Tapo 5m smart LED strip light fixed behind a television screen

Rank #5 in Best LED Strip Lights: 10 Ranked, and the Wattage That Doesn't Add Up

Tapo L900-5 5m Smart LED Strip Light, Wi-Fi, Alexa and Google

£14.39 4.5 from 3,465 Amazon ratings
Check price on Amazon

Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.

The Tapo L900-5 is a 5m multicolour LED strip that joins your Wi-Fi and takes orders from the Tapo app, Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. It sits fifth in this guide, and it is the listing here whose two electrical figures sit happily together: the wattage field says 10 watts and the voltage field says 12 volts, which works out at about 0.83A. That is under an amp, and it is the sort of draw a 5m tape can plausibly pull — not the 60 watts quoted for a 10M strip elsewhere in this guide, and not 27W asked from a 5V USB supply.

Nothing in the Tapo listing contradicts itself, but one label can still mislead. The item highlight reads "16M Colours", which is 16 million colours rather than 16 metres of tape — the length in the same listing is given as 5m under Colour and as "RGB 5M" under Product Style. The rest of the entry is consistent: indoor use only, not water resistant, no hub required, and a rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 3,465 ratings. Everything on this page comes from the Amazon listing for this product, not from any test of our own.

How those 3,465 ratings break down

An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.5 stars.

5 star
74%
4 star
15%
3 star
6%
2 star
1%
1 star
4%

Specification

Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.

Price £14.39
Rating 4.5 out of 5, from 3,465 ratings
Wattage (as listed) 10 watts
Voltage (as listed) 12 Volts
Wattage against voltage 10W at the listed 12V works out at about 0.83A
Length 5m (Colour: "5m"; Product Style: "RGB 5M")
Usage Indoor only; not water resistant
Control Tapo app, Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant; no hub required

What buyers actually say

Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon

Verified purchase

“I have bought these LED strip lights multiple times for different areas of my room, including behind my wardrobes, mirror and TV, and they have been great overall.For the price, they are much cheaper than many similar alternatives, but the quality still feels very good. The 5m length is also really generous and gives plenty of flexibility depending on where you want to place them. They create a really nice atmosphere in the room and are perfect for adding background lighting or making a space feel more modern.The app is easy to use and allows you to change the colours and settings without much hassle. I also use mine with Alexa, which makes them even more convenient because I can control the lights with voice commands. Setup was straightforward, especially when following the instructions and app prompts correctly. They also work with both Android and Apple devices, which is useful.My main issue is that, despite having a good internet connection, the lights do seem to drop offline from time to time. When this happens, they sometimes need to be reset, which can be incredibly inconvenient, especially if they are placed behind furniture or in harder-to-reach areas.Overall, these are affordable, good-quality LED lights that are easy to set up, simple to control, and excellent for improving the look and feel of a room. However, the occasional connection issues are worth keeping in mind before purchasing.”

Miles
Verified purchase

“My first set was dead on arrival. Thanks to Amazon's ever efficient replacement service, I got a new set the next day, before even sending the faulty one back.Fortunately, the second set works without any issue. The LEDs are bright and responsive and the app makes it easy to use them. The colour wheel is a bit silly and makes it rather hard to get the exact colour you want, though ,but not the end of the world, I guess.The 3M tape is VERY sticky so they won't fall off. Just make sure you get them exactly where you want them the first time as you won't be getting a second chance. Don't stick then onto fancy furniture.Time will tell how long they last, but for now they look and perform much better than the very cheap alternatives you find in bargain shops or even here.”

The Admiral

What it is up against

The rivals it was ranked against in Best LED Strip Lights: 10 Ranked, and the Wattage That Doesn't Add Up.

Questions people ask

Does the Tapo L900-5 need a hub?

No. The listing states no hub or extra equipment is required, and that the strip connects to your home's secure Wi-Fi network.

What does the Tapo L900-5 draw?

The listing's wattage field says 10 watts against a listed voltage of 12 volts, which comes to roughly 0.83A.

Can the Tapo L900-5 be cut to length?

Yes. The listing says the strip is flexible to bend and cut, but connectors are not included and you need to buy extra 4-pin connectors for reconnection.

Is the Tapo L900-5 waterproof?

No. The listing marks it as not waterproof and not water resistant, and lists indoor usage only.

How is the Tapo L900-5 controlled?

Through the Tapo app or by voice. The listing gives app control and voice control as the controller type and names Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Does the Tapo L900-5 come with a remote?

The listing's controls are app control and voice control only, with no remote listed among the controller options.

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