22 AWG 3-core flat ribbon cable – 10 metre roll
A 10 metre roll of 3-core flat ribbon for tunable white (CCT) LED strips, and for other 3-wire low-voltage LED work. Each conductor is 22 AWG, approximately 0.35 mm². The flat form keeps the three cores in order, which helps when you are soldering tails or feeding a 3-pin connector.
This is the thinner companion to our 20 AWG 3-core 10 metre roll (HL-3C-AWG20-10M). We stock both because the right choice depends on the connector and on the electrical load, not on a single “best” cable.
Why 22 AWG as well as 20 AWG
A number of LED strip connectors are moulded for a smaller conductor. 20 AWG is often too thick: it will not enter the housing, or it distorts the contact. 22 AWG is the size those connectors are built around. That does not make 22 AWG the better cable in every installation. It is the practical choice where the connector will not take 20 AWG. For longer runs or higher load, the thicker 20 AWG roll is usually the sounder electrical choice, provided the connector can accept it. The installer decides on the job; both gauges are here so that decision can be made properly.
Connectors are not universal
No 3-pin connector works with every LED tape. You need a match on all three points:
- the number of poles (3-pin for CCT / tunable white)
- the conductor size the housing will actually grip (24 AWG, 22 AWG or 20 AWG)
- the width of the strip and the copper pads the clip sits on
24 AWG is common on some compact connectors. Those housings can be too small even for this 22 AWG roll, just as many 22 AWG housings will not take 20 AWG. A connector made for 10 mm tape will not seat on 8 mm or 12 mm tape, even if the wire gauge is correct. Always read the connector page against the strip you are using, then test-fit before you commit a run. Matching 3-pin connectors are listed under Related Products on this page. Check the accepted wire size there as well — listing them together is not a guarantee that every connector in that list will take every cable.
Voltage drop
22 AWG has less copper than 20 AWG, so resistance is higher. On a long tail, or on a higher-wattage strip, the voltage at the far end falls and the tape can run dim or off-colour. Work out the drop for the length and wattage you are actually installing. If the numbers are tight, use 20 AWG, shorten the tail, or inject power along the strip. Do not treat a 10 metre roll as a 10 metre feeder if the load does not support it.
The common core on 3-wire tunable white
This is the point customers ask about most often. A typical CCT strip uses three wires: one shared positive (common anode) and two returns — one for warm white, one for cool white.
The two colour cores only ever carry their own channel. The shared positive carries the whole strip.
Take a 14.4 W/m 24 V tunable strip, 5 metres long, both channels fully on:
- Total load: 14.4 W/m × 5 m = 72 W
- Current at 24 V: 72 W ÷ 24 V = 3 A
That 3 A flows in the common core. Warm white and cool white may each be drawing less at a given colour mix, but that does not give you spare capacity on the cable. You cannot run extra length on the basis of one channel looking lightly loaded. The common conductor is already carrying the combined current, and that is what limits the run.
Size the cable, the connector and the feed length against that combined current — in the example above, 3 A on the common core — not against the current in a single colour wire.
Core colours
This supply is a white jacket with red and green cores. Core colours can vary between batches. Identify each core with a meter before you terminate; do not rely on the photograph matching the roll in the box.
Installer note
Connectors, the common core on 3- to 6-wire tape, voltage drop and what should appear on the drawing are covered in our article Common-core current, connectors and voltage drop on 3- to 6-core LED ribbon.
Looking for related products or accessories?
Compatible cables and 3-pin connectors are under the Related Products tab at the top of this description on desktop, or just below this section on a phone. Product Specification lists the gauge, core count and roll length. Attachments, where present, hold datasheets. To narrow a category, use Refine By on the left on desktop, or at the top of the page on mobile.
