Philips Hue light strips are a great way to add color to your space. They are easy to install and you can customize them to match your decor.

These strips are an energy-efficient LED lighting solution. You can cut the light strips to fit any room and easily apply them with the adhesive backing included in each package.

Similarly, you can use them to highlight a specific area or string them together to accent your entire home. Hue light strips are available in one long strip. In most cases, you can not cut the strips, and if you do, you can not use the cut part.

However, in this post, I will show you how to easily cut and extend your Hue light strips. You will need some knowledge of soldering to do this.

Cutting And Extending Your Philips Hue Light Strips With Soldering

You’ll need:

-A hot glue gun.

-A Philips Hue hub.

-Some ethernet cables, the length depends on the location.

Heavy-duty 3m double-sided tape.

Instruction

The Hue strips have markers where you can cut the strips. These markers are great when you want to cut little pieces that you no longer want to use. Furthermore, you can also cut along the soldering points, and I’ll show you how to do this below.

• First, cut the protective cover off from where you want to cut.
• Cut around the area until you expose the six pins.
• Use your side cutters to cut in the middle of the pins.
• Then, slice the ethernet cable to expose the wires inside.
• Strip back each cable and twist.
• Near Hue’s six pins, there are some letters that will tell you where to solder each color cable to.
• Solder the cables to the pins of the Hue strips.
• You can add some hot glue for additional protection.
• Plug in the lights to make sure they work.

It is that simple!

Cutting Philips Hue Strips Without Soldering

Adding a 6-pin connector to your Philips Hue Light strip is one of the easiest ways to cut and extend your Hue strips.

You don’t need any soldering experience and it all requires six pins connectors. These connectors are affordable and can be found online or at your nearest hardware store.

• You will need to expose the pins as we did above.
• Use a razor to cut the plastic protective casing around the points.
• Cutting around the casing and the sides offers the best results.
• Next, cut in the middle of the pins.
• With a paper clip, safely lift the pins.
• Then, connect the six pins to each end of the cut strip.
• Close the lid and connect the extension.

Can You Cut Philips Hue Strips Anywhere?

No, you can not cut the Hue strips as you like, because each color is arranged in an order that allows them to get the right voltage value depending on the specification and length.

For example, red needs 2V and white needs 3.2V. So if you cut in places that are not marked (where the connection points are), the strips may become unusable. Unless you cut in the middle of the pins, solder, or use connectors.

Furthermore, cutting your Philips Hue strips at any point can also damage the strips’ circuitry.

Troubleshooting: Philips Hue Strips Not Working After Cutting

Problems can occur when cutting your Hue strips.

Many people believe that if you cut along the marked lines, your strips will work fine. However, if you cut them too short, you may experience a voltage drop.

For 24-volt strips, do not cut longer than 15 feet.

To safely remove the waterproof sheathing without damaging the strips, use pliers to cut from the top down and lift the sheathing off the cut end. Do not pull the sheathing off the cut end as you may damage the pin, making it impossible to solder.

Soldering may look easy, but it’s not. So make sure you have some experience in this field before you venture into the soldering method. Keep in mind that Philips Hue light strips are very expensive. So once you mess it up, you will waste a lot of money.

The safest way to cut and extend your light strips is to use plugs and extension cords. You can find these on Amazon.

Which Method Works Best?

Depending on the location, some methods are best for lengthening and cutting.

For example, if you stick your strips behind your TV and they are way too long, you can cut them at the recommended marked line.

However, if you need a short piece of the strips under your kitchen cabinets, it’s best to cut in the middle of Hue’s six pins. Because the other strips can be used in other areas.

To Sum,

Regardless of the brand of strips, the same rules apply: Do not cut on unmarked places. Always follow the marked scissor line or cut in the center of the solder pins. You will need experience in soldering. It can also be expensive if you have to buy a soldering kit.

For those who want to cut your Philips Hue strip in the safest way possible, consider this connector set. They are much cheaper than a soldering kit and carry fewer risks.