Christmas String Lights: How To Choose LED Light Strings
Christmas string lights do most of the work in a holiday display. They wrap the tree, light the garland on the mantel, trace the porch railing, and fill the shrubs out front. They are also the easiest lights to buy badly, because two strings that look identical on a store shelf can behave very differently once they are on the tree.
This guide covers what to look for in an LED light string: lens style, count and spacing, color, effect, wire color, and how many strings you can safely connect. Every string mentioned here is in our LED Christmas light strings collection.
What Separates A Good Light String From A Disposable One
Most frustration with Christmas lights comes from construction, not color. Before you compare styles, look for these details on the spec sheet:
- Sealed, single-molded sockets. On our 5mm, M5, C6, and G12 strings, each lens is sealed to its socket, so moisture has a harder time getting in and lenses do not work loose when you wrap and unwrap the tree.
- The rest stay lit. If one light goes out, the rest of the string keeps shining.
- Male and female plugs. Both ends have plugs, so strings connect end to end. The male plugs are fused and stackable, and the fuse is user serviceable.
- Indoor and outdoor rating. Our light strings are UL Listed and rated for indoor and outdoor use, with an IP44 rating on the specs.
- A real warranty. Our LED light strings carry a 3-Season Reindeer Proof™ Warranty.
If you want the longer version of this comparison, read professional vs. retail grade Christmas lights.
Choose A Lens Style
The lens is the shape of the light you actually see. We carry four lens styles on light strings. In size order, 5mm and M5 are about the same, G12 is larger, and C6 is the largest of the four.
5mm Wide-Angle Dome
The 5mm lens has a concave dome that throws light outward in a bright, even point. It is the most versatile style and the one we recommend for most trees, garland, and shrubs. The 70 5mm Cool White LED Christmas Lights and 100 5mm Warm White LED Christmas Lights are good examples. Browse every color in the 5mm LED Christmas lights collection.
M5 Elongated Faceted
The M5 lens is the elongated, faceted shape most people picture as a traditional mini light. If you are replacing old mini light strings and want the same look, the 70 M5 Warm White LED Christmas Lights are the natural upgrade. Our M5 mini lights guide goes deeper.
C6 Strawberry
The C6 has a faceted, strawberry-shaped lens that scatters light in several directions for a jeweled look. Saturated colors like the 70 C6 Red LED Christmas Lights read beautifully on a green tree. See the C6 guide for more.
G12 Raspberry Globe
The G12 is a 12mm round faceted globe, sometimes called a raspberry light. It is a playful, retro-leaning look on trees, shrubs, and garland. Try the 70 G12 Red LED Christmas Lights, or read the G12 globe lights guide.
Count, Spacing, And Lit Length
Light strings are sold by the number of lights and the spacing between them. Closer spacing gives a denser, brighter look. Wider spacing covers more distance with fewer lights.
| String | Spacing | Lit length | Max end to end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 5mm, M5, or G12 | 4" | 23 ft | 45 strings |
| 100 5mm | 4" | 33 ft | 27 strings |
| 50 5mm (ColorCraft® and SuperSpark®) | 6" | 24.5 ft | 45 strings |
Our steady 5mm strings use 4" spacing, which is the classic density for wrapping tree branches. The 6" strings are mostly our strobe lines and ColorCraft® palettes. For a Christmas tree, the Christmas tree light string calculator tells you how many strings your tree needs at 4" or 6" spacing.
Pick Your Color
Color sets the mood of the whole display, so decide it before anything else.
- Warm white (3000K) is a soft golden white close to the glow of traditional incandescent lights. Shop the warm white collection.
- Cool white (6400K) is a bright, crisp, slightly blue white. Shop the cool white collection.
- Multicolor is the nostalgic mix of red, green, blue, orange, and yellow. The 70 5mm Multicolor LED Christmas Lights are a dependable choice.
- Single colors like red, green, blue, teal, pink, gold, and purple let you build a themed display.
- ColorCraft® palettes are unique multicolor combinations you will not find in a big box aisle. The 50 5mm ColorCraft® Arctic string mixes teal, blue, and cool white for an icy winter look. Browse every palette in the ColorCraft® light strings collection.
Whatever you pick, stay consistent. Warm white and cool white look mismatched side by side, so choose one white per display. Our warm white vs. pure white vs. cool white guide compares them.
Choose An Effect
Most strings are steady, but a few effects can bring a tree or shrub to life.
- Steady. Every light stays on. Steady strings are dimmable with standard dimmers.
- Twinkle. Every 5th light twinkles at random while the rest stay lit, like the 70 5mm Warm White Twinkle LED Christmas Lights.
- DreamSpark® slow fade. Each light fades and brightens on its own random rhythm, so the string seems to breathe. The 70 5mm Warm White DreamSpark® Slow Fade LED Christmas Lights are a favorite for indoor trees and wreaths.
- SuperSpark® strobe. Every light fires rapidly and randomly like a tiny camera flash. It is bold and very flashy, built to be seen from down the street. Try the 50 5mm Multicolor SuperSpark® string.
- QuadSpark® and Dazzle™. Three steady lights and one strobing light repeat down the string. QuadSpark® strobes in the same color as the steady lights, while Dazzle™ adds a cool white strobe.
Twinkle, DreamSpark®, and strobe strings can technically be dimmed, but dimming can produce undesirable visual effects, so plan to run them at full brightness. Our SuperSpark®, QuadSpark®, and DreamSpark® guide compares the effects in detail.
Green Wire Or White Wire
Green wire disappears into fir branches, garland, and shrubs, so it is the default for most trees. White wire blends into white trees, white railings, and white trim. If you love the slow fade look on a white tree, the 70 5mm Warm White DreamSpark® string on white wire keeps the cord out of sight.
Where Light Strings Work Best
Light strings are made for wrapping and draping: indoor and outdoor trees, garland, wreaths, railings, shrubs, and tree trunks. Our guide to wrapping trees with Christmas lights shows the technique.
For a roofline, use larger screw-in C9 or C7 bulbs on a stringer, or icicle lights along the eaves. They give the straight, bold line a roofline needs. Start with the C9 Christmas lights collection or the icicle lights collection. For bushes, net lights cover a shrub evenly in minutes. See our net lights buying guide.
Accessories That Make Strings Easier
- Mini Clip Light String Clips (Pack of 100) hang lightweight cords from trim, gutters, and eaves. They are small, light-duty clips for hanging the cord itself.
- The LED Keeper PRO diagnoses and repairs LED light strings when a section goes dark. On sealed strings, use it with LED Keeper Repair Pods.
- The 2 Outlet 15 Amp Outdoor Photocell Timer turns outdoor strings on at dusk and off after 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours.
Browse the rest in our Christmas light clips and repair tools collections.
Power And Connection Limits
LED light strings draw very little power. A 70-light 5mm string uses 4.8 watts, and a 100-light 5mm string uses 6.9 watts. That is why so many strings can connect end to end: up to 45 of the 70-light strings or 27 of the 100-light strings, as listed on each product page. Never exceed the maximum on the spec sheet, and spread large displays across more than one circuit. Our guide to how many Christmas lights fit on one circuit walks through the math.
Find Your Christmas String Lights
Choose your lens style, pick a count and spacing that fits the job, settle on one color story, and add an effect where you want some movement. If you would like help choosing, email help@thechristmaslightemporium.com. When you are ready, browse the full LED Christmas light strings collection.
