News: LEDs
10 November 2026
Cree LED launches XLamp X21 Multi-Color LEDs
Cree LED Inc of Durham, NC, USA (a Penguin Solutions brand) has launched XLamp X21 Multi-Color LEDs, a new 4-color LED platform that combines what is said to be an ultra-compact footprint, exceptional optical performance, and extensive color flexibility to help lighting manufacturers create smaller, lighter and more impactful lighting products.
Leveraging Cree LED’s latest multi-color LED technology, XLamp X21 Multi-Color LEDs feature four different colors of LED die placed close together in a compact 2.1mm x 2.1mm ceramic package, making them the smallest ceramic multi-color LEDs in Cree LED’s portfolio. The smaller optical source enables lighting manufacturers to reduce luminaire size and weight while maintaining the beam quality and visual performance demands of indoor directional, architectural, entertainment, automotive and specialty lighting applications.
Picture: Cree LED XLamp X21 multi-color LEDs.
Designed with an optimized optical profile, the X21’s compact source size also enables smaller, lighter and lower-cost secondary optics while achieving intense, tightly controlled beams. Cree LED testing shows that, relative to the larger XLamp XP-L Color LED paired with a 45mm color-mixing optic, the new X21 LED with a 38mm color-mixing optic (29% smaller area) delivers improved optical performance, including a tighter beam angle, higher candela/lumen conversion and superior color mixing.
“By bringing strong optical performance and broad color flexibility into a smaller package, we’re giving manufacturers new options to create visually distinctive lighting designs,” says president Joe Clark. “The XLamp X21 Multi-Color LED platform reflects our continued investment in industry-leading solutions that set the standard for reliability, optical quality, and ease of integration.”
XLamp X21 Multi-Color LEDs offer the broadest range of color combinations in Cree LED’s multi-color portfolio, supporting 11 different LED die colors across 14 product configurations. This flexibility enables lighting designers to optimize color quality, visual impact, and system design for a wide range of applications.
Samples of X21 LEDs are available now and production quantities are available with standard lead times.
