Thin profile wire joins and forks

Question

I've a project where I'm installing some LED lighting. I am currently using crimp connectors and electrical tape to join two pieces of wire or fork wire, but I find this to be ugly. I would like to know what solder-free alternatives there are to joining two wires or forking wires into 2 or more wires that have a fairly low profile and form good mechanical and electrical connections. The wiring is probably 1-2mm in diameter including insulation.

Answer 1

Wago Lever-nuts are good for quick reliable connections. I use them all the time when assembling test fixtures or making temporary connections. Wire nuts are also good if the connection is meant to be permanent. Although I haven't used them these seem to be lower profile and maybe closer to what you are looking for.

Answer 2

I prefer non-insulated barrel/butt splices with heatshrink over. It looks clean and provides a very reliable connection without solder, and at a reasonable cost. Only inexpensive crimp tools are required.

The raw splices look like this:

The finished product looks like this (this example uses adhesive-lined heatshrink, though that is unnecessary for indoor applications)

Don't use the insulated (red/blue/yellow plastic, typically) barrel splices; the insulation often prevents a good crimp and they look awful.

If you want the insulation built in, use crimp splices that have integral shrink insulation.