Hi Jason, Can you explain why someone would want to use a 5 mm Wide Angle Conical Christmas light as opposed to the classic bulb design of the M5?

- Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks for asking; that's actually a very important question. It's important because I feel that lots of Christmas Enthusiasts as well as casual Christmas lighters are missing out on the many unique advantages offered by the 5 mm Wide Angle Conical.

Now, that previous statement might seem to dispute what I'm about to tell you next: Our Wide Angle Conicals outsell all of our other light sets 10 to 1.

So how is it that lots of folks are "missing out" on something that so decisively outsells all of our other lights? It's because homeowner Christmas Enthusiasts don't utilize these lights nearly as much as professionals. In fact, professional Christmas light installers from around the world use Wide Angle Conicals almost exclusively.

And that includes our own professional installation service headquartered in Florida. We install about 60,000 sets of Conicals a year on commercial job sites from small HOAs to entire cities. Very few of our clients would allow us to use any other type of light set for outdoor foliage lighting.

5 mm Wide Angle Conical

Think About That…

Nearly every professional installer worldwide uses Wide Angle Conicals almost exclusively. That's pretty impressive. It's a pretty strong indication that this bulb has a lot going for it.

And indeed it does. Wide Angle Conicals offer:

  • Superior durability - Helps pros make more profit, and helps homeowners get the most bang for their Christmas decorating buck
  • Superior Illumination - These lights are 25% brighter than traditional incandescent lights (it's because of the conical-shaped lens, which maximizes the intensity of the light-emitting diodes)
  • A Distinctively Appealing, Eye-Catching Look - That's because of the combo of the unique lens design and the intensity of the diodes

As you can see, we're big fans of Wide Angle Conicals, and for good reason. But you asked about the specific rationale for using Wide Angle Conicals instead of M5s.


The Differences Between M5s and 5 mm Wide Angle Conical

All of the above benefits offered by Conicals should certainly be considered when choosing between Wide Angle Conicals and M5s. But here's another reason…

For many generations, traditional incandescent mini lights have been extremely popular. They still are. And in truth, LED technology has lagged a bit in duplicating the much-loved look of incandescent minis.

That has changed, though. There is now an LED bulb that almost precisely matches both the appearance and brightness of incandescent minis. And that bulb - you guessed it - is the Wide Angle Conical.

You might not think that would be the case just to compare the bulbs unlit. The M5 bulb happens to very closely resemble the size and shape of traditional incandescent minis. The Wide Angle bulbs, on the other hand, don't really look like much of a match to incandescent minis - until you turn them on. And then they're virtually indistinguishable from incandescent mini lights.

It's because of the concave lens design of the Wide Angle bulbs; the lens magnifies the light so that it's a near-perfect match for incandescent minis. But of course, Wide Angle bulbs also offer you all the durability, longevity, and energy-saving advantages of LED technology - the very advantages that are rendering incandescents obsolete.

There is one caveat you should be aware of: Wide Angle Conicals are so bright that they might not be your best choice for indoor lighting. Many people prefer the M5s or the newer T5s for indoor applications.

Hope that answers your question, Chris. If not, please feel free to follow up.