In the past I had a very good experience with Cool Neon, but the people who helped me are no longer there. I recently requested a replacement for a faulty transformer I had purchased from them, the owner had a cheaper model sent to me from Amazon and assured me it would do the job. He charged my credit card for more than I could have bought the same unit for myself on Amazon. OK, but when it arrived it was defective. I offered to return/replace it for him if he sent a Amazon Return QR code. He never returned my emails. So, I had to pay twice for the part. As Ken's review said: Poor Customer Service. read more

I never thought I was the type of girl to be awestruck by sparkly or shiny things. Well, guess I've been looking at the wrong stuff :P I felt like a kid in a candy shop and couldn't decide on which lights to go with! High Bright vs Hella Phat? Double density RGB or regular? Silverfish or Long Sound? I could spend all day in this little shop and imagining all the projects I want to start! From the moment I walked in, Karen and Gian immediately recognized me from the week before when I bought some LEDs and kits at Maker Faire San Mateo. They are both super friendly, will not pressure any sales or up-sell you, and will offer tips and suggestions to help with whatever it is you are creating. The prices here are very fair and there is always the option to DIY, buy pre-made kits, or they can ever solder for a small fee. Tip: They carry Monkey Pro Lite here for bikes ^.^ read more

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G is the man. That's all you need to know. I've started dabbling in the world of light up costumes a few years ago and G has been there every step of the way. I can remember our first 60 minute phone call. I had so many questions and he gave me all the options. I now refuse to go anywhere else for my lighting needs. If G can't get it, I don't want it. I love coming into the store to play in their display room, it's so inspiring. They have been noting but helpful in my 2 years of being a customer. Forever loyal! read more

this sci-fi wonderland makes me love Oakland. I went here a little while ago for some cool stuff, and now I'm about to swing by again, for more cool stuff. And I'll be back again soon, I'm sure, the next time I need some cool stuff. Great people running the place, and great cool light-up stuff! read more

I did a project for San Diego Decom and I talked on the phone with Benny who I think is the owner. I gave him a full description and he recommended their Total Control Lighting. While we were talking he kept giving me prices and saying that it would be 50% off of that price. I then sent him an email to make sure that I had the order correct and I didn't receive an answer back. So I took the initiative to call back and I talked to a lady who didn't seem to know what she was talking about and I started to get concerned. I was spending a LOT of money for this project and I needed it to be correct. I later dealt with another customer service agent (they have 2) and he seemed to know better how the Total Control Lighting worked. We came up with a game plan that seemed to be what I needed. That night, I put in the order on the website only to find that it wasn't 50% off. That made the total about $300 instead of $150. So, I emailed them with the total and asked what was going on. Again, I had to wait for them to get back to me on this and they never seem to take the initiative. They called back and said it was a misunderstanding so I was stuck with the price that was 2 times what I was quoted. What a bait and switch! And by now after dealing with these guys for 2 weeks, my project was coming down to the wire. After all of this, when I finally got the lights, one of the strands had a bad pixel. When I called them today, I asked if they could ship me a fixed light overnight and they weren't able to and that it had to be regular shipping. So now, my $1000 project is going to look pretty whack because of their faulty lights. In summary, this place has poor customer service (perhaps not at the fault of the employees, but maybe they need more help.) Regardless, I got a bad price quote, dealt with poor response time through email and by phone (they don't answer calls until after 10am), got a bad strand of lighting and dealt with customer service that lacks the ability to make situations right. read more

These guys I had previously known from mail orders I'd made before. They are real makers, enthusiasts & idea folks. The energy is palpable this time of year when tons of folks are putting together their own projects for the playa. If you need a little help putting together your own little bit of beauty to bring out to the playa, I highly recommend these guys. read more

Need El Wire for Burning Man? Your search stops here. You will be very hard pressed to beat them on selection, and you won't beat them on price. But as good as that is, when it comes to SERVICE these people exceed any and all expectations. Even when you can't solder worth a dang and get frustrated they have talked me though things and made my projects a success. And when I step foot on the playa their products are literally the first thing I flip the switch on.... I will not buy el wire from anyone else. I've ordered from them for years, they are one of my absolute failsafe providers for Burning Man stuff, and I think the world of them. That admiration and respect again comes from years of perfect service and quality products backed with world class support. 5 Stars? More like 5x5 Stars! It's a shame more businesses can't be as good as Cool Neon is! read more

I originally ordered from amazon, and after a 4 week wait I received none working lights. There was no customer support to call, and I have yet to receive a response from the vendor. Thankfully I placed an order with cool neon, and they shipped my package priority the next day. Without cool neon I would not have been able to finish my project in time. read more

I don't have enough positive things to say about Cool Neon. Helpful staff? Check! Awesome products? Check! Dope location? Off the chain! If you need something for your art, burning man or critical mass, this place has it in spades. I wish I had more hands, so I could give them four thumbs up. read more

Cool Neon Funhouse Creations - The great staff at work - Lighting Fixtures & Equipment Near Me - Oakland, California

Agreed with an earlier reviewer about the high quality of both this company's service and especially their new Total Control Lighting products. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the latter ended up taking over the world (or at least the playa). I bought a string of 50 with the intention of adding them to my semi-famous LED "spinny hat" and quickly realized that it wasn't to be: even with the more soothing standard patterns, the LEDs are so bright that they'd have completely overwhelmed the rest of the glowiness. They clearly need some millinery all to themselves. As for efficiency: one of my recent orders was shipped literally within six hours, three weeks before Burning Man, which I'm guessing has to be pretty close to this company's busiest time of the year. Bravo! read more

This place is great for all your Burning Man lighting needs. I'm sure it's also great for other events as well, but my experience has always been around Burn time. Love the bike kit, the colors of the hella fat wire lights glow perfectly on Playa. Fairy lights are a staple for illuminating my CamelBack and bike basket and the wheel spoke lights are great as well. But best of all is the customer service. Over the years I've had an issue or two with an item I'd purchased and they were always incredibly helpful and responsive. They are fair, and if their products are faulty for any reason they offer a full refund or replacement. Keeps me coming back year after year (sorry Amazon). I only wish their hours were a bit more expansive so I could go after work, cuz the playhouse is just cool to look around so you can actually see the merch, but I guess I can't have everything! Thanks Cool Neon! read more

Ordered a string of Total Control Lighting (50 light string) and the cheap controller. Had it the following afternoon. Now I am screwed! I won't be happy until I have another three strings and the programmable controller. (I mean this in a good way). The lights are insanely bright and the color patterns and transitions, even on the cheap controller, are mesmerizing.. read more

I have sourced materials from Cool Neon Funhouse for a few years now. Ben and Gian are masters at all of the systems and materials that they sell. Ive created installations using LED, Total Control, and EL wire as well as custom cool neon signage. I cannot recommend them highly enough. read more

I drive for Lyft in LA and I wanted to make my pink 'stache stand out amongst the others. I did a bit of research and came across EL wire as an option to jazz it up. I couldn't find any suppliers in LA so off to google I went and somehow came across these guys. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. They talked me through all the different kinds of inverters and explained which one would be a best-fit for my use. Not only that, when I ordered some raw wire and failed to purchase the required plug adapters, they realized my mistake and hooked me up. Although it's a cheap part, I still wouldn't have been able to complete my project on time without them 1) being available on the phone and 2) doing more than the bare minimum. I will recommend them to any and everyone who might be able to use their products/services. read more

These guys rock. Very creative and dependable. If you need lighting look no further.

I ordered one of the Plug & Go kits for a costume I am making after hearing wonderful things about this company on Reddit. I had a couple questions and sent an e-mail and received a response within a few hours that answered my question and helped me save money on shipping (I would have spent more to get it here on time, but they let me know how long it would take to my area which saved me about $7 in shipping fees). Once I had my response, I placed my order and it was marked shipped later that day. Although I used FedEx Ground and was shipped on Monday, I received it by the same Wednesday and the package had a sweet smiley face and a fortune fish (which amused my coworkers and brought back some wonderful childhood memories). Wonderful company, and I would highly recommend them as their customer service was on point! read more

These Guys are the MAC'est of all the Daddy's!!! And I ant even F*%$ing with you!!! I called them up frantic, about to rip my hair out after dealing with a few other EL Wire dealers. HA more like B hole clowns in comparisons to these pros! I was all like "OMG I'm in an emergency and I need your help"! They where all like "Be Cool Baby we got your back".. and so it twas!... Biggity bam! A few short back and froths and the roof of my bus was flashing sacred geometry at me like I ripped some Demsters with JC, who i'm pretty sure answered the phone over there when I called. Thanks Jesus! You saved me again! read more

I discovered this awesome, unassuming "nugget' in Oakland after searching the internet for special LED lights that I could use for a giant "spin to win" wheel that our children's ministry team has built for our kid's service at Sequoyah Community Church in Oakland. Not only was I given helpful advice on the phone, but I was greeted with smiles and a staff who loves what they do when I arrived. G showed me all the incredible glowing lights in the showroom, and then helped me get the best lights for my spin wheel. Benny, the owner, showed me some of the sweet lighting projects that he has helped create. Everything here is VERY fairly priced (unlike the dollar signs indicate)- the string was $2 per bulb for Total Control lighting- I now have a 125 bulb string that will change any color in any combination I want! Also picked up some great toys from the show room- ones that Ben enjoyed as a kid. Will definitely be back! read more

Cool Neon is one of those places that you go into and it instantly brings the kid out of you! I needed some lights for my BM bike and ended up with some really cool Monkey Lights that have 19 different themes to light up my wheels. I can't wait to see how this looks on the Playa. Benny, the owner, and his staff are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. It was fun watching them explain how different lights work and the excitement on their faces while explaining it. I highly recommend checking out Cool Neon for all of your lighting needs. read more

Really great, super helpful people, and all the stuff you can possibly need for a light up art project. And it's Burning Man heaven. If you go to Burning Man, this is exactly the right place to stock up, and they'll give you tons of good advice, too. I can't recommend them highly enough read more

These guys were great! Super helpful over the phone. I bought 34 feet of El-Wire from them for a Tron costume and they even talked me into buying the cheaper wire then what i was looking at. I looked around the net and these guys had some of the best prices. Also bought a driver for the wire and had them solder it for me. The website said that for custom soldering they can usually get it out within the week. I put in my order on a Monday night with the cheapest shipping and got it on Thursday morning, way sooner than expected. Def recommend these guys, super fast, friendly and it works great! read more

They customer service was really good, I took their recommendation and order their best super bright neon wire. However, when I put them up you couldn't see them. It was over $300.00. Now the customer service folks aren't so helpful, and refusing to refund any of my money. Shame on you! read more

This is a great place. Gi is friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and a downright nice guy. They have a great selection of LEDs and El Wire and related hardware. While you can get stuff cheaper on Amazon, the products from Cool Neon are real quality. If you want help with a project, they're there to help and encourage you. Cool Neon deserves 6 stars. read more

Cool Neon is quite possibly my favorite business in existence. Not only do they sell the highest quality el wire and the widest range I've ever seen of products that glow, but they actually designed some of them and own patents on them. They have a bottomless well of knowledge about these products, and every single employee with whom I've had the pleasure of dealing loves sharing that knowledge and helping make your project a reality. Here's one story in particular that crystallizes for me Cool Neon's amazingness. I had spent more than one hundred hours on a really complex el wire project, but for some reason, it wasn't working. I was devastated. I thought I had tried everything. Then I called cool neon and spoke with G. First, he offered to trouble shoot on the phone. When this seemed like it would be too challenging given my project's complexity, he offered to have me come into the store with my project and he'd help me out. G must have spent almost two hours with me, and promised that me that I didn't have to leave the store until my project was working. Never in my life have I received such amazing customer service. In fact, it didn't feel like customer service at all. It felt like I was lucky enough to have an incredibly knowledgeable friend who had a profound interest in my project. Sure enough, he helped fix my project, and I am over the moon. Thank you, Cool Neon! You guys are absolutely amazing. If you love things that glow, if you love Burning Man, or if you just love making cool stuff, I cannot recommend any business more highly. read more

Walked in with designer drawings of performance wear and walked out with what I needed to make it glow. Very helpful person who asked questions to make sure that I got what would work on a tour with many shows and travel. Walked in knowing that the artist's drawings were "aspirational" in terms of electronics. Walked out with a set up that will be practical, beautiful and in keeping with the artist's intent. I'll be back! read more

Great little showroom with all sorts of lighting contraptions. Very helpful staff who seemed eager to help figure out my costume needs. Looks like their online site may have even more options available. read more

I do not live close enough to visit their showroom, but I have been patronizing their business for over 18 years. They are always so nice, it's like calling a friends house. especially for me because I always need some kind of assistance or explanation and not only do they always have time to help they always have the rockstar customer service to never let their enthusiasm wane no matter how many inane questions I ask... :) Much appreciation to all at CoolNeon. your goodwill and effort speaks to all, but especially at the top. "G" stands for the"G" in great customer service. Thanks. With a smile, Thomas read more

These guys are awesome! They are so easy to work with and very creative. I had a project for a wedding that I had ordered lights online for, and they never came! With the deadline for the project closing in and a clients special day in jeopardy I came in to Cool Neon and they were super helpful, had everything that I needed to make it happen. My client was super thrilled in the end and I can't thank the friendly and knowledgeable staff at cool neon enough. read more

This is a wonderful small company and deserves to get bigger! I've only interacted online and on the phone with G but the care, council and service has me a loyal customer. Check out their amazing lights for bike, body and spirit! read more

I'm doing a fund raiser project for the seniors at my local high school with the EL Wire and the microcontrollers. The people at Cool Neon Funhouse Creations were very helpful and friendly both purchasing and tech support. Very good job guys!! Special shout out to "G" man and Benny. Thank you guys very much. read more

I am not having fun with cool neon. I bought some crappy el wire online and it wasnt working. I took it to cool neon and they said it was broken. They sold me new "Higher" quality el wire. I used it for ten minutes before it just shut off. I took it in and they said that it need to be resoldered. Ok I wore it in a house for ten minutes, wtf. I took it in and they are fixing it but they charged me, not cool. I also bought a new battery pack and some more el wire for halloween. Just when I went to turn on the lights on my costume the battery pack started smoking. So now I need to return it. The hours are super crappy and it has been over a month since I could make it there. I went today to finally get my stuff and get the battery pack replaced but they were closed. I looked online before driving over and it said they were open, unlike burning man where they had a big warning they were closed. Nope just a note on the door about turkey. I am leaving town next week and wont make it again so now it will be two months since I first went to get this all fixed. Not fun read more