HomeReviews We have been learning about Tapo for some time now. It is a TP-Link brand that mainly offers smart home peripherals. The brand, like many of the emerging ones, has the advantage of releasing quality products on the market at a truly competitive price. This is the case of the RGB LED strip under test, which at the time of writing can even be bought on Amazon for about 22 euros. Here's how our test went.
The sales package does not reveal any particular surprises. Inside, in fact, in addition to the LED strip, also everything necessary for correct operation, ie power socket and a remote control with a single button for use without a smartphone or voice assistants. Nothing else, except for the manuals, which can also remain closed, so simple is the assembly, configuration, and daily use. Note that Tapo L900-5 is designed with safety standards, in order to dissipate heat. Each LED bead works independently of the next and is not prone to flicker caused by low voltages.
The first thing to do is to combine the lights with the Tapo application, available for free on the App Store and Google Play. The fact that it is a TP-Link brand is immediately evident. The brand has certainly exploited TP-Link's know-how, to the point of creating an absolutely functional app, so as to offer a problem-free combination and immediate use. By starting the app with the LED strip on, simply click on the appropriate icon to add a peripheral, and choose the LED strip. That's it, nothing else is requested, you are ready to use the app.
The LED strip is well finished, with 3M tape already positioned along its entire length, so you can choose to literally stick the strip to different surfaces. Let's imagine that it can be placed above furniture, as well as under desks, cupboards and, why not, even behind the TV, in case you want to recreate, for example, a sort of ambilight effect.
Although the LED strip was created to recreate different atmospheres, its power is remarkable, and if you choose white light it is certainly able to illuminate a medium-sized room. Tapo L900-5 supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi to be controlled by the app or by voice assistants, has a 13.5W power supply, and it is possible to customize the RGB tones by choosing from over 16 million colors, so as to recreate the perfect atmosphere for every occasion.
The control app is really simple. The main screen acts as a remote control where you can turn them on and off with a single tap. On the top there are pre-set colors, which can be changed at will. Just click on a color, then click again to access the color palette, so as to create a custom shade to be activated with a single tap. Not only that, in addition to the choice of single colors it is also possible to benefit from some effects.
Among the predefined ones there are some that simulate Christmas lights, or that propose a candle effect, with a flickering of the glow, just to simulate the flame. Then there are Lightning-style effects, and others that can be activated with just one click. It is also possible to choose to create customized effects, being able to set different colors to alternate, also deciding the brightness to be given to the effect, and the speed of change between one color and another.
Also interesting is the possibility of synchronizing the lights with the music, using the smartphone as an ambient microphone to perceive the sounds present in the room. The function is particularly nice for animating a party for example, and works fairly well. Of course it is not possible to expect perfect synchronization, but overall the result is appreciable. Also in this case it is possible to decide the level of brightness that the lights must maintain during music playback.
Among the other functions of the app also the possibility of programming the switching on and off of the LED strip, setting days and times for the shifts. Moreover, from the same screen it is possible to choose the effect or the color to be turned on from time to time.
The shades of colors expressed by the LED strip are good, as well as the brightness is more than enough: perfect for creating the right atmosphere, sufficient in case you want to illuminate the room only with the strip. Note, however. that it is RGB and not RGBW led. This means that the strip has no white light, and that white is therefore always obtained from the mix of the various colors. It is impossible to completely eliminate the color casts, and this results in a white that tends to pink.
Another element to take into consideration is that, if on the one hand the LED strip can be cut to size, on the other hand this excess will be rendered unusable, as there is the connection plug only on one end. This means that if you need, for example, a. meter of LED strip, it would be a shame to buy this 5 meter one. In short, buy it only if you plan to use it entirely.
Another valuable element, also in consideration of the low cost, is the support for Amazon and Google voice assistants. Just enter the Tapo account on Google Home, or Alexa, after installing it, to start controlling the strip via voice. Thanks to the voice commands, which are always punctual, it is possible to turn it on or off, as well as manage colors and shades.
Be careful when choosing the Tapo LED strip. The model under test does not allow to change colors by single segment. The selected color will be applied evenly over the entire strip, which therefore can only show one color at a time. If, on the other hand, you want a segmented multicolored LED strip, you will need to choose the L920-5 model.
Conclusions
At the price of 22 euros at which it is now on Amazon, it is an absolutely valid RGB strip and to be recommended. Very easy to use, it offers pleasant shades, unless you are looking for pure white, or cold or warm. The price is the element that makes it really attractive, also by virtue of good quality. Excellent operation with Alexa and the Google Assistant: in this case having an LED strip from a well-known brand will ensure operation even in the years to come, with good support.
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At the time of writing, Tapo L900-5 is on offer for 22 euros on Amazon. You can buy it directly at this address.
