Exit signs do more than check a code box—they guide people to safety when it matters. This guide breaks down the major types of exit signs (LED, photoluminescent, tritium, edge-lit, thermoplastic, steel, die-cast), the right mounting styles, wet/damp/hazardous ratings, and key features like battery backup and self-testing, so you can choose confidently for your facility.
Last updated: August 2025
What Are Exit Signs Used For?
Exit signs provide continuous wayfinding so occupants can find doors, stairs, and the safest direction of travel—during normal operation and especially in outages. Codes require them where an exit isn’t obvious, at every exit door, and at decision points (turns/intersections). Choose models with the right letter color, face count, mounting, and backup power to satisfy your AHJ and keep people moving calmly and quickly.
What’s New: 2025 Exit Sign Trends
LiFePO4 Batteries in Exit Signs
More LED signs ship with LiFePO4 packs for longer life, steadier output, and better low-temp performance—fewer battery swaps and cleaner maintenance plans.
Slimmer Edge-Lit Designs
New micro-LED engines and tighter canopies make edge-lit panels thinner, brighter, and cleaner to install in high-end interiors.
Self-Testing as a Default
Self-diagnostics are becoming standard; some lines add network or dashboard reporting for campus-wide logs and alerts.
Tougher Ingress Ratings
Growth in IP65/NEMA options for kitchens, wash-down, coastal, and cold-storage jobs. Look for sealed canopies and heater kits where needed.
City-Ready SKUs
More out-of-box models tuned for NYC and Chicago specs (letter size/color, metal housings) to speed approvals.
Non-Electrical Momentum
Photoluminescent grows for “no-wiring” retrofits; tritium remains a fit where charging light is inconsistent or power access is limited.
Types of Exit Signs
Thermoplastic (Budget-Friendly)
Thermoplastic exit signs are the workhorse for standard indoor corridors, offices, retail, and tenant improvements. The flame-rated plastic housing keeps weight and cost down, while efficient LEDs and an integrated battery deliver the required 90-minute runtime without fuss. Installers like them because the universal mounting plates, snap-in chevrons, and field-selectable faces make retrofits quick. Property and facility teams choose thermoplastic when they need dozens (or hundreds) of code-compliant signs across a portfolio with a predictable, low total cost of ownership.
Pick thermoplastic when the environment is dry, traffic is moderate, and your priorities are speed, simplicity, and budget. They’re easy to standardize across multiple buildings, blend in visually (white/black housings), and minimize stocking complexity for spares. If you’re refreshing exits during a renovation or outfitting a new vanilla shell, thermoplastic gives you bright, reliable legends without paying a premium for materials you don’t need.
Steel (Rugged)
When durability matters more than cosmetics, steel exit signs shine. The heavy-gauge housings shrug off dings from carts, forklifts, and backpacks, and they pair well with vandal-resistant wire guards in gyms, transit stations, stair towers, and parking structures. Operations teams prefer steel in back-of-house corridors, loading areas, and any space where fixtures take abuse or see frequent cleaning.
Buy steel if your risk profile includes impact, tampering, or thermal stress (near mechanical rooms). You’ll still get long-life LEDs and a 90-minute battery, but with a rigid enclosure, captive hardware, and a finish that holds up to real-world wear. Steel is also a sensible choice for jurisdictions, owners, or spec books that favor metal construction for life-safety gear, helping you pass inspection and reduce replacement cycles.
Die-Cast Aluminum (Architectural)
Die-cast aluminum exit signs balance aesthetics with strength. Precision-cast metal bodies create a slim, refined profile that complements modern lobbies, hospitality, healthcare, higher-ed, and premium retail. They offer tighter seams, crisp corners, and clean canopies for ceiling or end-mounts—so you meet code without adding visual clutter.
Choose die-cast aluminum when the space is design-sensitive but still needs a robust enclosure. Specifiers like the finish options (brushed aluminum, black, white), the rigid feel, and the way these signs disappear until you need them. They carry the same UL 924 functionality—LED efficiency, 90-minute backup, field-selectable arrows—but present it in an architectural package that ages gracefully under daily cleaning and high traffic.
Edge-Lit (Low-Profile)
Edge-lit exit signs use an etched acrylic panel illuminated from the edges, producing a crisp, even “EXIT” without a bulky box. The result is a minimalist, floating look designers love for boutiques, clinics, galleries, and Class-A offices. With surface, ceiling, end-mount, and recessed canopies, you can tune visibility without compromising lines and sightlines.
Pick edge-lit when you want the most discreet code solution: slim profiles, tidy canopies, and legends that read clearly from distance. They’re great at intersections where a low-profile flag mount keeps the message in view from both directions. You’ll still get the essentials—battery backup, directional chevrons, single/double-face options—delivered in a package that elevates the space instead of competing with it.
Wet / Damp / Industrial / Hazardous
Match the enclosure to the environment. For direct exposure to rain, spray, or wash-down, choose wet location exit signs with gasketed, sealed housings. Kitchens, pool corridors, and parking decks often call for damp location exit signs that tolerate humidity and condensation without failing. Dusty or harsh industrial sites benefit from NEMA-rated exit signs that keep out particulates and resist corrosion—smart picks for food processing, manufacturing, and coastal installations.
Where flammable vapors or combustible dusts may be present, opt for hazardous location exit signs built to the appropriate Class/Division. These explosion-resistant models are purpose-engineered for refineries, paint booths, chemical storage, and grain handling—areas where a standard electrical enclosure could create risk. The buyer rationale is simple: environmental ratings protect people and uptime, pass inspection the first time, and dramatically cut premature failures.
City-Specific (NYC / Chicago)
Some jurisdictions have unique specs that can trip up otherwise solid projects. To speed plan review and inspections in New York, choose NYC-approved exit signs—models engineered for local letter size/color and metal housings. For the Midwest, Chicago-approved exit signs meet the city’s long-standing requirements for legend color and robust construction.
Buyers choose city-ready SKUs to avoid change orders and delays. These pre-vetted options reduce RFIs, simplify submittals, and keep AHJs focused on the rest of your life-safety package. If your portfolio spans multiple markets, standardizing on city-approved signs where needed helps your teams install with confidence and pass inspections on the first visit.
Illuminated vs. Non-Illuminated Exit Signs
Illuminated (LED + Battery)
Hard-wired LED signs with integrated 90-minute battery backup—the standard for most interiors. Choose single or double face, and red or green letters (Red / Green) per your AHJ.
Non-Illuminated (No Wiring)
- Photoluminescent: Charges from room light; glows during outages. Best where ambient light is reliable.
- Tritium: Self-luminous tubes glow 24/7 for years—no charging or power. Great for remote or off-grid locations.
Where Are Exit Signs Required?
Anywhere people could be confused about the way out: every exit door, stair doors, corridor turns, large rooms with multiple egress paths, assembly areas, and at decision points. Exterior discharge routes often need a companion lighted path (use wet-rated or battery-backup wall packs) so people can clear the building safely.
Exit Sign Requirements
- Always visible: Place signs so an occupant can see the next one along the route; use arrows at turns.
- Battery backup (LED): Most electric signs must stay lit for 90 minutes during an outage.
- Letter color/size: Red or green (check AHJ); some cities (e.g., NYC) have stricter specs—use city-approved SKUs.
- Testing: Monthly function and annual full-duration checks; self-testing units simplify logs and inspections.
Field tip: Use double-face at corridor intersections and ceiling/flag mounts so traffic from both directions sees the legend.
Construction of Exit Signs
LED boards, a charger/transfer circuit, and a rechargeable battery sit inside a thermoplastic, steel, or die-cast housing. During normal operation, the sign stays lit from AC; in an outage, the transfer circuit switches to battery for 90 minutes. For non-electrical: photoluminescent uses glow pigments (charged by ambient light); tritium uses sealed self-luminous tubes.
Features worth having: Battery backup, self-testing, and remote-capable options (for special layouts) reduce truck rolls and speed compliance.
Mounting Types & Visibility
- Wall-mount: Above doors or along corridors—simple and common. Wall-Mount Exit Signs
- Ceiling-mount/flag: Perpendicular to traffic so people see it from both directions. Ceiling-Mount Exit Signs
- End-mount: Side brackets to project around corners for better sightlines. End-Mount Exit Signs
- Recessed: Hide the body; keep a clean ceiling line (great with edge-lit). Recessed Exit Signs
- Low-profile/architectural: Slim designs for modern spaces. Low Profile · Architectural
- Vandal-resistant: Add guards or rugged housings in gyms/transit. Vandal-Resistant Exit Signs