JellyFish vs. Trimlight vs. Gemstone: permanent lights compared
How do JellyFish, Trimlight and Gemstone permanent lighting systems differ on their published specifications and warranties, and where does a generic channel system fit?
All three are the same kind of product: an aluminum channel or track mounted at the eave, individually addressable LEDs, and a controller in the garage that plugs into an outlet and runs from a phone app. They differ in the details each maker publishes.
Gemstone lists RGBWW diodes with a dedicated warm white and an IP67 rating; Trimlight states a 12-volt system and a lifetime product warranty; JellyFish lists five years on parts and one year of labor. A generic channel system uses the same design without a single brand behind it, so its specification sheet and warranty have to be read line by line.
What do the three systems have in common?
JellyFish Lighting, Trimlight and Gemstone Lights all sell permanent roofline lighting through authorized dealers or their own installation crews. Each uses a slim aluminum channel or track, color-matched to the trim, that holds individually addressable LED lights and hides the wiring. Each mounts the controller indoors: JellyFish says its controller and power supplies go on a garage wall and plug into an outlet, and Trimlight says its control box mounts inside a garage or under a carport and plugs into a regular outlet. Each runs from a phone app with colors, schedules and holiday scenes.
All three also describe their LEDs in the tens of thousands of hours. Gemstone and Trimlight both cite 50,000 hours, and JellyFish says it has 2016 installs that still work. Those ratings are close enough that they rarely decide a purchase. What separates the systems is the diode type, the published water rating, the warranty structure, and the dealer who installs and services it. For how a system is scoped on a Sacramento-area house, see the permanent lighting service page.
How do the published specifications compare?
The table quotes each manufacturer's own pages as checked on September 28, 2026. Where a maker does not publish a figure on the pages reviewed, the cell says so; that is not a claim the product lacks the feature. Ask a dealer for the specification sheet before relying on any single line.
| Specification | JellyFish Lighting | Trimlight | Gemstone Lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diodes and color | Its RGBIC-RD light; over 16 million colors and 100-plus preset patterns | RGB; its FAQ notes white is mixed from red, green and blue | RGBWW with a dedicated warm white; 2800K to 7000K whites |
| Power | Under 1 watt per light on full white; controller draws about 1.1 amps per 100 feet | 12-volt system; 3L bulb 0.9 watts, Classic 0.6 watts | About 1 watt per light at maximum; 46 lumens per light |
| Water rating | Not stated in the FAQ reviewed | Not stated in the FAQ reviewed | IP67 for the track lighting system |
| Controller | Indoors, typically a garage wall; one controller up to about 300 feet | Inside a garage or carport; plugs into a regular outlet | App-controlled hub (Gemstone Hub app) |
| Product warranty | 5 years on parts | Lifetime product warranty, up to 50,000 hours of use | Lifetime on lights; 10 years on other components; transferable |
| Labor warranty | 1 year | Minimum 1 year, set by each dealer | Set by each authorized dealer |
| Other published notes | Installs since 2016; crews average about 150 feet a day | Manufacturing since 2010; DIY installs void the product warranty | Mounts to wood or aluminum trim; custom track on gutters where there is no fascia |
Which warranty terms matter most?
The product warranty and the labor warranty are different promises from different companies. A lifetime product warranty covers the part; the dealer's labor warranty covers the visit to replace it. Trimlight says all its dealers offer at least one year of labor coverage and that the rest is up to the dealer; Gemstone says each authorized dealer sets its own labor terms and that on-site service may carry fees; JellyFish publishes one year of labor and five years on parts. After the labor period, a failed light may be a free part and a paid service call.
Two other terms are worth checking. Gemstone says its warranty is transferable to a new homeowner, which matters if you may sell. Trimlight says a DIY installation voids its lifetime product warranty, because the product must be installed by an authorized dealer. JellyFish notes its lights are low voltage and a homeowner can replace a failed one, which can shorten the wait for a service visit. Put the product warranty, the labor warranty and the transfer terms in the written contract, not just in a brochure.
What is a generic channel system, and when does it make sense?
Many installers build systems from a color-matched aluminum channel, addressable pixel LEDs and a controller that is not tied to one of the three brands above. Functionally it is the same design: lights in a track under the eave, a low-voltage power supply indoors, an app for scenes and schedules. The trade-off is that no single manufacturer's warranty and published specification stand behind the whole system, so the installer's own paperwork carries more weight.
The permanent lighting service described on this site is a generic channel RGB or RGBW system, and 916 Exteriors does not claim dealer status for JellyFish, Trimlight or Gemstone. For any generic system, ask for the diode type, the water rating on the light and the connectors, the node spacing, the controller and app by name, the power supply rating, and who holds the warranty on each part. If an installer cannot name those, the system is not specified well enough to compare.
What matters on a Sacramento-area house?
- Heat: summers above 100°F in the valley shorten LED life if lights run all night; Trimlight's FAQ says continuous use diminishes lifetime through heat, so choose a system whose app makes evening schedules easy.
- Warm white: if the main use is year-round accent light rather than holiday color, a dedicated white diode, which Gemstone publishes as RGBWW, avoids the cool or tinted white that mixed RGB can produce.
- The fascia: every system fastens to the fascia or soffit, so soft 1970s and 1980s fascia is repaired first whatever the brand.
- HOA review: Roseville, Elk Grove, El Dorado Hills and Folsom associations review visible changes; the channel color and a sample go in the application regardless of manufacturer.
- Power: a garage outlet near the ceiling keeps any system simple; a new outlet is electrical work with its own permit.
Questions to ask any permanent lighting installer
- Which product, exactly, and can I see its specification sheet and warranty document?
- Are the lights RGB or RGBW, and what is the node spacing?
- What is the published water rating for the lights and the connectors?
- Where does the controller go, and is there an outlet there now?
- What is the product warranty, what is your labor warranty, and is either transferable?
- What happens to the channel if the roof, gutters or fascia need work later?
Sources
- JellyFish Lighting FAQ: warranty, power draw, controller location, install rate
- JellyFish Lighting: product overview (RGBIC-RD light, track, installs since 2016)
- Trimlight FAQ: 12-volt system, wattage, lifetime product warranty, dealer labor, DIY terms
- Trimlight: 2026 pricing breakdown (node spacing, manufacturing since 2010)
- Trimlight: pricing ($18–$35 per linear foot)
- Gemstone Lights FAQ: IP67, RGBWW, color temperature, lumens, warranty, mounting
- Gemstone Lights: Sacramento page (running-cost estimate, hub app)
- Bluehopper: How much do permanent Christmas lights cost? (updated August 21, 2026)