Lighting guide
The holiday lighting guide.
Eight kinds of lights compared on brightness, classic look, toughness, efficiency and sparkle, with where each works best, plus a plain-English glossary of the words installers use.
Eight kinds of lights
What each one does best.
Scores are general comparisons for planning. A design visit shows real samples at your house at dusk.
Type 01
C9 bulbs
The big classic bulb
- Brightness5 out of 5
- Classic look5 out of 5
- Toughness3 out of 5
- Efficiency3 out of 5
- Delicate sparkle1 out of 5
- Best for
- Rooflines, fences and big trees
- Keep in mind
- Large bulbs look best with room to breathe, so spacing matters.
Type 02
C7 bulbs
Classic, a size smaller
- Brightness4 out of 5
- Classic look5 out of 5
- Toughness3 out of 5
- Efficiency3 out of 5
- Delicate sparkle2 out of 5
- Best for
- Smaller rooflines, eaves and trees
- Keep in mind
- A good choice when C9 feels too big for the house.
Type 03
Mini lights
Small and sparkly
- Brightness3 out of 5
- Classic look3 out of 5
- Toughness3 out of 5
- Efficiency4 out of 5
- Delicate sparkle5 out of 5
- Best for
- Tree wraps, shrubs and wreaths
- Keep in mind
- Many tiny bulbs make a fine sparkle, best up close.
Type 04
Net lights
A grid that drapes
- Brightness3 out of 5
- Classic look2 out of 5
- Toughness3 out of 5
- Efficiency4 out of 5
- Delicate sparkle4 out of 5
- Best for
- Shrubs, hedges and bushes
- Keep in mind
- Fast, even coverage, but best on rounded plants.
Type 05
Icicle lights
Frosty hanging strands
- Brightness3 out of 5
- Classic look4 out of 5
- Toughness3 out of 5
- Efficiency4 out of 5
- Delicate sparkle4 out of 5
- Best for
- Deep eaves and gutters
- Keep in mind
- Needs a clean edge to hang from and looks best in layers.
Type 06
LED bulbs
Cool, efficient and tough
- Brightness5 out of 5
- Classic look4 out of 5
- Toughness5 out of 5
- Efficiency5 out of 5
- Delicate sparkle3 out of 5
- Best for
- Everything, especially big displays
- Keep in mind
- Choose warm whites for the classic glow.
Type 07
Color-changing LEDs
Any color on demand
- Brightness5 out of 5
- Classic look2 out of 5
- Toughness5 out of 5
- Efficiency5 out of 5
- Delicate sparkle3 out of 5
- Best for
- Modern homes and show displays
- Keep in mind
- Needs a controller and a plan for zones.
Type 08
Stars and toppers
A crown for the display
- Brightness5 out of 5
- Classic look4 out of 5
- Toughness4 out of 5
- Efficiency4 out of 5
- Delicate sparkle2 out of 5
- Best for
- Tall trees and roof peaks
- Keep in mind
- Taller mounts need a lift and secure hardware.
Pick for your house
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A quick guide to the usual choices. A design visit shows samples at your house at dusk.
The glossary
Lighting words, in plain English.
- C9 bulb
- The large, classic Christmas bulb, roughly the size of a small fig, popular for rooflines and big trees.
- C7 bulb
- A classic bulb one size smaller than a C9, suited to smaller rooflines and eaves.
- Mini lights
- Small, closely spaced bulbs used for wrapping trees and shrubs and for fine, sparkly outlines.
- Net lights
- A grid of pre-spaced bulbs that drapes over shrubs and hedges for fast, even coverage.
- Icicle lights
- Strands of bulbs hanging at different lengths from a wire, used along eaves and gutters.
- LED
- Light-emitting diode bulbs that use far less power, run cool and last longer than older incandescent bulbs.
- Incandescent
- The traditional filament bulb with a warm glow, which uses more power and breaks more easily.
- RGB lighting
- LED lights that mix red, green and blue to make any color, controlled by an app or a remote.
- Pixel lights
- Individually addressable LEDs that can each show a different color, used for animated shows.
- Controller
- The box that tells lights when to turn on, what color to show and which pattern to play.
- Linear feet
- The measured length of lights run along a roofline, eave, fence or other edge.
- Roofline
- The outline of the roof, including eaves, ridges and gables, where most displays begin.
- Gable
- The triangular part of the wall under the sloped ends of a roof, often outlined in lights.
- Eave
- The lower edge of the roof that overhangs the wall, where gutters usually hang.
- Clip
- A fastener made to hold lights on shingles, gutters or trim without nails or staples.
- Drip loop
- A downward curve in a cord near a connection so water drips off instead of running in.
- GFCI
- A ground-fault circuit interrupter outlet that shuts off power if it detects a leak, used outdoors.
- Timer
- A device that turns lights on and off at set times, such as dusk to bedtime.
- Wrap
- Lights spiraled around a tree trunk, column or post at even spacing.
- Uplighting
- Spotlights aimed upward to wash a wall, column or tree with soft light.
- Permanent track
- A slim channel mounted on the house that holds programmable lights year round.
- Takedown
- The careful removal of lights and decor after the holidays.
Still not sure which to pick?
Send a photo of the house and we will recommend the bulbs, the colors and the design.