How Many Christmas Lights for Christmas Trees?
Family decorating an artificial Christmas tree for the holidays.
Updated 12/12/23 by Angela Rogers
The holiday season is upon us, and with it come decorative snowmen, a lush wreath on the front door, and of course, O' Tannenbaum. While decorating your Christmas tree is a fun, family-oriented affair, ensuring your evergreen or artificial Christmas tree has the right amount of lights on it to put off that special glow can be a bit tricky: too dim and you can't display your skillful ornament placement, too bright and you could induce a few seizures. So how much light do you need for your tree?
Christmas tree lit with candles and adorned with ornaments.
History of Christmas Tree Lights
Before electric lighting, most homes used real trees that were lit using candles. Each tree branch had its own candle, similar to the image on the right. In 1882, Edward H. Johnson had the first Christmas tree lit with electric lights that he created himself. His string featured red, white, and blue lights that blinked and twinkled.
While safer than using candles, electric Christmas tree lights didn't become practical for most families until the 1930s due to the cost. Beautifully lit Christmas trees are now commonplace in most homes and are the focal point of any room or yard.
How Many Lights Do I Need?
In the past, I subscribed to the “there's no such thing as too many lights on a Christmas tree” theory. Well, that may not necessarily be the case. There are many factors that go into properly lighting your real or artificial Christmas tree, such as the height, diameter, type of tree, and even the type of Christmas lights.
While there is no “right” amount of lights to use on your tree, the tips below merely serve as a guide to point you in the right direction, and you should use the amount and type of lights that fit your preferences.
Father and son measuring a Fir Christmas tree.
Tree Size
Let's start with the size of your Christmas tree. Clearly, the vertical height of your tree determines how many lights you'll need. If you're leaning more toward a conservative lighting approach, then use 100 mini lights per vertical foot. If you're going for a brighter look, try using 200 mini lights per vertical foot.
Keep in mind you won't need to use as many lights for Christmas trees that are on the skinny side, but you may need up to 25 percent more lights thicker trees, like Spruce, Pine, and Fir. For example: for a standard 6-foot tree, you're looking at 600 mini lights, while an 8-foot Alaskan Fir may need 1,000 mini lights. And for those of you with a 20-foot tree, be prepared to use 2,000 mini lights. Again, the above figures reflect a “medium” lighting approach.
Couple adding LED lights and decorations to an outdoor artificial Christmas tree.
Bulb Type
The types of light strings you use to decorate your tree plays an important role in determining the number of lights you'll need to bring holiday cheer to your living room. Still use incandescent mini light strings? That's cool. So do I. As stated above, for incandescent mini lights, it's recommended to use 100 lights per vertical foot of your tree.
For those of you that have made the switch to LED mini lights, not only will you need fewer lights to achieve the desired brightness, since they're brighter than incandescents, but you'll also be saving money. LED lights use far less energy than incandescents, reducing your energy costs. They also last far longer, meaning you won't have to replace them every season.
With that in mind, you'll only need 50 lights per vertical foot of your tree while using LED lights. Looking to achieve that classic Christmas tree look akin to A Christmas Story or Christmas Vacation by using C7 or C9 lights? Go for it. As with the LEDs, you'll need far less of the C7 or C9 bulbs, as these too are brighter than their incandescent counterparts.
The chart below illustrates the recommended number of lights based on your tree's height, types of bulbs, and whether it's an indoor or outdoor Christmas tree. Also, 1000Bulbs.com has created an excellent resource page with tips ranging from decorating your tree, roof, and even Christmas light maintenance.
Chart showing number of light needed for Christmas trees.
Do Lumens Matter for Christmas Trees?
One thing we haven't mentioned yet is how many lumens are needed to properly illuminate Christmas trees. You might be surprised to find out that most manufacturers don't measure the lumens or Kelvin color temperature of Christmas bulbs and stringers. This is because these lights are purely for decorative purposes and not meant to be the sole source of light in a room or space.
Artificial Christmas tree with presents on Christmas morning.
Other Helpful Resources for Lighting Christmas Trees
As you plan out lights for real or artificial Christmas trees, you are sure to have questions. Some of the most common questions we get revolve around overloaded circuits, mixing LED and incandescent lights, and how to protect outdoor strings. We have a wide selection of helpful resources available that can help:
Give us a shout on and tell us how many bulbs you use to decorate your Christmas tree and what your favorite types of Christmas lights are! For help determining how many lights you need for your real or artificial Christmas trees, call 1-800-624-4488 to speak to one of our holiday lighting experts.
