Adafruit
Adafruit Soft Flexible Wire NeoPixel Strand - 50 NeoPixels
Best flexible lighting for wearable tech and costume designers.
Illuminate your projects with the Adafruit Soft Flexible Wire NeoPixel Strand, featuring 50 individually addressable RGB LEDs. These NeoPixels are mounted on a soft, flexible wire, making them less prone to cracking than traditional PCB strips when bent. This design is perfect for embedding into costumes, wearables, or various structures, as the wires can be sewn over or cast into materials. Data direction is clearly indicated for easy connection, and strands can be linked together for longer runs. Requires a 5V DC power supply.
$19.95
Owner Satisfaction
4.7
/ 5
Category Rank
20
/ 579
#20 in Diodes
Price vs Category Average
-71%
Below average
Manufacturer
Adafruit
/ Adafruit
Who it's for
- Wearable designers needing seamless integration into fabric and clothing
- Creative coders building complex, dynamic lighting animations
- Beginners seeking extensive tutorials and reliable software support
Who should skip it
- Users lacking experience with external power management and injection
- Makers working in high-stress environments requiring durable, rugged components
- Developers using microcontrollers with limited processing power or timing constraints
Performance breakdown
Flexibility
Soft wiring allows for intricate shapes impossible with rigid PCB strips.
Integration ease
The wire-based design is perfect for sewing directly into wearable fabrics.
Addressability
Individual control over fifty LEDs enables complex, high-fidelity lighting animations.
Environmental durability
Resists dust and moisture but remains unsuitable for full underwater submersion.
Scalability
Modular design allows linking multiple strands for expansive, large-scale lighting projects.
Installation versatility
Easily cast into resins or integrated into structures for custom illumination.
Key Specs
Manufacturer
Adafruit
Product Category
Adafruit Accessories
Type
Soft Flexible Wire NeoPixel Strand-50 NeoPixels
Brand
Adafruit
LED Count
50
LED Spacing
~100mm (~4 inches)
Power Requirement
~5V DC
Supply Voltage
5 Volts
Features
- 50 individually addressable RGB LEDs
- Flexible wire for easy integration
- Vibrant lighting effects
- Durable and bendable construction
- Easy wire identification
- Connectable strands for longer runs
- Suitable for costumes and wearables
- Sew or cast into materials
What customers say
Users overwhelmingly praise the Adafruit Soft Flexible Wire NeoPixel Strand for its superior flexibility, making it ideal for wearables and costuming where rigid strips fail. The soft wire allows seamless integration into complex shapes and fabrics. The fifty NeoPixels deliver reliable performance with vibrant, consistent color and brightness, upholding the expected Adafruit quality. While the initial cost is higher than generic options, customers find the investment worthwhile due to the unmatched flexibility and durability. Support documentation further simplifies implementation. The primary consideration is careful handling due to the thin wires, a necessary trade-off for extreme pliability. This strand is celebrated as a high-utility solution for adding dynamic lighting to soft surfaces.
Know before you buy
Unlike traditional rigid PCB strips, this strand uses soft, flexible wire. This makes it much easier to bend, sew into fabric, or cast into materials without the risk of the circuit board cracking.
Yes, these strands are designed to be linked together. Just keep in mind that as you increase the total number of LEDs, you will need to ensure your power supply can handle the additional current requirements.
No, this product is not waterproof. While it is resistant to dirt and moisture, it should not be submerged in water or used in environments where it will be directly exposed to rain or heavy moisture.
You will need a 5V DC power supply to operate these NeoPixels. Ensure your power source provides enough amperage to support all 50 LEDs at full brightness.
The LEDs are spaced approximately 100mm, or about 4 inches, apart along the wire. This spacing is ideal for wearables and decorative projects where you want a diffused, distributed light effect.
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