LED vs. Incandescent Christmas Lights: What Are the Differences?
Get merry and bright with the right kind of light.
Nothing spreads holiday cheer quite like stringing Christmas lights. Whether lining your roof or trimming the tree, you’ll need to make one big decision while decorating: LED or incandescent lights?
Incandescent vs. LED Christmas Lights: Which Is Best?
Thanks to the warm glow created by heated filaments inside each glass bulb, incandescent Christmas lights have a nostalgic charm – they’ve become a Christmas staple thanks to their cozy, traditional look. On the other hand, LED Christmas lights use modern technology to produce light without heat, making them safer, more energy-efficient, and cool to the touch. LED bulbs are also longer-lasting and available in a wide variety of colors and styles. Keep reading to learn more about the key differences between each option so you can make the best selection for your holiday display.
Brightness & Color
When it comes to creating holiday cheer, the brightness and color of your Christmas lights are just as important as where you hang them.
- Incandescent Christmas Lights: These lights give a nostalgic glow with yellow undertones that create a classic holiday look. They also come in a variety of rich, jewel-toned colors that bring vibrant warmth to any space.
- LED Christmas Lights: LED Christmas lights include both warm white tones and vivid colors that match traditional bulbs in radiance. Many LED lights shine brighter than incandescent bulbs, making them an ideal selection for eye-catching outdoor displays.
How your Christmas lights will hold up over time is another crucial consideration when deciding between incandescent and LED options.
- Incandescent Christmas Lights: Incandescent Christmas lights are more prone to breaking if dropped because they’re made with delicate glass bulbs. They typically last about 1,000 to 2,000 hours, or 4 to 5 years of regular holiday use. Replacing a burnt-out bulb is easy – simply pop out your old bulb and twist in a new one.
- LED Christmas Lights: LED Christmas lights are generally more durable than incandescent options – they’re made with durable plastic bulbs built to withstand drops and outdoor conditions. They typically last up to 50,000 hours, illuminating your home for many holiday seasons to come. Replacing individual LED bulbs can be a more involved process because they’re often built into the socket, but they rarely burn out, resulting in minimal maintenance.
Safety
From indoor to outdoor lights, safety is an important part of creating a stress-free holiday display.
- Incandescent Christmas Lights: These lights can become warm or hot to the touch during use because they generate heat as they glow. It’s ideal to keep them away from flammable materials like curtains or garland, and to turn them off when unattended. To stay safe, use a light timer to automatically turn off incandescent Christmas lights overnight or after a set time.
- LED Christmas Lights: Even after hours of use, LED Christmas lights are designed to stay cool to the touch, making them a safer choice for indoor spaces or homes with kids and pets. Though a lower-risk option, it’s still important to follow manufacturer instructions for usage to ensure worry-free operation.
If you’re aiming to reduce energy costs or to make more environmentally-conscious choices this holiday season, energy-efficiency and long-term value are important elements to consider.
- Incandescent Christmas Lights: Incandescent Christmas lights produce their traditional warm glow by heating a filament inside each bulb – this process uses more electricity than LED alternatives. These lights are typically more affordable upfront but consume more energy, leading to higher electricity costs with long-term or frequent use.
- LED Christmas Lights: Energy-efficient in design, LED Christmas lights generally use 80% to 90% less electricity than incandescent alternatives. This makes these lights a more cost-effective option over time, especially when used overnight or for large displays.
Style & Variety
- Incandescent Christmas Lights: These lights are available in classic string styles with clear or colorful bulbs. They’re often found in longer strands, making them great choices for lining rooftops, wrapping trees, or adding a warm glow to larger displays.
- LED Christmas Lights: LED Christmas lights offer more versatility in design, color, and shape. Beyond traditional string lights, you’ll find LED options in lighted trees and branches, window decor, net lights, and even lamps, lanterns, and festive signs. With so many styles available, LEDs added flexibility when designing your holiday display.
