If you run a bar or restaurant, you know how important atmosphere is. Yes, good food and drinks are an important part of the equation. It doesn’t matter how pleasant your atmosphere is if you only serve plain burgers and cheap beer.
But at the same time, the wrong atmosphere can kill your business, even if you have an outstanding menu. Imagine a coffee shop that serves Starbucks coffee, but it’s located in a dark basement. The staff are all wearing plain white tee shirts, and there’s death metal music blaring over the stereo. It doesn’t matter how good the coffee is. If you’re like most people, you’re not going to go there!
Atmosphere isn’t just a way to retain customers. If you can project that atmosphere outside of your business, you can actually attract them. One good example of this is Chuck E. Cheese. Look at one of their restaurants, and there’s a big fiberglass mouse outside. Kids see it, and they immediately know the brand. If you’re a parent in the front seat, you hear them shouting out in excitement. The fiberglass mouse reminds kids that there’s fun to be had inside, as well as good food.
Now, you might think that this kind of approach only works on kids. To be fair, children are a bit easier to market to. They have little experience with advertising, and with separating reality from marketing hype. But atmosphere is also a great way to attract adult customers, if you’re a bit more subtle.
Think of the atmosphere of a Yankee Candles store. It’s warm and inviting. The aroma of the candles drifts out the door, so you can smell it from halfway across the mall. It doesn’t matter how jaded you are; you’re going to take a look.
Choosing the Best Neon LED Heart Sign
We’re about to review three of the best neon LED heart signs on the market. These signs are great ways to attract customers to a business. They automatically project a welcoming aura, perfect for many bars, restaurants, salons, and other businesses. They also make great decorations for around the house, particularly as part of a colorful lighting scheme.
But each of these lights has its own unique quirks. They’re different shapes and colors. They have different power supplies to keep them illuminated. They also install differently, which is an important consideration. To find out which one is the best, we’ll have to evaluate all these features and more. After we’ve given each light a thorough examination, we’ll be ready to deliver a fair verdict. Let’s get started!
EXF Heart Neon Sign
The EXF Heart Neon Sign is a compact heart light that fits in even a small space. At 8 inches wide and 8 inches tall, it’s suitable for smaller windows and open wall sections. When turned off, it’s white in color, with solid sides. The front surface is a more translucent plastic, which allows the light to shine through.
This is a straightforward, traditional heart shape. It’s symmetrical, and it comes to a neat point at the bottom. When it’s fully powered, the light shines a bright, vibrant pink. There’s actually a lot of white to this pink, which makes it surprisingly bright. It can actually light up a small bathroom better than a traditional night light.
Power is supplied by a 70-inch cord, with a USB Type-A plug at the end. You can plug this into any USB power supply, including a computer, power bank, or AC power adapter. Keep in mind that there’s no AC adapter included in the kit. If you’re plugging into a standard power outlet, you’ll have to provide your own.
The cable is translucent, which makes it relatively low-visibility. It’s also nice and flexible, and does a reasonably job of resisting tangling. And thanks to the 70-inch length, you should easily be able to reach a power outlet.
If you’re nowhere near a power supply, there’s another option. In the middle of the power cord, you’ll find an in-line dongle with room for three AA batteries. To save battery life, there’s a switch on the dongle, which turns the light on and off. Note that the USB plug bypasses this switch. When the light is plugged in, it will always be on.
Installing the EXF sign is easy. There’s a little tab in the top cleft of the heart, with a built-in screw slot. This makes it easy to install on any wall in just a few minutes.
Britrio LED Neon Light Sign
The Britrio LED Neon Light Sign is a bit larger than the EXF. It measures 12.6 inches wide and 13.4 inches high, so it’s visible from a longer distance away. It’s surprisingly durable, constructed from a tough white plastic. When illuminated, the white disappears immediately, turning into a bright, vibrant color.
This heart sign is available in two variants: pink and red. The pink is a lighter pink, with a bubblegum-like tone. The red is darker and bolder, but stops short of being an aggressive firetruck red. It’s a warmer, more pleasant red, close to pink, but dark enough to make a statement. It’s great if you want a more eye-catching bit of signage.
The profile of the heart is stylized, as if it were drawn with a pen in one stroke. The bottom is separated, like you started there with your pen and never quite closed the circle. The cleft at the top is also rounded, giving it a more casual appearance.
In addition to the heart sign, Britrio offers the same sign in different variants. To begin with, there are red and pink signs with the word “love” printed in a flowing cursive script. The other sign is rectangular, with white block text spelling out “to the moon.”
Power is provided by a 6.6-foot USB cord. It’s reasonably durable, and has a tough rubber insulation. It resists tangling, and it’s reinforced where it meets the tip. That said, we couldn’t help but be disappointed by the length. Unless you’re very close to an outlet, you’ll have to use a power bank or an extension cord.
One neat thing about the design is that it actually has a solid back plate. The plate adds plenty of rigidity, but it’s made from clear plastic, so it’s nearly invisible when hung. The plate also has a set of two screw slots for easy installation.
Atomi Smart Neon LED Light
The Atomi Smart Neon LED Light falls between our last two options when it comes to size. It measures 11 inches wide, with a total height of 11.5 inches. Because of its unique profile, it actually looks taller than it is, giving the whole design a vertical appearance. It’s constructed from an opaque white plastic, which looks creamy when it’s powered down.
This heart is highly stylized, with a playful overall appeal. It’s one solid piece, without any breaks. However, there’s a little loop at the bottom of the cleft, like someone made a flourish with a pen. If you want your heart to look as informal as possible, you’re looking at the ideal choice. To go along with the fun shape, it also has a warm pink glow, which is pleasant and welcoming.
The Atomi light is easy to plug in. It sports a 10-foot cable, longer than either of our previous two options. This gives you enough reach to access a power supply, even if you’re mounting the light high up. The cord plugs into any USB Type-A outlet, and is tough enough to take a reasonable amount of abuse.
There are two little plastic tabs, inside the two bumps at the top of the heart. Each of these tabs has a little screw slot, so you can easily hang the light on your wall. On the downside, the two tabs seem to collect light from the LEDs. This causes them to light up pink, along with the rest of the heart.
Of course, a heart sign is only one way to attract customers. Another good method is to use a programmable scrolling LED sign. These aren’t just great for promotional purposes. They’re useful for menus, product expositions, and more.
What Makes a Good LED Heart Sign?
We’ve looked at a few great heart signs. But what makes one better than another? This depends on a few different factors:
- Shape and color – There’s no right or wrong answer here. Some shapes are more formal, while others are more playful or abstract. Similarly, the color could range from a soft pink to a bold red. It depends on your intent, and on the other ambient lighting around the sign.
- Power supply – Most signs of this type are powered by USB. That said, you may need another option. An AC power cord eliminates the need for a USB adapter. Batteries, meanwhile, provide a bit more versatility.
- Installation – A sign should be easy to install. You should be able to attach it to a wall or hang it in a window. Otherwise, it’s not much of a sign!
Which Neon LED Heart is Best?
So, which one of these neon LED heart signs is the best choice for you? Let’s go over what we’ve learned about each one of them.
We began by looking at the EXF Heart Neon Sign. This sign is most noteworthy for its battery-powered option. If you’re not installing your sign near a power outlet, this is a big deal. Moreover, it has a very small form factor. If you need to fit your sign in a compact space, you’ll appreciate the 8” x 8” profile.
The Britrio LED Neon Light Sign, meanwhile, is the biggest of the bunch. It’s available in pink and red, so you can match it to different aesthetics. The power cord is a bit short, which was disappointing. But with a solid back plate and two screw slots, it’s exceptionally sturdy and easy to install.
The Atomi Smart Neon LED Light has a mid-sized design with the most playful design of all. It’s easy to mount, and the bright pink color is exceptionally eye-catching. Best of all, this light has a 10-foot power cord, so it can reach power supplies that other lights can’t.
Meet Ry, “TechGuru,” a 36-year-old technology enthusiast with a deep passion for tech innovations. With extensive experience, he specializes in gaming hardware and software, and has expertise in gadgets, custom PCs, and audio.
Besides writing about tech and reviewing new products, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and photography. Committed to keeping up with the latest industry trends, he aims to guide readers in making informed tech decisions.