As homeowners, we all want our bathrooms to be places of relaxation and rejuvenation. And while it's easy to focus on design elements like tile, vanities and shower heads, it's equally important to consider the lighting in the space.
LED strips have become a popular choice for homeowners and builders looking to add extra lighting and style to their homes, offices and other commercial spaces. We can all relate to walking into a bathroom and being surprised by how beautiful the lighting is. This creates a memorable and engaging experience. Installing LED strips in your bathroom — a great way to enhance the ambiance and create a relaxing spa environment. With the right lighting, you can transform your bathroom into a serene space, perfect for relaxing after a long day.
In this article, we'll tell you everything you need to know about installing LED strip lights in your bathroom, including:
- Where to install LED strip in the bathroom
- Designer tips and ideas for incorporating LED lighting into your bathroom decor
- Understanding LED strip lights: color temperature and types of Flexfire LEDs, and which ones are most commonly used in bathrooms.
- Managing LED strips
By the end of this article, you will have all the knowledge and inspiration you need to create a stunning and functional LED strip lighting scheme in your bathroom.
10 best places to install LED strips in the bathroom
We can place LED strip lights in various areas of your bathroom to create the perfect ambience for your space. Transform your bathroom into a warm, cozy and functional space.
Here are the 10 best places to install LED strip lights in your bathroom:
1. Under the table:
Adds a modern and stylish look while providing ample lighting for grooming.
2. Around the shower:
Creates a spa-like atmosphere with a warm and inviting glow.
3. Around or behind the bathroom mirror:
Highlight your reflection to make it easier to care for and dress with. Beautiful backlit mirrors. Using bright, powerful LED strips can be the ultimate source of key lighting in a bathroom.
4. Along the baseboards:
Creates a soft and gentle glow, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.
5. In built-in shelves or niches:
It highlights decorative elements and adds depth to your bathroom. Please check your local electrical codes before installing inside your shower and always use wet area fixtures.
6. In ceiling niches:
Provides a clean and modern look with ample overhead lighting. Placing lighting in alcoves or cornices can also add enough bright indirect lighting to be used as the main lighting source for the bathroom, but can be dimmed for luxurious downtime.
7. Around the bath:
Creates a relaxing and calm atmosphere for long swims.
8. Behind the wall panels:
Provides a warm and inviting glow, highlighting the texture and detail of panels.
9. Furniture lighting:
Under cabinet lighting for easy cleaning and a soft glow. Choose high power LED strips and you can use them as the main lighting in the bathroom.
10. Toilet lighting:
Creates a soft and warm glow around the toilet, making the bathroom more luxurious. Let no space remain unlit.
With these top 10 locations, you're sure to find the perfect spot to install LED strip lights in your bathroom and transform it into a beautiful and functional space.
Lighting types
When designing the optimal bathroom, first think about the daily activities you will do there. The master bedroom bathroom will be used differently than the small guest bathroom by the front door. You need to consider task lighting, accent lighting and ambient lighting design for your bathroom.
Task lighting for a practical bathroom
Task lighting is essential in the bathroom for reasons of practicality and safety. Mirrors, sinks and shower stalls require bright, focused light for tasks such as grooming, applying makeup and shaving.
To achieve optimal task lighting in your bathroom, consider installing LED strip lights above or below the mirror, in niches and recessed in aluminum channel in drywall
Ambient lighting for a relaxing bathroom
While task lighting is important, ambient lighting sets the mood in your bathroom and creates a relaxing atmosphere. Consider installing recessed lights or downlights in addition to LED strip lights to provide ambient lighting. Color changing RGB LED strips are also used to create vibrant colors and mood while bathing. Installing LED strips in shower niches can set the mood for a relaxing or invigorating bath.
Accent lighting for a decorative bathroom
Accent lighting — A great way to add depth and dimension to your bathroom, highlighting your favorite design elements and creating a warm and inviting space.
How to choose the best LED strips for your bathroom
When choosing LED strips for the bathroom, it is important to consider several key factors.
- Make sure your LED lights are rated for use in damp or wet areas, as bathrooms are susceptible to moisture.
- Select the appropriate output signal type, brightness and control method for LED strips.
- Think again about how you want the space to look and feel: LED strip lights can be used to complement and enhance decoryour bathroom by highlighting certain elements such as artwork, tiles or mirrors with accent lighting.
Types of LED strips
Once you decide on the purpose and layout of the space you want to illuminate, you can choose the types of LED lighting. There are many options for power, brightness and types of LED strips. Each type can create a certain atmosphere or effect.
Static white:
Static white LED strips emit a single, constant, single-color temperature. Static white is ideal where a constant color temperature is required. For the home, the most popular color temperatures for the bathroom — 3000K and 4000K.
Custom Dynamic White:
Tunable white lighting technology allows you to control color temperature from a single light source. You can choose the exact shade of white light that best suits your needs, from warm white to cool white. You can even set timers to change shades at different times throughout the day.
- Customizable white stripes of light: white color 2700–5000K optional.
- Dim to warm light stripes: 1800-3000K, where 100% brightness starts at 3000K and color temperature drops as the light darkens, similar to an incandescent bulb.
Change RGB color:
Color-changing RGB lighting gives you complete control over any color you desire. You can create millions of colors or dynamics by pairing them with a controller. From dynamic to relaxing — you can set the mood in your space. In bathtub, jacuzzi areas or behind mirrors, a small strip of RGB goes a long way in filling the space with colored lighting.
There are many types of RGB lighting you can buy, but here are a few terms to help you understand them:
- RGB: Only RGB LEDs fill the strip. Millions of color options or dynamic modes are available.
- RGBW: A combination of RGB and white LEDs on a strip. Millions of colors + one shade of white
- RGB + custom white: all in one. RGB LEDs and customizable white LEDs. Millions of colors + customizable white light [2400–6500K]. Choose any color and any shade of white. Complete lighting control at your fingertips
- Digital Pixel RGB: Also called Pixel LED Strip Lights. They have individually controllable segments so you can use many different colors across the strip at once. This may lead to scrolling, chase or other scenes.
Brightness
LED strips should provide enough brightness for the desired ambience or task you want to perform. Consider the size of the room, ceiling height and the type of lighting you need. Brightness is measured in lumens. When comparing LEDs, make sure you know how many lumens per foot they emit.
As a general guide, you might need something like:
- 80-100 lumens per foot for low accent lighting.
- 150–300 lumens per foot for bright accents and low ambient light.
- 300–400 lumens per foot for average ambient/average task light
- 350-500 lumens per foot for ambient and task lighting
- Over 700 lumens per foot for high-brightness task lighting
Color temperature
Whether you are using Static White or Dynamic Tunable White, choose the right color temperature for your bathroom depending on the desired ambiance. Consider what other lighting you have or want in the area, as well as the natural colors of building materials and paints. You don't need several different color temperatures in one space. Consistency is key.
- Ultra-warm white (1800–2500 K), reminiscent of candlelight. Creates a warm and cozy atmosphere, evoking feelings of intimacy, relaxation and comfort.
- Warm white (2700–3000 K) to create a warm and intimate atmosphere.
- Natural white (4000K) for a bright and functional look.
- Cool white (5000K) for a crisp, modern look.
Color rendering index (CRI)
Color Rendering Index (CRI) measures how accurately a light source reproduces the colors of objects compared to natural sunlight. It rates the quality of light on a scale from 0 to 100. In applications where color accuracy is critical, a high color rendering index is important.
We strongly recommend a high color rendering index (90 or higher) for specular lighting when using white lighting. A low CRI makes colors appear dull and difficult to distinguish from each other.
Why do you need high CRI lighting in your bathroom?
Bathroom — it is an intimate space where we come face to face with ourselves at our best and nakedest. When getting ready, putting on makeup and trying on clothes, we need to see colors in their true form. This will add vibrant color to the paint, tiles, countertops and art in your bathroom.
LED strip manufacturers must always list the CRI in their product specifications when selling white LEDs, so when choosing white lighting, make sure it has a CRI greater than 90.
Durability, safety and quality
Be sure to choose an LED strip with a good warranty and durable construction, especially if it will be used in wet or wet areas such as a bathroom.
For wet and humid areas, consider purchasing IP65 weatherproof tape. Make sure the fixtures are UL listed for use in wet areas as this will ensure the safety and longevity of the project. Our IP65 wet room LED strips have a silicone cover that is splash-proof and easy to clean.
We also recommend using LED strip in an aluminum profile. This helps reduce the temperature of the LED and extend its life.
Since a large number of bathroom fixtures are installed in hard-to-reach places, choose LED strips with a good warranty. Our LED strip lights come with a warranty of up to 3 years, so you know that once they're professionally installed, you'll be able to enjoy them for years to come without any problems.
Control options
Think about your daily interactions with the space and how you want to manage it. After installing the LED strips, you will need to select a control method.
Options include:
- Wall switches
- Wall controllers and dimmers
- Wireless remote controls
- Smart home systems such as Zigbee or Tuya WiFi.
- Sensors: presence, door sensors, etc.
View all LED strip control systems
Why should you choose COLORS LED strips for LED strip lighting?
We believe that the right lighting can transform any space. Our LED strip lights are made from high quality materials, are easy to install and are available in a wide range of colors and lighting effects. We are committed to providing our customers with the best products and customer service, and we are confident that you will love the results you get with our LED strip lights. We have the longest warranty in the industry and the friendliest customer service. Just read our reviews!
Conclusion
LED strips – A great way to improve the ambience and functionality of your bathroom. With the right design, you can transform your bathroom into a room of relaxation and rejuvenation.
When choosing LED strips for your bathroom, it is important to consider factors such as humidity, power, brightness, color temperature, color rendering index, durability and controllability.
With the information provided in this article, you can create a stunning and functional LED strip lighting scheme in your bathroom, whether you are highlighting certain Features - creating a warm and cozy atmosphere or providing bright task lighting.
Note. We always recommend contacting our online store for additional advice. Our specialists will recommend the types of tapes that are most suitable for your task and will calculate all additional consumables for installation and connection.
