Hi Jason, what is the difference in the Christmas lights and materials that professional Christmas installers use compared to what the average homeowner uses?

- Henry

Hi Henry,

That's a great question.

But like the answers to a great many questions, the answer to this question begins with: "It depends…" Because in reality, you could break homeowners down into two different groups in terms of the Christmas lights they use.

Hanging LED Christmas Lights

So let's start with the largest group of homeowners, the people that would probably be considered the "average" that you specified in your question.


Group #1: Big Box Shoppers

For the most part, these people buy all of their Christmas lights from the big box retailers. And as I noted above, this group is unquestionably the largest group of homeowner Christmas Enthusiasts.

This group buys many of the products they use on a regular basis from big box stores (don't we all?). So for them, it's quite natural to add Christmas lights to their big-box shopping list when the holiday season rolls around.

But while goods like toilet paper, socks, and cereal purchased from a big box store are all perfectly fine, the same is not true of Christmas lights.

As everyone knows, the mega-retailers are able to offer their consistently low prices by purchasing at the lowest prices. And when it comes to Christmas lights, that's not a good thing. Because unfortunately, there's a huge quality range available in Christmas lights manufactured in China - and like it or not, that's where virtually all Christmas lights come from these days.

The lower-priced retail lights are manufactured to a significantly lower standard. These lights, it's safe to say, are the poorest-quality lights on the market - both in appearance and durability.

So for this group, the answer to your question is: there's a HUGE difference between the lights they're using and the lights that professional installers use.


Group #2: Online Shoppers Going for the Best Quality

Now we come to the second group.

This group is our customer base. And they're a little savvier than the average Christmas Enthusiast. They want the best quality available in Christmas lights and décor. That's because they know that top-quality equates to top value.

So they purchase from our Pro Grade line - only available through our online store. (Unfortunately, not all Christmas Enthusiasts even realize that these lights are available.)

To put it simply, the lights in our Pro Grade line are the best in the world. You can't buy better lights at any price. And we make certain that that's always the case through rigorous oversight.

We make frequent trips overseas to visit and inspect manufacturing facilities. (Unfortunately, Christmas lights are no longer manufactured in the U.S.). We carefully inspect every shipment we receive to confirm it complies with quality expectations and standards.

A very large component of our business comes from professional installers from around the world. And without exception, professional installers buy ONLY from this group of lights - our Pro Grade line.

So to answer your question for this group: These Christmas Enthusiasts are using the EXACT same lights that professional installers use. No difference whatsoever.

Who's the Winner?

So which group of Christmas Enthusiasts is doing the best for themselves?

  • The big-box shoppers, who get the most lights for the cheapest price?
  • The group spending the most on their lights by purchasing from our Pro Grade line (along with professional installers)?

It's really not much of a contest.

The group buying the Pro Grade lights are doing the best. They're getting the best lights on the market in terms of quality, appearance, and durability.

Yes, it's true that they're also paying the most for their lights. But their lights will last 3 to 4 times longer. So in an ironic twist, this group actually spends the least for its lights over the long-term.

And that's why professionals purchase only from this line. After all, they're running a business. If a larger upfront investment pays off handsomely over time, that's the only way to go. It increases the profit of their business.

Henry, this is probably a much more involved answer than you were anticipating your question. But now you know that it comes down to choice.

The homeowners that want to enjoy the same quality as professionals do enjoy the same quality. And by spending more on their Christmas lights, they actually spend less.

So I think you'd have to call group #2 the wisest of Christmas Enthusiasts!