Hvordan velge en LED-diffuser for LED-strips

If you want to use your LED strip with an LED aluminum channel, then you must choose the right profile LED diffuser. There are many types of LED profile diffusers on the market. Each and every model has its own advantages. To make your decision easier, we will take a closer look at these models together with an explanation of each feature in detail.

In this guide you’ll learn:

• How the four main diffuser materials (PVC, PMMA, PC, Silicone) compare
• What each diffuser finish – clear, frosted, opal, milky, black, silicon and lens – is best for
• Whether you actually need a diffuser for your LED strip project
• How to pick the right diffuser for your application without losing too much brightness

1. Compare Different Materials of LED Diffusers

Hovedmaterialene til LED-profildeksel på markedet er PC, PMMA, silikon og PVC. Profildiffusorene/dekslene av forskjellige materialer spiller ikke bare forskjellige roller i anti-ripe, anti-ekstrudering og anti-aldring, men har også innvirkning på effekten av belysning. La oss her lære om fordeler og ulemper med hvert LED-profildekselmateriale.

PVC

It is quite flame resistant and has stiffness, resistant to alkalis and acids. The price of PVC is very low, but the moisture absorption and heat resistance are poor, and very easy to turn yellow after using it for a period of time, so fewer and fewer technicians choose PVC as a lampshade.

PMMA (Acrylic)

It is hard and scratch-resistant, has good transparency, insulation, and mechanical strength, and is easy to process. But low chemical resistance and not very resistant to impacts.

PC

It is characterized by the greatest resistance to alkalis, acids, and gasoline. It is flame-retardant, scratch-resistant, and has very good optical properties. However, it is not resistant to moisture – it will become brittle.

Silikon

Den er fleksibel, flammehemmende, friksjonsbestandig og svært miljøvennlig. En silikonprofildiffusor er enklere å installere, men har lavere lysgjennomgang og høyere pris enn en PC. Som en lampeskjerm brukes den vanligvis til sirkulær aluminiumsekstrudering.

Material comparison at a glance

2. Compare Different LED Profile Diffusers

Ulike LED-profildiffusorer kan brukes til forskjellige formål. Du kan for eksempel bruke dem til å lyse opp en scene eller til reklameformål. Du kan også bruke denne typen diffusorer om natten for å lette uteområdet eller garasjen. Det finnes forskjellige typer tilgjengelig på markedet som en gitterløs diffusor og sirkulær diffusor som gir en jevn fordeling av lyskilden.

Each of the above profile covers plays its role in LED lighting which isn’t only the look of the installation itself when the lighting is OFF but each type diffuses the light in a different way when the lighting is switched ON. Below we compare the most common LED profile diffusers side by side.

Klar profil diffusor

Highest light output with about 90~95% transmittance. The LED strip is clearly visible, and each LED spot can be seen directly. Best for indirect cove lighting where the strip itself is hidden, or when you want maximum brightness.

Frostet profil diffusor

85~90% transmittance rate, the decrease in brightness is not very large. However, the LED strip is mainly covered, and they reduce hotspots significantly.

Opal profil diffusor

About 75% transmittance rate. It’s a sort of opal white coating that helps diffuse the light evenly. And can minimize hotspots. It’s decorative when switched off, as we don’t see into the profile, and the LED strip is not visible.

Milky profil diffuser

65~70% transmittance rate. A milky diffuser is more opaque than an opal diffuser and eliminates hotspots completely. It doesn’t really give the max light output, and you may install a brighter LED strip to increase the brightness.

Sort profil diffusor

About 60% transmittance rate. It completely hides the light sources, so the LED channel looks like one single LED channel track. It’s also decorative when switched off, just like a circle of black lines.

Diffusor i silisiumprofil

70~75% transmittance rate. It’s soft and flexible, and allows you to mount it on some curved or ring circular LED profiles.

Diffusor med linseprofil

It’s an optical lens design of a transparent diffuser. Which narrows the 120-degree beam angle of the LED strips, to 10 degrees, 30 degrees, and 60 degrees. So it will light a smaller surface, in exchange for higher brightness there.

Diffuser types at a glance

3. Do You Need a Diffuser for Your LED Strip Light?

A diffused LED profile diffuser is simply a flat sheet of plastic that has been cut in a very specific way. The shape of the cutout allows light to pass through but also directs it in a way that creates a soft, even glow across the surface area of an object. This type of light diffuser can be used on just about anything where you want some kind of soft, even glow – such as an office desk or kitchen countertop – but they’re especially ideal for use with indoor lights and decorative lighting that needs some sort of enhancement.

When you’re looking to light a room with LED lights, it’s important to consider what kind of light you want. If you’re looking for a soft, even glow, diffused lighting is the way to go.

Diffused lighting is the ideal choice for most applications where you don’t need a bright spotlight. It’s also the best choice for evenly lighting large areas and decorating rooms without overpowering smaller spaces like bathrooms or closets.

If you’re looking for more intense light in a specific area, consider an LED panel mounted above or below the fixture. This can be useful if your fixture isn’t tall enough to reach up high enough to shine down on your work area or wall space below it.

Diffusorer er den vanligste typen lysspreder. De skaper en myk, jevn lyskilde som ofte brukes på kontorer, butikker og andre kommersielle områder.

Diffusorer kan brukes i alle typer belysningsapplikasjoner, inkludert innfelte og innfelte armaturer. Den beste måten å spre lys på er å bruke flere lag med diffusorer.

Antall lag avhenger av størrelsen og formen på armaturet, men du bør alltid bruke minst to lag for optimalt resultat.

Do you always need one? A quick rule of thumb

• Direct-view installs need a diffuser: if the profile is in your line of sight, use opal or milky to hide the LED dots and reduce glare.
• COB strips are already dot-free: a COB LED strip looks continuous on its own, so a clear or frosted cover is often enough – a milky cover only costs brightness.
• Hidden / indirect light can skip it: for cove lighting or behind a baffle where the strip is never seen directly, a clear cover keeps maximum output.
• Glare and eye strain: if you or your customers look at the lights for hours (offices, retail, kitchens), a diffuser is strongly recommended to protect the eyes.

4. Quick Guide: How to Choose the Right Diffuser

Match your application to the diffuser that gives the look you want without wasting brightness:

If brightness matters most, pick the least opaque diffuser that still hides the dots for your viewing distance. If the dot-free look matters most, go milky or opal and choose a slightly brighter single-color LED strip to compensate for the light loss.

For a complete installation guide, see our LED aluminum profile buying guide. If you’re lighting a kitchen, our under-cabinet kitchen lighting guide covers the best strips for that job, and once you have your diffuser you can follow how to cut and connect LED strip lights to install it cleanly.

5. LED Diffuser FAQ

Quick answers to the questions customers ask us most about LED strip diffusers.

6. Conclusion

Everyone who uses LED aluminum profile lights should diffuse them. LED lights are very bright, and they can cause eye strain when you look directly at them. Diffusing them in some way (like this diffuser) will make them less intense, making it easier to look at the lights all day long.

The right choice usually comes down to two questions: where the light is visible from, and how much brightness you need. Visible installs want opal or milky; hidden installs can use clear; premium designs love the black finish. Whatever you pick, a quality diffuser protects the eyes, hides the dots and makes any LED strip installation look far more professional.

Browse our LED aluminiumsprofil range to find profiles, diffusers and end caps matched to your project, or get in touch and we’ll help you spec the right parts for your order.