Why Choose LED Christmas Lights

LED Christmas lights use roughly a seventieth of the electricity of old incandescent bulbs, run cool enough to touch, and last for years rather than a season. That combination is why a whole house can now be lit for the price of a cup of coffee.

How much less electricity do LED lights use?

An incandescent Christmas bulb draws about 5 watts. An LED giving comparable light draws well under a tenth of a watt.

In practice, a 10-metre string with 100 LEDs runs at around 7 watts. The same string in incandescent bulbs would have drawn 500 watts.

Over a season that is the difference between about half a euro and about 35 euros. See our guide on what Christmas lights cost to run for the full calculation.

They run cool

An incandescent bulb turns most of its energy into heat. That is why old Christmas lights were warm to the touch and why they were a fire risk in a dry tree.

LEDs stay cool. You can wrap them around a spruce branch, tuck them into a wreath or leave them against a curtain without worrying.

They survive the winter

An incandescent bulb has a thin filament that breaks when knocked. An LED is a solid component with nothing to shake loose.

That matters for outdoor use, where lights are hung in wind, covered in snow and taken down and put back each year. Check the IP rating before buying: IP44 means the product is built for rain and snow.

One socket for the whole display

Low power draw has a practical consequence beyond the bill. Because each product uses so little, many can share one power supply.

Our string lights connect up to 2000 LEDs on one plug, and our LED motifs chain together up to 130 watts total. One cable out of the house can light the facade, the hedge and the garden.

What to look for when buying

• Warm white or cool white. Warm white reads as candlelight and suits houses and trees. Cool white is sharper and works for snowflakes and icy motifs.
• IP rating. IP44 for outdoor use. Indoor-only lights are not rated for rain.
• Connectable or not. It is listed on each product. A connectable range saves cables and sockets.
• Detachable power cord. Lets you buy a longer cord separately instead of replacing the product.

Frequently asked questions

Can LED bulbs be replaced when they fail?

Usually not. LEDs are sealed into the strand, so the whole product is replaced at the end of its life. The trade-off is that they last several seasons rather than one.

Do LED lights look colder than old Christmas lights?

Only if you buy cool white. Warm white LEDs sit at the same colour temperature as the old bulbs.

Why do some LED lights flicker?

Some strings have a share of auto-flash bulbs built in, typically 5 or 10 per cent, which sparkle on purpose. If a whole string flickers unevenly, it is usually a loose connection.

Can I mix old and new lights on the same cable?

No. Connect only products from the same connectable range, and keep the total wattage under the stated limit.