You know who doesn’t like watching TV? Psychopaths – something you and I evidently aren’t because we do like watching TV.
But watching TV for long hours can sometimes cause headaches and dizziness. We have all experienced it at some point.
To balance out the bright light emitting from the TV screen, you can use TV backlighting.
Today, we will talk in detail about how to optimize your TV viewing experience without shelling out a bucketload of money.
Installing a simple and affordable bias lighting in the form of LED strips behind your Tv can drastically enhance your perception of colors and contrast.
If you like to watch television in a completely dark room, you should invest in LED backlighting immediately as it will not only help you utilize the full potential of your TV screen but will also keep eye fatigue to a minimum.
Below, I will go over 10 best LED lights for TV for every budget and requirement to help you make a quick but informed decision. Let’s get to it then –
10 Best LED Lights for TV – 2023 Guide
1. Govee TV LED Backlights
Kickstarting this meticulously curated list of the best LED lights for your TV with this smart and snazzy backlight from Govee. I ran into this product while hunting for LED lights that sync with TV and this one perfectly fits the bill.
It’s armed with a 1080p intelligent camera that accurately senses the colors emitting from the TV and adjusts the backlighting accordingly. The light I’m reviewing is rated for 55-65” TV sets. If you try to make it work on a wider screen, I’m afraid it won’t cover the entire panel (I did give it a shot on an 80” TV).
The RGB LED strips were a breeze to put on all sides of the 65” TV I bought it for. Mind you this smart backlighting requires Wi-Fi to work. I tried connecting it to 5G Wi-Fi but it didn’t work. Later, I connected it to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network and it works perfectly.
However, you don’t necessarily need Wi-Fi to operate the backlighting. By downloading the Govee Home App, you can connect your phone to the light via Bluetooth and use the voice control assistant to tinker with the settings.
Speaking of the app, it’s loaded with a bunch of cool custom features to help you set the right mood for every occasion.
The Movie mode is sufficiently bright for me and the colors are truly vivid. After playing around with the settings for a while, I found that 50% saturation and 50% brightness work best for me.
Here goes a shoutout for the Music Mode as well as it performs just as good as it sounds on paper. The control box for the lights has a built-in mic, allowing the lights to sync to your music and create a groovy ambience for you and your party guests.
On the downside, I believe the light strips are a little too long for 55” TVs. Also, the color sensitivity could be improved as I have occasionally noticed a minor delay in color change.
Apart from these small issues, the light works exactly how it’s supposed to and the fact such a feature-rich TV backlighting costs so little makes it a steal deal for me.
2. Philips Hue Play White & Color Smart Light
This one was an impulse buy, one of the rare ones that I didn’t regret. This sleek and portable LED TV light bar can be positioned behind your TV or PC to cast a soft ambient lighting that counterbalances the light coming out of the screen, thus lessening eye strain.
The power unit it comes with lets you connect max 3 devices at a time. To calibrate the camera and mic, you need to download the Hue Sync app which, by the way, has a terrific UI and is super easy to navigate, even for my technologically challenged mom.
I got this for her 43” TV and it has worked like a charm so far. The colors are vivid and she enjoys tinkering with the light colors and brightness with voice command.
Note that you will need to purchase the hub (or control box) separately to avail the color-syncing feature. As expected from a swanky Philips product, this one doesn’t come cheap but the quality of the lights and the no-fuss setup somewhat soften the blow on your wallet.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a stunning LED light to place behind the TV, Philips Hue won’t let you down (if you don’t mind the price tag).
3. PANGTON VILLA USB LED TV Backlight
This brand is responsible for making one of the best budget LED TV lights I have come across during my research. Sure, they lack the “neatness” of the Philips light bars but it gets the basics right. Suitable for 40-60” television screens, the light strips with 16 colors.
9 levels of brightness, and 4 dimmable modes – all controlled by a small remote. I liked that you can connect and control more than one set of lights with one remote. To ensure a perfect fit to the back of your TV set, you can chop off the end of the strap as well, which is what I did.
The adhesive tapes are of high quality, which is a surprise for me as cheap LED light strips are notorious for their crappy adhesive tapes.
It is USB powered, so you can put it in a small bag and carry it anywhere you want to. I got this one for my tween nephew who was elated to have so many color options at his fingertips.
My only complaint would be that even on the brightest setting, it’s not nearly as bright as its more expensive counterparts. However, if you are on a budget, you will be hard pressed to find anything better than this.
4. Govee LED Smart Light Bars
If you are looking for the best TV LED lights synced with audio that won’t leave a giant-sized hole in your wallet, this bar light from Govee could be a good option.
It offers multiple music modes with vibrating and 3 other light effects to make your party and karaoke nights epic.
Apart from music modes, it also offers the quintessential smart TV LED light features such as multiple video and scene modes, allowing you to customize the light settings to your liking.
To make sure it accurately matches the color of the TV or PC screen, you might have to tweak the segmented colors using the app. If you notice the LED colors aren’t as accurate as they should be, calibrating the segmented colors should solve the problem.
It also has a split-screen feature. As opposed to what several users have complained about, I’ve never had any issues with the split-screen mode.
In fact, I prefer the brightness and contrast levels in the split-screen mode more than that of the full-screen mode when playing games.
Both installing and controlling the lights were incredibly easy for me. Mine is mounted on the back of the monitor but you can also position it on the stand on the left or right side of your TV or PC, it works both ways.
Like the previously listed Govee light, this one also requires Wi-Fi connection and can only recognize 2.4 GHz, something to bear in mind before making up your mind.
5. Philips Hue Gradient LightStrip
You might be wondering if the quality of these gradient light strips actually justifies the steep price tag. Well, as far as I’m concerned, it totally does. The color representation of these smart lights is absolutely spot-on.
To determine whether this product belongs in this roundup of the best LED lights for TV, I’ve tested its ability to respond to rapid color changes on the screen time and again and it never missed a beat. The blending of the colors makes for a dynamic TV viewing experience.
The version I’m reviewing is meant for 65” TV screens, however, it comes with two other variants for 55” and 75” TVs. One of my colleagues who owns the 75” strip was able to successfully fit the strip on his 80” TV screen with minor adjustments.
I loved that it came with plastic guides and adhesive mounting clips for easy installation. The lights just snapped in place in a jiffy.
I was able to run the strip across the top, left, and right side of my wall-mounted 65” tv but couldn’t manage to cover the bottom edge of the screen. It looks a bit weird at first but I’ve been using these lights for quite some time now and honestly, I don’t notice any difference.
That said, I should note here that you must separately purchase a Philips Hue HDMI sync box to enjoy the light syncing feature. If you already own the Sync Box, this would be the perfect light to pair it with, albeit a bit expensive.
6. Nexillumi LED Lights
Continuing our search for the best TV ambient lighting with a low-cost yet sturdily built LED lights from a rather lesser-known brand. This light strip comes in two sizes. I got the 13.5” strip that happened to be the ideal size for 60-75” televisions.
In order to keep the price affordable, the manufacturers evidently had to cut some serious corners. The lights don’t sync with the changing colors of the screen. However, they do react quickly to the sounds of the movies and videos as it has a built-in mic.
You can set the specific light color and effect you desire with the included remote control or the compatible iOS app. The strobe effect it creates is lit!
Even though the LEDs are bright enough to create a pristine ambient lighting, the colors aren’t as accurate as I was hoping.
For example, the red is more of a purple and the white has a tinge of teal to it. Changing the colors is really easy, though. I am more reliant on the app than the remote control for adjusting the color and brightness. The product scores brownie points for the cord that comes with it.
It flexes effortlessly which makes setup totally hassle-free. Overall, it’s a fine low-cost alternative to Philip Hue as long as you can live with its obvious limitations.
7. TJOY Bluetooth LED Strip Lights
The next set of light strips come with two 25ft cables which you can cut and join to ensure a perfect fit on the back of your TV, TV stand, or wall. The mounting adhesive strips stick to the wall easily as long as the surface is clean and dry. I peeled it off just to check if it would come off smoothly, and it did!
So, if you are worried about damaging the walls, you can stop worrying. The light strip is equipped with a built-in mic that picks up the sound from the TV or whatever output device you’re using and changes the color and effect accordingly.
Like most low-budget TV backlights, this one too doesn’t sync with screen colors due to the absence of a camera. You can play around with all the controls via both a remote control and the compatible app.
The light strips never get too hot to the touch, so if you are planning on installing it in a kid’s room, you can absolutely do that. To sum up, as far as budget TV backlights go, these snazzy LED strips do have a lot to offer.
On the downside, sometimes the light doesn’t sync to the music. You have to turn the lights off and on once or twice to make it sync smoothly again.
8. BASON LIGHTING TV Backlight
Available in multiple size options, these RGB strips could be a great option if you are on a really tight budget here. It offers several light colors and intensities that can be easily controlled with the included remote.
Although the installation itself is pretty straightforward, you need to be careful with the placement of the strip as the IR sensor is placed on the strip itself. Make sure the sensor part is visible from where you are going to point the remote.
Although a few users have stated that the remote works even when the sensor is not directly visible, my experience tells me otherwise. What really makes the light stand out is the brightness and the dramatic effect.
It does significantly enhance the perception of contrast, thus making for a captivating TV viewing experience. It does not have a mic or camera, so the light syncing feature is out of the equation.
Now the only remaining question is – can it be a worthy substitute for the more expensive TV backlights available today? As long as the limitations don’t bother you, my answer would be a big fat YES.
9. Govee TV LED Backlight
So far, some of the absolute bangers for the money LED backlights on this list have been from Govee. Does this one live up to the brand’s reputation? Heck yeah! The color-changing light strip can fit TV screens ranging from 46-60”. This version isn’t compatible with Alexa.
You can adjust the settings only using the Govee Home App or remote control which honestly is not a nuisance for me. However, the IR sensor is finicky, so I can only use the app to control the lights.
Thanks to the built-in mic, the LED lights sync with the music, and like your favorite singer, never miss a beat. If you want to enjoy the scene modes as well, you will have to shell out a few extra bucks to buy an upgrade.
The lights are pretty bright and the color vibrancy is spot on. I mostly end up keeping the brightness level set at 40% only.
The only thing I’d like to criticize is the quality of the glue on the adhesion tape. I had a hard time sticking it to the back of my flat-screen TV.
10.CPLID LED Strip Lights
Closing this list of the best LED lights for TV with a strip that’s available in various sizes to ensure the right fit for your screen size. The strip is black, therefore barely noticeable, creating a seamless look.
Powered by USB, this gorgeous backlight does create a soft ambient light behind the TV, thus reducing the eye strain and palpably enhancing your eyes’ contrast and color perception.
It cycles with 17 vibrant colors. You can change the color and light intensity using the RF wireless remote control.
The flashing effect is cool and I reckon the fading is too rapid. I feel the transition could have been smoother. I liked that you don’t need separate remotes to control multiple light strips as the remote supports multiple light pairing.
I was able to stick the strips on all four sides and get the lights running in about 10 minutes. The adhesive used on the tape is quite strong and it gets even stronger as it gets heated.
Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with the purchase. Sure, it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of smart TV backlights but for the price, this product is hard to beat.
How to Choose the Perfect LED Light for TV?
With so many cool options floating around, it can take anyone ages to decide on a backlight that meets your specific needs. To simplify your shopping experience, below I’ve jotted down the 3 key pointers to keep in mind to find the best LED strip lights for your TV –
Light Syncing
Almost every medium range to every premium TV backlight comes with a light syncing feature. While the mid-range ones mostly sync only to the music, the premium ones adapt to the color of the screen as well to create a captivating viewing experience.
If you find the light changing effects too distracting or you’re on a budget, you should go for static LED lights.
Bars vs Strips
I personally find bars more flexible and aesthetically sound due to their sleek and compact appearance. However, strip lights are more common and affordable.
If your TV is wall-mounted and you’re going for LED strips, make sure the cord can be easily angled. Some companies make strips that can be cut and linked to ensure a perfect fit, irrespective of the display size.
Controls
Premium LED backlights offer both voice control as well as app control while a few come with a remote control as well. I personally find controlling the lights via apps and voice command easier.
Note that Wi-Fi-enabled smart lights are only compatible with 2.4 GHz Internet connection. 5G will most probably not work.
FAQs On Tv Backlight
- Is backlighting your TV worth it?
Ans. Having a backlight behind the TV archives two things – one, it dramatically improves the viewing experience by helping your eyes view better contrast. Two, it minimizes eye strain when you’re watching TV in a dark room.
- What is the easiest way to stick LED strip lights to a TV?
Ans. It’s a no-brainer. Just remove the paper off the adhesive tape and stick it on all four sides (or three sides, depending on the length of the strip), plug the USB side into your TV and the other side into a USB or electrical outlet, and bam!
Read Also: Foolproof Ways to Add LED Backlighting to Literally Any TV Model
- Is it safe to cut the LED strips for better fit?
Ans. It is perfectly okay to cut your LED light strips to ensure a better fit as long as the manufacturer says it’s safe. Read the description carefully before chopping off your brand new TV backlight.
- What is the best way to prevent LED strips from falling off the TV?
Ans. If the strip doesn’t seem to stick to the back of the TV, try cleaning the surface with a rag. Dirty and uneven edges could prevent the strip from sticking.
If cleaning the surface doesn’t solve the problem, try heating up the adhesive tape with a hairdryer. Glues used on these tapes usually get stronger when heated up.
Read Also: How To Remove And Restick LED Light Strips
In Conclusion
We have finally come to the very end of this epic list of the best LED lights for TV. Not all LED backlights are created equal, so I suggest you weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.
Proper backlighting can take your viewing experience to a whole new level while also alleviating eye stress. Therefore, it’s absolutely worth it to go splurgy on these lights if your pocket permits. Ciao!
