Now that autumn has arrived, the holiday season is ramping up – and it’s never too soon to start thinking about decor for the winter festivities to come. This year, instead of rolling out that tangled knot of old incandescent Christmas lights, consider investing in the future (and your monthly energy bill) by making the switch to low-energy LED holiday lights – you’ll save a ton of electricity while spreading green goodwill to all. We’ve rounded up 8 of our favorite LED Christmas lights for the 2012 holiday season – from solar-powered LED snowflakes to frosty LED icicle strands and beautiful ruby-red berry lights, read on for our top picks!
So why should you invest in LED Christmas lights? Not only will they save you electricity and money, but they last up to 10 times longer than incandescents while consuming 70% less energy. This will add up to big savings on your electricity bill by the time the holiday season is over. They’ll also save you some sanity, since a single LED bulb in a strand will not compromise the entire strand in the unlikely event that it does eventually burn out. And speaking of burning, you won’t have to worry about any incendiary emergencies from overheating incandescent bulbs – LED lights are cool to the touch and represent much less of a fire hazard.
When LED Holiday lights first hit store shelves, some early adopters were turned off by their cool blue-ish hue, their tendency to flicker, and their tendency towards unidirectional shine. Flash forward to 2012 and we’re happy to say that advances in technology have addressed all of these issues. As you can see from the following examples, many of today’s LED Christmas lights feature “warm white” bulbs that cast an even, yellowish glow, reminiscent of an incandescent, without the flickering. There is also a great assortment of omnidirectional LED holiday lights available today – for instance, these wide angle LED lights and red berry LED lights – which are topped with cleverly designed diffusers that enable them to spread cheer from every angle.
Cheers! This effervescent strand of LED lights is tipped with glowing faceted bulbs that match the color of everyone’s favorite holiday libation – champagne. The strand features 70 mini M5 bulbs, which is enough to wash any room in warm, festive light.
As low as $21 from 1000Bulbs.com
If you’re a traditionalist at heart, consider picking up a pack or two of these warm white C7 LED lights – they feature larger bulbs that hold up a faithful candle to the glimmering vintage light strands of holiday seasons past. Each 10 ft. string of lights features 25 LED bulbs spaced at 5-inch intervals.
As low as $12 from 1000Bulbs.com
If you’re plain old bored of standard white Christmas lights, this lovely string of ruby-red berry lights is sure to lend some punch to your holiday decor. The glowing buds spaced along the strand are tipped with faceted diffusers that cast light in every direction.
As low as $10 from 1000Bulbs.com
Common knowledge holds that every snowflake is unique – however these LED snowflake lights from Vickerman shine with beautiful crystalline shapes that would make mother nature jealous. Best of all, the entire strand of lights uses just 4.8 watts of electricity.
$18 from Sears
Ring in the holiday season with a festive burst of color by decking the halls with these brilliant jewel tone LED lights. Each light is topped with a wide-angle diffuser that spreads light a full 360 degrees, so they’re equally bright from every viewing angle.
As low as $11 from 1000Bulbs.com
If you live in a warmer climate, Jack Frost may not be nipping at your nose just yet – but that doesn’t mean your home can’t shine with wintry cheer. These bright white LED icicles from LightShow will lend a fringe of frosty light to the top of a doorway or the edge of your roof. Its handy remote control will help prevent any Chevy Chase disasters à la Christmas Vacation.
$100 from Home Depot
The sun is Frosty the Snowman’s mortal enemy – fortunately, these solar-powered snowflake lights from Philips will continue spreading cheer long after the last snowball has melted. The handy solar charging panel makes them perfect for off-grid outdoor installations far away from electrical sockets.
$25 from Target
These frosty white LED lights are tipped with multifaceted bulbs that look like they were chiseled from blocks of ice! The bulbs hang down in cascading strands that lend a lovely, layered lighting effect to your home or christmas tree.
As low as $23 from 1000Bulbs.com
This article was underwritten by 1000Bulbs.com, your one-stop-online shop for eco-friendly lighting options, including holiday and Christmas lights. Offering a wide selection of LED Christmas lights in a variety of shapes, colors and designs, such as light strings, net lights, light curtain strands and more, 1000Bulbs.com is a great resource for all of your green lighting needs.
+ 1000Bulbs.com
Great roundup — I love the solar-powered snowflakes!
They’re actually quite affordable too.
Those ruby red berry lights look so festive and fun!
LEDs have sure come a long way! I’m loving the champagne lights.