What Gauge Wire Should You Use for 24V LED Strip Lights?

When installing 24 volt LED strip lights, choosing the correct wire gauge is an important part of the project. The right wire helps deliver consistent voltage to the lights, reduces voltage drop, and can help prevent uneven brightness across longer runs.

A customer recently asked us:

“I have 18 LED strips that are 5 feet long and run on 24 volts. Should I use 16 AWG or 18 AWG speaker wire, and does it need to be speaker wire?”

The answer depends on several factors, including the wattage of each LED strip, the distance between the power supply and the lights, how many strips share the same power feed, and where the cable will be installed.

Speaker Wire for 24V LED Strip Lights?

Yes. In many 24V LED lighting installations, 2 conductor speaker wire can be used to power LED strips.

For a standard single color LED strip that requires a positive and negative DC connection, a 2 conductor copper cable provides the two conductors needed to deliver power.

Despite the name, speaker wire is not limited strictly to speakers. What matters for an LED lighting installation is the wire gauge, conductor material, current carried by the cable, length of the wire run, cable rating, and installation environment.

For permanent installations, we recommend 100% copper cable rather than copper clad aluminum, commonly called CCA. The cable should also have the appropriate rating for where it will be installed.

Infinity Cable Products 16/2 Speaker Wire uses two stranded 16 AWG 100% copper conductors and carries CMR/CL3R ratings for applicable in wall installations. It is also designed for outdoor and direct burial applications.

Important: A basic 2 conductor cable is suitable for simple positive and negative power connections. RGB, RGBW, tunable white, addressable, or other multi channel LED systems may require additional conductors depending on the controller and LED strip design.

16 AWG vs 18 AWG for 24V LED Strip Lights

Both 16 AWG and 18 AWG can be appropriate for 24V LED lighting.

The main difference is conductor size.

16 AWG has a larger conductor than 18 AWG, which means it has lower electrical resistance. Lower resistance helps reduce voltage drop, particularly as the wire run becomes longer or the amount of current increases.

When 18 AWG Makes Sense

18 AWG copper wire can be a good choice when:

• The LED strips have relatively low power consumption
• Wire runs are short
• Each LED strip has its own individual power run
• Current on each branch is relatively low

For example, suppose a 5 foot LED strip consumes 30 watts.

Current can be calculated using:

Watts ÷ Volts = Amps

So:

30 watts ÷ 24 volts = 1.25 amps

In this example, an individual branch supplying one 5 foot strip would carry approximately 1.25 amps.

For a short run, 18 AWG copper wire can often be sufficient for a load like this, provided the cable and installation are otherwise appropriately rated.

The 30 watt figure is only an example. Always use the actual wattage specified by the LED strip manufacturer when calculating current.

When Should You Use 16 AWG?

For many 24V LED installations, 16 AWG provides additional margin and lower resistance than 18 AWG.

Consider 16 AWG when:

• Wire runs are longer
• The LED strips consume more power
• Multiple strips share part of the same power feed
• Minimizing voltage drop is important
• You want additional capacity for future changes

For many residential and commercial projects, the cost difference between 16 AWG and 18 AWG may be relatively small compared with the overall labor and equipment involved in the installation.

For that reason, 16/2 copper speaker wire can be a versatile choice for many 24V LED lighting installations.

Why Voltage Drop Matters With 24V LED Lighting

Voltage drop is one of the most important considerations when choosing wire for low voltage lighting.

An LED strip designed for 24V performs best when the voltage reaching the strip remains reasonably close to the output voltage of the power supply.

All wire has electrical resistance. As the distance between the power supply and LED strip increases, or as the current carried by the wire increases, voltage drop also increases.

Excessive voltage drop can result in:

• LED strips appearing dimmer than expected
• Lights farther from the power supply appearing dimmer
• Uneven brightness between strips
• Color differences on certain LED systems
• Reduced overall lighting performance

Using a larger conductor such as 16 AWG instead of 18 AWG reduces resistance and helps control voltage drop.

For particularly long runs or higher current circuits, a larger conductor such as 14/2 Speaker Wire may be appropriate.

18 LED Strips Does Not Mean Every Wire Carries the Total Current

This is an important distinction.

If you have 18 separate 5 foot LED strips, you should not choose the wire gauge based only on the total number of strips.

You also need to know how the system is wired.

If every LED strip has its own cable running back to a power distribution point, each branch only carries the current required by that individual strip.

However, if one main cable supplies several LED strips before splitting into individual branches, that main cable must carry the combined current of all the downstream strips.

Using our earlier example of a 30 watt LED strip:

30W ÷ 24V = 1.25A per strip

If 18 strips each consumed 30 watts:

1.25A × 18 = 22.5A total

That does not mean every branch carries 22.5 amps.

An individual branch supplying one strip would still carry approximately 1.25 amps in this example. However, a common feeder carrying power for all 18 strips could potentially carry approximately 22.5 amps before the circuit is divided.

That shared feeder would require separate wire sizing based on its current, length, allowable voltage drop, equipment ratings, and applicable electrical requirements.

The power supply, distribution equipment, connectors, circuit protection, and wiring should all be selected for the expected load.

Should LED Strip Wire Be Stranded or Solid?

For many LED strip lighting installations, stranded wire is a convenient choice because it is flexible and easy to route.

LED lighting often requires cable to be routed through cabinets, around corners, above ceilings, or through other confined spaces.

Stranded conductors are generally easier to bend and position than comparable solid conductors.

Infinity Cable Products speaker wire uses stranded copper conductors, making it a practical option for many low voltage installations when its electrical specifications and cable ratings are appropriate for the project.

What Wire Should You Use in a Plenum Space?

The installation environment matters just as much as wire gauge.

If the cable will pass through an environmental air handling or plenum space, standard riser rated cable may not be appropriate.

These installations can require a CMP or CL3P plenum rated cable, depending on the application and applicable building codes.

Infinity Cable Products offers 16/2 Plenum Speaker Wire with stranded 100% copper conductors and CMP/CL3P ratings.

What About Outdoor 24V LED Lighting?

Outdoor installations require cable designed for the conditions where it will be installed.

For landscape lighting and other outdoor low voltage applications, use cable designed to withstand outdoor exposure and, when required, direct burial.

Infinity Cable Products 16/2 Low Voltage Landscape Wire uses stranded pure copper conductors with a waterproof and UV resistant jacket designed for outdoor and direct burial installations. It is rated for low voltage lighting applications up to 30 volts, making it suitable for many 24V outdoor LED lighting systems.

For lower wattage and shorter outdoor lighting runs, 18/2 Low Voltage Landscape Wire is another option.

So, Should You Use 16/2 or 18/2 for 24V LED Strips?

For short runs and relatively low power LED strips, 18 AWG copper wire may be sufficient.

For longer runs, higher wattage strips, shared power feeds, or installations where minimizing voltage drop is important, 16 AWG provides lower resistance and additional capacity.

For the example of 18 separate 5 foot 24V LED strips, we would generally lean toward 16/2 copper cable as a versatile starting point, but the final wire gauge should be based on the actual electrical requirements of the system.

Before choosing the wire, determine:

• Wattage of each LED strip
• Voltage of the LED system
• Number of strips on each circuit
• Distance between the power source and LED strips
• Current carried by any shared feeder
• Acceptable voltage drop
• Required cable rating
• Indoor, outdoor, direct burial, or plenum installation requirements

The Bottom Line

You do not necessarily need a cable manufactured specifically for LED strip lighting.

For a standard 24V single color LED strip, a properly sized and appropriately rated 2 conductor 100% copper cable can work very well. Speaker wire is one option, while landscape wire may be more appropriate outdoors and plenum rated wire may be required in certain air handling spaces.