LED light pockets vs. lightboxes and printed posters: an honest comparison
There are three common ways to show posters in a shop window: a printed poster taped or clipped to the glass, a traditional lightbox, or slim LED poster panels hung on cables, such as LED Pockets. Each has its place. This is a plain comparison, including the cases where LED Pockets are not the best choice.
Printed posters on the glass
Strengths: the lowest cost, nothing to install, no electricity. Good for a short campaign or a window that is only seen in daylight.
Limits: after dark the poster is hard to read unless the window has strong lighting. Tape and clips leave marks, posters fade or curl in the sun, and a full window of loose sheets can look untidy.
Traditional lightboxes
Strengths: bright, even light; available in many sizes, including very large formats; some models are made for outdoor use.
Limits: lightboxes are usually deeper boxes that stand on the floor, sit on a shelf or are fixed to a wall, so they take space and block more of the view into the shop. Changing the poster can mean opening a frame or a snap profile. Each box normally has its own power cable.
LED Pockets panels
Strengths:
- A 9 mm slim frame that hangs on thin cables from a rail; power runs through the cables, so there are no visible wires.
- Sizes A5, A4, A3, A2 and a 953 x 350 mm banner, in white or black, all mixable on the same rails, in portrait or landscape.
- Magnetic front cover: pull it forward, slide in the new print, close it.
- Posters printed on backlit paper with an office printer.
- Delivered single-sided; remove the block-out film and the panel lights on both sides, with a different print on each side.
- Several panels and rails can run from one power supply. Low power per panel: A4 7 W, A3 12 W.
- One-time purchase, no leasing contract.
Limits: they need a rail fixed to the ceiling or top of the window frame and a power socket nearby; they need backlit paper rather than plain paper for an even result; and the largest standard formats are A2 and the banner.
When LED Pockets are not the right choice
- Outdoor use. LED Pockets are 24 V indoor displays. For a display outside the glass, choose a product made for outdoor use.
- Moving images or remote updates. If you want video, rotating content or to update many offices from one computer, a digital screen is the right tool. LED Pockets show printed posters.
- No power and no way to fix a rail. If the window has no socket within reach and you cannot fix a rail to the ceiling or frame, a printed poster or a freestanding display is simpler.
- Daylight-only windows with rare changes. If the shop is closed after dark and posters change twice a year, a well-printed poster may be enough.
- Very large single images. For one poster larger than A2, a large lightbox fits better. For projects we can make custom sizes, so ask before you decide.
When LED Pockets fit well
- Estate agencies, travel agencies, banks, salons and shops that change offers often and want the window readable in the evening.
- Windows where you want to keep a view into the shop: thin cables and slim panels block less than boxes on the floor.
- Layouts that mix sizes, for example a banner with your name above A3 or A4 listings.
- Windows seen from both sides, where double-sided use lets one panel serve the street and the room.
Quick comparison
| Printed poster | Traditional lightbox | LED Pockets | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Readable after dark | Only with window lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Installation | None | Floor, shelf or wall | Rail on ceiling or frame |
| Changing the poster | Re-tape | Open the frame | Magnetic front cover |
| Double-sided | Two posters back to back | Depends on model | Yes, film removed |
| Outdoor | No | Some models | No |
| Power | None | Per box | One supply for several panels |
Next step
See how a window is planned in our buying guide for agency windows, browse the complete Display Sets, or request a project quote for several windows or a custom size. Questions are answered in the FAQ.