BlitzWolf BW-LT11 LED Light Strip Kit Review

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Exactly a year ago we reviewed the Yeelight YLDD01YL Smart Light Strip. This light strip made us very happy, but it still was around 50 bucks. Since then, luckily more manufacturers have been releasing budget-friendly LED Light strips to the consumer market. That led (pun intended) us to the BlitzWolf BW-LT11, an LED Light Strip for less than half the money you have to pay for the Yeelight. We already tested several BlitzWolf products, with most recently two bluetooth headsets. Price and quality wise, the tested BlitzWolf products have been good, but does that also apply for the BW-LT11 LED Light Strip?

Contents

Specifications

Specification as we found them on banggood:

ModelBW-LT11
ColorSurface of Light Strip——White
Back of Light Strip——Blue adhesive tape
Length5m(16.4ft)/2m(6.6ft)/1m
Adapter5M——EU/US 24W
2M——EU/US 24W (Support extended to 5m)
1M Extension——Without Adapter, it only supports using with BW-LT11 2M
Adapter InputEU: 230V 50/60Hz
US: 110V 50/60Hz
Controller InputDC 12V/2A
Material5M——FPC board + PU glue, 3M adhesive, PC
2M——FPC board + PU glue, 3M adhesive, PC
1M Extension——FPC board + PU glue, 3M adhesive
Water-proof+Swear-proofLight Strip: IP44
Controller: P20
Light Color4000K White + RGB
Number of LEDs5M——2835 4000K White*150pcs/5050 RGB*150pcs
2M——2835 4000K White*60pcs/5050 RGB*60pcs
1M Extension——2835 4000K White*30pcs/5050 RGB*30pcs
Chromogenic Index≥80 Ra
Beam Angle150°
Adjusting Light EffectWhite Color——Adjust Brightness Level
Colorful Color——Adjust Brightness Level and Saturation
APP ControlBlitzWolf, Compatible with Smart Life & Tuya Smart
Wifi ConnectionWi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz
Working Temperature-20 ~ 45℃

Expectations

As mentioned in the introduction: we have tested as couple of Blitzwolf product and are therefore somewhat familiar with the brand. After testing the Bluetooth headsets and a power socket we found that, although BlitzWolf is a budget brand, it has its products in order. This starts with the packaging: the products are neatly packed in a white and green branded retail box, complete with decent manual and decent quality products with good app support. We expect the same of the BW-LT11 LED Light Strip.

Packaging

And yes, just as the other products it comes nicely packed in the white and green branded packaging. Inside the box the different parts of the led strip kit have their own section and are well protected for transport. Unfortunately, the box of the BW-LT11 is too thick to fit in your mailbox.

What is in the box?

In the box of the BW-LT11 we found the following products:

  • BW-LT11 Smart LED Strip
  • EU Adapter
  • User Manual in English.

Note: There are also different versions available of this kit. Next to the different power adapters (EU/US), there is also a 2M Led strip version or a 1M Led strip extension. So make sure you order the one that fits your needs.

Features

The following product features are stated on banggood about the BW-LT11:

  • 1M Extended Strips Light for More Possibilities – Can be extended to 5M.
  • Smart Voice Control -Compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT
  • Rhythm With Music – Easily create the ambient lighting for the party
  • 8 Modes to Choose – Night, reading, party, leisure, 4 custom setting.

Build Quality & Design

The build quality of the LED strip is very good. The strip had a width of 12 mm and the vulnerable parts (like the diodes) are well protected by a flexible transparent polyurythene coating. You are able to shorten the LED strip by cutting on the predefined indications on the strip. On the back of the strip is adhesive tape, which you can use to attach the strip to a surface. The LED strip has an IP44 rating, which means that it is splash proof and you can use it in wet areas and even outside.

The controller and the power adapter of the BW-LT11 do both have good quality and provide three meters of cable from your power socket to the LED strip (1.5 m from the power socket to the controller and 1.5 m from the controller to the LED strip). The controller has a single button which you can use to control the LED strip, and it has adhesive tape on the back so you can mount it to a wall. Important to know: both the controller and adapter are not splash water proof.

Usability

This strip is very easy to install and use, it doesn’t need a gateway or bridge, only the blitzwolf app (or Smart life read the next chapter). The Blitzwolf app is simple but effective. Changing colours, make simple automations or let it respond on music is so easy that it doesn’t need a manual.

BlitzWolf BW LT11 okos led vilagitas 010



The strip is easy to mount due to the sticker on the back of the strip. It has an IP44 rating, so it also usable outside. The controller has a ip20 rating that means that the strip can be placed in the outside but the controller must be protected a little bit more. The cable length is a really good thing for this product and its possible that the strip can be outside and due to the long cables the controller can be in another place that is better protected. The controller is compact and has a button so you can also control it the old way: manual.

Most of the people will use this light as indirect light, behind curtains, above or underneath kitchen cabinets. So the controller would be used for the setup and after that you always use the app.

The app and third party platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home or IFTTT all need the same, a wifi connection. So be sure that the controller is in a place where the wifi signal is fine.

Is the BW-LT11 Home automation compatible?

This Product is hackable, which means that you can replace the default firmware, maybe we look into that later, because the possibilities that we have now are just good enough (different apps, integratable in Home assistant and simply added to Amazon Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT).
Blitzwolf has his own app but a really nice thing is that it also works in Tuya Smart Life read more about tuya smart life in our article. In a few steps you add the light into smartlife and after that you are able to add it into Home Assistant.

Add the BlitzWolf BW-LT11 into Smart Life

  • Plug in the adapter
  • Hold the power button (the only button) until it flashes
  • Start the smart life app
  • Tick: +Add light
  • Confirm flashing light
  • Done

Add it to Home Assistant

For all the parameters and settings: https://www.home-assistant.io/components/tuya/

A sample configuration from me. 31 is the country code of The Netherlands. You can find your country codes in the second column of this site. The entry smart_life is the Tuya platform where I am registered. Add this into your own configuration.yaml and restart your Home Assistant instance. After starting it collects the compatible devices from Tuya. In my case only the Blitzwolf light.

tuya:
  username: [email protected]
  password: password
  country_code: 31
  platform: smart_life


Complementary Products / Alternatives

pro / cons of the BlitzWolf BW-LT11

pros

  • High quality budget option.
  • Pleasant light, ambient and RGB.
  • Easy to integrate with Smart Home
  • Strip can easily be shortened.
  • Long cable from charger to switch to strip.

cons

  • As every light strip, it does not look great.
  • Controller is not splash water proof.

Verdict

The BlitzWolf BW-LT11 is a very good light strip in the budget segment which comes with pleasant ambient light colors and a good set of complementary RGB lights. Next to that, the integration with your Smart Home setup and smart speakers is also a very big plus. And as with almost every light strip, the looks are not that great, therefore it is recommended to don’t place it in sight and use it for indirect lighting.

Where to buy?

Review
  • Design
    (4)
  • Quality
    (4.5)
  • Usability
    (5)
  • Home-Automation compatibility
    (4)
  • Price
    (4)
4.3