Channel Letter Signs: LED vs. Neon

We often get questions about LED vs. Neon Channel Letters and customers ask constantly which one is better. The potential advantages of LED illuminations include the following:• LED is less fragile than Neon because the neon tubes are more susceptible to breakage either during transport or during installation.

• LED uses less power and hence is a more efficient light source, plus the electrical transformer is smaller.
• LED is more environmentally friendly as compared to neon tubes that contain mercury.
• LED produces more focused “cone” light whereas neon illuminates from all sides of the neon tube (an advantage and disadvantage for LED).
• LED is easier and safer to install and maintain carrying much lower voltage than neon.

Despite these differences, neon still has its place and has the following benefits:

• A warm glow that LED has yet to match. It is quite noticeable with front/back or reverse lit channel letter signs where the “cone” style light is not the best selection.
• LED color match capabilities are not quite as good as neon.
• LED is not a good choice for open face channel lettering.

The short answer is that depending on the type of project each type of illumination has it’s place! At SignWorks, we pride ourselves in educating our customers so they can make informed decisions about their illumination options.