Automotive LED vs Neon Buyers Guide

LED and neon lighting are the two commonly used lighting applications offered in the automotive underglow lighting market. Each of these distinctive options have their own strengths and weakness to appeal to undercar lighting consumers. While some of these reasons are technical and physical limitations, others are merely a matter of personal preference.

Neon lighting has been used for automotive lighting applications since the beginning. Initially, neon gas lighting was primarily used due to a variety of costly and technical limitations of LEDs at the time. Neon lights for cars were inexpensive and offered 360 degrees of under glow illumination. Early model LED under car lights also produced a spotting effect when the light was illuminated on a surface unlike neon lighting at the time. However, the benefits of underbody neon kits quickly started to fade when less expensive, brighter and more durable LEDs were introduced into the market moving consumer demand towards LED lighting. A neon lamp is a high voltage, high temperature application which requires a transformer to produce its bright glow. Due to the fact that neon lighting is a gas and need to be constantly energized, it does not allow for the same kind of color patterns and options that LEDs provide, given that a neon tube contains only one source of light whereas an LED tube may have upwards of 100 individual light emitting diodes in a single tube. After prolonged use, auto neon lights can get extremely hot to the touch and will start to dim out over time. Car neons also do not allow for the same kind of pattern flexibility or multi color options that LEDs provide since different colored LEDs can be placed on a single tube. Should the neon glass tube crack from an object hitting it or normal wear and tear, it will be rendered useless due to the neon gas leaking from the tube while a crack in an LED tube should leave it functioning normally. In theory, neon car lights provided the cheap and simple underglow that most enthusiasts were seeking at the time. Now with inexpensive and abundant LEDs here to stay, the popularity of neon underbody kits has declined due to the numerous advances in the LED underbody kit.

LED lights offer an excellent selection of colors and application options that far exceed the capabilities of neon lighting. LEDs are brighter and much more durable than a fragile neon gas tube, offering up to 100,000 hours before burning out. The introduction of LEDs also offered the creation of numerous new lighting kits designed for a variety of other applications including motorcycle and led car wheel well lighting kits not previously possible due to the inflexibility and fragileness with underbody neon lights. Once installed, LED underglow kits provide immediate illumination and do not require a warm up period. Due to the fact that an LED underbody kit does not contain any gas and does not need to be constantly energized, this allows for a multitude of multi color options and patterns such as strobing and chasing lighting effects. As discussed, LED car lights offer a clear advantage over neons which is why they are continually the best selling option for automotive lighting that is currently available.

 LEDGLOW Lighting offers an extensive variety of LED lights for cars due to the reliability, affordably and features that LED underbody lights provide. A vast selection of led underglow kits, interior, wheel well and motorcycle LED lighting kits awaits consumers. Free technical support, a one year warranty and free shipping is included with all LED light kits.