Description
A WiFi-controlled RGB LED strip light kit for UK homes – 5 metres of cuttable, peel-and-stick LED strip with built-in WiFi controller, 12V DC power adapter, and full Alexa, Google Home and SmartLife app support. No hub, no bridge, no Zigbee coordinator needed. The controller connects directly to your home WiFi router (2.4 GHz).
Useful as ambient under-cabinet lighting, behind-TV bias lighting, gaming room accent strips, under-stair rails, kitchen plinth lighting, or any other location where you want full-colour controllable light without running mains wiring.
What “WiFi controlled” actually means here
The “WiFi” in WiFi-controlled LEDs refers to the small wireless controller box at the end of the strip. The controller connects to your home WiFi network in the same way your phone or laptop does, and accepts commands from the Tuya / SmartLife app, Alexa, or Google Home over that same network.
The LED strip itself is just standard 12V DC RGB tape – the controller is where the smart features live. This means if the controller ever fails or you want to upgrade, the LED strip stays useful. It also means you can use the SmartLife app from anywhere with an internet connection to control the lights remotely.
No hub or bridge is needed for WiFi LED strips, which makes them simpler to set up than Zigbee or Z-Wave alternatives. Trade-off: WiFi LEDs depend on your router and internet connection, where Zigbee LEDs keep working locally even if your internet drops. For most home use cases, WiFi is the easier choice.
Alexa, Google Home and SmartLife control
Once paired to your WiFi, the LED strip is controllable from:
- Amazon Alexa – say “Alexa, turn the kitchen lights blue” or “Alexa, set the bedroom strip to 30 percent”. Full colour and brightness control by voice. Works with all Echo devices and any Alexa-enabled speaker.
- Google Home / Google Assistant – same range of commands, equivalent control. Works with Google Nest speakers, Google Home app, and any Google-enabled smart display.
- SmartLife / Tuya app – iOS and Android. Manual control, scheduling, scenes, custom colour mixing, away-from-home control, and the music sync feature (see below).
- IFTTT and other automation platforms via the Tuya integration.
Apple HomeKit and Home Assistant support is possible via the LocalTuya Home Assistant integration or via cloud-based Tuya integrations. Not as clean as a native Zigbee setup, but workable if you already have a Tuya integration set up.
Music sync mode
The SmartLife app includes a music sync mode that uses your phone’s microphone to pick up ambient sound and adjusts the LED colours and intensity in real-time to match. Loud beats trigger flashes, quieter passages produce subtle shifts. Works with any audio source – speakers, TV, live instruments.
Useful for parties, gaming, movie nights, or just to make ambient music a little more atmospheric. Battery drain on the phone is moderate (the microphone has to stay active), so charging while using the feature is sensible for long sessions.
Cuttable and extendable
The strip has cut marks every 10 cm, allowing you to trim it to the exact length you need. Each cut is a complete circuit boundary – the cut piece will still work if powered, and the remaining strip continues to function normally. For longer runs, multiple kits can be daisy-chained using the connector at the end of the strip.
For runs longer than 5 metres, the standard 12V supply included in the kit may not have enough current capacity. You can either run two separate 5m kits side by side (two power supplies, two controllers, ganged via the app), or upgrade to a higher-current 12V supply – common 6A / 8A / 10A bench supplies are available cheaply on eBay.
Installation
The strip has 3M peel-and-stick adhesive backing. Clean the mounting surface with isopropyl alcohol or a similar degreaser, peel back the backing, and press the strip firmly to the surface. The adhesive needs about 24 hours to reach full bond strength.
For installations where you want the strip recessed (under cabinets, in coving, in cabinet edges), aluminium LED channel profiles are available from any LED specialist – clip the strip into the channel and screw the channel to the surface. Diffuser caps on these channels produce a cleaner light spread and hide the individual LEDs.
The 12V controller and power supply sit at the start of the strip. Position these where you can route the power cable to a mains socket – the power lead is typically 1.5-2m long.
Use cases that work well
- Behind a TV – bias lighting reduces eye strain during evening viewing. Match the colour to the screen content for a subtle effect.
- Under kitchen cabinets – workspace lighting without needing a hardwired install. Voice control means hands-free on/off while cooking.
- Gaming setups – behind the desk, around the monitor, or in a PC case window. RGB control matches game mood or audio sync to gameplay.
- Stair and corridor lighting – low-level ambient illumination at night without flooding the room with light.
- Under bed lighting – gentle warm-white or coloured under-bed glow as a soft night light.
Specifications
What’s in the box
- 1 × 5m RGB LED strip light (SMD 5050, 30 LEDs/m)
- 1 × WiFi controller
- 1 × 12V DC UK plug-in power adapter
- 1 × Remote control (basic backup, doesn’t need WiFi)
- Mounting clips and screws
Working so far! Easy to set up and install in my daughter’s room. She loves the local colour remote (the main reason we got them) and they are fully integrated into home assistant.
Not the best, but effective
Great set, very happy!