LED Lamp Bead Parameters, Types and Selections

With the development of science and technology, LED lamp bead patches have become an indispensable part of the modern lighting industry. Whether it is home lighting or commercial lighting, when using LED lamps, it is indispensable to understand and use the lamp beads. This article will take lamp beads as the core and deeply explore the parameters, types, models and application fields of lamp beads.

1. Lamp bead parameters

In the process of selecting and purchasing lamp beads, the first thing to understand is the parameters. Common parameters include: size, voltage, color temperature, brightness, etc. Among them, the size mainly refers to the size of the lamp bead, the voltage refers to the current and voltage value required by the lamp bead, the color refers to the luminous color of the lamp bead, and the brightness refers to the luminous flux of the lamp bead.

1. Luminous flux

Luminous flux is a parameter used to evaluate the brightness of a lamp bead. It is used to represent the total amount of light produced by the lamp bead. The higher the luminous flux, the brighter the light produced by this lamp bead. For scenes that require higher brightness, you need to consider choosing lamp beads with higher luminous flux; for scenes that require energy conservation and environmental protection, you can consider choosing lamp beads with moderate luminous flux.

In addition to luminous flux, you also need to pay attention to its unit - lumens. The same luminous flux will have different power consumption on different lamp beads. Therefore, when choosing lamp beads, you need to choose lamp beads with reasonable power consumption based on the use needs and conditions.

2. Color temperature

Color temperature is a parameter used to represent the color matching of a light source. When purchasing lamps, there are three common color temperatures: warm white below 3000K, natural white 4000-5000K and cool white above 6000K. Warm white is softer and suitable for cool bedrooms, living rooms and other spaces; natural white is suitable for daily life places, such as kitchens and bathrooms; cool white is more suitable for bright environments such as storage rooms and garages that require brighter light sources.

When choosing lamp beads, you should choose the appropriate color temperature according to the required space and atmosphere. In addition, the Einstein effect is more likely to occur for LED luminous bodies of the same color in different manufacturers or different levels of the market. Then, before purchasing, you must understand the LED color temperature parameters of different brands and their deviation values.

3. Service life

Service life is an important parameter used to evaluate the life of lamp beads. Generally speaking, the service life is closely related to the heat dissipation capacity of the lamp bead. Overheating will affect the normal operation of the lamp beads. Therefore, recognized reliable and good products pay special attention to the problem of lamp bead heat dissipation.

At the same time, the quality and technical characteristics of various artifacts directly affect the service life of lamp beads. In this regard, you need to keep your eyes open and choose a relatively good product brand.

2. Complete types of lamp beads

Common types of lamp beads include: 2835, 5050, 3528, 3014, etc. Among them, the 2835 lamp bead is the most widely used one on the market, and its use range covers various fields such as home, business and industry.  5050 lamp beads are a relatively new type with high brightness and long service life. They are widely used in outdoor lighting, stage lighting, industrial lighting and other fields.  The appearance of 3528 lamp beads is relatively slender, and its main features are power saving and high brightness. It is suitable for home decoration, commercial display and billboard production and other fields.

1. LED lamp beads

LED lamp beads are currently the most commonly used type of lamp beads. They use advanced semiconductor materials and have the advantages of energy saving, environmental protection, long life, and no radiation. In addition, LED lamp beads come in various shapes and types, which can meet the needs of different scenarios. At the same time, LED lamp beads can also achieve colorful lighting effects through a variety of color combinations.

2. High pressure sodium lamp beads

High-pressure sodium lamp beads are currently one of the most widely used street light sources, and their performance in terms of stability, efficiency, and color temperature are excellent. The light emitted by high-pressure sodium lamp beads can effectively penetrate haze and smoke, and the lamps can also adapt to various environmental and climatic conditions. In terms of urban lighting, high-pressure sodium lamp beads are the preferred light source to reduce energy consumption and protect the environment.

3. OLED lamp beads

OLED lamp beads are a high-tech light source that uses organic materials to achieve uniform, soft and glare-free lighting effects. In addition, compared with ordinary lamp beads, OLED lamp beads can achieve higher color reproduction and have a wider color gamut.Although the current cost on the market is relatively high, we believe that with the upgrade of technology, OLED lamp beads are expected to replace LED and become mainstream lighting products in the future.

 In order to better cope with the demand of the international market, it is also particularly important to be familiar with the English naming of lamp beads.  The English name of 2835 lamp beads is LED SMD 2835, the English name of 5050 lamp beads is LED SMD 5050, the English name of 3528 lamp beads is LED SMD 3528, and the English name of 3014 lamp beads is LED SMD 3014. These English names are usually listed in detail on the instruction manual of the lamp for users' reference.

4. Standard range of lamp color temperature

The color temperature of LED lamp beads is usually measured by the color temperature of white light. Generally speaking, color temperature is divided into three levels: warm light, natural light and cold light. The color temperature of warm light is generally around 2700K, the color temperature of natural light is generally between 4000-4500K, and the color temperature of cold light is above 5500K. When choosing LED lamps, the choice of color temperature is directly related to the light brightness and color effect required by the user, so the choice must be based on specific actual needs.

Explanation of the concept of lamp color temperature

The widely recognized concept of color temperature is also called the color temperature of the light source: it refers to the physical characteristics of the radiant energy emitted by the light source, usually referring to the color of blackbody radiation. When the temperature of this radiation rises to between 1,000 degrees and 20,000 degrees, the corresponding color will gradually change from dark red to white to light blue. Therefore, color temperature is a unit of measurement that determines whether the color of a light source is warm or cold. The lower the color temperature, the warmer the color, and the higher the color temperature, the cooler.

Lamp color temperature standard value

The specific color temperature value of LED relies on an electronic modulator to mix the primary colors to obtain the corresponding color temperature. Generally speaking, the color temperature values ​​of common working varieties of LEDs are concentrated between 2700k ~ 6500k, and the standard color temperature is 5000k. If the lights used for regular positioning and the following two lamp types are more precise, the color temperature is 2700k ~ 5000k. For cool-color lamps, choose 5500k or above. In practical applications, the color adjustment methods of LED lights vary depending on factors such as product manufacturing, demand market, price, etc. However, within the color temperature standard range of most lamp beads, time will gradually move towards the medium and high color temperature zones.

Low color temperature and high color temperature correspond to typical scenes

As the color temperature of the lamp beads increases, its brightness also increases, and its hue also becomes more pure. Light with a low color temperature is usually darker. Obviously, it is more important for individuals to choose the correct light source in some special occasions.

low color temperature

Daylight (nearly 4000K～5500K)

Afternoon sunshine (about 5400K)

Incandescent lamp (about 2000K)

Step light (generally 3000K～4500K)

High color temperature

Anti-glare fluorescent lamp (generally 6800K ~ 8000K)

Microscopic heating lamp (generally 3000K ~ 3500K)

Strong flashlight (generally 6000K ~ 9000K)

How to choose the appropriate lamp color temperature

1. Use warm light (approximately 2700K) in children’s rooms because this light is softer and does not irritate the eyes. It will also make children quieter.

2. For the bedroom, you can choose lights with softer tones, usually around 4000K. This light has some warmth and can produce some comfort, especially in winter.

3. In kitchens, laundry rooms and other places, LED cold white light, that is, above 5500K, is relatively good. You can clearly classify food, see food processed clearly, and cook clearly.

, lamp bead model

In the production process of LED lamps, the model of the lamp beads is also particularly important. Common lamp bead models include: 2835, 3528, 5050, etc.  The 2835 and 3528 lamp beads have outstanding performance in energy saving and have long service life. The 5050 model lamp has higher luminous flux and greater brightness, and is suitable for use in outdoor billboards, building outline lighting and other fields.

Three main types of lamp beads

Lamp bead types are roughly divided into the following three categories:

Gold wire lamp beads, COB lamp beads and SMD lamp beads. Among them, COB lamp beads are more common because they have high brightness, high cost performance and excellent versatility. However, if more complex effects are set, then SMD lamp beads are a better choice. Gold wire lamp beads are especially used in small lamps, such as flashlights or warning lights.

Welded and non-welded models

Lamp beads of the same model may be divided into two types according to their welding methods: single lamp beads (that is, the reflector cup and the lamp bead are separated) and the entire lamp bead (that is, the reflector cup and the lamp bead are installed in combination). For different applications, consumers should choose the type of lamp beads that meet their needs.

Application Environment

LED lamp beads are extremely flexible and adaptable, but they also need to be used in a suitable environment. Lamp bead models also have different requirements for different application scenarios. For example, outdoor lights, car lights, and warehouse lights all require special protection measures such as waterproofing and dustproofing.