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How To Deal with Corners using Philips Hue Light strips

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Light strips are a great way to light many areas of the home, from kitchen cabinets, shelves, under furniture, around headboards, and many other ways. Hue light strips are well made and work well, however when it comes to installing and fixing it can be tricky, and that can certainly be said when it comes to going round corners with the strips.

Going round Corners with the Hue Light Strip

Hue lights trips are flexible, however going round corners can be difficult depending on how tight the bend is and how much the light strip needs to bend to go round it. 

Can Hue light strips bend?

When it comes to corners the light strip is tricky to attach and bend in a simple way. The thickness of the light strip and the rubber protection sleeve on it, make it difficult to bend and also very difficulty to fix and attach, while holding it in place.

It is important to note however much you try, the cables won’t bend to that perfect 90 degree angle and it is possible you may break or damage the wires within, which would cause the section after that bend to not work.

90 Degree Corners & Philips Hue Light Strip Plus

If you want a tight bend where you still want the light, then cutting the strip isn’t a great choice, keeping it in tact and bending it is the way to go. As the light strip is quite thick you will have to accept a slight rise in the strip at the corner, however the key is to fix the light strip either side of this bend and let is rise up slightly. The light will still look and work well.

On the back of the light strip are sticky sections, however these won’t hold very well and certainly won’t at the corners, so we recommend using these small tie mounts and cable ties to hold them in place.

Cable tie mount Screw and zip tie, 50 sets. 3/4 Inch 19mm Samll Black Strong Self Adhesive Mount perfect for Wire Clips Cable Management Zip Tie Anchors,Durability Pro-grade UV Wire Holder
Cable tie mount Screw and zip tie, 50 sets. 3/4...
Litcessory RJ45 to 6-Pin Ethernet Cable Adapter for Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus (4 Pack - Two Pairs, White - Standard 6-PIN V3)
Litcessory RJ45 to 6-Pin Ethernet Cable Adapter...
TR Industrial Multi-Purpose UV Resistant Black Cable Ties, 8 inches, 100 Pack
TR Industrial Multi-Purpose UV Resistant Black...

The key take away here are don’t stick the corners, don’t force the cable too much as you may damage it, and accept it will never be a perfect corner and that it will always rise up slightly.

Read: If you are looking to attach the lightstrip behind your TV then read our guide and how to here.

Hue Lightstrip 90 degree Connector

If you are willing to cut the strip and perhaps don’t need light within the corner then there are some third party products that allow you to go round corners a little bit easier. These do involve cutting the light strip and attaching some new connectors.

Litcessory do a extension which will make it easier to keep the strip going, you can then either push the two strips close together in the corner and fix the extension cable down as they are very small bendable wires.

This isn’t ideal again, and is a lot better for areas where you require a break in the run of light, such are along kitchen units and cupboards.

Ideally in the future it would be great for Philips to release a new lightstrip that can be easily cut and reattached, and has a corner connector designed specifically for this. The light strip is great for straight runs, or even areas where you cannot see the strip, so behind furniture and the TV, but if you need a hidden sharp corner it is tricky with the current thickness of the light strip.

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance LightStrip Plus Dimmable LED Smart Light, Requires Hue Hub, Works with Alexa, HomeKit, and Google Assistant - FFP

    Best Lightstrip Sticky Tape?

    The Hue lightstrips come with tape adds on the back which once peeled revel the sticky tape. To ensure good bond to the surface ensure it is clean, give it a wipe over with a damp cloth removing any stains, grease or oil that maybe there. Once cleaned over ensure it is dry and then you can stick the strip down.

    If you have already done so and it has failed to stick, or perhaps you have stuck it down before and are now moving it, then you canny some more 3M Scotch-Mount sticky tape which you can reapply.


    Founder & Editor

    Mike is the founder of Hue Home Lighting, a huge Hue fan with far too many lights, covering home and garden. A smart home gadget addict and also enjoys the odd bit of DIY

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    3 Comments

    1. Richard

      Any idea why Philips or even Litcessory don’t offer L-shape (90 degree) bends?? It’s a massive failing, especially in the majority of applications where a striplight is required. I’m looking to do my kitchen kick-boards, roof lantern and back of TV set.. all of which would massively benefit from clean 90 degree bends rather than a bodge of folding them over as illustrated.

      Philips themselves won’t recommend any third party products (not even Litcessory) which is a shame. They don’t seem to want us to create these amazing spaces.

      Reply
    2. Scott Singer

      I’ve gone through 5 Litcessory connectors trying to connect 3 LED light strips together to serve as a backlight for a floating wall I built. It is EXTREMELY difficult to get the cut end of the LED strip into the connector. After countless attempts with each connector, if I’m able to get it in place, there is tremendous degradation in the color of the lights (all the entire length) and often there is flashing lights with sections of the strips.

      Why would you not package your own connectors WITH the light strips like every other LED Strip product does? Also, why would you rely on and even market a third party product as a solution for a HUGE gap in your own product line?

      There is a big difference in the price of your LED Light Strip when compared to other products out there. For paying that premium price, I demand that your product have a MUCH higher quality than any other product; however, I now have three LED Light Strips that are basically useless to me and have flushed $260 down the drain.

      Now here is the big question for the makers of all Phillips Hue products: what are you going to do to fix this problem for me and everyone else who has or wants to buy this product?

      Reply

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