Your Guide to Choosing the Best Christmas Lights for Every Space
Woman hanging Christmas lights around a doorway in her home.
'Tis the season to bring the holiday spirit to every corner of your home! When if comes to creating the perfect Christmas ambiance, the right Christmas lights can make all the difference. Whether you want a cozy and festive living room, adding a touch of magic to your Christmas tree, or want to go full Clark Griswald, we've got you covered. This guide will help you choose the best Christmas lights for various spaces in and around your home, ensuring a warm and inviting holiday atmosphere.
Different Types of Christmas Lights
When shopping in a store for Christmas lights, you might be a bit put off the wide array of lights available. Christmas lights are available in two distinct types: incandescent and LED. Once you choose the type of lights you want, bulb shapes, sizes, and colors will vary.
Incandescent vs. LED Lights
The biggest choice you'll have to make when it comes to selecting Christmas lights is whether to go with incandescent lights or LED lights. This decision affects most than just the appearance of your display. It has a direct effect on how many lights you can use.
LED C9 bulb
Incandescent lights are the traditional holiday lights you grew up with. They deliver an easily recognizable warm glow that puts everyone in the holiday spirit, and are the go to lights for anyone who wants that classic Christmas appeal. Incandescent holiday lights are glass and come in a variety of shapes and finishes. They do, however, use a lot of wattage. They also generate heat, becoming hot to the touch when on for extended periods of time.
LED Christmas lights are far more energy efficient, using a fraction of the power of their traditional counterparts. They last far longer and are made with durable polycarbonate. While incandescent lights deliver a golden glow regardless of the finish, LEDs use colored diodes to create a variety of colors. And due to their reduced wattage usage, you can use far more per circuit than incandescent lights. They also generate very little heat, making them safer to use around more delicate decor.
Christmas Light Tip: Depending on the manufacturer, LED lights may offer additional features that incandescent bulbs do not. For example, PLT offers color changing C7 and C9 LED bulbs that automatically cycle through multiple colors. Another brand, Twinkly, offers smart lights that allow you to program colors, patterns, and more.
What you ultimately decide to go with probably boil down to your personal preference. But if you are looking for lights that are durable, long lasting, and cost-effective, LED Christmas lights are the best choice.
Bulb Shapes and Sizes
Now that we've covered the types of lights, it's time to look at bulb shapes and sizes. Christmas lights can be found in a near limitless variety of shapes and sizes.
Mini Lights
Mini lights are the go to lights for both indoor and outdoor decorations. Their smaller bulbs are ideal for trees, windows, delicate decorations, and more. Traditionally, incandescent mini lights come in the traditional M5 bulb shape. M5 bulbs are skinny, tubular bulbs with a pointed tip. LED mini lights also offer this traditional shape, along with faceted traditional, wide angle, and multi-directional.
Different types of mini Christmas light strings
C6, C7, and C9 Bulbs
The standard outdoor Christmas light bulbs shapes are the C6, C7, and C9. All three are considered the traditional Christmas light bulb shapes. They are larger than mini lights, offering better visibility from a distance. C6 bulbs have a strawberry shape and are the smallest of the three, measuring around 1.5 inches tall. They are great choice for when you want mid-size bulbs larger than mini lights but smaller than C7s or C9s. C6 Christmas lights are commonly used to wrap columns, line windows, and more.
LED C7 and C9 light bulb size comparison
C7s are slightly larger, around 1 .5 to 2 inches tall (depending on the type), and have a candelabra (E12) base. These are the same bulbs used in most nightlights. They are commonly used but indoors and outdoors during the holiday season to light trees, columns, roofs, fence lines, and more. C9s are the largest of the three, approximately 2.5 to 3 inches in height (depending on the type). These Christmas bulbs have an intermediate (E17) base, and their larger size makes them ideal for rooflines and fences. Pictured to the right is a size comparison of LED C7 and C9 bulbs. Incandescent versions are slightly smaller.
Specialty Shapes
LED lights can also be found in a wide variety of specialty shapes. These novelty designs are perfect for adding some unique flare to your holiday decor. Some of the most popular specialty shapes include icicles, snowflakes, and stars. Novelty designs are also popular for other holidays as well. You might add some spider lights for spooky fun on Halloween, or hang some heart lights for Valentines.
Choosing Lights for Indoor Spaces
Now we've come to the fun part: choosing lights. Let's start with LED Christmas lights for indoors. There are plenty of spots inside your home that you can decorate with festive holiday lights. In most cases, you'll be using strings with smaller bulbs, such as mini lights, since larger bulbs can be too bright.
Christmas Trees
What's Christmas without a Christmas tree to decorate? Christmas trees are the main focal-point of most indoor holiday displays. Trees can either be unlit (no lights) or pre-lit (lights wired in). Unlit trees, of course, will definitely need lights. If your tree is pre-lit, you might want to add additional lights, or maybe sections of the built-in lights have failed. Regardless, mini LED light strings are the perfect choice for lighting them. The smaller size of the bulbs make them ideal for wrapping branches and they provide even illumination.
LED mini lights offer a wide range of color options. For a classic incandescent look, go with warm while lights. If you want a brighter, more bluish light, look for cool white Christmas lights. Colored lights come an array of color, from yellow to purple, and are perfect for a vibrant display. Looking for smart options? Twinkly lights let you choose from millions of colors.
Christmas Light Tip: Other Christmas lights that are popular for trees include LED C7 strings and battery operated lights.
Mantels and Staircases
Another great area in your home for lights are mantels and staircases. If done right, both can just as noticeable as Christmas trees. To light both, string lights are the best way to go. You can drape them along mantels, wrap them around banisters, or weave them though greenery. The possibilities are endless.
If you don't have outlets nearby, use battery-operated lights. Available in both incandescent and LED options, these lights run on AA or C batteries and usually have built-in timers. The battery boxes can be concealed in greenery or under other decorations.
Windows and Doorways
Windows and doorways are more popular spots for handing Christmas lights. You can outline them using string lights with various size bulbs. Popular choices include mini lights and C6 lights. For a more dramatic, icicle lights can be used to create a cascading light effect.
If you want to completely cover your windows Clark Griswold-style, use net lights. Thought they are primarily used for shrubs and trees, net lights can be stretched over the window from uniform coverage. You can also put them over doors that you don't plan on opening during the holiday season, such as sliding glass doors.
Choosing Lights for Outdoor Spaces
Now on to outdoor Christmas lights. Many of the same lights recommended for indoor decor can be used outside for creating eye-catching displays. This is also where larger bulbs come into play as well.
Rooflines and Eaves
When lighting rooflines and eaves, you want them to stand out. C7 and C9 string lights are the best choice. C7 string lights can be used for both, as well as on fences, gates, and gazebos. However, if you really want your rooflines to stand out, then you want C9 string lights. The larger size of C9 bulbs make them easier to see from a greater distance.
Bushes and Trees
You have a few options for adding Christmas lights to bushes and tress. Net lights are the perfect lights for bushes and shrubs. Just spread them out and drape them over your greenery for quick and even lighting. You can also use them on smaller trees as well. For larger trees, mini lights can be wrapped around branches and greenery.
For tree trunks, you have two options. The "quick" option is using tree wrap light. These are essentially narrow net lights that wrap around the trunk. Your other option is warping the trunk with mini light strings. This takes a little longer, but you have more flexibility with the light density. For instance, if you want a higher density of lights per square inch then keep the spacing close together.
Pathways and Driveways
Lighting pathways and driveways with Christmas lights is probably one of easiest light setups on this list. It's a quick way to add an additional festive touch that is often overlooked. There are a few options you can go with, with the first being holiday pathway lights, or 'stake lights'. These light strings with stakes attached to each light. They can be set up quickly and line driveways, paths, and even landscaping.
If you can't find stake lights, your next best option is to pair mounting stakes with C7 or C9 Christmas light strings. Like the previous option, you can space them out along the area you are lighting. This option also gives you more leeway for customizing your lights. Another good option is using rope light. The beauty of using rope light is that you can just lay it right down on the ground, forgoing the use of stakes. And as long as it's uncut, it's waterproof.
Customizing Your Lighting Display
Christmas light displays can be customized in a number of ways, from making custom light strings to using effects.
Stringers and Spools
There may be times when you can't find C7 or C9 string lights with the colored lights you want. Or maybe you can't find them in the right lengths. In these cases, stringers and spools are the perfect options. These Christmas lights are just the wires and sockets. C7 and C9 bulbs are purchased separately.
25’ Stringer with male & female plugs
Stringers range from 25 to 100 feet and are best for shorter runs. Many come with male and female plugs, meaning they you can connect multiple strands together as long as you don't exceed the maximum wattage. Some, however, only come with a male plug and cannot be connected with other sets. Spools are longer versions, typically ranging from 500 to 1000 feet. These lights don't have end plugs, allowing you to cut them to the length you need and add your own plugs.
Christmas Lighting Tip: For fully customizable C7 or C9 strings, go with bulk wire. This is literally a spool of SPT-1 or SPT-2 wire that you can add sockets and plugs to. You can even use it to make custom extension cords.
Color Themes
Holiday lights are available in a near limitless array of color options, but when it comes to choosing a color theme for your lights, it's a bit of a double-edged sword. Such an abundance of colors can make it difficult to choose. Let's breakdown the most common themes.
Traditional color themes include red and green combinations, white Christmas lights, and multi-color strings. More modern themes utilize cooler colors achievable with LED Christmas lights. One of the most popular modern themes is creating a winter wonderland effect using cool white and blue lights.
You can also think outside the box and create your own customized theme. Choose outdoor lights that match your home's exterior. For indoor spaces, go with lights that bring our your decor. You could even deck your home out in the colors of your favorite sports team. Need some inspiration, check out some examples:
Lighting Effects
Depending on the Christmas lights you choose, you may be able to add some lighting effects to your displays. Most lights will be classic steady-on, meaning the lights provide continuous illumination with no effects whatsoever. Some lights have a twinkling effect built in. Twinkling incandescent C7 and C9 bulbs slowly fade on an off. On some LED mini light strings, every fifth light blinks at random.
All incandescent mini lights are capable of flashing. Out of the box, these strings will be steady on. However, they all come with a clear bulb with a red tip, which is known as the flashing bulb. When placed in the last socket, the string will flash on an off.
Some string lights and Christmas light bulbs can be dimmed. This creates a soft, ambient glow. All incandescent bulbs and string lights can be dimmed. However, none of our LED holiday lights can be dimmed. The only exception is Twinkly lights, which are controlled via the app.
Safety and Installation Tips
Outdoor Light Safety
When choosing lights for outdoor use, make sure that they are outdoor rated. These Christmas lights are designed to withstand typical outdoor conditions such as rain and snow. Lights rated for indoor use can potentially short out and pose a safety hazard with used outdoors.
The use of proper extension cords is also very important. Outdoor rated cords should always be used since they have a thicker jacket (usually SJTW) that is ideal for wet locations. You also need to make sure that the cord is the correct amperage, gauge, and length for your display. This ensures that the right amount of power gets to your lights.
Christmas Lighting Tip: Lights and extension cords aren't the only things that should meet outdoor safety ratings. Timers, power strips, and other similar accessories must all be outdoor rated.
Cord protector
You can add an extra layer of protection to your lights with plug protectors. These are snap-on covers that fit over the plugs when you connect multiple strands together. These connections can be a potential failure point for light displays, so these covers help seal out water and dirt.
One final outdoor safety tip: don't overload your circuits! You should also fixture out how many lights you can safely have have on each circuit ahead of time To calculate the total maximum run, you need to first determine the usable watts and then divide that by the bulb wattage. The video below will walk you though every step:
Installation Best Practices
As with any light installation, there are certain best practices you should follow. These practices ensure that your lights operate efficiently, won't cause a hazard, and will last for years to come. The first is that you should always use the appropriate clips or hooks to securely fasten your string lights. They are designed to hold your lights in place without damaging them or any surfaces. Using staples, thumbtacks, nails, and other similar fasteners can potentially crush or pierce the wiring.
Another important practice is making sure that your lights won't become potential hazards once they are installed. There are hundreds of tips for this, so we'll focus on a few of the big ones:
Keep track of how much wattage you are using so you don't overload your circuits
Keep Christmas lights ways from flammable materials
Make sure extension cords aren't laying in spots prone to puddles
Don't use lights have are visibly worn or damaged
Replace failed bulbs as soon as possible
Make sure every socket has a bulb
Don't obstruct walkways or paths, especially went light are covering large areas
So when the holiday season rolls around and you are looking for Christmas lights, you'll be ready to pick the best ones with ease. Need some more inspiration for your displays? Check out all of our Christmas blog posts here: The Ultimate Christmas Light & Decor Guide. Explore a wide range of options of 1000Bulbs Christmas Lights to find the perfect lights for your holiday decor. And if you need any help finding the right lights, speak with one of our lighting experts at 1-888-459-3795.
