Everything You Need To Know About LED Christmas Light Strings

It’s that magical time of the year again when Santa is getting ready to fill his sleigh, the gingerbread houses are being made and the twinkling lights are brought out. It’s Christmas time which means a lot of people will be busy present shopping, cookie baking and decorating. During the busiest time of the year the last thing that you want to do is stress about which lights to buy and how to place them. Between the different stringed lights, separate bulbs and various colors to choose from the choices are endless. By the time you’re done reading you are going to have one less decision to stress about!

When beginning to search for the proper Christmas light strings there are a couple different kinds that stand out. You have your traditional incandescent light strings, or the newer LED light strings. LED light strings are becoming increasingly popular due to their long lasting lifetimes, their durability and the safety of them, since they emit virtually no heat. LED lights produce very vivid colors and bright lights. They also use up to 90% less energy than traditional bulbs which saves money. Some LED lights can also be dimmable and can be used to create intricate computer controlled Christmas displays. In fact, all of the LED bulbs and strings available at The Christmas Light Emporium are dimmable and compatible with computerized Christmas light controllers unless otherwise noted.

Most consumers purchase prelamped Christmas light strings for the majority of their decorating needs. But it is important to know the different bulb sizes even on prelamped string lights so that you are aware of how the lights may look and how the light may project. There are six main sizes of LED bulbs used in prelamped string lights that all have different shapes and sizes that affect the way a decorated space looks. The bulbs are the 5mm wide angle, M5, G12, C6, C7, and C9. Knowing the differences between these bulbs can make decorating become a breeze and go much faster than normal.

The first bulb found in prelamped strings has the smallest lens shape of any of the other bulbs mentioned, and that is the 5mm wide angle. It has a concave lens that disperses light evenly and in a halo fashion to produce a bright, uniformed look. The M5 is the next common bulb style found on prelamped strings. It has a faceted lens that looks like tiny diamonds have been placed all around the bulb. These bulbs look like mini icicles and look great whether they are on or turned off. Due to the fact that they look good at all times, they are a popular replacement for traditional incandescent bulbs and a top choice for those who like to decorate. The G12 bulb found on prelamped strings looks like small gumdrops or gum balls. The bulb is a 12mm round mini light that has a diamond faceted design that has a purpose of casting light in all different directions which makes them a great choice for party or indoor lighting.

The last bulb styles that are typically found on string lights are the C style bulbs. These bulbs are cone shaped that can have a variety of different lens ranging from faceted to opaque. The C6 bulb is a little larger than traditional Christmas lights and come in a variety of colors, around ten of them. The C7 and C9 bulbs are very similar to the C6 but are larger, with the C9 being the largest of the three. C7 and C9 bulbs are also very commonly available as stand alone screw in bulbs - typically used to decorate rooflines and large Christmas trees. Each of these bulbs found in prelamped strings are popular choices for lining outside walkways and trees due to their large cone shape that is easy to see and admire.

Many string lights can be bought in a commercial version or your standard home version. The standard home version comes with male and females connectors so that many strings of lights can be attached in a row to make decorating a breeze. The maximum number of lights is normally up to forty strings but can vary based on the style of lights and the gauge (thickness) of the wire. The commercial version of prelamped strings requires an adapter to plug them in due to the screw down connectors they have instead of the male and female connectors. The commercial lines also have a heavier gauge wire and waterproof connectors to ensure they will last a long time outdoors. They do cost more than the standard home versions but may be worth the extra money if the lights will be outside for prolonged periods of time.

When it comes time to Christmas light shopping, prelamped LED string lights may be considered the king of all lights due to the vibrant colors available, the flexible use cases and the amount of light produced. LED Christmas light strings also last for thousands of hours so there will not have to be any last minute runs to the store to replace burned out bulbs. If you are thinking about decorating and using Christmas lights you should seriously consider switching to LED Christmas light strings or LED Christmas light bulbs. Not only do they last a long time, but they are also high efficiency bulbs which means more money in your pocket versus traditional bulbs.

Now that you’ve learned the facts about LED Christmas light strings, check out the vast assortment of LED Christmas lights in both strings and bulbs available now at The Christmas Light Emporium.