I love improving my TV setup. While I initially ignored this after picking up my first modern television, a friend convinced me to try it, and I realized that most modifications are both affordable and impactful.

Since then, I’ve tested many different Led Lights behind TV setups, and today I want to share my conclusions on the best LED Lights for behind TVs and Monitors.

Best TV Immersion With Camera

Govee Immersion Kit LED Strip Lights & Bars + Camera

As good as it gets. Premium quality LED Strip and Lightbars. Loads of functions. Excellent App controlled interface.

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Best Light Bars

Govee LED Smart Light Bars with Camera

A great choice for smaller stand-mounted TVs or monitors. Also a great choice for gaming.

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Best LED Strip Large TV’s

Eppie Basic LED TV Lights 95-Inch WiFi or Remote

The best way to bring ambient lighting to your mega-sized TV. Available for up to 95-inch TVs.

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Why Put LED Lights Behind Your TV

At its heart, the answer to this is simple: it makes your viewing experience better. That’s not very descriptive, though, so let’s talk about the specific ways that LED lights can help.

Ambient Light Reduces Eye Strain

Ambient light is a crucial factor for an enjoyable experience when you’re using any TV or monitor. Unfortunately, a TV by itself may not provide enough light to help you avoid strain. LED lights visibly ease things, especially in darker rooms and while watching television at night.

Even better, LED lights behind a television can do this without washing out the colors on the screen. The angle of your room’s lighting makes a huge difference when you’re enjoying a show, and LED lights behind TV screens have a better position than almost anything else.

Improve Perceived Contrast

LED lights can also help improve the perceived contrast on your screen. This makes things appear sharper and clearer toward the edges of your screen.

Contrast is vital when you’re watching television, and here’s why: the idea is to understand everything that’s going on with as little confusion as possible. If you have to try and figure out what something is or what it’s supposed to mean, your brain focuses on that instead of whatever you’re watching.

A good example of how this works outside of LED lights is subtitle choices. Many people ultimately choose to use yellow subtitles with a black outline. It’s not a pretty result, but yellow shows up exceptionally well against every color except white. Adding a black outline ensures it’s easily readable regardless of what’s happening onscreen.

Similarly, LED lights can provide better contrast between the edges of your screen and the space around it, regardless of what color the area around your screen is.

Immersive Experience

LED lights ultimately help create a more immersive experience. Color psychology is a well-known effect, and marketers rely heavily on it to make appealing advertisements. LED lights around a TV can take advantage of this by changing color to match the kind of content you see onscreen.

In short, LED lights can match the emotion you should feel when watching a particular show or movie. Your brain interprets this subconsciously, amplifying the emotions and ultimately providing a richer experience.

TV LED Ambient Lighting Looks Cool

Coolness is mainly a subjective factor, but from personal experience, I think that ambient lights simply look much better. They have a modern aesthetic that’s amplified the more they affect the room. LED lights around TVs also grab guests’ attention and make for a good talking point before you show them off.

Backlighting vs. Ambient vs. Bias Light

Broadly, there are three kinds of lights that affect your viewing experience.

Backlighting comes directly from your TV and should match the room you’re in. This determines how much illumination comes from your TV. In most cases, backlighting should be as low as possible. If it’s too high, the screen can be hard to look at for extended periods. However, if it’s too low, you won’t see the colors and what’s happening onscreen.

Ambient lighting is the amount of light in your room and around a screen. Having enough ambient lighting is crucial for reducing eye strain and lets you enjoy a comfortably dim room. The correct amount of ambient lighting around a television can remove the need to have other, more-distracting lights in the room. LED strips can provide this.

Bias lighting is a special quality that LEDs can provide. Most people can only see three colors, which our brain converts to the full visual spectrum. However, depending on what’s going on onscreen, our brains may struggle a little to balance things and keep up.

Bias lighting mitigates this by providing a steady color in the background. With that as a reference point, our brains have an easier time balancing color perception. That ultimately makes it easier to see what’s happening onscreen. 

Choosing The Best TV LED Backlight

In my experience, six factors matter more than anything else when you’re picking an LED backlight for your television. Focus on these qualities when you’re shopping.

RGB Color Range

RGB color range is how well the lights perform across the color spectrum. The best LED backlights have outstanding performance regardless of what color you set them to. This is especially important if you want to sync the colors to the screen.

Sound Sync LED’s

Sound sync LEDs are a fun component if you watch things that have a lot of variation in their music and volume. Genuinely varied sound is most common in movies and storytelling-focused shows. Essentially, sound sync LEDs will get brighter when your music gets louder, providing a visual accompaniment to match the music and reinforce the emotion of the scene.

Brightness Lumens Per Foot

Brightness per foot is somewhat subjective. If you have more ambient lighting, you can get away with dimmer LEDs. However, I personally find that strips with at least 450 lumens per foot provide a better and more immersive experience. You can go a little higher or lower, but deviating too far from this can reduce the overall impact.

Designed to Wrap TV Corners

The first screen I bought LEDs for had quite sharp edges, closer to a total corner than the smoother bevel that’s more common now. Unfortunately, the LEDs I bought for it weren’t designed for a corner that sharp, so I had to return them and get something that fits better.

The lesson from this is simple: Always see how sharp of a corner an LED strip will work with. If they can’t bend enough for your screen, buy something else.

Phone App or Remote Control

I once bought an LED light strip whose only control was plugging it into the power strip. The keyword in that experience is “once”. Phone or tablet apps for controlling the LED strips are the best option when available because they usually include more options, and you can often manipulate them from further away. Remotes aren’t as good, but they’ll suffice if you like the LEDs.

LED TV Lighting 3 Sides vs. 4 Sides

The choice of getting 3 sides or four sides depends on your overall room setup. For most people, the potential missing side is the bottom, although I once attached some lights to a TV mounted by the ceiling and couldn’t fit any on top.

As a general rule, I think getting lights on all four sides of the screen is better unless you have a soundbar or glossy surface beneath the television. Highly reflective surfaces can bounce light straight into your eyes instead of having ambient lighting while putting things in front of speakers can negatively impact your sound quality. Both of those are better avoided.

Best LED Lights for Behind TV Reviews

Here are the seven LED light strips I like the most. These are suitable for almost every setup, so only look at other products if none of these fit what you need.

Govee Immersion Kit LED Strip Lights & Bars + Camera

Best TV Immersion With Camera

• TV Size: 55-65 inches
• Sides of Lighting: Four
• Power: Plug
• Remote Control: App+Voice Control
• Sound Sync: Yes
• LEDs Per Meter: Unlisted
• Brightness: Variable

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Pros:

• Excellent range of colors
• The comprehensive app offers outstanding control over the lights
• Variable brightness

Cons:

• More expensive than many other LED lights

Govee’s Immersion Kit is a great place to start if you’re just getting into LEDs. It takes a little time to set up properly, but once you do, the camera on top of the TV can dynamically adjust the lights to match whatever you’re playing onscreen.

This LED kit also stands out from others thanks to the outstanding control options. The main control is Govee’s app, which includes video modes, music sync, numerous preset options, and more. It also has a voice control system. I don’t use it that much personally, but some of my friends love it, and it integrates well with most smart home systems.

Overall, I find this a great kit for immersion with television shows and changing the lights to match what you’re seeing. The one downside is that it’s for larger televisions, so look for another product if you have a small screen.

Govee LED Smart Light Bars with Camera

Best Light Bars

• TV Size: 27-45 inches
• Sides of Lighting: Two
• Power: Plug
• Remote Control: Phone App
• Sound Sync: Yes
• LEDs Per Meter: Variable
• Brightness: Variable

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Pros:

• Easy to set up in almost any screen environment
• Long bars of color provide flexible backgrounds
• Broader and brighter than traditional LED strips

Cons:

• Only covers two sides

Govee is one of my favorite LED companies, and few things display the reason better than these light bars. Although not traditional lighting strips, these bars are arguably better because they offer a wider spacing of color. You can also set them further away from the TV, which can be good for some setups.

Unlike traditional lighting strips, these LED bars have countless small LEDs inside and the ability to change between multiple colors. That adds a lot of flexibility for the kind of backlighting you can get. However, there are only two of them, so you’ll have to be careful about where you place them to get the best effect.

These light bars work best on smaller TVs, as well as monitors for personal computers. They’re not a good choice for larger screens, which will have too much dark space along the top and bottom.

Eppie Basic LED TV Lights 85-Inch WiFi or Remote

Best LED Strip Large TVs

• TV Size: 82-95 inches
• Sides of Lighting: Four
• Power: USB
• Remote Control: Phone App
• Sound Sync: Yes
• Brightness: Variable

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Pros:

• An excellent option for large televisions
• The control app has numerous preset modes
• Flexible sizing ensures a perfect fit

Cons:

• Doesn’t sync with TV colors

Eppie’s long strip is my favorite choice for larger televisions. This unit has several advantages, including a sizing customization system so you can ensure the perfect fit for your screen. The color variance is impressive, going all the way up to 6500K for a true white, and about 16 million other colors. Numerous presets and DIY modes complete the control scheme.

One thing to note here is that the automatic color-changing function is sound-based. In my experience, the colors adjust well to different types of music, but it doesn’t have a camera to automatically sync to onscreen colors.

Eppie’s strip has plenty of preset modes and compatibility with most smart home systems, offering a convenient way to manage it when you’re changing the settings. I prefer dynamic camera-based adjustments, but there are only so many options for extra-large screens, and this strip ultimately has the best balance of features.

Sengled Immersion Smart Light Bar Kit 27-45 inch TVs. Wifi.

• TV Size: 27-45 inches
• Sides of Lighting: Two
• Power: Plug
• Remote Control: Phone App
• Sound Sync: Yes
• LEDs Per Meter: Variable
• Brightness: Variable

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Pros:

• Bright bars with millions of color options
• Compatible with most smart home and voice control systems
• Especially good when paired with other smart lights

Cons:

• Doesn’t sync to video colors

Sengled’s light bars are an excellent alternative for the Govee bars above, and function similarly. The two bars included in this box come with a 60-inch cable for plugging them in, plus mounting tape in case you want to put them behind a screen.

The display itself is a tall bar capable of 16 million colors, which is the standard for most LED devices. These bars focus on audio syncing to match music or television sounds, but they also have an app for preset scenes and customized lighting plans. These bars show their real value when you pair them with other smart lights.

Sengled’s set does not include a camera for matching lights to the TV, which is the primary reason I rate this lower than the Govee bars. Outside of that feature, these are otherwise comparable and competitive options, and worth looking at.

Hamlite TV LED Backlight 32-95 Inch TV 15Ft

• TV Size: 32-95 inches
• Sides of Lighting: Four
• Power: USB
• Remote Control: Yes
• Sound Sync: No
• Brightness: 10 levels

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Pros:

• Flexible enough to fit practically any screen
• It comes with an easy-to-use remote
• More affordable than most competing products

Cons:

• Extremely limited color choices
• Does not sync to audio or video

Hamlite’s LED strip is simpler than most of the other options on this list. It only has 17 colors, which you can adjust through their remote control instead of an app. It doesn’t sync to audio or video, although you can have several dynamic modes that change color over time.

The main value of these lights is their flexibility for placement. Unlike some firmer units, these LEDs work on a long strip that you can easily bend or attach to curved TVs to fit their shape. Most LEDs aren’t nearly as good at that, making this a more viable choice for curved screens. 

Hamlite also manufactures this strip in many lengths, from as little as 32 inches to as much as 95. For all practical purposes, this LED strip can fit a TV of any size. That’s another point in its favor. Ultimately, these lights are best for people who want simple background lighting, without having to worry about advanced features. As a bonus, they’re affordable.

Miume 13.2Ft Music LED Strip Lights for 48-60 inch TV

• TV Size: 48-60 inches
• Sides of Lighting: Four
• Power: USB
• Remote Control: Yes, plus a phone app
• Sound Sync: Yes
• Brightness: Variable

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Pros:

• Excellent color range
• Functionally waterproof for outdoor use
• It comes with both app and remote controls

Cons:

• No video sync
• Not a great option for precise color control

Miume’s LED strip is another music-focused one. This particular strip works especially well with smart music players, including both Apple and Android systems, but it can also sync its 16 million colors to ambient sounds from the television.

Conveniently, this set comes with both an app for fine control and a remote for easy access to basic controls. Many competitors only offer one or the other, but in my experience, the split setup is more helpful for users. It’s also IP65 waterproof, which is suitable for outdoor use. Many LED strips are indoor-only, so this is a better choice for outdoor use.

Miume manufactures this kit in various lengths, making it suitable for TVs from 14” to 80”. It’s not quite long enough for the largest screens, but it’s more than good enough for most homeowners and you can cut it to fit. The price is great, too, so I find this a solid backup option.

Govee TV Backlights 10ft Alexa, Google Assist, App Controls

• TV Size: 46-60 inches
• Sides of Lighting: Four
• Power: USB
• Remote Control: Phone App
• Sound Sync: Yes
• Brightness: Variable

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Pros:

• Excellent choice for mid-sized televisions
• Competitive pricing
• Works well with Govee’s control app

Cons:

• The narrow range of suitable TV sizes

Govee’s simpler strips are a great alternative to the premium options at the top of this list. The 10-foot cord fits TVs between 46 and 60 inches, with about 90 lights total on each string. Govee has outstanding app support for its strips, and that holds true here with 16 million colors and wireless management of its systems.

Like all higher-quality LED strips, this option includes a microphone to help match the audio of whatever you’re watching. It doesn’t have a camera for color sync to the screen, but it does include voice control for a simpler setup.

Unlike some of Govee’s other lighting options, this one is USB-based. It attaches well to most modern televisions, but the cord length may make it hard to attach elsewhere. That’d not a huge deal, but I’ve occasionally installed lights somewhere beyond a TV instead of right behind it, so I always check for that sort of thing when I’m buying.

How To Put LED Lights Around TV

The exact method for putting LED lights behind TV systems depends on the LEDs themselves because manufacturers often have different systems. However, most strips have adhesive backing that you can press into the TV to hold them in place. Remember to hold them firmly and focus on positioning the end to ensure they’re straight.

Problem With LED Lights That Won’t Stick

If LED lights don’t stick, the problem is probably with the adhesive. Some TVs are too dirty in their rear, while others have bumpy or irregular sides that don’t hold adhesive as well. Try using 3M’s Very High Bond tape, or a silicone adhesive if the surface is particularly uneven.

Verdict: Best LED Lights Around TV

Govee’s Immersion Kit is the best option on pure merit, offering a combination of light strips and light bars with display sync to get the best performance. It’s easily the best place to start if you want a good setup.

Best TV Immersion With Camera

Govee Immersion Kit LED Strip Lights & Bars + Camera

As good as it gets. Premium quality LED strip and Lightbars. Loads of functions. Excellent App controlled interface.

Check Price

Best Light Bars

Govee LED Smart Light Bars with Camera

A great choice for smaller stand-mounted TVs or monitors. Also a great choice for gaming.

Check Price

Best LED Strip Large TV’s

Eppie Basic LED TV Lights 95-Inch WiFi or Remote

The best way to bring ambient lighting to your mega-sized TV. Available for up to 95-inch TVs.

Check Price

However, it is rather expensive. If you’re looking for a cheaper option, Govee’s strip-only kit for TV backlighting is affordable and syncs well to audio.

FAQ: Ambient LED Lights Around TV

Here are some of the most common questions people have about LED lights behind TV systems. If your question isn’t answered here, consult the user’s manual or contact the manufacturer for more information.