LED Driver

LED driver - protects against overcurrent and overload

Here on the site you will find the complete selection of LED drivers, which can help to minimize the risk of overload in the places where you use LED lighting.

An LED driver is also called an LED transformer, and it is basically a small type of control box that can control your LED lights, both in color and strength.

LED drivers come in many different models, designs, and with different outputs, so there are good opportunities to find a unit that fits exactly to your needs.

If you are unsure what to look for when choosing an LED driver, you can read below where we try to provide an overview of the options.

7 things you need to know when looking for an LED driver

Because there are so many different models and variations of LED drivers, it can be a bit overwhelming to navigate what makes them different and what you should look for.

Therefore, we have compiled some things that you need to know when looking for an LED driver.

#1 - Do you need an LED driver?

Most often, the answer will be “yes” to the question of whether you need a driver for your LED bulbs, but often the driver can be built into an LED lamp or LED strip.

If the LED driver is built-in, you certainly do not need to buy an extra one, but there can be advantages to choosing LEDs where the driver is not built-in.

When the LED driver is built-in, there is often not the same space for the capacitor that ensures the driver's function, and this can mean that you may experience flickering or blinking in the light.

With an external LED driver, you can ensure to choose a model that has enough space for the capacitor, allowing you to achieve more efficient lighting.

It is important to keep in mind that the LED driver operates on low voltage, and it should not be compared with a power supply, as the power supply is responsible for delivering the correct voltage, while the LED driver controls the voltage according to your preferences for color and brightness.

Therefore, it is also important that the power supply is the one that fits your LED lamp, otherwise you risk damaging both the driver and the lamp.

It is recommended to use LED drivers for LED lighting, as this can give a longer lifespan and at the same time save energy.

LED drivers can also help to avoid unfortunate short circuits and high operating temperatures for your LED strips and lamps.

#2 - Types of LED drivers

There are basically two main types of LED drivers, one is a constant current driver and the other is a constant voltage driver.

These cannot replace each other, understood in the way that if your lamp requires constant voltage, then you cannot connect an LED driver with constant current.

You can find information on what your lamp requires in the lamp manual or on the box.

Constant current driver

LED driver with constant current is the most common for lamps, and this type can supply LED diodes and lamps with 150 mA - 1500 mA, and varying voltage.

This driver type is particularly suitable for series connection.

You can easily see if you are dealing with a constant current driver by looking at the label on the unit, which will often list something like 5-36VDC.

Constant voltage driver

As the name suggests, this LED driver maintains a constant voltage, typically at 12V or 24VDC, and it is often used for LED strips or other lamps that have a resistor mounted to prevent the diodes from burning out.

This driver type is particularly suitable for parallel connection.

The current in the constant voltage driver will vary depending on the load in the circuit that is connected.

You can recognize this unit by looking at the label, where it will often list something like 12V or 24VDC.

It is important to choose the right type of driver for your LED lighting, and you can often compare the information from the lamp with the label information on the driver.

#3 - Dimmable LED driver

An LED driver can also be available with a function that allows you to dim the brightness, here it is just important that your LED lamp supports the dimmable function.

If the LED lamp does not support the dimmable function, you risk damaging both the driver and the lamp.

Most newer LED lights support dimmable drivers, but check for safety with the lamp's manual.

Some dimmable LED drivers can be operated via WiFi through an app or with a remote control, while others have a small button or screw on the driver that you need to manually adjust to dim or increase brightness.

#4 - Output in LED drivers

It is important to keep an eye on the output that the LED driver can deliver, as this ideally should match what your LED lamp requires.

Typically, the input current is determined by the power supply, but the driver must control the output delivered to the LED light source.

The output of an LED driver is often specified in mA (milliAmperes), and different models typically deliver outputs between 100 mA - 1500 mA, depending on the type and model of the LED driver.

If the output is too high compared to what the LED diodes can handle, you risk damaging the diodes, so you should check the manual for the light source to see what the maximum power may be.

#5 - Size of LED driver

There are LED drivers in many different sizes and shapes, with some being quite large and round, while others are very small and rectangular.

If there is good space, and the driver can be tucked away on top of a cupboard or similar, then the physical size of the unit may not matter as much.

If the LED driver is to be mounted in a place where it cannot be hidden away, such as on a wall or in the ceiling, you may want to find a small unit that does not take up much space.

Often the price is a bit higher for the small units compared to the large ones.

#6 - LED driver for mounting on furniture

If you are going to install LED lighting in a cupboard or behind the sofa, you need to be aware that your LED driver should be designed to be mounted in or on furniture.

An LED driver can indeed get warm when in use, and therefore not all are equally suitable to be enclosed, where the unit does not have effective air circulation around it.

If the unit is not approved or intended for installation in, for example, a cupboard or behind a sofa, it may pose an increased fire risk due to heat generation.

#7 - Number of outputs in your LED driver

LED drivers can have different numbers of outputs, which means that some LED drivers with multiple outputs can be connected to several LED light sources.

This means that if you know you need to connect 3 LED strips to the same driver, you should choose a driver with 3 outputs.

The more outputs there are in the LED driver, the larger the physical size is often as well.