An important characteristic of a high voltage reed relay is its high insulation resistance, in turn resulting in a very low leakage current; especially when compared to some semiconductor high voltage switches.

Using high performance encapsulation materials, Pickering high voltage reed relays will have insulation resistances greater than 10¹²Ω resulting in leakage currents of less than 1nA at 1000V. A solid-state relay (SSR) rated at 1kV on the other hand will typically have a leakage current of a few microamps.

Reed relays also have a distinct advantage over SSRs when it comes to isolation too. Within a reed relay the switch and coil are completely separate, with insulating material between them. With semiconductors, the failure of the substrate for any reason could result in the high voltage from the switching side going into the control circuitry, not only causing significant damage, but possibly serious safety issues.

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