Professional LED Tube Light Manufacturer from China

SMAlux LED Tube Light

SMAlux LED tube light is certified by UL, CE, RoHS, SAA, NOM, etc. We can provide you with certified products with a long lifetime, you don’t need to worry about product quality issues.

Relying on high-end LED chips, LED tube light products can achieve brighter, higher lumens and higher color rendering index. Max lighting efficacy can be achieved 180lm/W, and color rendering index can be closed to RA99.

SMAlux T8 LED Tube Light used 3 in 1design, compatible with ballast, single-ended ballast bypass, and double-ended ballast bypass, it can help you reduce your inventory and storage costs by 66%.

In addition, SMAlux has Glass + PET coating, glass painting or PC inside glass housing for your option. also, we have a super safe driver with 4000V Hi-pot test & short circuit/over-heat/over-current/surge protection.

all SMAlux LED tube light used automatic production, high product consistency, and low manufacture costs, 5 years warranty with eco-friendly material, the maintenance cost is nearly free.

LED Tube Lights

Do LED tube lights require a ballast?

Ballasts are only needed for fluorescent tube lights.

LED tube lights have an LED driver.

Our LED tube lights better than fluorescent tube lights?

LED tube lights are 30% more efficient than fluorescent ones.

Thus, LEDs look brighter and don’t flicker as much as fluorescent lights do.

It supplies the light with the right type of power, transforming it.

LED lights run on low voltage and direct current (DC).

Drivers turn regular high-voltage AC power into one compatible with the LEDs.

This technology ensures the light’s efficiency, so its quality should be monitored above all else.

What does retrofit mean?

Retrofitting is basically when you add new technology to the old one or replacing parts of it.

We say that LED tube lights are popular in retrofitting fluorescent lights and systems.

What is the difference between single-ended and double-ended tube lights?

Tube lights have ended with 2 prongs each that carry electricity.

The prongs have live connections and neutral connections.

Neutral wires complete an AC circuit.

Single-ended LED tube lights have one life and one neutral wire on just one end.

Double-ended LED tube lights have 2 live wires on one end and 2 neutral ones on the other.

Choosing either one depends on your design and other optimizing factors, such as how many LED tube lights you are using, what the room layout is, and where the power source is.

Double-ended and single-ended lights

If you need help choosing, feel free to contact us!

What do T8 and T5 mean?

T8 tells you some crucial details about the LED tube lights.

Namely, the “T” stands for the shape of the lights, which is tubular.

The number after the T stands for the diameter of the tube measured in eighths of an inch.

Thus, T8 is 8/8 inches, or 1 inch in diameter, while T5 is ⅝ inches.

Another popular diameter is T12, which is measured at 1.5 inches.

Diameters of LED tube lights

What are UL LED tube light types?

There are 3 main types of LED tube lights, as defined by UL.

These are types A, B, and C.

Type A is the easiest to install and is characterized by an integrated driver.

What this means is that it is compatible with fluorescent ballasts, so they can be used to replace them.

However, some efficiency is lost to the ballast, which also makes this type limited to dimming.

Type A is also called Plug & Play.

Type B is simple overall, bypassing possible ballasts and wiring directly into the main power source.

This eliminates any compatibility issues, but still has design perks, such as the inclusion of an in-line fuse.

And although type B is more efficient than type A, it still is limited to dimming and other controls.

Type B is also called Direct wire.

Type C is known for the best overall performance.

It has a remote driver, increasing its efficiency, as well as introducing elaborate control possibilities.

As for cost, type A is the cheapest, type C is the most expensive.

Type B has the highest installation cost.

However, we are not done yet, as there is a hybrid type with the dual-mode internal driver.

Usually, it is comprised of types A and B together.

This type can work both off of ballast and the main source.

However, this type is still being actively researched and developed, so contact us for more information!

What is a shunted/non-shunted tombstone?

These are sockets that LED tube lights to connect to.

It is crucial that these are compatible with the light fixture.

Shunted tombstones have 2 holes and are connected inside, so the electricity flow is continuous.

non-shunted tombstones are necessary to bypass ballasts.

They have 4 holes, and the electricity travels in multiple paths.

Different tombstones

Single-ended fixtures are usually not compatible with shunted sockets, but double-ended is compatible with both.

Choosing either one depends on how much voltage you need since the flow of electricity will affect it.

When you are selling LED tube lights, be sure to make it clear what your light supports and what wiring design it needs.

What covers can I request for the LED tube lights?

You can have a frosted, also called milkily, and a clear light cover.

The cover changes how the light looks but does not compromise the brightness.

Frosted glass will diffuse the light, changing the shadows cast by it.

Clear glass will give you sharp and defined shadows, while frosted glass will soften and blur them.

Different glass coats

Clear glass does not have any coatings, but frosted glass uses kaolin, which is white chalk-like clay, to diffuse the light.

Thus, for commercial uses, the lights are better to be clear, but residential is better as frosted.

However, it still depends on the specifics of your project.

Where and why do LED tube lights use aluminum?

Mostly, aluminum is used as the shell – where the LEDs themselves are mounted.

This is so because aluminum has ideal heat dissipating qualities, acting as a heatsink for LEDs.

What LED technologies can be used in tube lights?

LED tube lights, just like other LED lights, can use 3 main technologies: surface-mounted, chip-on-board, and 5mm.

Surface-mounted or SMD is the most used in tube lights.

Here, LED’s are placed densely together, creating a bright light.

This technology also allows for a lot of control over the color temperature of the light.

Plus, the spaces between LEDs serve as a heatsink.

SMD technology

COB technology is also used often, but less so than SMD.

These create very bright and efficient light because of the very dense placement of LEDs.

However, COB is prone to overheating.

 COB technology

Finally, sometimes tube lights use 5mm LEDs.

These don’t provide as much light and cast more shade.

Thus, these are better for residential uses.

5mm LEDs

How can I control SMD light?

One way that you can control the light emanating from SMD LEDs is the density of individual chips.

This lets you control the brightness since more dense placement will yield more light.

However, dense placement will also result in higher heat buildup.

Controlling the density of chips also gives you an opportunity to vary the length of the tube light since different densities have different lengths you can cut the tube at.

High density will give you more cuttable chunks at smaller intervals, making it more precise.

Low density has longer cuttable intervals, so it is less likely to fit into the exact length you want.

 Densities of SMD chips

What types of bases are there?

Overall, there are prongs and single-pin plugs, as well as 3-pin and quad-pin bases.

Prongs or pins are the most used bases for LED tube lights.

These are also known as G5 and G13.

Besides these, you can also have a single-pin base that is compatible with some fluorescent sockets.

Different types of sockets: Single-pin and various Bipin

The same goes for quad-pin bases, which are known as 2G7 bases.

These are bases for fluorescent lights, so LED manufacturers to use these bases so end users can replace fluorescent lights with new LED tube lights without trouble.

 Quad-pin base

Now, 3-pin bases are more complicated.

They are used with integrated tube lights.

They can also be used to connect LED tube lights to each other via a short cord.

 Integrated base

What exactly does the base code denote?

Overall, bases have a letter and a number code.

The letter corresponds to the type of base.

In our case, G denotes multiple pin-type light bulb base.

With these bases, the number following the G tells you the distance between pins.

Finally, there could be 2 sets of optional letters.

The first set would go after the G and before the number.

Such letters are U, X, Y, and Z.

These letters tell you about the shape of the bottom ceramic cup holder compatible with the base.

The U cup has a U shape, but with tapered edges.

The U base is also universal, meaning that any G base will fit.

Z cup is rectangular in shape.

X cup is also rectangular but also has 2 steps.

Examples of cup shapes

The second set of letters comes after the number.

These couples are s, d, t, and q.

They correspond to the number of pins that the base has – single, double, triple, and quadruple respectively.

Putting this all together, an LED tube light base can be GU13d, meaning that it has 2 pins, a U cup, and the distance between the pins is 13 mm.

Conversely, the same code can be left as G13.

What are the typical dimensions of LED tube lights?

The width of an LED tube light depends on its diameter.

Meanwhile, the length of the tube ranges from 0.5 to 2.5 meters, or 1.6-8 feet.

We can manufacture shorter or longer tube lights as well if you request so.

What light fixtures are there?

Mainly, there could be parabolic and indirect fixtures.

They differ in the way they point the light – yes, LED lights go in a specific direction; they are not 360-degree lights.

Parabolic fixtures are the standard ones you think of when you hear about LED tube lights.

These fixtures aim the light downwards.

This one is the most practical, but it can also be harsh on the eyes.

Indirect fixtures aim the light upwards, and after that, it reflects off of a ceiling.

These, on the other hand, serve more of a decorative purpose as they provide a softer light.

Types of fixtures

How much light do LED tube lights produce?

Typically, for retail, offices, hospitals, hotels, and other similar applications, you need several LED tube lights with lumen outputs of 1800 lumens.

These lights shouldn’t be too bright since that is harsh on the eyes.

As for industrial applications, like factories and warehouses, where the ceilings are high up, you should develop LED tube lights with 2000 lumens.

What beam angle is the best for LED tube lights?

Tube lights are long, so they will have wide beam angles.

Assuming an average ceiling is 8-9 feet, or 2-3 meters, high, you should have at least 60 degrees in the beam angle.

However, most tube lights are used in offices and warehouses, so the beam should be much wider, up to 100-300 degrees.

How can I increase the beam angle?

There is a design that allows you to expand the beam angle of your LED tube lights.

This design is called a v-shape, which is exactly what it looks like.

The panel where LEDs are is rotated and another one is added, thus creating a V-shaped mount.

This lets you have 2 rows of LEDs, expanding your beam angle from 180 degrees to 270, or even 300.

V-shaped design

Besides the v-shape, you can also request more panels, such as 3 or 4 to expand the angle even more.

What color temperature and CRI do I need to look for?

For CRI, also referred to as RA, you should aim for no less than a value of 80.

The color rendering index measures how well the light coming from your LED represents colors.

The lower the index, the duller or more distorted colors will be.

This value also shows you the quality of the light since better and more expensive LEDs will make colors rich.

In terms of color temperature, it depends on what the tube lights will be used for.

Usually, they are put in offices and warehouses, in which case the light should be in the 4000K-5000K range.

Warehouses can go higher – to 6000K.

Color temperatures

This is so because higher values correspond to cooler color temperatures.

Cool light stimulates focus and concentration – perfect for offices.

However, very cool light is actually harsh on the eyes.

Warehouses need bright light, so very cool light suits well.

If you are marketing your LED tube lights for decorative and home interior purposes, then warmer light of 3000-4000K is just right.

Warm light is soft and makes space feel cozy.

What is some decorative way to use LED tube lights?

One of the best ways to use LED tube lights in an interior is by using them like strip lights.

This means that your customers can line the perimeter of their ceiling with them, creating an interesting ambient light.

Besides that, you can also have colored light to jazz up any place.

For one, you can have either colored LEDs or color sleeves for regular tube lights to transform them to look like the popular neon lights.

 Colored LED tube lights

Or, you can employ the v-shaped design with differently colored LEDs to create a duo-chrome aesthetic.

The same can be done with multi-panel tube lights.

Multi-panel lights

All these can be used in residential projects as well as in clubs, restaurants, bars, and stores.

Another decorative and unique way to use LED tube lights is to hang them from one end, so they look like strings.

This makes space look mysterious and fantasy-like.

 A decorative way to hang tube lights

What is the maximum efficacy and CRI/RA that SMAlux can offer me?

We can offer you LED tube lights with an efficacy of 180 lumens per watt and RA of a whopping 99.

Can LEDs create black light?

Any light can create black light if a special violet phosphor coating is added.

This coating absorbs all light, so other objects start to glow or fluoresce.

Another way to create black light is to use UV-emitting light, which looks blue.

There are LEDs that do that, so you can definitely request that.

Blacklight is used in medicine, forensics, and other scientific fields, and if that is your business, we will help bring it to light.

  LED tube black light

Where are LED tube lights installed?

LED tube lights can be installed directly on the ceiling.

This gives a recessed light effect and a modern look.

In the same way, they can be installed on the wall for decorative purposes.

More often, though, LED tube lights are installed into a hanging fixture.

This is easier and lowers the light to the ground or the working surface.

However, then it is possible to knock it down if it is not high enough.

How do sensor LED tube lights work?

SMAlux offers sensor and smart light technology that you can request to be combined with our LED tube lights.

Among the many sensor technologies, we have the microwave one.

It works by emitting waves, and a motion detector analyzes the reflected waves.

Once it senses motion within 10 meters, the light is turned on.

It remains on for 5 minutes, unless you request to adjust this time, then starting to dim.

 Motion light

LED tube lights in a restaurant and an office

Believe it or not, you can even market your lights to transport branches, such as subways and buses.

These lights can be regular, but also specific, like have color.

This depends on who exactly your client is.

As we mentioned before, LED tube lights can be marketed to scientific uses as well, such as labs, for general lighting, as well as blacklight tubes.

Other indoor applications can be described as industrial, such as factories, and warehouses.

These tube lights also need to be very powerful, have cooler lights, and be protected against impacts.

 LED tube lights in a storage space

Finally, residential tube lights can be softer in lumen output and color temperature.

They also don’t need to be specially protected, and can easily have motion sensors for security purposes.

LED tube lights in a home

In the residential sector, you can also be approached by retail agents, so that is a market too!

Lastly, make sure you know and consider as much as possible, and feel free to contact us today!

Also, check out our importing how-to!