Recommendations – LED’s & Power
Below you will find my most current recommendations for each product category. As always, these are NON-SPONSORED recommendations based on as much empirical information and testing as I can gather.
Last Updated: March 11, 2025
White LED Strips
Everything Included LED Kits - Best Performer
Pautix Tunable COB LEDs
MSRP: $25.99
Link: https://amzn.to/42jQhJH
All things considered, the best easy to use strip with everything included is the Pautix Tunable COB LED strip which had the highest CRI, highest brightness, acceptable flicker, and completely tunable color temperature using the included infrared remote, with the downsides being the highest price per meter, and a relatively low power efficiency.
Everything Included LED Kits - Best Budget Pick
Govee Warm White
MSRP: $20.99
Link: https://amzn.to/48XsxxB
The Govee Warm White strips also performed well with good brightness, low flicker, and high efficiency, at less than half the cost per meter of the Pautix strip, but I was disappointed that the CRI was only 83.2, and the Govee strip is obviously not tunable like the one from Pautix. The Govee strip also doesn’t come with a remote, so brightness can only be controlled by pressing the buttons on the controller itself. But both the Govee and Pautix remember their last state when powered on, so you can control them with a smart outlet or timer by cutting the power completely.
DIY'er LED Strips - Best Performer
JOYLIT 24V COB
MSRP: $33.99
Link: https://amzn.to/47TId3y
All things considered the best overall strip for DIYers was the Joylit 24V COB LED Strip which had an awesome full spectrum CRI of 95.8, the second highest brightness at 5377 lumens and only 0.6V of voltage drop over the entire 5 meter strip, with the downsides being a relatively high price at $34 and middle of the road efficiency at just 841 lumens per watt.
DIY'er LED Strips - Best Budget Pick
LEPro 12V
MSRP: $13.99
Link: https://amzn.to/42oGD8G
From a budget standpoint the LEPro 12V LED strip lights are hard to beat with a cost per meter of just $2, and the second highest efficiency at 1209 lumens per watt, with the downsides being a CRI of just 80.3 and a voltage drop of 1.57 volts over 5m indicating a more cheaply made strip with thinner copper traces, but if you’re on a budget and not extremely concerned with CRI they are an excellent value.
DIY'er LED Strips - Best Value
BTF-Lighting FCOB White
MSRP: $14.99
Link: https://amzn.to/3u8qurp
If you’re looking for something plug-and-play with Amazon Echo and Google Home control, I think the $19.99 Pautix WL5 is the best option due to its configurable power on behavior, configurable LED strip type, no banding or flickering, and nicely sized screw terminals that can accommodate 14 AWG ferrules, with the only downsides being not having connections for an external button, and the fact that it runs on Tuya which is a cloud-based service.
Addressable LED Strips - Best Performer
BTF-Lighting 12V WS2814
MSRP: $30.99
Link: https://amzn.to/3Soq8EZ
Overall, for addressable strips, I like the 12V WS2814 non COB strip which is quite a bit cheaper than the rest at just $30 for 5 meters, or $6 per meter and has a great white CRI of 92.8, is controllable in 5cm segments of 3 LEDs and had an acceptable voltage drop of 1.12V over 5m, with the downsides being significantly lower brightness and efficiency than non-addressable strips.
More information on White LED Strips: https://youtu.be/y3qL9o7CvEA
LED Strip Controllers
Best Zigbee-based Controller
BTF-Lighting LM052
MSRP: $33.32
Common Price: $24.99
Link: https://amzn.to/41sv8Nf
If you’re looking for a Zigbee option, the only controller that didn’t have flickering was the BTF-Lighting LM052 which also had very low idle power consumption and decent sized, easy to use press fit terminals. But the downsides of the LM052 are that it doesn’t have an external button connection, its power on state defaults to on and isn’t configurable, and in Home Assistant you can’t have the white channels on at the same time as the RGB channels when set up as an RGBCCT controller.
Best Local Control - WiFi - Smallest
Shelly Plus RGBW PM
MSRP: $31.49
Common Price: $31.49
Link: https://amzn.to/3F2wMhl
For local control WiFi, I think the Shelly RGBW PM, QuinLED An-Penta Mini, and An-Penta Plus are the clear choices. The downsides of the Shelly RGBW PM are its extremely small terminals, lack of a 5th channel for RGBCCT strips, and small delay during power on. But its small size, four button input terminals, and local interface are extremely convenient, especially if you’re setting up four different white LED strips instead of an RGBW strip.
Best Local Control - WiFi - Most Flexible
QuinLED An-Penta-Mini
MSRP: $38.00
Link: https://www.drzzs.com/shop/an-penta-mini/
The best exposed filament bulb by far was the Orein Matter over WiFi bulb, which was just $8, had good CCT range, good CRI, great efficiency, and is rated for damp locations, but it did have almost 30% flicker at 100% brightness, which gradually decreased until 80% brightness and then remained under 1% for the rest of the dimming curve.
Best Local Control - WiFi - Overkill
QuinLED An-Penta-Plus
MSRP: $54.99
Link: https://www.drzzs.com/shop/an-penta-plus/
The best exposed filament bulb by far was the Orein Matter over WiFi bulb, which was just $8, had good CCT range, good CRI, great efficiency, and is rated for damp locations, but it did have almost 30% flicker at 100% brightness, which gradually decreased until 80% brightness and then remained under 1% for the rest of the dimming curve.
Best Cloud (Tuya) Controller
Pautix WL5
MSRP: $19.99
Common Price: $19.99
Link: https://amzn.to/4it0OsH
If you’re looking for something plug-and-play with Amazon Echo and Google Home control, I think the $19.99 Pautix WL5 is the best option due to its configurable power on behavior, configurable LED strip type, no banding or flickering, and nicely sized screw terminals that can accommodate 14 AWG ferrules, with the only downsides being not having connections for an external button, and the fact that it runs on Tuya which is a cloud-based service.
More information on LED Strip Controllers: https://youtu.be/mYiXIr1Kh2k
LED Light Bulbs
Best Overall Bulb
Philips Ultra Definition Series
MSRP: $13.99
Link: https://amzn.to/3IvRwwr
As a total package considering quality of light, efficiency, flicker, dimming performance, and cost the Philips Ultra Definition bulbs are still miles ahead of anything else and if 2700K or 5000K color temperatures are right for you then they are the easy pick.
Best Adjustable CCT Bulb
Feit 2700K-6500K 60W
MSRP: $17.49
Link: https://amzn.to/48RE5kU
The Zigbee bulb by innr requires you to have a Zigbee hub, and Zigbee performance will have a lot to do with how many other Zigbee devices you have. But to me it’s a serious standout with high max brightness, almost zero flicker, great CRI, a huge CCT range from 2056 K to 6490 K, and a two year warranty. As far as I can tell, the only downsides to the innr bulb are that it isn’t rated for damp locations, it has slightly lower efficiency than others at 87.9 lm/watt, and its $15 price tag put it in the middle of the pack for affordability.
More information on LED Light Bulbs: https://youtu.be/QEvIUA7Ffp4
Smart Tunable White LED Light Bulbs
Best Overall (Zigbee) Bulb
innr E26 Smart LED Bulb
MSRP: $29.99
Common Price: $29.99
Link: https://amzn.to/4fdM8My
The Zigbee bulb by innr requires you to have a Zigbee hub, and Zigbee performance will have a lot to do with how many other Zigbee devices you have. But to me it’s a serious standout with high max brightness, almost zero flicker, great CRI, a huge CCT range from 2056 K to 6490 K, and a two year warranty. As far as I can tell, the only downsides to the innr bulb are that it isn’t rated for damp locations, it has slightly lower efficiency than others at 87.9 lm/watt, and its $15 price tag put it in the middle of the pack for affordability.
Best Matter (WiFi) Bulb
Linkind Matter Tunable Smart Bulb
MSRP: $16.99
Common Price: $15.12
Link: https://amzn.to/48jWmZy
The Linkind Matter over WiFi bulb is half the price of the innr and doesn’t require a hub. Of the Matter bulbs I tested, it was one of the easiest to add to HomeKit and shared with Home Assistant almost instantly. The Linkind had even less flicker than the innr, not even registering on my flicker meter until it reached 1% brightness, and it had a higher cool white CRI, better efficiency, and it’s rated for damp install locations. The only downsides of the Linkind are the fact that it can’t go lower than 2682 K color temperature, the inability to change the power on behavior without the AiDot app, and the fact that Linkind doesn’t list any warranty information on the box or on Amazon.
Best Thread Bulb
Nanoleaf Essentials Smart LED Color-Changing Light Bulb
MSRP: $49.99
Common Price: $29.99
Link: https://amzn.to/4e0wZNu
The Matter over Thread Nanoleaf bulb also performed extremely well on paper with very low flicker, high efficiency, great CCT range, and great CRI, but on my Thread network using AppleTV, it just didn’t work. However, if you already have a strong Thread network or just want to invest in the Thread protocol, the Nanoleaf bulbs are worth considering at $10 each.
Best Filament (Vintage) Bulb
OREiN Matter Smart Edison Light Bulb
MSRP: $54.99
Common Price: $44.54
Link: https://amzn.to/3Ulx6we
The best exposed filament bulb by far was the Orein Matter over WiFi bulb, which was just $8, had good CCT range, good CRI, great efficiency, and is rated for damp locations, but it did have almost 30% flicker at 100% brightness, which gradually decreased until 80% brightness and then remained under 1% for the rest of the dimming curve.
More information on Smart Tunable White LED Light Bulbs: https://youtu.be/1Xk7sTe29hs
Permanent Outdoor LED Kits
Best Overall Kit
Govee Non-Pro
MSRP: $279.99
Common Price: $299.99
Link: https://amzn.to/49mIRsm
If you’re looking for the scalloped wall wash look, and you feel confident that you’re not going to want to get into the full-on music light show hobby then I think the Govee lights are the easy pick. They are the brightest, have the best app with the most options, and have wet rated power supplies that are appropriately sized for a long lifespan. The standard Govee kit has 72 pixels total which means that each of the wall wash colors will overlap with the next, while the Pro kit steps down to 60 pixels total which creates a more separated look but has the added benefit of completely tunable white light using the warm white and cool white LEDs. The Pro kit also comes in both white and black, so you can pick whatever color matches your soffits the best.
Best Tunable White Kit
Govee Pro
MSRP: $399.99
Common Price: $399.99
Link: https://amzn.to/3tN1eGp
If you’re looking for the scalloped wall wash look, and you feel confident that you’re not going to want to get into the full-on music light show hobby then I think the Govee lights are the easy pick. They are the brightest, have the best app with the most options, and have wet rated power supplies that are appropriately sized for a long lifespan. The standard Govee kit has 72 pixels total which means that each of the wall wash colors will overlap with the next, while the Pro kit steps down to 60 pixels total which creates a more separated look but has the added benefit of completely tunable white light using the warm white and cool white LEDs. The Pro kit also comes in both white and black, so you can pick whatever color matches your soffits the best.
Best RGBW Kit to use with WLED
Eufy E120
Common Price: $179.99
Link: https://amzn.to/3Q6mX3u
Personally though, I’ll be keeping the Eufy lights installed. I’m a sucker for warm white light, and the ability to control the lights with WLED instead of the Eufy controller is a huge plus for me since I already have a WLED controller, and I think the wall wash will look awesome in my light show. If you’re looking to save a little money the Eufy kit is $100 less than the Govee Pro kit and still includes a separate warm white channel and as I said, the Eufy app still works very well, just not as well as the Govee app.
Best Permanent Install Light Show Option
YPS Puck Track
MSRP: $330.00
Link: https://yourpixelstore.com/product/yps-puck-track-15-meter-bundle-10-puck/
Personally though, I’ll be keeping the Eufy lights installed. I’m a sucker for warm white light, and the ability to control the lights with WLED instead of the Eufy controller is a huge plus for me since I already have a WLED controller, and I think the wall wash will look awesome in my light show. If you’re looking to save a little money the Eufy kit is $100 less than the Govee Pro kit and still includes a separate warm white channel and as I said, the Eufy app still works very well, just not as well as the Govee app.
More information on Permanent Outdoor LED Kits: https://youtu.be/DM-VhGarNgM
Battery Banks With Built-in Charging Cables
Best Power Bank with Wireless Charging
Sunpolin Portable Charger 10000mAh
MSRP: $34.99
Common Price: $27.99
Link: https://amzn.to/3P3y0ux
My personal favorite is the Sunpolin which gives you the option of using MagSafe wireless charging or the built-in cables, has 5 V, 9 V, and 12 V PD charging capabilities, very decent overall capacity at 32.12 Wh, and the fastest recharge rate at 19.2 W. The MagSafe is also surprisingly sturdy, and the built-in stand can hold your phone in portrait or landscape mode while wirelessly charging. To me, the only downsides of the Sunpolin are that it only has USB-C and Lightning cables, it has no USB-A port, and even though it supports 12 V PD, I couldn’t get it to charge my MacBook.
Power Bank with the Most Built-in Cable Types
VRURC Portable Charger with Built-in Cable, 10000mAh
MSRP: $29.99
Common Price: $21.99
Link: https://amzn.to/4goZ4Qy
The VRURC square is just as compact and energy dense as the Sunpolin, but also includes USB-Micro and USB-A cords as well as a traditional USB-A port but lacks wireless charging. So, if you have some older devices that need USB-Micro or proprietary charging cables that need USB-A then the VRURC square is right for you.
Battery Bank with Best Power Density
WeeFancy Mini Portable Charger 10000mAh
MSRP: $35.99
Common Price: $23.99
Link: https://amzn.to/3ZrWwdt
The WeeFancy is another all-around great pick with a nice slim form factor giving it the highest power density both by volume and weight and it has USB-A and C ports, built-in Lightning and USB-C cables, and I was especially impressed by the power delivery implementation that not only had good charging speeds for my Google Pixel and iPhone 13 Pro, but could also charge my MacBook using 12 V Power Delivery. So, if you’re looking for the most power in the smallest package, the WeeFancy is right for you.
Best Battery Bank with 20V PD3.0
Anker Zolo Power Bank 20,000 mAh
MSRP: $35.99
Common Price: $27.99
Link: https://amzn.to/3CYDZOq
The Anker Zolo was pretty underwhelming in the sense that it had below average capacity, below average power density, and only a single built-in USB-C cable that just loops around and doesn’t really store away, but it was the only bank that supports 20 V PD. So, if that’s what you need it’s kind of your only option, and the good news is that it’s also pretty inexpensive.
Best Battery Bank with AC Plug
Charmast Portable Charger with Built-in Cables & Wall Plug 10000mAh
MSRP: $34.99
Common Price: $22.99
Link: https://amzn.to/49pD8Ci
The Anker Zolo was pretty underwhelming in the sense that it had below average capacity, below average power density, and only a single built-in USB-C cable that just loops around and doesn’t really store away, but it was the only bank that supports 20 V PD. So, if that’s what you need it’s kind of your only option, and the good news is that it’s also pretty inexpensive.
More information on Battery Banks With Built-in Charging Cables: https://youtu.be/qX3jp0PnT0c
Battery Banks Without Built-in Charging Cables
Best Battery Bank Overall
VEEKTOMX Mini Power Bank 10000mAh
MSRP: $29.99
Common Price: $21.67
Link: https://amzn.to/4brYoZd
For charging phones and tablets on-the-go the absolute standout in every category was the Veektomx. They somehow managed to pack over 10,000mAh into a case that’s 30% smaller and 30% lighter than most of the other batteries in its class. They also included the most helpful display with both battery percentage and PD charging status, made it PD3.0 compatible with 5, 9, and 12 volt outputs, gave it an excellent recharging curve, and priced it at the very bottom of the market. At this point if you’re looking for a portable battery for your purse or pocket, I think it would be a mistake to choose anything other than the Veektomx, and it’s time for the rest of the market to catch up.
Best High Capacity Battery Bank
UGREEN 100W 20000mAh Power Bank
MSRP: $79.99
Common Price: $54.39
Link: https://amzn.to/4igsl0D
I personally always travel with a large capacity power bank so I can charge my phone and watch on the nightstand by the bed without needing to hunt for available outlets, and if you’re in the market for something more powerful, I like the UGREEN 100W, 20,000mAh bank, which is reasonably priced at $80 and surprisingly lightweight and compact for its capacity and power output abilities. The UGREEN is PD3.0 compatible, it can output 5A at 20V for its full advertised 100W, and it also recharges at that same maximum speed going from zero to 100% in an hour and 48 minutes with a compatible charger and cable.
Best Wireless Charging Battery Bank
Anker 321 MagGo Battery 5000mAh
MSRP: $25.99
Common Price: $19.99
Link: https://amzn.to/4i9HyRe
Even though I still think wireless charging with a battery bank is a bit silly, the Anker MagGo 321 is super convenient and is the perfect thing to bail you out if you forgot to charge your phone overnight and need to leave the house immediately. The 5000mAh capacity will get you slightly less than one full charge on your iPhone, but it should be enough emergency juice to get you through the day and it weighs almost nothing and sticking it to the back of your phone is much more convenient than using something like the Anker Nano that hangs off the bottom and constantly feels like it’s going to break off in your pocket.
More information on Battery Banks Without Built-in Charging Cables: https://youtu.be/gMIZixr7UFU
USB Power Outlets
Best Overall
Amerisense 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A
Common Price: $44.63
Link: https://amzn.to/3KiXdyv
The dual USB-C outlet from Amerisense was by far the best performer with the most connectivity, best compatibility with PD and QC standards, highest power delivery, highest efficiency, and lowest idle consumption, but it does come with one of the highest price tags.
Best Value
Amerisense 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A
Common Price: $29.99
Link: https://amzn.to/3ywtnns
The single USB-C Amerisense also performed very well, and the only negative thing that I have to say about it is that the USB-C port doesn’t feel like it is manufactured as well, and you can feel the USB-C cable slide against the plastic on the housing rather than going straight into the metal port.
Best at Providing Constant Power
Leviton 60W
Common Price: $54.99
Link: https://amzn.to/4aHpY2y
If you want an outlet that can provide constant power to its USB-A or USB-C port while plugging in other devices the Leviton and Top Greener are your only options, and between the two the Top Greener had slightly higher charging speeds and also supports 12V USB-C devices while the Leviton had slightly better efficiency and created less heat.
More information on USB Power Outlets: https://youtu.be/GFxB0cDkw-s