Deciding on the optimal illuminated signage for your business can pose a challenge. Although neon and LED signs both seem like viable options, significant distinctions set them apart.
The Reality of Traditional Neon
To understand the current state of traditional neon, it’s helpful to look at its history. Custom neon beer signs reached their peak popularity in mid-20th century America, after being first showcased at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. Though initially widespread, their use began to decline within a few decades. By the 1960s, many businesses moved away from neon due to its high cost and fragility.
In the 1980s, custom beer signs experienced a brief resurgence as a passing trend. Today, however, traditional neon is generally seen as expensive, inefficient, and posing potential safety concerns. While you can still find neon signs, their numbers are nowhere near what they were during their heyday. This decline is largely due to the rise of a superior alternative: LED neon signs.
The Basics: Traditional Neon vs. LED Neon
Let’s break down the key differences between traditional neon signs and LED neon. One of the most significant distinctions is safety. Traditional neon signs, made with neon and/or argon gas, are fragile and prone to breaking. They can also emit a buzzing sound, become hot to the touch, and create hazardous sharp fragments when shattered. In contrast, LED neon signs are quiet, generate only mild warmth, can be made shock proof, and are much harder to break.
In terms of energy consumption, traditional neon uses nearly ten times the power of LED neon for a similar lighting effect, making LED neon far more eco friendly. Additionally, LED neon signs are easier and less resource intensive to produce, as they don't require the specialized glass bending techniques needed for traditional neon.
LED neon also offers adjustable brightness, a feature that’s much harder to achieve with traditional neon. Maintenance and general usability, such as shipping, are also simpler with LED neon. In short, LED neon is safer, more cost effective, reliable, versatile, and long lasting compared to traditional neon.
The Advantages of LED Signs vs. Neon Signs
Efficiency
When it comes to energy efficiency, LED signs have a clear advantage. LED signs consume up to 10 times less power than traditional neon signs. For example, a single foot of traditional neon lighting uses around 20 watts of electricity per hour, while an equivalent LED neon tube consumes as little as 1.2 watts in the same period. Additionally, LED signs can last over 100,000 hours, which translates to more than a decade of use—offering outstanding durability and longevity.
Maintenance
LED signs are far more durable and require much less maintenance than neon signs. Traditional neon tubes need periodic refilling by professionals, which can be costly. In contrast, LED lights are long lasting, minimizing the need for frequent bulb changes. Moreover, neon signs are made of fragile glass that breaks easily and generates heat, meaning they must cool down before servicing. LED signs, on the other hand, are much easier to maintain, with repairs being rare and hassle-free when necessary.
Environmental Impact
If environmental sustainability is important, LED signs are the greener choice. They consume significantly less energy, reducing their carbon footprint. LEDs are also easier to recycle, as they don’t contain hazardous materials like gases, glass tubes, or mercury. On the contrary, neon signs use toxic gases, which pose environmental risks if they leak or break.
Cost Efficiency
The reduced power consumption of LED signs translates into substantial savings on electricity bills—a major benefit for businesses. LED signs are also ideal for indoor use, as they emit far less heat than neon signs, leading to further savings by reducing air conditioning costs. Additionally, LED signs offer cost-effective versatility. While neon signs require a full replacement if you want to change the design, LED signs can be updated quickly without needing to replace the entire sign, keeping your display fresh at a fraction of the cost.
Aesthetics
LED signs also outshine neon in terms of visual appeal. With LED signs, you can easily update messages, text, and graphics, allowing for dynamic, attention-grabbing displays. You can even incorporate colorful images and videos to attract more customers than a static neon sign. Furthermore, LED signs offer superior brightness and visibility, making them more effective for outdoor advertising, as they can be seen clearly both up close and from a distance, day or night.
In summary, LED signs offer better efficiency, easier maintenance, a smaller environmental impact, greater cost savings, and more aesthetic flexibility compared to traditional neon.
What Makes a ‘Real’ Neon Sign?
Purists might argue that LED signs aren’t "real" neon signs, but in terms of appearance, they’re nearly identical to traditional neon. The visual effect is so similar that it’s difficult to distinguish between the two. A famous example of this confusion occurred when David Dobrik mistook his own traditional neon sign for an LED one in an Architectural Digest tour video. So, if you opt for an LED neon sign, chances are no one will notice it’s not the ‘real’ traditional version. What really counts is the look, and LED neon delivers that seamlessly.
It's clear that LED signs are the superior option in terms of cost, environmental impact, and visual appeal. At Satom Display, we're here to help you make the most of these advantages. As a leading provider of digital signs and LED displays, we work closely with your business to create signage that aligns perfectly with your brand, goals, and target audience.
Our commitment is to deliver the best value for your investment, helping you make a bold and impactful statement in the market through the power of LED signs.
Satom Display team is one of the most famous fast neon signs board manufacturers in China, which has a strong ability in raw material supply chain management and customized accessories. Then we can quickly solve every production problem and keep optimization & innovation with complete & efficient industry chain support. If you want to get custom neon signs cheap, just contact us!
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