By: Lisa Briggs | Thursday, October 22nd, 2020

No snow for us yet, though I did see a few flakes around 4:30 on Monday. But there will be plenty of nice November days that are perfect for getting a jump on outdoor holiday decorating. Why not start with hanging your Christmas lights? There’s no rule that says they need to be lit right away and it’s so much easier to put them up in early November than in early December. Be sure to test them first in case you need to replace some strings. And if you need replacements, perhaps it’s time to make the switch from incandescent to LED.

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:

• especially in pure and warm white, appear brighter than incandescent lights.
• are easily installed as you can connect many more strings in a series, suing fewer extension cords.
• use up to 90% less energy.
• are constructed of non-breakable polycarbonate plastic.
• are cool to the touch.

Because LEDs use so little energy, our suppliers have developed strings that can be plugged into a USB port. You can decorate your computer, workspace, or even your car!

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

• are more expensive to purchase.
• are susceptible to power surges, so use a surge protector.
• performance can be affected by standard timers, especially in cold temperatures. Look for timers that are LED compatible.

As a bonus, the developing technology of LED light strings offer all kinds of really cool features from mode functions to color mixing. We’re especially excited about the new RGB (RedGreenBlue) lights. Each lamp has a diode of each color, allowing endless color combinations. You’ll find Dancing Light strings in our Light Department and an RGB pre-lit tree in the Winter Wonderland. So stop in and play!

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

• are more economical, though the price of LED technology has become much more affordable.
• provide warmer, richer colors.
• are available in a wide variety of bulb shapes. String lengths and wire colors.
• are made with lamps that are easily replaced.

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

• can break the lamps as they are made with glass.
• must limit the number of connected strings to three.
• can overload household breakers, though you’d be hanging a lot of lights to do this.

Now that you’re in possession of all of the facts and figures, surely you should be able to make an informed decision. Right? Well, if you’re still on the fence, stop into the Garden center and a Holiday Associate can help you tip the scale.