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LED vs neon signs
The glow-off: what real neon still does best, and why LED wins for almost every Manchester business anyway.
The short version
Real neon is glass tubes filled with gas, hand-bent by a specialist, running on high voltage. LED "neon" is flexible silicone strip that mimics the glow, running cool on low voltage. Unless you specifically want the authentic vintage article for its own sake, LED is the answer — cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, tougher, and safer.
Head to head
When real neon still makes sense
Heritage venues, restorations, and interiors where the hum and glass are the point. It is a craft product with craft prices and craft maintenance — beautiful, and demanding. Go in with open eyes.
What we build
We build LED signage: neon-effect logos and script for interiors, face-lit and halo-lit letters for fascias, and lightboxes for anything that needs to shout. All made in-house, fitted by our own team, five-year warranty.
Quick answers
Does LED neon look fake up close?
Modern silicone LED neon is convincing at normal viewing distance and indistinguishable at night. Side by side in daylight, a trained eye can tell; your customers are not looking that hard.
Can LED neon go outside?
Yes — rated versions are sealed against weather, something real neon has always struggled with.
What happens when a section fails?
LED sections are replaceable modules. A broken neon tube means a glass bender remakes the whole run.
Which is cheaper over five years?
LED, on every line: purchase, electricity, maintenance and repairs. That is why the industry moved.
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