How Many Mini LED Lights Does My Tree Need? Read more: How Many Mini LED Lights Does My Tree Need?

Both real and artificial Christmas trees look better with strings of twinkling white and colored lights. Traditional lights are roughly 1 inch long and come on strands of 100 or 200. The newer LED lights are typically larger and have fewer per strand. They are pricier than the traditional lights, too, but they require less energy and help you save money on your December electric bill. The number of mini LED lights you choose to put on the tree depends on how bright you want it to be.

 

What are LED Lights?

• Christmas lights using "light-emitting diodes," or LED bulbs, have several advantages over their traditional counterparts. The bulbs are just as hardy when left out in winter weather, but don't have the easily-broken filaments of incandescent bulbs. They are also brighter than traditional bulbs, and LED bulbs only heat up by 1 degree, reducing the fire hazard of stringing bulbs on a live Christmas tree.

How Many on the Tree?

• A general guideline is 100 lights for each vertical foot of the tree. For instance, a 6-foot tree would require 600 lights. A fuller tree usually requires more lights, but bright mini LED lights minimize how many extras you need. Mini lights come in different sizes, with the largest being the C6, which looks like a traditional bulb. Fewer lights will be needed if you're using larger bulb.

How Much Can You Save?

• Comparing the wattage between incandescent bulbs and LED bulbs shows that there is a cost savings with LED bulbs. According to calculations on homeimprovementsdepot.com, regular lights cost 9 cents an hour versus 1.5 cents an hour for LED lights. Keeping those lights on during the month of December equals a cost savings of about $7. The downside is that the LED lights are more expensive and it would take about 12 years to make up the energy savings.

Decorating Your Tree

• Choose the LED lights that best fit your tree. Taller or wider trees benefit from having lights spread out in 6- or even 12-inch increments or you can cluster together lots of 4-inch lights. The large C6 bulbs come in strawberry and tear-drop shapes or you can string some snowflake-shaped lights on the tree for variety. Mix and match or use a single color, such as white or warm blue.

Read more: How Many Mini LED Lights Does My Tree Need? | http://www/bgocled.com