Do LED Christmas Lights Suck

For some time now, numerous people — ourselves included — have been lauding LED Lights as a brilliant breakthrough. We, along with many others, have for years declared LED Christmas Lights as a significant benefit to Christmas Enthusiasts.

However, some of you remain unconvinced.

Instead, many Christmas Lovers are skeptical about the perks of LEDs compared to incandescents. And this isn't just a superficial reaction. A number of Christmas Enthusiasts have experimented with LEDs and found them unsatisfactory. They haven't liked the appearance of the lights and have been unimpressed with their longevity.

So, What's the Real Deal???

If you are shopping for holiday lights, it's perfectly understandable if you're feeling perplexed about which to choose.

On one side, you've got experts like us telling you that LED Christmas lights are the most fantastic invention since sliced bread. But on the other side, you keep hearing about people who have been extremely disappointed with their LED lights.

So where does the truth lie?

Here's the Good and the Bad News…

Are LED Christmas lights a tremendous technological improvement over traditional incandescents? Or are they a consumer's worst nightmare?

The answer is a bit of a mixed bag: The reality is, both situations exist.

It's an unfortunate truth that numerous consumers have had negative experiences with LED Christmas lights. They've bought lights that didn't last or that looked awful.

Yet it's also true that LEDs represent a significant technological advancement over incandescents. Consider this: Nearly every professionally-installed Christmas light display this season will feature only LED lights – no incandescents. Our own installation team is so confident in LEDs that we will not use incandescents on any of our commercial lighting projects.

Moreover, while earlier LED models may have fallen short of incandescents in visual appeal, that's no longer the case. The quality, brightness, and overall aesthetic of high-end LEDs have vastly improved over the past decade. They now equal or even surpass the look of incandescents.

Simply put, there are high-quality LEDs and poor-quality LEDs. To ensure you always purchase the good ones, follow these two straightforward rules.

Golden Rule #1: Steer Clear of Two-Piece Light Sets

Many LED light sets on sale — especially inexpensive ones — are of a two-piece design. This means you can remove the bulb from the socket. The alternative is a one-piece design, where the bulb and socket are constructed as a single unit.

Initially, you might assume a two-piece design has certain benefits. However, in reality, the separation between the bulb and socket allows dirt and moisture to infiltrate the lighting system, significantly increasing the chance of failure.

I know what you might be thinking. You're recalling all the times you had to replace a burnt-out bulb on a string of incandescent lights, and you're probably thinking that with a one-piece design, you won't be able to do that.

Don't worry; you won't need to do that. A typical LED bulb lasts for a minimum of 25,000 hours. You won't need to replace burnt-out bulbs.

For your information: Professional Christmas light installers use ONLY one-piece light sets; they avoid two-piece sets entirely.

Golden Rule #2: Avoid Big-Box Retailers

It's an unfortunate fact that many low-quality LED Christmas lights are available on the market. Most of them are sold at large retail chains. The reason is straightforward: these stores purchase at the lowest possible cost to offer you the lowest price.

This model works fine for items like laundry detergent and toilet paper but not for Christmas lights.

Specialty retailers like Gift All Season meticulously source only top-tier lights and decorations. We're not focused on offering the cheapest price. Our aim is to ensure that we always provide top-quality lights.

Consider these four key distinctions between our Pro Grade lights and the retail lights available at a typical big-box retailer:

  1. One-Piece Design: Our Pro Grade lights eliminate the issues common with two-piece light sets. Most sets sold at major retailers are of the less durable two-piece design.
  2. High-Quality Diodes: Our Pro Grade lights employ brighter, more durable diodes compared to cheaper retail light sets.
  3. Excellent Color Consistency: Color consistency can be a major issue with LEDs. Colors can differ from year to year and set to set. With cheaper sets, colors can vary by up to 40%. This issue is especially noticeable with warm white sets. However, our Pro Grade lights adhere to a color differential standard of less than 3%, making any color variations imperceptible to the human eye.
  4. Optimal Light String Length: Professional Christmas light installers know this rule well: The longer a light string, the more prone it is to failure. Longer sets are harder to manage, more likely to tangle, and generally suffer more wear during installation and removal. Retail sets are often longer than ideal for economic reasons. All our Pro Grade LED Christmas Light sets are designed to be an optimal length, typically between 23 and 33 feet. This makes the sets more durable and easier to use.

Simply Follow the Guidelines…

Don't let the negative stories about LEDs deter you. They truly are vastly superior to the old incandescents. Simply stick to the two golden rules for purchasing lights, and you'll reap all the benefits of LEDs while avoiding potential pitfalls.

Because LED Christmas lights — if you choose the right ones — truly are the best invention since sliced bread. Maybe even better!