How To Make The Right Christmas Light Choice

The brightest part of the holiday season comes from the proper Christmas light choice. Many families look forward to the traditions that the holiday season brings.50 Miniature Christmas Light Bulb Sets With Green WireIt’s no surprise that elaborately decking the halls and outsides of homes have become the popular method of spreading holiday cheer.  So much so, that many neighborhoods sponsor decorating contests, and magazines feature the most creative designs each year. There are many things to consider before hanging a holiday display, including the type of lights to be used, hanging accessories, and the family’s budget.

In recent years, technology has advanced the diversity of options for decorations. The great debate of incandescent versus LEDs should be taken into consideration when making the choice about the best type of Christmas light to purchase. Both options come in a variety of shapes, colors and lengths, but the bulbs offer different service lives, energy efficiency, and pricing levels. Incandescent bulbs are the option most holiday enthusiast are familiar with. This option replaced candles as the popular decoration choice and offered the possibility for extended outdoor decorations. It is only natural that the next evolution of blubs, LEDs, are starting to dim the popularity of its predecessor. The service life of an incandescent bulb is four to 6 years, whereas LEDs are sustainable for tens of thousands of hours. This is because incandescent bulbs begin the end of their life as soon as electric currents flow through the filament, slowly degrading its operation.  This phenomenon is also responsible for the inefficiency of the bulb. Most home owners who hang several types of lights can attest to the energy savings of an LED strip, which use about one-tenth of the energy of its competitor. This can influence the pricing of the options. LEDs tend to cost more, but they are well worth it when considering their lifespan.

Another thing to keep in mind when determining the right Christmas light for the job is hanging accessories. Depending on where the lights will be used. Indoor use most commonly involves nails or special adhesives. Outdoor use could involve something as temporary as pushpins or finishing nails, or something as permanent as hooks placed on gutters and the roofline that can be seen year around. These are decisions that should be made after carefully planning the outlay.

Budget can also influence the decision on a Christmas light purchase. To lessen the cost, many families will add to their collection each season rather than trying to buy everything at one time. Purchasing some base items is a good start. It is then easy to add a little more each year until the collection of decorations is complete, and the look is all the homeowner hoped for.

The nostalgia factor of the holiday season can be seen in movies like “The Christmas Story”, and decorating is now one of the most popular traditions of the western world. It is no surprise that a right choice in Christmas light displays can make the holiday experience even more merry and bright.



Return to Main Topic: Christmas Lights