Products
What indirect lighting needs – four components
Indirect lighting is not one product but four that have to fit together. The wrong pair shows as flicker, dots or a strip that does not fit the profile. Here is what you need and in which order to choose.
Four parts, one system
The LED strip produces the light. The aluminium profile keeps the strip straight, cools it and directs the light. The driver converts 230 V into the DC voltage the strip needs. The controller – a dimmer or Zigbee – adjusts the light. The first three are essential; the fourth is essential in practice, because without it the light is wrong half the time.
They are not independent choices. The profile groove sets the strip width, the control method sets the driver type, the strip power sets the driver size. That is why the order matters.
Order of selection
- Structure first – bulkhead, surface profile or furniture groove? It sets the profile.
- Profile – according to the structure. The profile groove (6, 9 or 12 mm) sets the strip width, and the profile depth decides COB or SMD.
- Strip – width according to the profile, power according to the room, COB if the profile is under 20 mm.
- Control method – Zigbee, DALI or no dimming? This sets the driver type and the cabling.
- Driver – type according to the control method, power according to the strip load divided by 0.8.
The most common mistake: strip first
“I’ll take this strip” – and then you look for a profile that fits a 10 mm strip, and it is a 12 mm groove that is too wide for a surface profile. Or a standard driver and a dimmer are bought separately, and they flicker. Structure and control method are decided first, products are chosen accordingly.
1. LED strip
| Choice | Rule | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | COB for a profile under 20 mm, SMD 120-240 LED/m for deeper ones | In a low profile the SMD dots do not have time to blend |
| Power | 7.2 W/m mood · 14.4 W/m general · 17 W/m wooden ceiling or task light | Indirect light loses 55-78 % to the ceiling and the room |
| Voltage | 24 V | Voltage drop a quarter of that at 12 V |
| CRI | ≥ 95 | Colour error compounds in the reflection |
| Width | According to the profile groove: 5, 8 or 10 mm | 10 mm does not fit a 7 × 18 mm profile |
| IP rating | IP20 dry, IP65 bathroom, sauna, kickboard, outdoors | Moisture condenses everywhere in a wet room |
LED strip for indirect lighting – five decisions →
2. Aluminium profile
The profile is not an accessory. A strip over 10 W/m overheats without one and its lifetime drops from 50 000 hours to 15 000. It also gives a straight line – a taped strip waves after a year – and in indirect-light profiles it is itself the glare shield.
| Profile | Structure | Space required | Strip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaster-in (Z, KIPSI) | Light cove, dropped ceiling, wall groove | 7.5 mm light surface, framing 17 mm | COB 8 mm |
| Corner profile (INDIRECT-3) | In the ceiling corner | 60 mm from the corner | 2 x COB 8-12 mm |
| Low surface profile 7 × 18 | Behind a light moulding, bulkhead base | 18 mm | COB max 12 mm |
| Two-way wall profile | Wall, stairwell | 17 mm from the wall | COB 2 × 8 mm |
| Recessed furniture profile | Shelf, display cabinet, ceiling board | 10-18 mm groove | COB 5 mm |
| Worktop edge profile | Worktop, shelf up to 17.5 mm | Clamps onto the edge | COB 5-8 mm |
Aluminium profiles → · All structures →
3. LED driver
| Choice | Rule |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 24 V – always |
| Power | Total strip power / 0.8 → next standard size. CCT: actual power draw, not rated |
| Type | According to the control method: Zigbee radio, TRIAC, 0-10 V, DALI or standard |
| Channels | Two-channel for a CCT strip |
| Placement | On top of a cabinet > plant room > behind an access hatch. Never sealed in |
| Distance to the strip | < 5 m with 1.5 mm² cable, otherwise 2.5 mm² |
Choosing a driver → · Driver sizing →
4. Controller
Indirect light is sized as general lighting and dimmed for the evening. Without a controller the room has one light level. Zigbee is the right answer for the home: radio in the driver, battery button on the wall, scenes on the phone, no cabling. DALI for offices and commercial spaces. A TRIAC rotary dimmer only if it is already in the wall and the driver is compatible with it.
Shopping list – 20 m² living room, indirect light on three walls
In practice: 5 × 4 m, white ceiling, 14 m of strip, Zigbee scenes
Profile: plaster-in Z-profile 14 m → 7 pcs × 2 m, about €25/m = €350
Strip: COB 14.4 W/m 24 V CRI 95 2700 K, 8 mm, 14 m → 3 × 5 m reels, about €30/m = €420
Driver: 14 × 14.4 = 202 W / 0.8 = 252 → Zigbee 250 W, €150
Controller: Tuya Zigbee gateway €60 + battery button with 4 scenes €50
Accessories: cable, connectors (a soldering iron is always better!)
Total about €1 090 in materials. Bulkhead construction on top. Made to measure, profiles and strips arrive pre-cut to the project’s dimensions.
Buy from one place – compatibility guaranteed
When the strip, profile, driver and controller come from the same shop, someone has already checked that an 8 mm strip fits a 9 mm groove, that the Zigbee driver runs exactly this strip, and that the button talks to the driver. Bought from different places, that is your own responsibility – and a flickering strip is only discovered after installation.
All four → LedStore
Frequently asked questions
What does indirect lighting need?
Four components: LED strip, aluminium profile, 24 V driver and controller. The first three are essential, the controller essential in practice. They are chosen in the order structure → profile → strip → control method → driver.
What is the most important choice in indirect lighting?
Profile depth and strip technology together: COB for a profile under 20 mm, SMD is fine in deeper ones. This one decision determines whether dots show on the ceiling.
Is a dimmer needed?
In practice, yes. Indirect light is sized as general lighting and is too much in the evening. A Zigbee driver and battery button is the cheapest way to get two light levels without cabling.
Can the components be bought from different places?
Yes, but compatibility is then your responsibility: strip width to the profile groove, driver type to the control method, dimmer to the driver. Bought from one place, it has been checked.
Does an LED strip need an aluminium profile?
A strip over 10 W/m needs one for cooling – without a profile its lifetime drops to a third. A profile also gives a straight line and a glare shield.
What do the components cost?
For 14 m in a 20 m² living room: profile €350, strip €420, Zigbee driver €150, control €110, accessories €60 – about €1 100 in total. Building work on top if the bulkhead is made of plasterboard.
Profiles for this structure
Profiles for light coves
In a light cove the plasterboard box forms the structure and the profile only carries the strip. So the thinnest and cheapest model will do here: a 9 mm low surface profile in the bottom of the box. It hides nothing, so the bottom and edges of the box must be finished. Plaster-in profiles, on the other hand, form a finished light edge themselves.
Profile-SURFACE-2m · white, black or brushed
Profile-INDIRECT-KIPSI-2m
Profile-INDIRECT-LOW-Z-3m
Profile-INDIRECT-curve-W-3m
Profile-drywall-edge-W-2m
Prices include Finnish VAT of 25.5 % and are current LedStore.fi prices. Profiles include an opal cover and end caps; the LED strip is ordered separately.