A 60 cm sign runs roughly 4 to 5 hours on an ordinary USB power bank, the same as one set of 8 AA batteries. Swap in a fresh set and you get another 4 to 5. Bigger signs drain proportionally faster.
If you need longer than that from one charge, step up the battery rather than the sign: a 100Wh portable power station takes the same 60 cm sign to 8 to 15 hours, and a 12V outdoor power station runs it for days.
Battery is a good answer for events, market stalls and photo backdrops. It is a poor answer for a sign that lives on a wall, because you will get tired of charging it.
Working out your own run time
The arithmetic is simple enough to do before you buy anything.
| Sign width | Rough draw | On a USB power bank (about 37Wh) | On a 100Wh power station |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 to 60 cm | 7 to 12 W | 4 to 5 hours | 8 to 15 hours |
| 80 to 90 cm | 12 to 20 W | 2 to 3 hours | 5 to 8 hours |
| 120 cm and up | 20 W and up | Under 2 hours | Under 5 hours |
These are honest estimates rather than measurements, because the figure depends on how much tube your specific wording contains. Ask us for the wattage of your actual sign and the calculation becomes exact.
The dimmer is your battery extender
Run time scales almost directly with brightness. At half brightness you get close to double the hours, and at an event the sign will still read perfectly well. This is the single most effective thing you can do, and it costs nothing because the in line dimmer is included with every sign.
When battery makes sense
- ✓ Weddings and events, where there is no outlet near the backdrop.
- ✓ Market stalls and pop ups.
- ✓ Photo shoots, where the sign only needs to run for a few hours.
- ✗ A sign on a wall at home. The novelty of recharging wears off in about a week.
- ✗ Shop windows. Use a smart plug on a timer instead.
Practical notes
Choose a power bank with a sustained output rating above your sign's draw, not just a large capacity, and check it does not shut itself off when the load is low. Bring a second bank rather than a bigger one; swapping is faster than recharging and you can charge one while the other runs.
If the sign is going somewhere it may get rained on, remember the battery and the connection need protecting too. The IP67 build covers the sign, not your power bank.
For a one day event, battery works and it removes the cable that would otherwise cross a walkway. For anything permanent, run the mains cable properly, even if that means a longer cable or a different wall. Every battery sign we have supplied for a home has ended up plugged in.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a battery powered neon sign last?
On an ordinary USB power bank, a 50 to 60 cm sign runs roughly 4 to 5 hours, the same as one set of 8 AA batteries. An 80 to 90 cm sign gives 2 to 3 hours, and anything over 120 cm will be under 2. Swap in a fresh set for another run of the same length. On a 100Wh portable power station those figures become 8 to 15, 5 to 8 and under 5 hours.
Can any neon sign run on a battery?
Any of our signs can, since they all run on 12V DC. Tell us when you order and we will supply a connector suited to a power bank rather than only the mains adapter, which avoids improvising on the day.
What size power bank do I need?
Work out the sign's wattage, ask us if you are unsure, then divide the bank's watt hour rating by it. A 100Wh bank driving a 10W sign gives about 10 hours. Check the bank's sustained output rating too, not just its capacity, and that it does not switch itself off under a low load.
How much power does an LED neon sign use?
Roughly 8 to 12 watts per meter of tube at full brightness, so most home signs sit between 7 and 20 watts. On mains that is negligible; on a battery it is the whole calculation.
Should I use a battery for a sign at home?
We would not. Battery suits events, stalls and photo shoots where there is no outlet and the sign runs for hours rather than months. For a wall at home, run the mains cable properly. Recharging a wall sign stops being charming very quickly.
We have made neon since 1998, and we still make it ourselves. If something here does not answer your question, ask us.
