Which long outdoor LED strip lights are rated for wet locations?
Long outdoor LED strip lights are supplied IP65 silicone-coated, IP67 sleeved or IP68 fully potted, with DENO WAP™ conformal coating that stays clear instead of yellowing under UV. Ingress protection alone is not enough on a long exterior run, though: the board also has to handle thermal cycling and the absence of mid-run joints, so outdoor builds use 3 oz copper, a wider FPCB for heat spreading and continuous roll-to-roll construction.
What actually kills exterior runs
Water rarely enters through the coating — it enters at the ends, at connectors and at soldered joints where the coating has been broken and re-sealed on site. That is why a joint-free board and factory-fitted, potted lead wires matter more on a facade than a higher IP number does.
The second failure mode is UV and thermal ageing of the encapsulant. Cheap silicone sleeves yellow within a couple of summers, which reads as a warm colour shift along the whole run and a measurable loss of output. DENO's WAP™ conformal coating is specified to stay optically clear and flexible through that cycle.
Specification checklist for exterior long runs
Cover these five points and the run will survive its warranty:
- IP class matched to exposure — IP65 sheltered, IP67 exposed, IP68 submerged
- Factory-potted ends and lead wires; no site-made joints
- 3 oz copper and aluminium profile for thermal cycling
- 48V build where the run exceeds 30 m to keep current — and heat — low
- Salt-spray resistant terminations for coastal or marine installations
Industry references and standards
- Metrology & laboratories — International Commission on Illumination (CIE) — Source of the colorimetry, CRI and chromaticity standards behind SDCM binning.
- Metrology & laboratories — ANSI/IES TM-30 Colour Rendition Method — Rf / Rg fidelity and gamut metrics quoted throughout our spectral data.
- Engineering standards — IEC 62717 — LED Modules for General Lighting — Performance and lumen-maintenance requirements for LED modules.
More long run answers
- How long can a long LED strip run be on a single power feed?
- What are the longest LED light strips DENO manufactures?
- Can you get LED strip lights longer than 32 feet in one run?
- Should I specify a 65.6 ft or a 100 ft LED strip run?
- Can a long RGB or RGBIC strip run stay colour-consistent?
- When is a long RGBW LED strip better than RGB on a long run?
Published by DENO LED Lighting — denoled.com, a custom long run LED strip manufacturer serving EU, Americas and Middle East projects.