LED Neon Flex is popular as an alternative to traditional glass neon signs. Are you buying LED neon flex now? Before buying LED neon flex, be sure to read this article carefully, it will give you the most direct help.
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They are ideal for indoor and outdoor and decorative lighting. But there are many kinds of LED neon flex lights on the market, with different shapes and performances. So before buying LED neon Flex, you need to compare their features and choose the product that suits you best.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know before buying an LED neon flex, so I’ve listed 20 things you must consider before buying an LED neon flex.
LED Neon Flex is a flexible and durable lighting product extruded from a one-piece machine. Its light source is an LED strip, and the outer coating is a flexible silicone surface.
LED neon flex is an alternative to traditional neon lights. Its light source is LED lights, and its exterior is made of flexible silicone, which can be bent into any shape or design.
LED Neon Flex is available in many different sizes for different installation sizes. You need to choose the right size according to your project size, meanwhile, it can be bent into any shape, including letters, numbers, and logos. For example, as below:
Top bend: T neon strip
Side Bend: S neon strip
LED neon flex is available in a variety of bending options. There are top bend, side bend, 3D neon, and 360° round series neon lights. Before you buy a suitable LED neon tube, be sure to understand the bending types and uses of LED neon lights as follows:
Top bend series silicone neon flex is made of environmentally friendly silicone material, which is extruded in one piece. The protection level reaches IP67, which is very suitable for long-term outdoor use, and the surface is not easy to turn yellow.
Side bend series silicone neon flex adopts a unique optical structure design, the light is even, without any shadows. It can be used for contour, interior and outdoor decorative lighting, and other scenes.
3D neon series silicone neon flex adopts flexible silicone material, and strong plasticity, combined with the bend of side and top two type lighting surfaces. meeting the lighting needs of indoor decoration, landscape lighting, architectural curtain walls, building outlines, and other scenes
360° round series silicone neon flex effect 25mm diameter strip with 360° even illumination. It is the best partner for your space design and artistic molding.
LED Neon Flex provides different voltage options, mainly including 12V DC and 24V DC, and other voltages also support customization.
The brightness of the LED Neon Flex is measured in lumens per meter (lm/m), which is a proxy for luminous flux. The higher the lumen output, the brighter the LED Neon Flex.
Different lighting projects have different requirements for the brightness of light, so before buying, you must understand the lumen value of LED neon lights.
LED neon signs are very energy efficient, like most other LED products, and they consume much less electricity.
We generally measure power in watts/meter. Therefore, before buying LED neon tubes, check how much power your lighting project requires. And use this to match the appropriate power supply. The higher the wattage, the more energy it consumes.
LED neon signs are popular for their variety of colors, but it’s also a real kink. Since there are so many colors to choose from, we need to choose the one that suits us best. So, you need to have a basic understanding of the color characteristics of LED neon lights.
LED neon flex has different variations according to color. Conventional is a single color, double color, RGB, RGBW, DMX512RGB, and so on. You need to choose the most suitable one according to your needs.
For this color temperature, we also need to pay attention to a key factor, CRI, which indicates the similarity between artificial light sources and natural light. It is rated on a scale of 0-100. The higher the CRI rating, the better the lighting quality. So we recommend choosing a CRI greater than 90.
The IP rating determines its dust and water resistance. Our regular neon tubes are IP67, which can be used outdoors. Note that if you install LED neon tubes outdoors or in areas with water, you must confirm with the supplier that it is waterproof.
The IP value is at least IP67 or higher, the higher the IP value, the more waterproof the LED is. It is critical to select an LED Neon Flex with the proper IP rating for the installation location.
In addition, we also have IP68 neon tube light strips, if you are going to use them in swimming pools or submerged in water, please choose our IP68 silicone neon lights.
All of our LED neon flex lights are dimmable; you can adjust the brightness and dim to produce different lighting effects. Just if you need to adjust the brightness, you need a compatible LED controller.
Before buying LED neon flex, first, we need to confirm the required length. Our regular 5-meter roll, of course, also supports customization, 1-meter 1-roll, and 2-meter-1 roll are all possible. So, you need to measure the place where it will be installed and place the order in meters.
Our regular LED neon flex lights are 5 meters per roll and can support customization. But you also need to cut the LED neon tube according to your lighting project. Some are 50mm, some are 62.5mm, and the cutting length of each LED neon tube is different.
So, you need to choose the LED neon lights that suit your cut length according to your needs. When cutting, be sure to cut along the mark.
You must check the quality of LED neon flex lights before buying, otherwise, you will spend a lot of money and time on replacement and repair. But how do we check quality? you can consider the following points.
There is no doubt that a good quality LED neon flex mainly depends on the quality of its raw materials. So, before we buy LED neon tubes, we need to ask about raw materials and shelf life.
Consistent in color temperature and color, and because it is extruded with an all-in-one machine, the color accuracy ensures color remains consistent over time.
LED neon flex should be flexible enough to bend and shape according to design requirements. In addition, it is also necessary to meet the needs of special letters and shapes.
Efficient heat dissipation is critical to the lifespan and performance of LED neon signs. A high-quality product will certainly include an effective heat sink to prevent excess heat that can lead to shortened life or reduced brightness over time.
The longevity of LED neon flex is a quality essential consideration. High-quality products should have a long lifespan, around 3-5 years, ensuring minimal maintenance and replacement costs over time.
Look for LED neon flex lights that meet the relevant safety standards and certifications in your region, these certificates attest to the quality of LED neon flex, Such as CE, RoHS, ETL, and UL.
Manufacturers that offer comprehensive warranties and reliable customer support often indicate confidence in their product’s quality. A solid warranty can provide peace of mind and assurance of assistance in case of any issues.
But before buying LED neon flex lights, you also need to know how to install them. You can easily install them directly with mounting clips or aluminum mounting slots.
Attach the clips or channels to the wall or wherever they will be installed. Then press the elastic on it. First-quality products will come with clear instructions, suitable connectors, and mounting options.
Before buying LED neon flex lights, we must also pay attention to the warranty of the product. You must know this time, this is a measure of the product, and it is also a guarantee for yourself.
Before buying LED neon tubes, you need to understand the emission perspective of each neon tube. Because the wider viewing angle ensures that the neon LED sign glows evenly in different directions, enhancing its visibility and overall aesthetics.
LED neon flex should be UV-resistant to prevent color fading or degradation when exposed to direct sunlight or other sources of ultraviolet radiation.
LED neon flex should be able to withstand high temperatures without deformation, discoloration, or other negative effects on its performance or appearance.
LED Neon Flex can be used both indoors and outdoors. It is mainly used to make LED neon signs, light up buildings, and so on. Some IP68 silicone LED neon flex can be underwater.
Are you interested in learning more about IP68 Silicone Neon Flex? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
Before buying LED neon tubes, you also need to know what the supplier’s service is. If you have purchased the product and there is any problem with the product during the warranty period, you can ask in advance to know their specific operation process.
This comprehensive guide has provided you with everything you need to know before buying LED neon flex lights. From understanding its advantages to exploring the various factors to consider when making a purchase, you are now equipped with the knowledge to make an informed decision.
Consider the quality and durability of the product, and ensure proper installation for optimal performance. So go ahead, confidently choose the LED neon flex lights that suit your style and elevate your space with its vibrant and eye-catching glow.
Neon flex lights are one of the most popular and versatile lighting options on the market today. They are perfect for everything from creating a cozy atmosphere in your home to brightening up a commercial space. But with so many different types, colors, and styles of LED neon flex lights available, it can be hard to know where to start. This guide will provide you with all the information you need to choose the perfect LED neon flex lights for your needs.
Traditional Neon lights are brightly emitting electrified glass tubes or bulbs filled with rare neon gas or other rare gases and are a type of cold cathode gas discharge lamp. A neon tube is a sealed glass tube with electrodes at both ends, filled with low-pressure gas. A voltage of several thousand volts is applied to the electrodes, ionizing the gas in the tube, causing it to emit light. The color of the light depends on the gas in the tube. Neon is a transliteration of neon light, a rare gas that emits a popular orange-red light. But other colors are produced using other gases, such as hydrogen (red), helium (pink), carbon dioxide (white), mercury vapor (blue), etc.
LED Neon Flex Light is a flexible linear uniform light that uses high brightness SMD LED strips as the internal light source and is wrapped with silicone, PVC or PU(Polyurethane) to diffuse the light.
1. The working voltage is low because of the LED light source. The power consumption is small and energy-saving. Even in the 24Vdc, it can work well, and its power consumption generally does not exceed 15W per meter.
2. High brightness. The light source is made of ultra-high brightness SMD LEDs, with a density of 120 LEDs per meter, ensuring high brightness and an overall uniform luminous effect.
3. Durable and long life. The light source is made of LEDs, which can last up to 50,000 hours. The flexible silicone/PVC/PU gel is also used, so there is no problem breaking like traditional glass neon light.
4. Flexible, the LED neon flex light can be bent to a minimum diameter of 5CM and sheared.
5. Safe. Unlike traditional glass neon lights, which require a high voltage of up to 15,000V for regular operation, the LED neon flex light operates at 12V or 24V and is safe to use as it will not break and has low heat dissipation.
6. Simple and easy to transport and install. Because the light source is LED and the casing is PVC/Silicone/PU, it will not break during transportation. You only need to fix the mounting clips first or mounting channels, then press the LED flexible neon into mounting clips or mounting channels.
1. Traditional neon lights are expensive, complex, and inconvenient when using glass tubes, high voltage electricity, and inert gas. LED neon flex lights using LED technology and a new structure, with a PVC, silicone, or PU housing wrapped around the LED light source, using unique optical design technology and a special housing design to increase the intensity and uniformity of the light. The LED neon flex is easy to manufacture and very efficient.
2. LED neon flex lights are brighter than traditional neon lights.
3. LED neon flex lights have a longer life span and are more durable. With LED as the light source and PVC/Silicone/PU housing, the life span of LED neon flex is up to 30,000 hours.
4. LED neon flex lights are more energy-efficient, with a minimum power of less than 5W per meter than traditional glass neon lights, generally more than 20W per meter.
5. Traditional neon lights use a transformer to raise the voltage from 220V/100V to V to excite the inert gas in the glass tube. One set of glass tube can only emit one color of light. If multiple colors are required, multiple sets of glass tubes are needed. And the traditional neon shape needs to be designed in advance, and the shape cannot be changed after the factory has produced it. LED neon flex lights can be bent and cut at the site, and there are many different colors to choose from white, tunable white, RGB, RGBW, DMX512 Pixel, etc.
6. LED neon flex lights is safer, as it uses low voltages: 12V, 24V, shockproof, low heat dissipation, and safe to use.
7. Conventional neon lights can only work at normal room temperature, and the voltage must be raised during use, which is also more expensive and has a short service life. The LED neon flex light uses LED as the light source, a cold light source with low heat dissipation and low power consumption. It is also shockproof and heat resistant.
8. LED neon flex lights are more friendly to the environment. While traditional neon lights are polluted with heavy metals, LED neon flex lights do not contain heavy metals or other harmful substances.
The LED neon light consists of a flexible LED strip inside and wrapped with PVC, silicone or PU to diffuse the light and make the light uniform.
Bending Direction: Horizontal Bending(Side Bending), Vertical Bending(Top Bending), 3D Bending(Horizontal & Vertical Bending), 360 Degree Round
Housing Material: PVC / Silicone / PU(Polyurethane)
Working Voltage: Low voltage(12V/24V/36V/48V), High voltage(120VAC/220VAC)
Light Color: Monochrome, Tunable White, RGB, RGBW, DMX512 Pixel RGB, SPI Pixel RGB
The production process is divided into two main parts.
In the first part, the LED flexible strip is produced first, and the LED flexible strip is used as the light source for the neon lights. Please check the blog here if you need to know how to produce led strips in detail.
The second part is to add the silicone shell to the LED strip. There are two main ways to add the silicone shell. The first way is LED strip and silicone integrated extrusion. The second way is to produce the silicone tube first and then put the LED strip into the silicone tube manually.
Step 1. Mixing silicone
Silicone is solid, there are generally two kinds of silicone used for neon lights, one is milky white, used to diffuse light, and one is white, used to block light. Neon lights of LEDYi are more advanced, use three colors of silicone, the extra color is transparent, used for cutting windows so that people can see the cutting position more clearly.
The raw material silicone is only one kind. To get different silicone colors, you need to add diffusion powder inside the silicone in a particular proportion. The more diffusion powder you add, the whiter the silicone will be and the lower the light transmission rate.
Step 2. The extrusion process begins with installing rolling LED strips on the payoff frame. These LED strips are adjusted and sequenced using an adjustment table.
Step 3. The LED strip and silicone are then passed through the holes in the pre-assembled die, activating the operating button on the electronic control box, which starts the machine to wrap the silicone onto the LED strip.
Step 4. The machine extrudes the silicone-coated LED strip and passes it through the vulcanizing oven, where the product is gradually vulcanized and shaped. The temperature inside the oven is kept moderate to avoid burning the LED beads. After vulcanization, the led neon is put out by a tractor.
Step 1. Using silicone extrusion machines to make silicone neon sleeves or buying silicone neon sleeves from other factories. The silicone neon sleeving production process is similar to the LED strip and silicone integrated extrusion process above. The only difference is that there is no LED strip inside the silicone neon sleeving at the moment. There is only a wire inside.
Step 2. Take the prepared LED strip, tie it to the silicone neon tube with the wire, then pull the wire at the other end of the silicone neon tube to pull the LED strip inside the silicone neon tube.
1. The silicone extrusion method, as the led strip and silicone are extruded as one piece, the led silicone neon can be made longer, theoretically infinitely long. Because of the led strip’s voltage drop and transportation problems, it is generally recommended not to exceed 50 meters. And the maximum length of the manual way is usually 5 meters. If it exceeds 5 meters, it cannot be pulled in due to the friction between the led strip and the silicone neon tube.
2. The silicone is extruded in one piece, the silicone neon tube will be stuck to the LED strip inside, not loose, and the product quality is better. In contrast to the manual way, the LED strip and the silicone neon tube will move relatively.
3. The efficiency of the integrated silicone extrusion is much higher than the manual method.
4. For small quantities, e.g., 1-meter samples, the one-piece silicone extrusion method can be costly and take longer to produce because of the time and cost involved in setting up the machine. On the other hand, the manual way is effortless as the silicone neon tube is already in stock and only requires the manual pulling of the LED strip into the silicone neon tube.
1. Ensure that the light source LED strip with the brand or quality assurance LEDs, resistors, and IC components.
2. Ask the factory for the LM80 test report of the LEDs, check the expected life hours of the LEDs in the report, high-quality LEDs, L80 lifetime up to 50,000 hours.
3. Make sure that the PCB used for the light source LED strip is pure copper, double-sided PCB with a thickness of 2oz or 3oz.
4. Ensure that the LED silicone neon light housing is made of RoHS compliant, UV resistant, flame retardant, and corrosion-resistant high-quality silicone.
5. Ensure that the LED silicone neon is certified to the relevant product approvals, e.g., CE, RoHS, UL, etc.
6. Ensure that the color temperature range of the finished silicone neon lamp is as narrow as possible. Our LEDYi’s typically have a color temperature range of plus or minus 100K.
7. Ensure the color rendering index of the silicone neon lamp. The higher the color rendering index, the better! Our LEDYi silicone neon lights have a color rendering index of more than 90.
8. Ensure that the led silicone neon is available with a wide range of accessories. For example, there are solder-free plugs, integrated injection plugs, plugs for different wire outlet directions, mounting clips, mounting aluminum lights.
9. Ensure the LED silicone neon supports customization, OEM, ODM.
Step 1. Measure the length
Step 2. Find the cut position on the LED Neon Flex
Step 3. Cut the led LED Neon Flex
Step 4. Cut off some silicone from the LED Neon Flex
Step 5. Soldering cable to LED Neon by electric iron
Step 6. Fill silicone in LED Neon and endcap
Step 7. Light up the LED Neon to test
Step 8. Wait for the silicone to dry and solidify
Step 1. Measure the length
Step 2. Find the cut position on the LED Neon Flex
Step 3. Cut the led LED Neon Flex
Step 4. Attach connectors to LED Neon
Step 5. Connect the power plug to LED Neon
Step 6. Light up the LED neon to test
Step 1: Measure the length
Step 2: Find the cut position on the LED Neon Flex
Step 3: Cut the led LED Neon Flex to size
Step 4: Attach connectors to LED Neon
Step 5: Connect the power plug to LED Neon
Step 6: Use screws to fix the mounting clip or mounting channel to the place you need to install
Step 7: Press the LED neon light into the mounting clip or mounting channel
Step 8: Light up the LED Neon to test
Step 1: Check the working voltage of LED Neon Flex
Step 2: Find a compatible power supply and controllers if need
Step 3: Install the LED Neon Flex on the place your desired
Step 4: Install the power supply and controllers
Step 5: Connect the LED Neon Flex to power supply or controllers
Step 6: Light it up
Please check the wiring diagram below:
In conclusion,Neon flex has many benefits that make it a great choice for projects of all sizes. It is a durable and cost-effective option, with a variety of colors, lengths, and styles to choose from. Neon flex is also energy efficient and much more convenient than traditional neon tubing. This makes it perfect for permanent installations or custom designs. The combination of these advantages make Neon flex an ideal solution for anyone looking to create something eye-catching and unique.
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