The LED strip’s connector tab is wider than the LED profile. Therefore, it doesn’t fit into the LED profile…

It really won’t fit. Those who can’t solder either buy a pre-soldered complete set, clip the connector clip onto the strip outside the LED profile, or use a utility knife to trim the connector element to fit.

1. If we clip the connector clip onto the strip outside the LED profile:

• It’s a nicer solution if we use a recessed LED profile because we place the profile in a recessed slot in the furniture or drywall, so the protruding clip can be hidden.
• If we use a surface-mounted LED profile, we should leave the strip long enough to fold the clip behind the LED profile, so it can be relatively hidden. Obviously, the opening on the end cap of the LED profile needs to be cut larger so the strip can pass through at full width, and the lengths need to be calculated accurately.
• Some people break off the last LED from the strip. Since LEDs can be cut in groups of three, breaking one out of the group means the other two won’t light up, but you’ll get a longer section, making it easier to hide the strip section behind the profile.

Specific example:

 

When we stick the LED strip into a surface-mounted LED profile and ensure the power connection by snapping on the connector element at the end.

When we clip the connector element onto the LED strip, we will see where to bend it behind the aluminum profile so that only the circuit strip without LEDs and resistors remains at the edge.

In this case, and in the case of strips with 60 LEDs per meter, one LED will be positioned behind the profile.
If this light is bothersome, we can stick black electrical tape over it.
If we prefer to break it off, keep in mind that two other LEDs won’t light up either on the edge of the LED profile.
In the case of a 24-volt strip, five other LEDs won’t light up.

On the back of the end cap, cut out a section large enough to allow the LED strip to be turned over at the end of the aluminum profile.
It may be possible to force the end cap on without cutting, but be careful because if you damage the paint on the strip or the double-sided tape on the back during forcing, it could cause a short circuit, so cutting is the safer solution.

The connector clip is thicker than the space available behind the LED profile when attaching the mounting tab. Therefore, when drilling the mounting tab, you need to place 2-3 washers or a screw under it to gain enough distance to securely snap the LED profile into the tab and fit the connector clip.

2. If we drastically trim the connector clip:

• This is obviously a neater solution. Be careful, as cutting relatively hard and small plastic with a utility knife is dangerous—you might cut yourself if the knife slips!
• The result will be a connector that manufacturers should consider making if they thought about customers who want to place the LED strip into the LED profile without soldering.
• If we extend this solution further, it also allows us to splice LED strips inside the LED profile by trimming the fixed splicing element similarly, avoiding the need for soldering.

Specific example:

 

First, we need to cut off both mounting tabs to reduce the height. These tabs would protect the connection, preventing the strip from being pulled out of the terminal. However, since we are placing it in a profile, it won’t move once glued in. Since the clip is not only thicker but also wider than necessary, we need to trim both sides as well to fit it into the profile.

If we’ve done a good job, we can push it in, but then comes the next problem: we can’t snap on the LED profile cover because the trimmed clip takes up the space where the cover would snap in.

There are two solutions: either cut the clips of the cover where the clip obstructs snapping it on (but then the cover might stick out there, which isn’t ideal), or trim the clip even thinner and narrower.

We can practically cut the clip to the width of the LED strip, losing the side guidance, but we don’t need it inside the LED profile. We can also trim off all the excess thickness. Ensure that the plastic part behind the strip remains sufficiently sturdy-luckily, we don’t need to trim its thickness. During the work, make sure the terminal remains securely tight. The terminals are fastened to the clip with a small plastic weld. Be careful not to damage it; otherwise, the clip is useless! A loose terminal won’t make good contact, causing the strip not to light up, flicker, or gradually fail over time due to oxidation.

If everything is done correctly, we can snap the profile together nicely. The terminal on the end of the strip is secured in several ways: by the tight space, by leaving the adhesive on the back of the strip under the terminal, and by positioning the connector element tightly between the end cap and the start of the strip without any slack. This way, we create a connector that manufacturers should have designed long ago.

3. We can also use a splicing element inside the LED profile:

 

If we cut the splicing element well, meaning we trim off the small side guiding elements of the strip, we get a splicing element that matches the width of the strip, thus eliminating width issues. However, we might encounter height issues.
For example, if we place a 12mm wide RGBW LED strip into an aluminum profile that can barely accommodate a 12mm wide strip and has little depth, the worst-case scenario is that the aluminum edge that guides the plastic cover element of the LED profile offers less space than the width of the strip, preventing the trimmed splicing element from fitting. If we force it through the narrow space, there is a risk that the two outer terminals will touch the aluminum profile, causing a short circuit. In such a constrained case, some insulation needs to be placed between the tight terminal and the aluminum edge.
The lesser issue is when the trimmed splicing element fits, but its height only causes problems when snapping on the cover element. In this case, we should cut off the clips on the two edges of the cover element where the terminal is located, but only on that small 1cm section.
The ideal solution is, of course, when the trimmed splicing element does not obstruct anything.

It is important to note that the trimmed splicing element should only be used due to the necessity of placing it inside the LED profile. Since we cut off the gripping clips and the small side guiding edges, it is significantly weakened, so it is really only advisable to use it within a protective profile.