How to Choose the Right LED Driver for Your LED Strip

The size driver, or power supply unit, you use will depend on the voltage and wattage of your LED strip, the necessary length, the required IP rating, and dimming capabilities. It is important to choose the correct driver for your installation because if it has a lower voltage than your strip, there is a risk of fire. In this blog, we show you how to calculate precisely what driver you need.

Follow our step-by-step guide below to find out what driver matches your specific project.

Step One: Check the LED Strip Voltage

The first step to choosing your driver is to determine the voltage of the LED strip you require. Most LED strips available on the market run at 12VDC and are mainly for domestic use. Others are primarily 24VDC and used for commercial applications. As both voltages are under 120VDC, they are classified as separated extra low voltage (SELV).

Voltage is usually listed in the LED strip specifications sheet and on the packaging. If you don’t have access to these, another way to confirm this is to look at the LED strip PCB (printed circuit board). LED strips will have a mark indicating the voltage.

Step Two: Find out the Power Draw of the LED Strip

When talking about the power draw of a product, we are referring to the power consumption i.e. how many watts it takes to power the luminaire. Check the wattage specification of your LED strip. This could be listed as either W/m or simply W. Typically, for an LED strip, you’ll be provided with the watts per metre.

Step Three: Calculate What Driver You Require for Your Installation

Now that you know the voltage and wattage, all you need to do is use the length required for your installation to calculate what power driver you need. Let’s use an example to see how this works in practice:

Electrician Ed has completed his measurements and knows that he requires 10m of VEGAS LED strip for his kitchen installation. To start, he checks the voltage and the wattage of his preferred LED strip and finds that it’s 12V and 4.8W/1m. To calculate what driver he needs, he multiplies the wattage by the length: 4.8W * 10 = 48W.

Now he knows that he must pick a driver that can run at least 48W at 12V. This isn’t Ed’s first installation, so knows that if the driver’s capacity is higher than the LED strip’s power draw, he can safely pair them together. Being a pro, Ed may choose to add a 10% buffer (52W) so the LED driver can manage any power fluctuations.

Just as Ed is about to get to work, his client announces that he’s going to build an extension onto his kitchen… Guess Ed is going to have to get back out his measuring tape!

Please note: You should never use a driver that has a smaller capacity than the max power of your LED strip as this will damage the strip. See below for a list of safe driver compatibility with different LED strip types and lengths (listed by minimum driver capacity requirements):

Driver Compatibility for LED Strips

For 4.8W/m 12V LED Strips:

• 1.0m: Use a 5W 12V driver
• 2.0m: Use a 10W 12V driver
• 3.0m: Use a 15W 12V driver
• 4.0m: Use a 20W 12V driver
• 5.0m: Use a 25W 12V driver
• 6.0m: Use a 30W 12V driver
• 7.0m: Use a 35W 12V driver
• 8.0m: Use a 40W 12V driver
• 9.0m: Use a 45W 12V driver
• 10.0m: Use a 50W 12V driver

For 9.6W/m 24V LED Strips:

• 1.0m: Use a 10W 24V driver
• 2.0m: Use a 20W 24V driver
• 3.0m: Use a 30W 24V driver
• 4.0m: Use a 40W 24V driver
• 5.0m: Use a 50W 24V driver
• 6.0m: Use a 60W 24V driver
• 7.0m: Use a 70W 24V driver
• 8.0m: Use an 80W 24V driver
• 9.0m: Use a 90W 24V driver
• 10.0m: Use a 100W 24V driver

For 12W/m 24V LED Strips:

• 1.0m: Use a 12W 24V driver
• 2.0m: Use a 24W 24V driver
• 3.0m: Use a 36W 24V driver
• 4.0m: Use a 48W 24V driver
• 5.0m: Use a 60W 24V driver
• 6.0m: Use a 72W 24V driver
• 7.0m: Use an 84W 24V driver
• 8.0m: Use a 96W 24V driver
• 9.0m: Use a 108W 24V driver
• 10.0m: Use a 120W 24V driver

For 14.4W/m 24V LED Strips:

• 1.0m: Use a 15W 24V driver
• 2.0m: Use a 30W 24V driver
• 3.0m: Use a 44W 24V driver
• 4.0m: Use a 58W 24V driver
• 5.0m: Use a 72W 24V driver
• 6.0m: Use an 87W 24V driver
• 7.0m: Use a 101W 24V driver
• 8.0m: Use a 116W 24V driver
• 9.0m: Use a 130W 24V driver
• 10.0m: Use a 144W 24V driver

Be advised that while we offer a wide range of driver options, some of the above wattages are not available.

Step Four: Check If the Driver Matches the IP Rating You Require

Broadly speaking, our drivers are split by their ingress protection (IP) ratings: IP20, IP65, and IP67. Before you jump to pick your power supply, make sure that the IP rating of the driver matches the requirements of your LED strip project, with the primary question being whether your LED strip will be in contact with water or not.

Remember that IP65 and IP67 LED strip can be used with IP20 drivers so long as the drivers are indoors or protected in a sealed enclosure. For ROBUS products, the IP rating will be marked on the driver. You can find out more about IP ratings in our in-depth LED strip guide.

Step Five: Do You Require Dimmable Functionality?

A dimmable driver serves a dual purpose: firstly, it functions as a driver by transforming the 230VAC mains input into a low-voltage DC output. Secondly, it dims the LEDs when used in conjunction with a dimming switch. Desire ultimate control over your LED strip? At ROBUS, we offer dimmable functionality on all our IP20 VEGAS and IP20 VEGAS COB strips.

Step Six: Your Final Checklist

Now, armed with the necessary knowledge, ensure you’ve covered these key points to confidently select the right driver(s) for your project:

• Voltage requirements
• Wattage requirements
• IP rating
• Dimmable driver compatibility

Did You Find This Article About LED Drivers Useful?

This information is taken directly from our comprehensive ROBUS guide, How to Land Your LED Strip. Download the complete guide from our Lighting Guides page. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to know about LED strip, from colour options, ingress protection, extrusions, connectors, drivers, wattage, controllers, and beyond. Prefer to learn by watching? We got you - check out our latest CPD online video course with eFIXX covering all things LED