LED Christmas Lights -- Too Non-Traditional?
Will LED Christmas lights ruin the look of your Christmas decorating?
They're staring you in the face -- those LED Christmas lights. You're shopping for new Christmas lights. You know they're there. You ignore them, but they won't go away. You want to stay traditional, true to the Christmas decorating spirit, not wanting to ruin the mood and feel that you have worked so hard to achieve. But... there they sit. Should you or shouldn't you? That's the question.
LED Christmas Lights
LEDs are not new, you know. They have actually been around for years and you probably just haven't noticed them. LED stands for "light emitting diode" and are the lights you have been looking at in your digital clock, calculator, and many other pieces of electronic equipment. Invented in the 1920s, they weren't used in electronics until 1962.
In recent years, marketers have attempted to sell LED Christmas tree lights to consumers, but so far, there hasn't been much success because LEDs weren't very bright. That is, until now.
Like many things, LEDs have improved greatly over time and outdoor LED Christmas lights and tree lights are no exception. Slowly but surely, LEDs are becoming more popular among the Christmas decorating crowd. Why?
Several reasons. The first being that more people are environmentally conscious now than before and LEDs certainly meet eco-friendly standards. LED Christmas lights use 90% less power than traditional incandescent lights.
Second, they last longer. The standard incandescent Christmas light lasts for 3,000 hours of usage. LEDs last for 150,000 hours. This means you'll pay more for the LEDs upfront, but will recoup the extra expense because they last so much longer. Pretty impressive.
Third, LEDs are gaining favor due to their safety factor. Because LEDs use so much less energy, they are much cooler than incandescent lights. Using LED Christmas tree lights greatly reduces the risk of fire.
Fourth, LEDs have plastic bulbs. They are just as pretty as glass bulbs but are much more durable, meaning, again, they will last a long time.
But now, let's get to the nitty-gritty. We know these LEDs are eco-friendly and they last longer, but the question remains, "Will they ruin the Christmas mood?" Chances are, you'll agree they won't. LED Christmas lights are much brighter now than before. In tests conducted by Consumer reports, they discovered that large LED bulbs were dimmer than incandescent, but the mini-LEDs were brighter.
Still not sold? Worried about the appearance? Don't be. The manufacturers of LEDs are working hard to impress the consumer. You can now buy LED Christmas lights in an impressive array of pretty bulbs. You might know they're LED Christmas lights, but no one else will -- they'll just be impressed with your Christmas decorating skills!