What are the disadvantages of COB LED strips?

Read moreWhat is Dotless led strip, or COB?

COB stands for Chip on Board, which means that the LED chip is packaged directly on a printed circuit board (PCB). Flexible strip lighting “Chip on Board”. COB-LEDs are essentially a simplified approach to LED design.

A standard SMD (Surface Mount Device) LED has an LED chip holder (bead) with the actual LED chip inside and is then covered with a phosphor coating.

The COB-LED strip structure removes all excess, leaving behind the LED circuit, the yellow phosphor overlay and the junction.

COB VS SMD LED strip lighting?

1. The COB led strip has an opening angle of 180 degrees, the SMD led strip has an opening angle of 110 degrees.
2. COB led strip has better flexibility than SMD led strip.
3. The COB led strip provides a steady, pointless light.
4. COB circuit directly attached to the bottom, COB led strip has no gold wire, but SMD led strip has gold wire.

How is COB LED strip made?

1. “Printing” of printed circuit boards
2. Chip printer on PCB
3. Printing of resistors on PCB
4. “Reflow”, where at 65 degrees the components are combined
5. Pouring the fluorescent mass onto the led strip
6. COB led strip for the oven
7. Led strip light testing and packaging.

Advantages and disadvantages of COB LED strip

Now that you know something about the technique, let’s go through the pros and cons of both techniques.

Advantages of COB LED strip lighting:

Dotless LED strip, COB led strip.

One of the biggest wishes of traditional LED strips is that there would be no dots on the LED strip. A pointless LED strip light is therefore possible with COB technology, as there are points of light up to 840 metres below a flat mass, so no visible points. The light is softer and calmer when it looks like a steady source of light rather than a pinpoint of illumination.

SMD led strips (cri 90), contain fewer of the larger led diodes. Traditionally, the number of LED light points in the so-called. the marketti led strips have 30-60 pieces per metre, so you can see very clearly each light point. There are SMD led strips with 240 LEDs per metre (LedStore EQUAL), but with these types of strip you have to take care of really good cooling, because SMD diodes produce a lot of heat. So in SMD led strip lights you can always see the dots.

With 840 LEDs per metre of COB strip, it is difficult to see individual LED dots. You can only see a single LED if you dim the strip to about 1-5% and stand next to it. This makes the COB led strip light ideal for applications where

• The LED strip itself cannot be hidden from view (the surface of the fixture)
• The illuminated surface is less than 60cm from the LED strip (Shelves).
• Reflective surfaces, such as stone/glass, are everywhere. (dotted led strip)
• Those installations where you want an excellent neon effect (RGB versions).

More flexibility

COB LED strip lights are much more flexible than other traditional LED strip lights due to the small size and even distribution of the diodes. These diodes are so small and close together that no point on the strip is actually aligned, e.g. in a corner. This uniformity makes it easy to place the strips unplanned compared to SMD-LEDs, where the circuit itself hits the exact corner where it should bend. The COB led strip light is therefore more flexible in terms of installation comfort and ease of installation at every bend and angle, and there is no need to worry about breaking the led circuit at a 90 degree angle.

More stable, fewer problems

COB led strip is one long led chip directly attached to the PCB, there is no gold wire in its installation. Many of the problems with traditional SMD LED strip lighting are caused by the gold wire inside the LED “beads”. Because gold thread is thin, it breaks easily, for example from excessive heat.

The circuit design of the COB led strip uses three circuits, first in parallel, as a group, then each group and then in series to form a cut-off distance of 2.5m-10cm. Even if two LED circuits are bad at the intersection, the light will still continue forward. And because a COB led strip light has up to 840 LEDs per metre, even if 1-2 circuits don’t light up, no dark area, you can see and to the eye it’s still a score-free led strip.

In the traditional SMD led strip light, a faulty led circuit turns off the whole cutting pitch and that 5 or 10cm cutting pitch is completely dark.

Wide opening angle

A traditional SMD strip light has a beam angle of 110 degrees, while a COB strip light has a beam angle of 180 degrees. Of course, in both cases, the installation profile will affect the final result.

The weaknesses of COB led:

Difficult to maintain colour consistency

As there are no COB-LED strip loading machines on the market, all COB-LED strip manufacturers only take samples to ensure colour uniformity. So for COB LED strips, it is difficult to ensure that 100% is within the 3-phase colour tolerance. This brings us to quality control and its importance. High-quality dot-free led strip is difficult to implement.

Lower light output

The efficiency of COB LED strip lighting is currently only around 120 Lumen/Watt.

If you need higher light output, the SMD led strip light is better, as SMD reaches up to 200 Lumen/Watt. The most common ones, of course, at the 100-150Lumen level.

Lower maximum power

The maximum power of a COB LED strip is recommended to be only 15 W/m. Because the number of chips per meter is too high if the power exceeds 15 W/m. The problem is controlling the heat of the chip. Also, the life of COB LED strip is shortened in too hot conditions.

Dotless led strip light – COB led features

At this point, the pros and cons of COB light strips should be obvious, so let’s go into more detail about this type of strip. If you’re familiar with LED strip, many of these are familiar things, but COB LED strip has some differences to the traditional form.

Cut and paste

COB LED strip can be cut just like any other LED strip light. Cut only along the cut marks marked on the led strip at 25, 42, 50 mm intervals. This allows you to cut the strip to the right size or add slits to the project bag. The cut strips can be reused and are permanently joined by soldering. There are also some quick connectors on the market, but this is often not an option for size (it won’t fit in the profile) or durability.

Dimmable

The dotless LED strip is dimmable in the same way as standard SMD LED strips.

You can use Triac, PWM, 0-10V dimming power supply with COB-LED strips.

RGB, CCT and RGB+CCT dotted LED strip needs control electronics and the most popular are ZIgbee and DALI2 technologies

Colour options

White light: 3000K, 4000K and other custom colour temperatures are available.

Coloured light: RGB is available and these usually come with a white light.

Adjustable white light: CCT where the white light is freely adjustable between 2500-6500K

SUMMARY FAQ:

What is a COB-LED strip light?

COB LED strip or COB LED tape is a LED strip with LED chips attached directly to a PCB (Flexible Print Circuit Board). It is a continuous and dots-free LED strip light. So COB LED strip light to spotless LED strip light.

How do COB-LED strips work?

The LED chip is mounted directly on the PCB and covered with a layer of fluorescent material that acts as a diffuser on the chip surface. Due to their small chip size, COB LED strips have a high chip density and can exceed 800 chips per metre.

Do COB-LED strips heat up?

A normal power 7.2W COB LED strip is not very hot, with a temperature of around 40 degrees Celsius.

How long does cob led strip last?

About 50 000 hours.

Are COB-LED strips brighter?

No. COB is generally not as bright as SMD LED strips. CRI98 COB LED strips have a luminous efficacy of approx. 100 Lumen/W, while SMD LED strips can have a luminous efficacy of up to 150 Lumen/W. BUT it all depends on the final product. LedStore’s SMD led strips have not been designed for maximum output, but focus on longevity and high colour rendering, always above cri 90.

Can COB LED strips be cut?

Yes, you can cut the COB LED strip at the cut mark.

Are COB-LED strips more efficient?

No, COB LED strips do not have the same luminous efficacy as SMD LED strips.

CRI98 COB LED strips usually have a luminous efficacy of 100 LM/W, while SMD LED strips can have a luminous efficacy of up to 150 LM/W.

Some other led light articles related to the topic:

Choosing transformers – to the article

Shorter article about the choice of led strip -article

For a longer article on LED strip lighting: -article

COB led Wikipedia article (in English)

Led lighting expert

LedStore has been an expert in Led lighting since 2010. We have our own product design, so our products are technically state-of-the-art.

We focus on temperature-controlled and high colour rendering luminaires. We make around. 500 lighting designs for our clients’ sites.

We offer a service of custom-made led strips, i.e. custom-made led strips in profile for everyone. Also installed.

Remember that we are always available to support you along the way, by email(myynti@ledstore.fi) and by phone (045 251 4510). As always, feel free to share photos of your own projects on social media at #ledstorefi IG and ledstore.fi FB. We love to see the cool things our LEDs do, and it helps to provide inspiration for those who are not sure about the power and awesomeness of LEDs. Did you know that we already have over 3500 pictures of our LED installations in our Gallery!

Led Lights Gallery:

Product gallery: pictures of products in different installation locations

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit BLUE DIAMOND.

Indirect light: indirect light in different spaces

Room-specific: Light in different rooms

References: complete houses that have been photographed

What is a COB LED?

How Long Do COB LEDs Last?

When Using Battery Power, Why are COB LEDs So Important?

What are the Differences between Normal Led and COB LED?

Differences between COB LEDs and SMD LEDs

Why Choose the COB LED?

The Advantages and Disadvantages of COB LED

Multiple Uses of COB LED

Conclusion

LED lights are continually being upgraded to increase their usability, adaptability, and energy efficiency. When compared to standard incandescent lights, LED lights are extremely popular since they may last up to 25 times longer while using less power.

COB and SMD LED lights are two types of LED lights available, which are the two primary sources of light these days. Both of these components create high-quality illumination and have a lengthy life expectancy, as well as the highest efficiency to date.

In this case, we will talk about COB LEDs, which are the latest in the LED industry and provide a number of advantages over the previous options.

What is a COB LED?

One of the most recent developments in the world of LEDs is "Chip on Board" (COB) technology. When contrasted to other standards, we can consider it quite recent and innovative.

COB lights are made up of an arrangement of LED chips that are tightly packed and attached to a silicon carbide base. As a result, one huge LED chip with outstanding illumination uniformity is created, making it perfect for many professionals such as filmmakers and photographers.

Generally, COB chips feature nine or even more diodes. Irrespective of the number of diodes, COB chips only have two contacts and one circuit. On a big chip, this can result in more powerful lighting of up to 250 lumens (at 20mA). The panel-like aspect of COB LED lights is due to the chip's basic circuit design.

COB LED lights, unlike SMD LED lights, cannot be utilized to make color-changing lamps or lights. That is due to the fact that there are only two contacts and one circuit. To achieve the color-changing illusion, several modification channels are needed. COB LED lights are hence effective in single-color applications.

How Long Do COB LEDs Last?

The longevity of a COB LED is determined by how they are used as well as how much heat they are exposed to. A COB LED has an average rated lifetime of 50,000 hours. That is assuming a person uses them for 12 hours a day on average.

When Using Battery Power, Why are COB LEDs So Important?

There has always been a trade-off between both the amount of high-quality lumen output (brightness) and the duration of runtime through battery operation when building a battery-powered lighting system. If you utilize the same size battery, the more high-quality illumination you want, the shorter the runtime will be. That has become considerably less of a concern with the emergence of COB LED tech.

COB LEDs with little power can produce exceedingly high-quality, ultra-bright light. As a consequence, a COB LED-based lighting system may be powered for extended periods of time using a relatively tiny and lightweight lithium-ion battery pack.

What are the Differences between Normal Led and COB LED?

To begin, a basic understanding of Surface-Mounted Device (SMD) LEDs is required. They are by far the most widely used LEDs on the market today. The LED chip is firmly fused to a printed circuit board and is widely utilized due to its adaptability, even in the notification light on the smartphone. The amount of diodes and contacts on SMD LED chips is one of their most distinguishing features.

More than two contacts are possible on SMD LED chips. On a single chip, up to three diodes can be found, each with its own circuit. An anode and cathode would be used in each circuit, resulting in 2, 4, or 6 connections on a chip.

Differences between COB LEDs and SMD LEDs

SMD LED chips can include up to three diodes on a single chip, each with its own circuit. In a chip of this type, each circuitry contains a single anode and one cathode, resulting in 2, 4, or 6 connections. COB chips typically have nine or even more diodes. Furthermore, irrespective of the number of diodes, COB chips have two contacts and one circuit. COB LED lights have a panel-like appearance, whereas SMD LED lights would seem like a collection of smaller lights due to this straightforward circuit design.

The SMD LED chip could have a red, green, and blue diode. By employing those three diodes, you can generate any hue simply by altering the output level. But there are just two contacts and one circuitry on COB LED lights. They can't be utilized to create color-changing lights or bulbs. To achieve the color-changing appearance, multiple channel modifications are needed. As a result, COB LED lights are effective in single-color applications but not in multi-color uses.

The luminosity of SMD chips is well known, and they may generate 50 to 100 lumens per watt. COB is noted for its high heat efficiency and lumens per watt ratio. With a minimum number of 80 lumens per watt, COB chips could emit more lumens with less power. It can be found in a variety of bulbs and applications, such as a point-and-shoot camera or your phone's flash.

In SMD LED chips, a smaller current capacity is necessary; however, in COB LED chips, a large current capacity external energy source is needed.

Why Choose the COB LED?

COB LED lights, as a basic guideline, are higher-quality light emitters. This is due to the fact that they use reflectors to create concentrated and regulated light. They also lack the frosted lens that comes standard with SMD LED lights.

COB LEDs are a higher-end LED that has a more structural look. In case you intend to live with your LED bulbs for a long time, a COB is a way to go; if you are located in an investment property, SMD will suffice.

You should expect brighter, clearer lighting. COB LED lights, for example, are useful in high-ceiling areas.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of COB LED

Advantages of COB LED

1. * Because of the multi-diode incorporation, there is a lot of light.
2. * It produces more lumens while using less energy.
3. * Due to the limited light emission zone, the device is small in size. As a consequence, the lumen per square centimeter/inch has grown significantly.
4. * To active the many diode chips housed in COB LEDs, a single circuitry with only two connections is used. As a result, there are fewer parts per LED chip that are necessary for proper performance. Furthermore, by reducing the number of components and eliminating the standard LED chip architecture packing, the heat created by each LED chip can be decreased.
5. * Due to the extreme ease of installation in an outside heat sink, the entire temperature range of the entire assembly is lower. When you keep things at a set temperature, they last longer and are more reliable, which saves you money.
6. * Clarity is improved, and efficiency is boosted.
7. * Since it can cover a big area with one chip, it has a huge focusing area.
8. * Excellent anti-vibration properties

Disadvantages of COB LED

1. * A well-engineered outside power source. That occurs since it requires a steady current and voltage to avoid damaging the diodes.
2. * A well-designed heat sink is very important. If the heating element is not properly placed, the diode will be destroyed due to overheating. Due to the highly focused light waves emitted from a limited area, a considerable amount of heat is created.
3. * Lighting fixtures with cob chips have a lower repairability. That is because in case one of the solitary diodes in a COB is damaged as a result of a mechanical malfunction, the entire COB led must be substituted with a newer one. In the case of SMD LED, however, if one fails, it is simple to change it and get it back to operate at a lower cost.
4. * Color selection is limited.
5. * More expensive than SMD chips.

Multiple Uses of COB LED

COB LEDs have a wide range of applications, extending from residential to industrial utility, with some of them being:

1. * COB LEDs would be used primarily as solid-state lighting (SSL) substitutes for metal-halide bulbs in street lighting, high-bay lighting, downlights, and high-output track lights.
2. * They are useful in LED lighting fixtures for placement in living rooms and huge halls because of their wide-angle beam.
3. * High lumens at night time are required in spaces such as a playground, gardens, or a large stadium.
4. * Additional applications incorporate basic lighting for passageways and corridors, fluorescent lighting replacement, LED lamps, light strips, smartphone camera flash, and so on.

Conclusion

COB LEDs are becoming more popular in lighting applications as designers discover the advantages of employing them over typical standard LEDs. It's difficult not to take into account them for any led light application structure because of:

1. * Their ability to cram more LED sources into a smaller area, resulting in higher lumen output
2. * Their ability to transmit heat to a heat sink more efficiently
3. * Their wider field of view
4. * Their lower light loss
5. * Their lower failure rates are due to their more straightforward construction

COB LEDs are the most recent and advanced tech available today. Simply said, they are brighter, use less electricity, and provide a higher-quality beam of light than previous LED technology now used in most trade show illumination.

For more COB LED Stripinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.