LED vs. Regular Christmas Lights: Which is the Better Choice?

Ever since the introduction of LED Christmas lights, the big question for decorators has been: are they better than incandescent lights? Overall, the answer is a resounding “YES”. In fact, LED lights have become the preferred choice for most homeowners and businesses. But how much better are LED Christmas lights, in what ways, and are they the better choice for you?

We’ll break down the differences and show you in the areas that matter most how LED Christmas lights are better than incandescent lights in nearly every way, from energy efficiency to lifespan and everything in between. Dig into the details below and find the right lights for your holiday displays!

Key Factors in Comparing LED and Incandescent Christmas Lights

These are the key factors that matter most to decorators when we compare LED Christmas lights to regular incandescent Christmas lights:

LED Lights vs Incandescent Lights

1. Energy Efficiency
2. Lifespan
3. Cost
4. Durability
5. Brightness
6. Variety & Aesthetic

Energy Efficiency - Do LEDs Really Save Electricity?

Energy efficiency is one of the biggest differences between LED and regular incandescent lights—especially on your energy bill for the holiday season. LEDs are significantly more energy efficient than incandescent lights. In fact, LED Christmas lights can use as little as 10% of the energy that incandescent lights use. The efficiency of LEDs comes from a fundamentally different, and ultimately superior, process of creating light compared to incandescent lighting.

You can see the massive difference in electricity usage between incandescent Christmas lights and LED lights in the two tables below. The first table shows how much energy an example Christmas lighting arrangement of all incandescent lighting uses:

In total, the incandescent arrangement uses 2,800 watts. Next, let’s look at an all-LED version of the same arrangement:

Compared to incandescent lights, the second table gives you an idea of how you’ll be saving electricity with LED Christmas lights.

Lifespan - How Long Do LED Christmas Lights Last?

Longevity is not a concern with LED Christmas lights when compared to incandescent lights. And the numbers don’t lie. A high-quality set of LED Christmas lights that is well cared for has a lifespan of 25,000 to 75,000 hours, which is about 6 or 7 seasons. Incandescent Christmas lights fail to last anywhere close to LEDs, with a lifespan of only around 3,000 hours.

You can enjoy your LED lights for years to come through proper treatment. Take down and pack away lights with care (find out how to do it the right way here) and avoid storing in a place that gets too hot, like an attic. Lights will also last longer if used within a standard holiday season time frame that goes from November to early January.

Cost - Are LED Christmas Lights Worth the Higher Price?

While LED Christmas lights have a higher upfront cost than regular incandescent lights, LEDs are worth the higher price at purchase because they’ll actually save you more money over incandescent lights in the long-run. The two major factors that lead to LEDs being the better value are savings on energy and longer lifespan.

The considerable difference in energy efficiency between LED Christmas lights and incandescent lights, shown in the tables above, means that LED lights are far cheaper to operate than incandescent lights. Given that the energy usage of LEDs is a fraction of incandescents, then so too is the cost of energy. And the savings add up over multiple seasons. Take a closer look at how much LED Christmas lights cost to run here.

The lifespan of LED lights is much greater than incandescent. LED lights that are properly cared for have the ability to outlast dozens of incandescent Christmas lights sets.

When you combine the savings on energy and the savings on multiple incandescent lights sets that LED Christmas lights will outlast, LEDs come out on top as the better value.

Durability - Which Lights Can Withstand the Elements?

Old, regular incandescent Christmas lights are fragile. Their glass bulbs are prone to cracks and breaks, posing a potential hazard to children and pets. Incandescents can also be a fire hazard: if the opening from a crack or break in an incandescent bulb is large enough, the hot filament can fall out or burst. And for outdoor applications where the weather drops to extreme lows, the fragile nature of glass bulbs can turn dangerous: incandescent bulbs have a possibility of exploding in very cold, freezing weather, making the area around unsafe.

The bulbs of LED Christmas lights are made of materials that aren’t sensitive like glass. High-quality, pro-grade LED Christmas lights are designed to be shatterproof, and use bulbs made from strong materials that are over 100 times more durable than glass bulbs. Christmas Designers uses a high impact epoxy resin in our Pro Christmas 5mm wide angle conical light sets for maximum durability.

A key design element that ensures greater durability in LED lights is the one-piece bulb-socket design found in high-quality, pro-grade sets. This design prevents failures caused by water and debris that would work into the socket and harm internal components.

For LED lights that best handle the elements, consider coaxial lights featuring screw-tight connections that block out material harmful to lighting connections such as water, dirt, and snow.

Variety & Aesthetic - Which Lights Look Better?

Incandescent lights have also been surpassed by LED Christmas lights in terms of variety, design, brightness, and color. LED Christmas lights are available in a far greater variety of styles than incandescent lights. LED lights come in interesting and dazzling designs, from the classic appearance of the T5 to the enchanting strands of icicle lights. LED lights are also available in bulb shapes that incandescent lights are not. A great example of this is the 5mm wide angle conical, which has an angled design that makes it shine brighter than any other type of Christmas light.

LED lights exhibit advanced visuals over incandescent lights through expanded effects options. LED lights can be found in twinkling, flashing, and color-shifting varieties. For lights that bring the best in eye-popping effects to your display, look no further than the award-winning Twinkly RGB Christmas lights.

In terms of color, incandescent lights are no match for LEDs. LED lights display “true” colors that are purer and richer than incandescents. While an incandescent light is always technically white and shines through a painted bulb, an LED light actually generates the color that you see from its diode. The way that colors show makes all the difference in a display that’s meant to impress. See how colors are created in LED Christmas lights.

And on brightness, LED outshines incandescent. LED Christmas lights produce more lumens per watt, which means a superior shine that needs less electricity. LEDs are 25% brighter than incandescent Christmas lights. And pro-grade LED Christmas lights maintain their brightness through full-wave rectified technology.

When Might You Still Choose Traditional Lights

While there is no practical reason to use regular incandescent lights anymore, those old lights can still have a nostalgic charm for some decorators.

Thankfully, LED Christmas lights are already at a stage where you can emulate the look and feel of incandescent lights through select varieties of LED light types. The design of T5 LED Christmas lights are reminiscent of the iconic look commonly associated with incandescent mini Christmas lights. Wrap the Christmas tree with warm white T5s to infuse your living room with a familiar feel during the holidays. For a glow that’s close to that of classic incandescent mini lights, look to 5mm wide angle conicals, especially in warm white. 5mm wide angle conical lights are brighter than other LED string lights and may not be preferred for an indoor install, but you can dim them for a more comfortable light level. In fact, you can use dimming on many LED Christmas lights to achieve a level of glow similar to incandescent lights.

For outdoor lighting, put your home in the warm embrace of vintage styling with C9 LED retrofit lights as perimeter lighting.

Pros and Cons of LED vs. Incandescent Christmas Lights

LED Christmas lights are superior to incandescent lights in every way that makes a real difference for most decorators.

Upgrade Your Holiday Lighting With Christmas Designers

LED Christmas lights are the smarter choice for your holiday displays in the areas that count, making them the better choice for most decorators. Looking for more information on LED lights? Read more reasons why LEDs are better than incandescent lights.

Give your holidays the unforgettable glow of high-quality, pro-grade Christmas lights— Shop LED Christmas Lights Now!

Contact our email [email protected] or call 1-800-391-5280 to have your holiday lighting and decorating questions answered by one of our qualified Christmas Designers today!