Four LightWave® variants ship in the flexible LED light sheet line, and each solves a different specifier problem — Gen 1 Plus for efficiency-led general use, CH2 for retail- and museum-grade high-CRI whites, PIXX for addressable pixel-level animation, and Roll It! for large-format continuous runs up to 40 ft. Every variant shares the same core substrate: under 7 mm, cuttable along marked lines, bendable, adhesive-backed, UL Listed.
Use the decision matrix below to narrow, then the full spec table to confirm. Every figure on this page comes directly from the live product spec sheets on the LightWave® line pages.
How to Choose the Right LightWave® Variant
Three questions cover most specifier decisions:
- How is the light controlled? One color per sheet (static or dimming only) → Single Color or Tunable White. Full color + white → RGBW. Per-pixel animation → addressable PIXX.
- How big is the run? Modular sheets (12″ × 24″ or PIXX 9.25″ × 19.8″) for panels, fixtures and cavities. Continuous rolls up to 40 ft for feature walls, transit corridors, and signage bands.
- How much do the whites matter? If people, food, art or merchandise need to look right under the light, spec CH2 (CRI 90). Otherwise Gen 1 Plus (CRI 80+) is more efficient.
Quick Decision Matrix
| If you need… | Spec | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Efficient single-color or tunable-white backlighting on small-to-medium panels | Gen 1 Plus | 113–123 lm/W, 12″ × 24″ sheets, most versatile SKU |
| Highest color accuracy for retail, hospitality, museum | CH2 | CRI 90 on the white channel — highest in the line |
| Motion, gradients, animation, per-pixel effects | PIXX | SPI-controlled addressable RGBW pixels |
| Continuous long runs — feature walls, corridors, signage bands | Roll It! | 4″-wide rolls up to 40 ft, one driver per run |
| Warmer white options (below 2700K) | Gen 1 Plus by request or Roll It! High-Output | 1800K amber available on both |
Full Spec Comparison — All Four Variants
Every figure below is pulled directly from the live product spec sheets. Blank cells mean the spec doesn’t apply or hasn’t been published by LUXX; do not assume a missing value.
| Spec | Gen 1 Plus | CH2 | PIXX | Roll It! |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Sheet | Sheet | Sheet | Continuous roll |
| Size | 12″ × 24″ (305 × 610 mm) | 12″ × 24″ (305 × 610 mm) | 9.25″ × 19.8″ (235 × 503 mm) | 4″ × 480″ or 4″ × 400″ (up to 40 ft) |
| Profile | < 7 mm | < 7 mm | < 7 mm | < 7 mm |
| Color options | Single Color, Tunable White, RGBW | Tunable White, RGBW | Addressable RGBW (RGB + 5000K) | Single Color (Standard: 3500/5000/6500K · High-Output: 1800–6500K) |
| CCT range | 1800K–6500K (some by request) | 2700K–6500K | 5000K (white channel) | 1800K–6500K (High-Output) / 3500/5000/6500K (Standard) |
| CRI (white) | Ra 80+ | CRI 90 (RGBW) / Ra 80+ (Tunable White) | Not published | > 80 |
| Power per sheet / ft | 14 W (single) · 2 × 14 W (tunable) · 4 × 4 W = 16 W (RGBW) | 2 × 20 W = 40 W (tunable) · 4 × 11 W = 44 W (RGBW) | 35 W per sheet | 2.15 W/ft (Standard) · 3.5 W/ft (High-Output) |
| Efficiency | 113–123 lm/W | > 90 lm/W | — | 130 lm/W (Standard) · 115–130 lm/W (High-Output; 100 lm/W at 1800K) |
| Output (5000K, per sheet or per ft) | 1,720 lm (single) · 1,580 lm 2700K / 1,720 lm 6500K (tunable) · 490 lm 5000K (RGBW) | 1,800 lm 2700K / 1,850 lm 6500K (tunable) · 900 lm 5000K (RGBW) | 810 lm/sheet (5000K) | 280 lm/ft (Standard) · 350–450 lm/ft (High-Output) |
| LED count | 648 (single) · 2 × 648 = 1,296 (tunable) · 4 × 288 = 1,152 (RGBW) | 648 (tunable) · 4 × 288 = 1,152 (RGBW) | 800 total (4 × 200) | 108 LEDs/ft (354/m) |
| Control | Constant voltage; DALI/DMX/0-10V/TRIAC per driver | Constant voltage; DALI/DMX/0-10V/TRIAC per driver | SPI (pixel-level addressable) | Constant voltage; DALI/DMX/0-10V/TRIAC per driver |
| Cuttable | Yes (marked lines) | Yes (marked lines) | Yes (marked lines, respect data direction) | Yes (marked lines) |
| Adhesive-backed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Certification | UL Listed | UL Listed | UL Listed | UL Listed |
| Warranty | 5-year | 5-year | 5-year | 5-year |
Go to the product pages
- Gen 1 Plus → Efficient single-color, tunable-white and RGBW sheets
- CH2 → CRI 90 whites for retail, hospitality and museum work
- PIXX → Addressable pixel sheets for motion and animation
- Roll It! → Continuous rolls up to 40 ft for large-format runs
Head-to-Head Trade-offs
Gen 1 Plus RGBW vs CH2 RGBW
Same 12″ × 24″ size, same 1,152-LED RGBW configuration. CH2 wins on CRI (90 vs 80+) and per-sheet output (900 lm vs 490 lm at 5000K).
Gen 1 Plus wins on efficiency (123 lm/W vs >90 lm/W) and draws 16 W per sheet vs. CH2’s 44 W — roughly 2.75× the power draw for ~1.8× the output.
Choose CH2 when the whites matter for the design; Gen 1 Plus when the sheet will run mostly as color effect and efficiency matters.
See our RGBW LED sheets page for the deep dive.
Gen 1 Plus Tunable White vs CH2 Tunable White
Both cover 2700K–6500K with Ra 80+ CRI. CH2 delivers ~15% more output per sheet (1,800/1,850 lm vs 1,580/1,720 lm), Gen 1 Plus is more efficient (113–123 lm/W vs >90 lm/W).
Same trade-off logic as the RGBW comparison. See tunable white LED sheets.
RGBW (Gen 1 or CH2) vs PIXX Addressable
RGBW sets the whole sheet to one color at a time. PIXX sets each pixel independently — motion, gradients, animation.
Choose RGBW when the surface will hold one color or change globally; choose PIXX when the light itself has to move.
PIXX runs 35 W per sheet on a smaller (9.25″ × 19.8″) footprint. See addressable pixel LED sheets.
Sheet Variants vs Roll It!
Sheets install into panels, fixtures and cavities up to 24″ wide. Roll It! runs continuous up to 40 ft along corridors, coves, feature walls and signage bands — one driver per run instead of driver-per-sheet.
The two combine: run Roll It! across the primary square footage, drop in cuttable sheets for curved cutouts. See large-format LED backlighting.
Best For / Not Best For — Per Variant
| Variant | Best for | Not best for |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1 Plus | General architectural backlighting, retail fixtures, millwork integration, warmer CCTs (1800K–4000K by request), efficiency-led specs | Color-critical whites (spec CH2 instead), per-pixel animation (spec PIXX), continuous runs > 24″ (spec Roll It!) |
| CH2 | Retail display, hospitality, museum/exhibit lighting — anywhere merchandise, food, art or faces need to look right; brighter per-sheet output | Efficiency-led specs (Gen 1 Plus is more efficient), per-pixel animation (PIXX) |
| PIXX | Dynamic feature walls, backlit signage/graphics, architectural accent, stage/event lighting, interactive installations | Static color scenes (RGBW is cheaper per sqft), color-critical whites (CRI not published), continuous long runs (spec Roll It!) |
| Roll It! | Feature walls, backlit signage bands, transit corridors, trade-show backdrops, coves, long hallways | Small custom panels (spec sheet variants), color-changing (RGBW), addressable animation (PIXX), high-CRI critical whites (CRI > 80 not currently published on Roll It!) |
Ready to spec? Gen 1 Plus · CH2 · PIXX · Roll It! — or request a project quote.
Common Variant Confusions (And Fixes)
1. “Isn’t CH2 just Gen 1 with different LEDs?”
Close but not quite. CH2 is the higher-CRI, higher-output tier at a ~2.75× power draw for RGBW. Gen 1 Plus is the efficiency-led tier. Different specs for different specifier priorities.
2. “Can PIXX replace RGBW?”
Only when the design needs animation. If the surface will hold one color or shift globally, RGBW is cheaper per square foot and easier to control. PIXX earns its cost when the light itself has to move.
3. “Do I need Roll It! or can I chain sheets together?”
Chaining sheets works up to a point — but each sheet needs a driver connection, and cumulative brightness variation between panels can show on a large surface.
Roll It! runs one continuous LED substrate from a single driver up to 40 ft — no seams, no per-panel brightness drift, fewer failure points.
4. “Which is the thinnest?”
All four are < 7 mm. Pick by color/control type and format, not by thickness.
See our ultra-thin LED light sheet page.
5. “Which is the brightest?”
Per-sheet output crown belongs to CH2 (1,850 lm/sheet at 6500K tunable, 900 lm/sheet at 5000K RGBW).
Per-square-foot output at high power belongs to Roll It! High-Output (1,000–1,400 lm/sqft). Choose by application, not raw output.
Comparison FAQs
Which LightWave® variant should I buy?
Answer three questions: how is the light controlled (static color, tunable white, RGBW, or per-pixel animation), how big is the run (modular sheets or continuous roll up to 40 ft), and how much do the whites matter (CRI 80+ or CRI 90).
Gen 1 Plus for efficient general use, CH2 for high-CRI whites, PIXX for animation, Roll It! for continuous large-format.
Which LightWave® has the highest CRI?
CH2 RGBW at CRI 90 on the 5000K white channel — the highest in the LightWave® line and among the highest for any RGBW flexible LED sheet on the market.
Choose CH2 whenever whites need to render color truthfully (retail merchandise, food, art, human faces).
Which LightWave® variant is the brightest?
Per-sheet: CH2 (1,850 lm/sheet at 6500K tunable, 900 lm/sheet at 5000K RGBW).
Per-square-foot at high power: Roll It! High-Output (1,000–1,400 lm/sqft).
Per lumen-per-watt efficiency: Roll It! Standard and Gen 1 Plus.
Which LightWave® is most efficient (lm/W)?
Roll It! Standard at 130 lm/W. Gen 1 Plus at 113–123 lm/W is a close second in sheet format.
What is the difference between PIXX and RGBW?
RGBW sets the whole sheet to one color at a time. PIXX addresses each pixel independently through SPI, enabling motion, gradients and animation.
RGBW is cheaper per square foot for static-color installs; PIXX is required when the light itself has to move.
Can I combine LightWave® variants in one install?
Yes. The most common combination is Roll It! for the primary square footage of a large surface plus Gen 1 Plus or CH2 sheets for curved cutouts and custom shapes — the two are engineered to match so the surface reads as one continuous glow.
Unfamiliar with a term in the tables above? See the LED lighting glossary — every acronym (CRI, CCT, DALI, SPI, PWM, IES, RGBW) and every LightWave-specific term (Gen 1 Plus, CH2, PIXX, Roll It!, screw spacer set) is defined with links to deeper coverage.
UL Listed · Made by LUXX since 1996 · 5-year warranty across every LightWave® variant