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.

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What is Traditional Neon Lights?

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.

What is LED Neon Flex Lights?

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.

What are the features of LED Neon Flex lights?

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.

What is the advantages of LED Neon Flex Lights compare with Traditional Neon Lights?

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.

What is LED Neon Flex Lights used for?

1. Signage & Exhibit Lighting

2. Building facades

3. Cove lighting

4. Retail displays

5. Architectural lighting

6. Marine Lighting

7. Automobile Lighting

8. Artwork Lighting

9. Special Event Lighting

10. Home Lighting

Structure of LED Neon Flex Lights

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.

Classification of LED Neon Flex Lights

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

Horizontal Bending(Side Bending) Vertical Bending(Top Bending) 3D Bending(Horizontal & Vertical Bending) 360 Degree Round

How to produce LED Neon Flex Lights?

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.

LED strip and silicone integrated extrusion process

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.

Manual way

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.

Silicone integrated extrusion VS Manual way

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.

How to ensure the quality of LED Neon Flex Lights?

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.

How to cut, solder and power LED Neon Flex Lights?

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

How to cut, connect and power LED Neon Flex Lights with solderless connectors?

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

How to install LED Neon Flex Lights?

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

How to connect LED Neon Flex Lights to power supply?

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:

LED Neon Sample Case

FAQs

Conclusion

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.

LEDYi manufactures high-quality LED strips and LED neon flex. All of our products go through high-tech laboratories to ensure the utmost quality. Besides, we offer customizable options on our LED strips and neon flex. So, for premium LED strip and LED neon flex, contact LEDYi ASAP!

Everything you need to know before buying led strip lights

Before buying LED strip lights, we recommend that you first understand the relevant led strip knowledge so that you can use the led light strip in your lighting project to the greatest extent, whether it is an indoor led lighting project or an outdoor waterproof lighting project.

The applications of the LED light strips are various, home lighting, commercial lighting, or building outline lighting, like bedrooms, cabinets, living rooms, TVs, ceilings, stairs, KTVs, bars, restaurants, supermarkets, retail stores, etc. You will always find the right led strip light for your lighting project.

Everything you need to know before buying led strip lights: 

#Part 1. What are LED strip lights?

#Part 2. Where and how to install LED light strip?

#Part 3. How do LED strip lights work?

#Part 4. How long can you run an LED strip?

#Part 5. How long do LED strip lights last?

BLUE DIAMOND supply professional and honest service.

 

What are led strip lights?

With the popularity of LED lights, LED light strips came into being. LED strip lights are also well-known as led tape lights, led rope lights, or led ribbon lights. 

As its name indicates, LED strip light is like a strip. Its component is a print circuit board with surface-mount device LED lights and other electrical parts, and its backing is a 3M adhesive, which is easy to install. 

What makes led rope lights unique is that led strips can be cut, and there are many cutting lines along the lighting strips, which surprised people and unbelievable.

*Single color led strip light

Led strip lights have countless advantages, long lifespan, easy installation, less energy consumption, material environmental protection, safe and various colors and color temperatures. 

&#;Related waterproof IP rating, voltage, and SMD LED knowledge: Top 6 Considerations Before Buying LED Strip Lights

&#;Related LED color and white light color temperature knowledge: 

How to choose the right color for your led strip lights?

The Color Difference Between Warm White K, K, K, K Pure White and K Cool White

What is Kalvin color temperature?

Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Addressable LED Strip

&#;COB VS LED, COB VS SMD: What is COB led lights?

&#;Knowledge about LED aluminum profile and LED neon lights: 

Ultimate Guide on Aluminum Profile for LED Strip Lighting

What are LED neon lights?

How to make LED neon lights?

 

Where to install led strip lights?

The most common places to install led strip lights at home are bedroom, ceiling, wall, under cabinet, under counter, stairs, kitchen, and bathroom. These places all can be installed led light strips to be lighting lights or atmosphere lights.

Outdoor waterproof led strip lights are normally used in swimming pool, park, roof, steps, etc. Led rope lights can also be installed in offices, factories, supermarket, even in cars.

The installation place of led strips is numerous. As long as the light strip usage rules are met, it can be used anywhere. 

&#;Related LED strip installation knowledge: 

How to install led strip lights?

Can you cut led light strips? 

How to connect led strip lights together?

How to install LED motion sensor stair lights?
 

How do led strip lights work?

When connecting the led strip to a power supply(also called LED driver, LED transformer), current will through the strip, and make its light emitting diodes to glow. Note that the current should be within the normal use range of the light strip. The current cannot be too high or too small, too high will burn the led strip, and too small the brightness of led lights will get dark.

Led strip light is marked with positive and negative poles, and it represents led strip need to be connected to the positive and negative poles of the power supply to let it work normally.

Generally, led strip lights will tell you what voltage it need. And the voltage is marked in the strip as well. So, if you want to enjoy led rope lights, pay attention to the working voltage. Otherwise, it will be not work.

Wattage power is another important factor to led strips work. If you want to know the wattage of your led lighting strip, it is not marked in the led strip, you have to find led strip specification to see what wattage it use. 

 

*Single color LED strip directly connect to LED driver

 

*RGB color changing LED lights connect to RGB controller, then connect to LED power supply.

(RGB LED light controller controls RGB color change and LED brightness adjustment, LED transformer supplies power to the RGB controller and the RGB color changing LED strip lighting)

For example, the led strip light above, single color LED light strip, its working voltage is 12VDC. So that it need a 12VDC power supply. And it requires 90W power supply a roll. Therefore, before putting the LED lighting strip into use, you should prepare an LED power supply whose output voltage is 12VDC and the power sources is 100W.

In addition, when talked about the power of the led power supply, please remember the rule 80%. It means the power of the led transformer is about 1.2 times the power of the led strip. So, the strip light above can choose an LED power supply, which is 12VDC and 100W power sources.

In conclusion, the normal operation of led strip lights is inseparable from the correct working current, voltage and power wattage, and correct wiring.

&#;Knowledge about led power supply and LED controller: 

How to calculate power for led strip lights?

How to choose led strip light power supply?

How to connect led strip to the power supply?

How to choose led strip light controllers?

 

How long can you run an LED strip?

In general, the length of led rope lights is 5 meters / 16.4 feet a roll. According to the content mentioned above, to make led strips work normally, you must make sure the working current, voltage, wattage and wiring are correct, which are the all important factors. These factors determine how long an led strip you can run.

If your 12V led strip light is 5 meters / 16.4 feet, and your lighting project is 10 meters / 32.8 feet, can you use the 5 meters / 16.4 feet 12V led strip light? The answer is yes. You can use two that led strip with connecting them, and make it a 10 meters / 32.8 feet led strip.

However, as the strip length increases, the power is also increases. If the wattage of strip is 100W, when it becomes 10 meters / 32.8 feet long, the power changes. And it becomes 200W now. 

&#;LED light strip connector: How to choose led strip light connectors?

We have to pay attention to the problem of voltage drop when running super long LED strips. What is voltage drop? Due to the too long length and the insufficient power supply, the light strip will have LED brightness attenuation and white light LED color changes.

The most obvious way to observe whether there is a voltage drop is to turn on the LED lights with white light color. The white light of the light strip gradually turns yellow, and turns to orange and red as the distance increases. This is a typical manifestation of the led voltage drop. Finally, when there is a 100% voltage drop, the LED brightness will disappear. 

The solution to solve the LED voltage drop is that to power the led light strip sufficiently. Where the LED white color turns yellow, a seperate power supply should be required when running super long LED strip lights. 

Actually, there are ultra-long constant current led strip lights in our product lists to make up the LED voltage drop problem. Constant current means that the LED brightness of the long LED light strip is always the same. So the constant current LED strip can make the LED brightness keep the same and at the same time achieve super long running. 

We provide 10m/32.8ft, 15 meters/49.2ft, 20 meters/65.6ft, 30 meters/98.4ft, and 50 meters/164ft LED strip length options. You can choose a right ultra-long constant current led strip light for your super long LED lighting project.

If you don&#;t want your led strip light to be too long, there are some led strip lights that provide a choice of 1meter/3.28 feet as well, or you can contact us to customize the strip length you want.

&#;Related led light strip wiring diagram about short length LED strip project and ultra long LED lighting project: 

How to wire single color led strip lights?

How to wire tunable white/CCT led strip lights?

How to wire RGB color changing led strip lights?

How to wire RGBW led strips?

How to wire RGBCCT led strip lights?

How to wire addressable led strips?

 

How long do LED strip lights last?

The service life of led strip lights can reach to 50,000 hours, which is 5.7 years.However, there is a difference while the using hours are different per day.

Although led strip lights have a very long life, the incorrect use will still reduce the life of the led light strips. In the process of using the led strip light, please make sure that you use it correctly and will not damage the light strip. 

Improper bending will cause the LED strip to break and affect the life of the LED strip. LED strips work under non-standard voltage, current, and power, which will also affect their service life. Generally, precautions are marked on the packaging of the led strip light.

If you have any questions, you can search for answers on the Internet or ask for help from others or contact us. Wish you a perfect chemical reaction between you and your led strip lights. 

&#;More knowledge about LED strip lights you need to know:

Is it worth getting led strip lights? 

Are led strip lights safe?

What are the types of led strip lights? Flexible led strip lights VS rigid led strip lights

Are you interested in learning more about led neon flex rgbw? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!