Regular Christmas Lights vs. LED: Making the Right Choice for Your Holiday Decor
Box of C9 Christmas lights
Selecting the right Christmas lights for your holiday decor is a crucial decision that can make a significant difference in creating a magical and festive atmosphere in and around your home. The right choice of Christmas lights can set the tone for your holiday display, transforming your space into a winter wonderland that captures the spirit of the season.
With so many options ranging from mini lights to custom light strands, you will quickly find yourself facing a big decision: Should you go with traditional incandescent lights or LED lights? This has been a major debate for many years. Both sides have pros and cons that you need to be aware of to help you make an informed decision. In today's blog post, we'll deep-dive into the LED vs incandescent debate, examining all the key points, including energy usage, lifespan, and cost.
Understanding the Basics
Before properly debating which is better, we need to know the basics of these lights. Understanding how they work and their history will help you better understand why incandescents and LEDs are so different.
Colored incandescent Christmas lights
Incandescent (Regular) Christmas Lights
Incandescent Christmas lights are the traditional holiday lights. They have a glass envelope that houses a thin tungsten filament. When the lights are plugged in, electricity flows through the filament and heats it. As it heats, it begins to emit visible light. The light produced has a warm, yellowish glow.
Before electric lights, candles were used to light Christmas trees. This was a fairly common practice, first started in the 16th century, though it was dangerous for obvious reasons. Looking for a safer alternative, Edward Johnson invented the Christmas light string in 1883. His light string featured 80 hand-wired bulbs that could be strung in a tree or around a window.
By 1900, businesses started hanging electric Christmas lights in their windows to draw customers. Their use didn't become widespread in homes until the 1930s, as many could not afford them. Traditional incandescent Christmas lights reigned supreme for the next half-century. These lights evoke the holiday spirit in many, especially those who grew up with incandescent lights being the only option.
Cool White LED lights
LED Christmas Lights
LED Christmas lights operate very differently from incandescent lights and have polycarbonate (plastic) bulbs. Instead of a filament, they use light emitting diodes (LEDs). Inside the diode is a semiconductor material, consisting of electrons surrounded by empty spaces (called "holes"). When an electrical current passes through the diode, the electrons and holes combine to create photons. The photons release energy that we perceive as light.
LED lights were invented in 1966 and could only deliver a red light. The technology was refined over 30 years, allowing for more colors by the 1990s. By then, LEDs had become more available to the general public and were being used for pre-lit products such as wreaths and trees. As the early 2000s rolled in, LED Christmas lights were widely used for homes and businesses. Their reduced energy use, variety of colors and shapes, and longer life span made them a more enticing choice for all.
Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact
The first key differences between incandescents and LED lights are energy efficiency and environmental impact. Energy efficiency plays a key role in determining which to choose.
Energy Consumption
The first notable point in the LED vs incandescent light debate is energy usage. This one factor will affect the setup of your holiday lights. It's no secret that LED lights use 75 to 90 percent less energy than incandescents. But how much of a difference does this make with Christmas lights? Let's compare the energy efficiency of C7 and C9 bulbs. The chart below shows typical wattage information for incandescent and LED bulbs and how many bulbs can be used per circuit.
| Bulb Type | Bulbs per 15-Amp Circuit |
Bulbs per 20-Amp Circuit |
|---|---|---|
| Incandescent C7 @ 5W | 288 | 384 |
| Incandescent C9 @ 7W | 205 | 274 |
| LED C7 @ 0.5W (VividCore) |
3,600 | 4,800 |
|
LED C7 @ 0.48W |
3,750 | 5,000 |
|
LED C9 @ 0.5W |
3,600 | 4,800 |
|
LED C9 @ 0.74W |
2,432 | 3,243 |
Important Note: The usable watts listed above are 80% of the total wattage, the safety margin you should follow to avoid overloading circuits. The total wattage for a 15-Amp circuit is 1800 Watts, and 2400 Watts for a 20-Amp circuit.
Generally, incandescent C7 bulbs use 5 to 7 watts each, while C9s use 7 to 10. LED versions use less than a watt each, depending on the manufacturer. That is a huge difference, and it's clear the LEDs are far more energy efficient. But the difference doesn't stop there. The wattage ties directly to how many bulbs can be used per circuit. As you can see, you can use triple the number of LED Christmas lights per circuit.
Environmental Considerations
When comparing energy consumption, you also need to examine environmental considerations. Since incandescent lights use more energy to operate, they generate more greenhouse gas emissions. Older lights can contain lead, mercury, and other chemicals in the bulbs and wiring, making recycling difficult.
LED Christmas bulbs and lights are far more eco-friendly. Their lower energy consumption means that they don't produce as many greenhouse gas emissions when being used. LEDs also don't contain any hazardous materials, making them easier to recycle.
Woman hanging Christmas lights from the previous year
Lifespan and Durability
The next key differences are lifespan and durability. Most people want lights that will last several years, and no one wants to replace bulbs multiple times. Let's see how incandescents and LEDs compare.
Incandescent Lights
On average, incandescent Christmas lights can last between 1,000 and 2,000 hours. You might think this looks good, but these hours can vary drastically depending on how much you use the lights. If you use the lights for a few hours per night during the holidays and store them properly, you may get a few seasons' use out of a decent portion of the bulbs. But if you run them constantly, you might get a few weeks before the incandescent lights burn out.
You also need to consider that traditional incandescent lights are made using glass. This applies to all incandescents, whether C7 bulbs or mini lights. Glass bulbs are fragile, making them susceptible to breakage. While lights used indoors are more protected, outdoor lights are at the mercy of the elements. It's not unusual to replace incandescent bulbs multiple times during the holidays.
LED Lights
Do LED Christmas lights last longer than traditional lights? Yes, they do. Many LED lights are rated to last up to 50,000 hours...leaving incandescents in the dust. This gives you many years of use. Plus, their polycarbonate construction helps make them extremely durable, reducing the risk of breakage. This greatly reduces the need for replacement bulbs during the season.
Choosing the right Christmas lights can help reduce your costs
Cost Analysis
Next up is cost, specifically initial purchase price and long-term savings. Cost and savings can be a decision-making factor for many, especially if they have a fixed budget.
Initial Purchase Price
Comparing initial purchase prices, incandescent lights are generally less expensive than LEDs. You can easily set up an entire display on a low budget, making incandescent lights appealing to those who want to save money. LED lights have a higher initial cost, especially when looking at lights with smart features.
Long-Term Savings
Despite their low initial cost, incandescents don't provide much long-term savings. Any money you saved from the purchase goes towards high electric bills and frequent replacement bulb purchases. It's the trade-off for them being so inexpensive.
LED Christmas lights are the opposite. Since they use a fraction of the energy of traditional lights, LEDs don't come with a high energy bill. They last longer, too, so you won't need to spend extra on replacements. They end up paying for themselves.
Incandescent Christmas lights used to light a Christmas tree
Safety Considerations
Like any lighting installation, safety issues must be considered when choosing between LED and incandescent Christmas lights.
Heat Emission
Due to how incandescent bulbs operate, they generate a lot of heat and can become very hot to the touch. Depending on the location of the lights, the heat can pose a potential fire hazard if not monitored properly. LEDs do not have the same heat issues and remain cool to the touch.
Material Safety
When the glass bulb of an incandescent light breaks, you will have to clean up the glass shards. There might only be one or two pieces, or there could be multiple tiny pieces. Either way, it can be a mess and a safety issue. Since LED lights are plastic bulbs, there is no risk of broken glass and little risk of broken plastic.
The bulbs on LED Christmas lights come in a wide assortment of shapes
Aesthetic Differences
Incandescent and LED lights have several aesthetic differences that can impact your display's overall look and feel.
Brightness and Color Quality
Incandescent lights are known for their classic warm, yellow glow. They come in clear, opaque, and colored finishes. Incandescents always produce a warm glow, regardless of the bulb type or finish. This means mini lights will deliver the same color output as C9 light strings.
LED lights produce almost any color imaginable. You can choose from colors to various shades of white. Advances in technology over the years have greatly improved their warmth. Toady's warm white LED options closely match the warmth of traditional bulbs.
Design and Customization
Incandescent Christmas lights come in traditional bulb sizes and shapes. LED Christmas lights are available in various shapes, sizes, and colors, offering many more customization options.
Man installing LED icicle Christmas lights on his home
Practical Considerations for Installation
Installation should also be considered when deciding between incandescent and LED Christmas lights. This is a wide topic, but we will focus on the two biggest points: electrical and maintenance.
Electrical
Remember the wattage chart from earlier? This is when the number of bulbs per circuit comes into play. Due to their higher wattage usage, incandescent Christmas lights require careful planning to avoid electrical issues. This is especially important if you are building a display requiring a lot of lights. LED Christmas lights use a fraction of the wattage, letting you connect far more bulbs and strings per circuit. This makes LED bulbs and lights a better choice for larger displays.
Can you mix incandescent and LED lights together on the same current or string? No, it is not recommended. Do to differences in current draw, mixing the two together can overload the bulbs. If using both types for your display, make sure to keep them on seperate circuits.
Maintenance
As mentioned earlier, LED bulbs require little maintenance due to their exceptional durability and longer lifespan. Incandescent lights have a shorter lifespan, resulting in more frequent replacements of burned-out bulbs, and also require careful handling due to their glass construction.
Which Christmas Lights Should You Choose?
Which is the best choice for you, traditional incandescent or LED Christmas lights? Let's review the key differences:
| Incandescent Christmas Lights | LED Christmas Lights |
|---|---|
|
|
Ultimately, your choice will be based on what works best for your specific needs and preferences. You will need to look at the size of the planned installation and the estimated wattage. We recommend using LED Christmas lights for larger installations. Smaller installations where wattage won't be an issue can use incandescent Christmas lights.
Explore 1000Bulbs.com's selection of incandescent and LED Christmas lights to find the perfect addition to your holiday decor. And for help determining which Christmas lights are best for your home or business, call 1-855-854-0767 to speak with one of our holiday lighting experts.
