The 4 Best LED Light Strips For Desks

Traditional desk lamps are great, but LED strip lights can illuminate underneath your desk or behind your monitor to liven up an otherwise boring desk setup without taking up much space in the process. The best LED light strips for desks can be trimmed to fit the size of your desk, and can illuminate your desired colors or change between colors, so you can easily create the vibe you want to. But, what else do you need to know before you buy?

First, it’s important to take a measurement of your desk space. You want to be sure you invest in high-quality LED lights that cover the entire area you want to light up. LED light strips come in a variety of lengths, and if you can’t find the perfect length for your space, you can always trim the LED light strips to fit across your desk. (Pro tip: Every set of light strips on this list can be cut to size.)

You should also consider any other cool features you may want. For example, for the most customizability, color-changing LED lights are a great pick that usually come with a remote so you can change the color without having to walk over. There are even some LED lights that can sync up to your playlist to glow with the beat of the music you’re listening to — perfect for impromptu dance parties. While color-changing LED lights can also display white light, if you’d prefer to only have bright white lights, I’ve included a light strip that doesn’t change colors and can be dimmed to your preferred light intensity.

Given how many choices are out there, it’s not easy to find the best LED lights for your desk. Here are some high-quality, well-reviewed options to help you narrow it down.

1. The Best Overall, All Things Considered

• Length: 32.8 feet
• Trimmable? Yes

At 32.8-feet long, these color-changing LED lights will fit just about any desk, and with 300 LED lights, they offer a bright glow. You can use the included remote to choose from 16 individual colors, including white, or you can choose to use a dynamic setting including flash, fade, or dimming. You can also create custom RGB colors and save them using the DIY buttons, so there’s no doubt you’ll be able to achieve the color light you want. These lights also feature a strong self-adhesive strip so you can install them anywhere, and you can even cut the strip every three lights so you can achieve the perfect fit for your desk space. You can also attach multiple strips together using the included connector, according to reviewers. Over 110,000 Amazon reviewers have weighed in and given these lights a 4.5-star overall rating.

Positive Amazon review: “I hung these under my stand-sit desk. The adhesive works well and they were easy to install. I'm still figuring out the remote but it provides a lot of color choices and auto flashing options. Very happy with [the] purchase.”

2. A Longer Set

• Length options: 24.6 feet, 50 feet
• Trimmable? Yes

From the same brand, these extra-long lights are great for larger workspaces. This strip is over 50-feet long and features 450 bright LED lights. You can trim down these lights to fit your desk as needed, or you can even add to them for extra length (though, some reviewers warn that it’s easier to buy the larger size and trim them to fit than it is to connect two of the smaller 24.6-feet strips). Similar to the set above, these can cycle between 16 different colors, including white, or you can create your own custom colors and save them using the DIY buttons. Plus, these lights also come with their own handy remote so you can choose your favorite single color, dim or brighten, or put them into flash mode for a party. These also have a self-adhesive so you can easily stick them to any desk.

Positive Amazon review: “I used these behind a desk to make a glow and they worked perfectly. I had to stick them to open particle board and they stuck without any issues. The remote has had no problems. [...] Great product.”

3. The Best Music-Syncing Lights

• Length: 65.6 feet
• Trimmable? Yes

Not only can you change these LED lights from your phone, but you can sync them to your favorite music, too. The specific number of bulbs isn’t listed, but they seem to be similarly distributed on the strip as other lights on this it. Just download the app and you can choose any color you want, or you can set them up to change colors on a timer. You can even play your favorite songs from your phone and these lights will sync up to the beat to your music. On top of that, these 65.6-foot lights can cover even the largest spaces or can be trimmed to size. Even better, the self-adhesive on the back allows for simple installation. Unlike others on this list, these also have a built-in timer so you can set the timer from one, two, three, or four hours. These have adjustable brightness as well, and whether you use the included remote or the app, you can create nearly any custom color you want in the RGB color wheel, including classic white.

Positive Amazon reviews: “These lights are great! There is a ton of length to run around the room. Over 65 ft! The music option is cool as the lights change to the beat of the music. The remote control is cool too.... many options. Really easy to install.”

4. The Best White Lights

• Length: 16.4 feet, 32.8 feet
• Trimmable? Yes

If you’d prefer to keep it simple, these white LED lights add a soft, classic glow to your workspace, and feature 300 light bulbs in a 16.4-foot strip. They also feature a controller that can dim these lights all the way to 10% of their full brightness. You can also size up to the 32.8-foot size, instead, if that’s better for your space. To control the brightness, you’ll use the controller attached to the cord, however, compared to others on this list, these offer a lot less functionality, both in the remote and in the color options. That said, this simple option is still worth your money if you know you don’t want color-changing light and come in at less than $20. You can also cut this strip so you can find the perfect fit for your space, and the self-adhesive on the back can stick to just about any hard surface. These also come in warm white and yellow light options if that’s more your style.

Positive Amazon review: “Bought these to brighten up work space at my home office desk. They did the trick! And at a far better price than any lamp out there. I have them on a Wi-Fi plug so they are on when I get to my desk and I don't forget to turn them off.”