LED Tubes: Which is Best, Glass or Plastic?

Posted by Dave on Jan 24, 2020 for ProLampSales

Many manufacturers offer both glass and plastic tube construction for LED replacement lamps.

So which is best, glass or plastic?

The answer depends on the application.

Here’s a brief guide.

Application	LED Tube Material	Damage Protection	Comments
Office & General Lighting	Glass	Minimal Protection	Least expensive for large scale retrofits
Grocery & General Retail	Glass PET Coated	Shatter Protection	NSF Rated Mid-range expense
Food Processing & Industrial	Plastic	Best Protection	NSF Rated Most expensive

Lamp material is only one of the attributes that will determine which LED you purchase. But, for some applications where NSF Rated lamps are required, manufacturers have met that need with plastic or PET coated glass.