Since one of my jobs at the Garden Center is to deck our halls for the Christmas season, it can’t be a secret that this is my favorite time of year. It’s such a happy, sparkly season. The Holiday staff all hope that our trees inspire you to add something new to your own decorating style. And of course, could holiday decorating ever be complete without lots and lots of lights?

Christmas lights make our homes merry and bright. Traditional incandescent light bulbs have made big strides in the last couple of decades. Burned out lamps that interrupt the entire string are a thing of the past. And well-constructed systems keep the fuses from constantly falling out and wires connected to sockets. But maybe you’re thinking of making the switch to LED lights and were wondering what exactly are the differences between the two?

Let’s eliminate a lot of the hand wringing and present the facts. LEDS are certainly the less understood kid on the block. They use Light Emitting Diodes rather than filaments to produce light. So we’ll start with them. These lights:

• often provide a more brilliant and fade resistant color.
• in pure and warm whites are seen as brighter than incandescent lights in some applications.
• are easily installed and you can connect many more strings in a series, using fewer extension cords.
• use up to 90% less electricity.
• are made with non-breakable polycarbonate/plastic lenses
• are available in a huge variety of lens shapes.
• are cool to the touch.

But there are a few minuses. You’ll find that LED Lights:

• have a higher initial buy-in.
• are best visible in full darkness and may not be a good choice in areas with tons of ambient lighting.
• can change color a little after burn in.
• offer less variety in lamp spacing.
• are susceptible to surges on the electrical line, always use a surge protector.
• performance can be affected when using standard timers, so look for ones that are LED compatible.

Despite the well-deserved reputation of LEDs, Incandescent Lights have many pluses. They:

• are more economical, though this is changing as LED technology becomes more affordable.
• provide a warmer, richer color.
• are available in a wide variety of bulb sizes and shapes, string lengths and wire colors.
• lamps are easily replaced.
• can be dimmed.
• are less susceptible to damage from electrical surges.
• will produce a lot of light.
• use more electricity, but, this can be offset by using timers for peak viewing time
• are visible from a longer distance away.
• are a perfect choice for weddings and parties when lights will see just a few hours of total use.

There are still a few drawbacks though. As a user, you:

• can break them as the lamps are usually made of glass.
• must limit the number of strings plugged into one outlet.
• can overload a household breaker.
• Need to be aware that the lamps heat up.

Now that you’re in possession of all of the facts and figures, surely you should be able to make an informed decision. Right? Sometimes, all the demonstrated pros and cons in the world can’t replace that gut feeling. When that happens, I just remember that Christmas comes but once a year. And that my holiday lights are not a refrigerator!