7.7w IP20 Side Mounted

This is a low-density LED strip – the kind used where light should be felt rather than seen. It is the strip for a cove, a shadow line, a plinth or the underside of a handrail, adding a glow to a surface without becoming the thing that lights the room.

Low-density strip is the forgiving choice. Fewer LEDs per metre means less heat, a longer life in a confined channel, and a softer line if the diffuser sits close to the strip – the three things that most often go wrong on a decorative run.

Output and colour

This strip draws 7.7W per metre.

Both figures are per metre, not per reel. A long run multiplies them, and that is the number that decides the driver.

Colour rendering is > 80 OR >90 CRI, which describes how faithfully colours appear under the light. It matters most where the lighting falls on food, skin, timber or fabric.

The beam spread is 120.

Where it can be installed

At IP20 this has no moisture protection. It is for dry interior positions only – inside joinery, a cove, or a ceiling recess.

Bathrooms, kitchens near a sink, and any outdoor position need a weatherproof rating instead. An IP20 strip in a damp position fails at the circuit board, and it fails patchily rather than all at once.

Powering it

This strip runs at 12V DC, so it needs an LED driver between it and the mains. It cannot be connected to mains directly.

Size the driver from the run rather than the reel: multiply the wattage per metre by the metres you are actually installing. Low-density strip is easy on a supply, so the usual mistake here is the opposite one – buying far more driver than the run needs.

Check the driver’s output voltage against the strip before connecting anything. 12V strip on the wrong supply either stays dark or is destroyed by it.

Cutting and installing it

Strip is cut to length at the marked cutting points only. Cutting between them severs the circuit and kills everything past the cut, so plan the run to the nearest marked point rather than to the exact millimetre.

Run it in an aluminium profile where you can. At this density heat is not the pressing concern, but the channel gives the run a straight line and the diffuser turns a row of points into a continuous one, which is the whole point of a decorative run.

Test the run before the diffuser goes on. Adhesive backing does not survive being lifted and re-laid, so a fault found afterwards means new strip rather than a repair.

Frequently asked questions

Does it come with a driver?

No. The strip is supplied on its own and needs a 12V DC driver sized to your run.

Is the wattage per metre or per reel?

Per metre. 7.7W is what one metre draws, so multiply by the length of your run before sizing a driver.

Can I cut it to length?

Yes, but only at the marked cutting points. Cutting between them kills the section past the cut.

Can it go in a bathroom or outside?

No. At IP20 it has no moisture protection and is for dry interior positions only.

Do I need an electrician?

For the mains connection to the driver, yes. That is licensed electrical work in Australia.

What warranty does it carry?

3 Years*