Differences And Purchasing Tips For SMD, COB, And CSP Light Strips

There are millions of LED light strips, and SMD, COB, and CSP light strips differ in terms of their characteristics and selection techniques.

SMD, COB, and CSP are three forms of LED light strips. Which one is the strongest? Let’s talk about it briefly today.

Table of Contents

Ⅰ, Types of Common Light Strips

SMD Light Strip refers to Surface Mounted Device (SMD), which is a light strip in which LED chips are directly attached to a base board and formed into rows of small LEDs using encapsulation technology. It is one of the most frequently seen types of LED light strips.
COB (Chip-on-Board) light strips are lighting fixtures which utilize chip packaging technology, where multiple LED chips are mounted tightly on one circuit board.
CSP (Chip Scale Package) light strips refer to chip-level packaged devices where the package size exceeds 1.2 times the chip size.

II, Differences Between the Three Types of Light Strips

At present, SMD and COB are widely employed, each having its own set of advantages and disadvantages and various applications scenarios. SMD has the largest market presence with various size options; COB has superior linear effect; while the CSP light strip with its groundbreaking chip packaging technology is setting new trends within the industry.

1.Different packaging technologies:

CSP refers to chips with smaller dimensions, which are usually ball-mounted or surface-mounted. COB is a planar light-emitting chip and is composed of a PCB board, and it is usually directly soldered onto the PCB board. The traditional packaging technologies used in COB and CSP lead to complex structures and complicated processes, which are time-consuming and labor-intensive. The production cost is also higher. The illumination of the LEDs made by these technologies will be reduced due to the degradation of the packaging material caused by heat and other reasons, poor heat dissipation, and poor product stability. After technological advancements, CSP chips adopt “flip chip and chip-level technology,” with low thermal resistance and high electrical stability. Its size is becoming smaller and its performance is more stable.

The cost of CSP packaging is much lower than that of traditional packaging technologies, which can save the most on labor and packaging costs, and has a higher cost-performance ratio.

2, Light color difference:

Traditional COB uses spot powder technology, and the mixed light color is not pure, and the mixed light color is difficult to control, so it can only be achieved by sacrificing the yield rate to achieve good color consistency.
CSP’s LEDs are arranged more densely, and the light is divided before packaging, with a larger light-emitting angle. The light color precision of CSP is relatively high, and in terms of light color consistency, CSP also has a more obvious advantage over traditional COB.
The light color of CSP tape light is purer and closer to the midday sunlight. However, the light color of COB tape light is yellow, giving people a warm feeling.

3, Flexibility difference:

The flexibility of COB and SMD is generally good, but if handled improperly, COB may cause the packaging to fall off, and SMD may cause the lamp holder to break. While CSP is free of fragile components such as standoffs and gold wires, it uses encapsulation to protect the LED chips, making it safe and reliable. Its chip size is smaller, allowing for a more lightweight design, with a smaller bending force angle and superior flexibility.

4, Different application scenarios:

SMD tape light is widely used due to its variety of available sizes and is better suited for indoor trimming. Waterproof products can also be used for outdoor contour highlighting.

COB tape light has superior linear effects and is best suited for decorative lighting and display stand lighting.

CSP tape light has a certain degree of linear effects and the best flexibility. It also has better light color precision and yield rate than the first two tape lights before encapsulation, making it relatively cost-effective. Therefore, considering its advantages in various indoor and outdoor applications, its compact size is particularly advantageous for applications in confined spaces.

SMD tape light is currently the most widely used type of LED tape light and has a diverse range of application scenarios. COB tape light is the preferred lighting solution due to its excellent brightness, uniform lighting, energy efficiency, and multi-functionality. CSP tape light leads the industry with its unique packaging method and product features.

You can choose different LED tape light products based on your budget and application scenarios.