens of the product. Most underglow lights have 60 LEDs per meter. For example, a set of underglow lights with a length of 120cm*2+150cm*2 has a total length of 5.4 meters. Its theoretical power is 77.76W, but its actual power may be only 13.19W/set, and its lumens may be only 128lm/set. A high-brightness kit with the same length may have an actual power of 56W and lumens of 2000lm!
Waterproof
Underglow lights generally come in IP67 and IP68, affecting durability and weather resistance. While IP67 handles dry weather and light rain, IP68 for heavy rain, submersion, and filled silicon for ultimate toughness. Choose IP68 for harsh weather or underwater use. Confused about grades? Don't trust labels and details on product pages! Request an underwater test video or structure real photos to be sure and protect your investment.
LED Strip
Strips Quantity：
Dive into underglow world with 4pcs or 6pcs strip options. For ease and lighting effect, 6pcs strips removable models reign supreme. Plus, replacing a single faulty strip saves wallet pain.
Color Spectrum:
Light up your ride with white, RGB, RGBIC, and RGBW choices. Budget-friendly white starts the journey, followed by RGB. But for ultimate personalization, RGBIC color takes the crown. Chasing, dreaming, breathing, and flashing – unleash hundreds of dynamic effects that match your mood. Control color, speed, brightness, and mode to truly make it yours.
Quality Counts:
Strip count and effects are important, but top-notch quality is king. Brightness, luminous decay , lifespan, and durable materials make the difference. But who wants to wait months to test? Employ these detective tricks:
- IC Model:
- Capacitor & Resistor Count:
- Strip Thickness:
- Avoid GS1903, YX1903, and UCS1903B chips – their lifespan barely whispers past half a year. WS2811new version can be flashy (not in a good way). Go for old version WS2811 or SM16703, or explore 4-wire options for longer-lasting joy.
- Match 50,000-hour lifespan with at least 6-8 capacitors and resistors each pixel. Fewer means flickering, electromagnetic interference, and voltage drop that fry your strips. Even vibrations become fatal.
- Ask a caliper-measured thickness photo from your supplier. Thicker means less voltage drop. Thin such as 1OZ strips flirt with fire, so be cautious!
Controller
Controller is another key factor for underglow light quality. It has two main types: House use and Car use.
House use type is cheaper, but has drawbacks like low sensitivity, no waterproof, no signal amplifier, no chip protection, and signal interference. Most underglow lights kit in market with house use type controller.
Car use type such as BanlanX and Magic LED has none of these drawbacks, and has better features like signal amplifier, sensitive music function, and chip protection.
Wire Harness
The wire harness of the underglow light affects its performance and safety. Some common complaints are that the power cord drains the car battery, melts, or is too short. To avoid these problems, you should look for some features in the wire harness:
- Fuse: A fuse protects the circuit from overload damage. If a short circuit or excessive current occurs, the fuse will melt and cut off the circuit, preventing the wire from overheating and burning.
- Relay: A relay provides a stable current supply, avoiding voltage fluctuations that affect the brightness and life of the underglow light.
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Switch: A switch prevents your car battery from being drained, protects the circuit from failures, and makes the system more flexible and controllable.
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Wire gauge: The wire gauge determines the maximumcurrent, durability, and voltage drop of the kit. Thicker wires bigger current, which means they can provide more stable and brighter light. Thinner wires are more prone to breakage and voltage drop. For underglow lights, 18AWG or 20AWG wires are better than 22AWG wires. You should also consider other factors, such as temperature, space, and insulation material.
Installation
Many traders and factories actually never installed and used the underglow light, so they can’t provide reasonable installation instructions and videos. However, Detailed manuals and videos let you DIY and save on installation fees.
Accessories: Is the type and quantity of accessories reasonable? Missing parts delay your glow-up, so ensure sufficient, compatible accessories.
Adhesive: Seek authentic 3M back tape or thick alternatives for a firm grip, preventing light strips from becoming flying hazards.
Wire Harness: It needs at least 3 meters from the positive & negative poles to the switch, 3 meters from the positive & negative poles to the first light strip to complete the installation properly. Why do many suppliers use 3 meter length totally? Save costs!
A reputable brand of underglow light(Lowglow, Streetglow, new brand Chase Lite) can ensure the quality and after-sales service of the product. You can check the reviews and ratings of the product online or ask for recommendations from other car enthusiasts.
Nailed the LED types? Now, with these tips, you're primed to pick the suitable underglow lights! Shine brighter, stand out, and personalize your ride. Got questions? We're here to help!