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The radiant glare of neon signage attached to various establishments will attract your eyes everywhere you go. No matter what color or shape, you’re bound to notice their enticing and atmospheric glow.
It’s no wonder that business owners and interior designers alike use these signs to improve a room’s ambiance and brighten any space.
But let’s debate—which one is better, traditional glass neon signs or newer LED neon lights? Find out in the battle between these extra luminous light fixtures you’ll want for your room.
Glass neon signs have been around for over a century, originating way back in 1910 when a French engineer first demonstrated his neon lamp at a motor show.
As the name suggests, glass neon signs work using three main components: noble gases (in this case, neon), glass tubing, and electrodes. Mercury can also be added to enhance the sign’s luminosity.
Neon gas is sealed in a glass tube with electrodes on both ends. When switched on, the gas particles interact with the electrodes, “exciting” the atoms and producing the neon glow.
It’s important to note that the color emitted comes from the gas inside the glass tubing. Most neon signs emit a red-orange color because that is the natural color of neon when activated. Fortunately, neon sign makers have found a way to emit other colors apart from using different noble gases. Instead, they coat the glass tubing with phosphor, which produces different colors and glows when it interacts with radiant energy.
Because of its long and tested history, the traditional neon tube light is a more popular option. You can’t deny its nostalgic vibe that creates a homey atmosphere. In addition, glass neon signs are said to emit warmer lighting compared to LED neon tube lights. Perhaps, it is because traditional neon signs are wide light sources, giving off consistent lighting in all directions.
Glass neon signs are also customizable. However, you must constantly heat the glass tubes to shape them to your desired form. Because of the tedious process involved, many consider neon sign-making as an art form in itself. There are even museums to honor and highlight neon artists and their art.
While phosphor coating is there to help, neon signs can lack in the color department. Unlike LED neon signs, you must either painstakingly obtain noble gases or coat your glass tubes before emitting different colors.
Additionally, because of the nature of its components, traditional neon lights are difficult to make, incredibly fragile, and are considered high-maintenance.
A damaged glass neon sign poses a great threat to its owner, potentially exposing them to mercury and other harmful gases once the glass tube is broken. Moreover, many have opted not to use neon signs because they may radiate harmful UV rays.
Poorly maintained neon signs may also produce a hum or buzz, which can be distracting and bothersome to its users.
Because the materials are difficult to maintain and introduce several health risks when they come in contact with skin, the use of traditional neon signs immensely declined in the 1950s. Today, you will hardly see traditional neon signage being used. The neon signs you see in today’s establishments are likely LED neon lights.
Instead of using easily breakable and hazardous components like glass and chemical gases, LED neon signs use readily available and cheaper ingredients. LED neon signs are created with LED strip lights, wires, and PVC or acrylic materials.
The light source of LED neon signs comes from light-emitting diodes, semiconductors that give off light when an electric current passes through them. An LED strip light contains dozens of LED emitters lined up in a flexible circuit board strip.
Unlike traditional neon lights, you can easily customize the color of a neon LED light because it uses electrons and photons to determine the sign’s color and tone.
LED neon signs are much safer to create and use because of their highly durable materials and easier production process.
LED lights also do not need harmful chemicals like mercury to create a bright glow, allowing their owners to use them without fear of being exposed to these gases.
Because it uses bendable strip lights, LED neon lights can be easily formed and customized.
LED signs are cost-effective and energy-efficient—it doesn’t take a lot of energy to power an LED sign. Moreover, LED bulbs can light up a space for 100,000 hours.
Unlike glass neon signs, neon LED lights don’t produce any bothersome buzzing, even when broken.
Despite the safer materials, LED lights can still cause some health risks with long-term exposure. But these aren’t as serious. Long-term use of LED lights can worsen one’s sleeping habits and increase the risk of cataract growth.
LED lights are also known to have directional illumination, meaning they only give off light in a singular area instead of all directions. As a result, neon LED signs can give off inconsistent lighting.
Traditional and LED neon signs have their fair share of benefits and drawbacks. Deciding which light source is better will be entirely up to you and what you need the signs for.
Below is a summary of their features. We’ll let you decide.
| Traditional Neon Sign | LED Neon Sign | |
| Production | Hard to obtain materials, long and tedious process | Readily available and durable materials, safer and easier process |
| Customization | Need to heat glass tubing to shape it in desired form | Materials are flexible, easily customizable |
| Color | Limited color options, need phosphor coating | Can create signs and lights with various colors |
| Energy Efficiency | High power consumption, higher costs | Low power consumption, more energy efficient |
| Safety | Poses risks such as exposure to UV rays, mercury, and other toxic gases | Safer to use, long-term exposure can lead to bad sleeping habits and may affect cataract growth |
| Lifespan | Can last up to 2 years, luminosity declines every year following | Can last up to 6 years |
| Noise | May produce a buzz or a hum if not maintained properly | Does not make any noises |
If you do end up choosing neon LED lights for room and wall decoration, Neonize has a wide collection of neon signs and lights for you.
Our signs are handcrafted using durable and high-quality materials such as LED Flex, PVC, acrylic, and rubber flex tubing. Our signs are also easy-to-install with our variety of mounting options.
Customize your neon sign with us by sending your design!
Get your neon lights and signs from Neonize today with free shipping!
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