Sonoff L2 smart RGB LED light strip 5 m IP65 with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Length of the lit part in the kit. Measure the run you want to light (behind the TV, round a niche, under cabinets) and allow extra for corners and the lead to the controller.

Protection against dust (first digit) and water (second). IP20 is for dry rooms only, IP44 resists splashes, IP65 and up handle water jets and outdoor use.

The strip can only be shortened at the marked lines, in multiples of this step. The smaller the step, the more precisely you can fit the length. The cut-off piece usually does not work without its own controller.

What light the bulb or strip can produce. “Tunable white” gives only shades of white from warm to cool. “RGB colour only” mixes red, green and blue, so white looks less natural. The “colour and white” options add separate white LEDs to the colours: one fixed shade (RGBW) or tunable (RGBCW).

In an addressable strip each LED or short segment has its own chip, so several colours, gradients and running effects can show at once. An ordinary RGB strip shows one colour along its whole length at any moment.

How much light one metre of strip gives at full brightness. The higher the figure, the brighter the strip; about 300 lm per metre is the level of decorative background lighting rather than main light.

How many LEDs per metre. Higher density looks more like a continuous line; with lower density separate dots show on glossy surfaces. If the maker gives only a total, see “Total number of LEDs”.

Total LEDs along the whole strip in the kit, as stated by the maker. Divide by the length to get density per metre.

How widely the light spreads. A narrow beam (up to 25°) picks out a single object with a spot; 30–40° gives directed light on a table or wall; 60° and wider gives even light on the floor and general lighting. For the same luminous flux a narrow beam gives a smaller but brighter spot.

Where the device gets its power: 230 V mains, an adapter, USB, batteries or a built-in battery.

The rated or maximum power draw from the spec sheet. It sets the load on the socket and the energy use.

The supply voltage (and current, if stated) as the maker gives it. It must match your mains or adapter.

Whether a plug-in adapter is in the box. If not, you need your own USB charger or adapter with the same voltage and at least the current the maker specifies.

Whether a remote for phone-free control is in the box. The remote’s link type is shown under “Connection protocol”; compatible remotes sold separately are listed by the manufacturer.

Whether the light can change colour and brightness to the beat of music. A built-in microphone listens to the room by itself; in “via phone microphone” mode the smartphone with the app open must hear the music.

How many built-in effects and scenes (smooth colour changes, flashing, gradients) the app offers without manual setup. You can usually create your own scenes too.

The wireless link or network the device uses. Wi-Fi connects straight to the router; Zigbee, Thread and Bluetooth Mesh work through a hub or gateway.

Whether the device needs a separate hub, gateway or coordinator to work in a smart home. If so, it is sold separately unless stated otherwise.

Which voice assistants the module works with, per the maker. Commands like 'turn on the air conditioner' go through the cloud, so internet access is needed.

Whether the device keeps working over the local network or through a hub when the internet is down. Cloud features (remote access, voice assistants) need the internet.

The maker’s app used to set up and control the device.

The Bluetooth version used for the remote, wireless headphones, speakers and gamepads. Newer versions hold the connection more steadily and use less power on connected devices.

The air temperature range the device is rated for. The lower limit matters outdoors, on balconies and in unheated rooms.

The rated relative humidity range, non-condensing.