2835 LED Specifications: Package Dimensions, Electrical Ratings, and Optical Bins

The 2835 package has become the most widely used mid-power LED in general lighting — from LED tubes and panels to bulb replacements and backlighting. Its combination of compact size, high luminous efficacy, and low cost makes it the default choice for volume lighting production. This guide summarizes the key 2835 LED specifications engineers need when designing luminaires or qualifying suppliers.

Package Dimensions

The 2835 name follows the metric naming convention — the package measures 3.5mm × 2.8mm with a low profile of approximately 0.7–0.8mm. The large relative die area and thermal pad design give it substantially better light output and thermal performance than the older 3528 package of similar footprint.

Electrical Ratings by Power Class

2835 LEDs are offered in three common power classes. Always design to the specific supplier datasheet, but these ranges are representative of the industry:

At 0.2W, top-bin parts reach luminous efficacy above 200 lm/W in ideal conditions — one reason the 2835 dominates cost-sensitive, efficiency-driven products like T8 tubes and panel lights.

Optical Bins: Flux, CCT, and CRI

Like all volume LEDs, 2835 parts are binned at manufacture:

• Luminous flux bins — suppliers grade output into lettered bins; specify a minimum bin in your purchase agreement rather than a typical value
• CCT (correlated color temperature) — standard offerings span 2200K (warm candle) through 6500K (daylight); tight CCT bins (e.g., a 3-step MacAdam ellipse) matter for fixtures mounted side by side
• CRI (color rendering index) — 70, 80, 90, and 95+ variants are standard; retail and workplace lighting typically requires CRI ≥ 80, with CRI ≥ 90 for premium or color-critical applications
• Voltage bins — forward voltage grouping matters for series-string designs driven by constant-current supplies

Special Wavelength Variants

Beyond white light, the 2835 platform is available in single-color and specialty versions: deep red and far-red for horticulture, amber for signaling, and UVA versions for curing and inspection. The same footprint lets designers reuse PCB layouts across product variants. Our 2835 LEDs family and the 2835 UVA LEDs illustrate how one package serves both lighting and industrial applications.

PCB Design Rules

• Thermal relief — mid-power 2835 parts conduct heat primarily through the solder pads; use generous copper pours and, where possible, connect pads directly to a thermal plane
• Current sharing — for parallel strings, design against forward-voltage mismatch; constant-current driver zones or balancing resistors prevent thermal runaway in one string
• Solder footprint — follow the supplier-recommended land pattern; oversized pads cause misalignment during reflow
• Derating — for long-life products (L80 > 50,000 hours), drive at 70–80% of rated current and keep board temperature low

Common Failure Modes to Design Against

ESD damage during handling, moisture-induced delamination during reflow (observe MSL ratings and baking), and solder-joint fatigue from CTE mismatch account for most field failures. These align with the general SMD reliability practices covered in our SMD LED troubleshooting resource.

When to Choose 2835 vs Other Packages

• 0603 / 0805 / 1206 — indicator-class applications where flux requirements are minimal
• 2835 — general illumination, tubes, panels, high-volume cost-driven products
• 3030 / 3535 — higher power per device, outdoor and industrial fixtures
• 5050 — multi-die RGB and higher-current single-color applications

For a broader comparison of package families, see our guide on SMD LED vs through-hole LED selection, and download verified SMD LED datasheets from our resource center.

Queendom LED manufactures 2835 LEDs across white, single-color, and UVA variants with tight flux and CCT binning, supported by full datasheets and lot traceability for volume production programs.

Published for educational purposes — Queendom LED Technical Resources

Further reading: How to Choose the Right LED Chip Package: SMD, COB, CSP, and Flip-Chip · SMD LED Datasheets