An Enlightening Buyers Guide to Christmas Lights
Don’t be left in the dark this Christmas season
Light Your Way
Christmas is a time for family, friends and of course, festive decorations!
If you are looking to buy some new Christmas lights this year, then don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. As Christmas approaches, many of us begin to think about decking the halls with boughs of holly… and festive lights! But with so many different types of Christmas lights on the market, it can be hard to know where to start. In this buyer’s guide, we will explain the different types of Christmas lights available and what’s best to suit your needs or use. We’ll also give you some ideas on how to use them decoratively to either create a soft subtle glow or a bold shine in or outside your home this Christmas. So, whether you’re looking for those traditional cluster lights or something more modern such as LED snowfall lights, we have the information you need covered! So don’t be left in the dark this Christmas – read on for all you need to know about choosing the perfect set of Christmas lights for your home in no time!Table of Contents
Before You Buy…
When it comes to Christmas lights, knowing what kind or style you need or want can be difficult to work out. Are they for the outside of your home, inside you home, on your trees (both indoors and out!) or are they for a commercial building or shop front?
Once you’ve decided where you want them, the next step is to decide what kind of lights best suit your needs and space. Here we’ll help you understand what type of effect each type of light can create and later decide which lights to choose before you even get close to purchasing your dazzling Christmas lights this season!
Types & Styles of Christmas Lights
There’s nothing better at bringing the magic of Christmas to your home than beautiful twinkling Christmas lights – but there are a lot of styles and colours of string lights available. Ruxley Manor’s Christmas shop is here to shed some… light… on the differences between Christmas lights.
Micro Lights
Compact Lights
Micro lights are the smallest Christmas lights available, usually just small LED bulbs linked by thin wire. They can be incredibly subtle and come with a range of cable colours to help you better blend them into your other decorations. They have a very low energy consumption and give off a soft, comforting light in a multitude of colours.
Compact lights are smaller than twinkle or cluster lights, both in bulb/fitting size and usually in length. They’re great for drawing attention to decorations or framing other display items. Although not usually used on large trees, they can look stunning wrapped closely to the trunk of a tree to compliment other Christmas light decorations.
Cluster Lights
Twinkle Lights
Cluster lights are very similar to the original Twinkle light design, however, they are much more closely spaced together. Cluster lights are great for displays and smaller trees and come in a variety of colour combinations to fit any style. We absolutely love the ribbon effect that Cluster lights give when placed onto a Christmas tree!
Twinkle lights are the original style of Christmas light. They are evenly spaced, most now use LED bulbs (which last longer and are far more energy efficient) and come in a variety of colour options. If you’re after a nostalgic, traditional feel for your Christmas tree and displays – twinkle lights are the way to go!
Firefly Lights
Decorative & Novelty Lights
Firefly lights are ideal for those who are looking for twinkling lights that alternate between two colours or just one colour, rather than a multi-colour effect. Firefly lights are named for their pattern of mimicking a ‘Firefly’s’ own light, perfect for adding a touch of whimsy to any setting. So turn your home into a winter wonderland this Christmas with magical firefly Christmas lights
Novelty Christmas lights are perfect for adding that little bit of festive fun to your home, whether these are small decorative lights, LED trees or large festive Acrylic Christmas light characters for the front garden or roof of your home! Novelty lights can be used to add that extra touch to displays and trees in your home, and Acrylic novelty characters can really help set the scene outside of your home during Christmas.
Icicle Lights
Net Lights
The most popular light when decorating the exterior of your home, shaped or similar to icicles, these lights tend to come with multiple functions which copy the look of real like icicles hanging from homes in the winter. You can truly create a lovely atmosphere to your home when using icicle lights at Christmas for a winter wonderland finish to your home.
The best option for when it comes to decorating your front gardens to patios and back gardens. Net lights allow you to drape them across hedges, bushes or tree for an easy set up with your Christmas lights. Net lights are popular when it comes to decorating outdoors at Christmas time as it saves the hassle of tucking in lights and getting them tangled!
Curtain Lights
Perfect for interior or exterior windows, or even across entry ways and door ways in your home. Curtain lights can add a lovely atmosphere to any space as they drape down to cover windows and doorways to make your feel as though you’re wandering through to a Christmas wonderland in your home this season.
OUR BEST SELLING CLUSTER LIGHTS
OUR BEST SELLING Twinkle LIGHTS
OUR BEST SELLING Compact LIGHTS
Choosing the Right Colour
What would Christmas be without Christmas lights? When creating your atmosphere at Christmas, colour means everything and that’s why we believe that choosing the right colour makes all the difference to your home at Christmas. With a multitude of colours and effects to choose from you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to picking what best suits your needs but you can narrow this down by deciding what atmosphere you want to create in your home or by choosing lights in a colour that matches your Christmas theme!
Warm White
If you’re looking to create that warm and cosy feel this Christmas, then warm white Christmas lights are definitely the best choice for your home. Warm white allows you to create a soft welcoming atmosphere with its soft warm glow. You’ll surely feel snug and comfortable around warm white Christmas lights.
Cool White
For those who love to go for the cool winter wonderland feel, cool white lights enable you to create a cool and frosty atmosphere when decorating for Christmas. Perfect for those with more winter-like themes such as a snowy atmosphere. But don’t be mistaken – cool white Christmas lights will still create an enticing atmosphere in your home
Multi-Colour
A firm favourite, really bring Christmas home this year with multi-coloured lights for bright, colourful and traditional Christmas. Multi-coloured Christmas lights are perfect for those who truly love a colourful festive season, perfect for decorating the outside of your home to make a real festive statement on your street.
Battery vs Mains Operated
When it comes to your lights, not only do you have to choose between styles, types and colours but also how to run them. Many of our ranges include both mains and battery operated, giving you the option to choose which kind of energy you want to use to power your Christmas lights this season!
Battery Operated
Battery Operated lights are perfect for those spaces where you don’t want trailing cables or the worry of having something plugged in across the Christmas season. Ultimately, they can be used anywhere and are even safer to use around small children and animals.
We love to use battery operated Christmas lights across our dining tables, adding a warm white glow to your dining table, they’re simple to put into place and you don’t have the worry of hiding trailing cables if you’re looking for that soft glow.
Additionally, battery operated Christmas lights are becoming more energy efficient to use – without the need to use a mains outlet, many find battery operated more convenient and less of a burden on costs over Christmas.
Mains Operated
A must have for outdoor lights but also perfect for those spaces indoors that need brightening up at Christmas where you have the space to hide trailing cables that don’t quite fit into the Christmas spirit.
Mains operated Christmas lights are often found in a wider range of styles and lengths compared to battery operated lights, making them the preferred option when it comes to larger displays inside your home and not forgetting the added benefits of being able to use mains operated Christmas lights outside of your home during any kind of weather.
Worried about costs? LED mains operated lights are more popular than ever due to their low-cost when in use, making them the perfect solution to use at Christmas.
How Many Christmas Lights Do I Need?
When it comes to decorating your home, tree or garden, we find that the big question that is always asked is “how many lights will I need?”
Ultimately it comes down to the lit length of the lights vs the length where they will be going. However, Christmas Trees can be a little more difficult to figure out how many lights you require. Our experts at Ruxley have made this simple for you with our guide to lights for your Christmas Tree! But always remember, each type of light style will create a different effect when placed on your tree, so always be sure to look at those on display first!
Here you’ll find the most popular types of lights used on trees (and our personal favourites!) and the best amount of lights to suit all Christmas Tree sizes! Have an even bigger or smaller tree than we have list? Don’t hesitate to get in contact with our experts in store who will be happy to assist you with choosing the lights that are perfect for your Christmas tree size.
Twinkle Christmas Lights
Compact Lights
Firefly Christmas Lights
Cluster Christmas Lights
Micro Compact Lights
What are Multifunction Lights?
What’s the best way to get into the Christmas spirit? For many people, it’s putting up lights. And not just any lights, but multiple setting function lights. You know the ones – they twinkle, blink, flash, and change colour. They’re on every corner during the Christmas period, so they’re not easy to miss!
Multifunction lights are perfect for creating that Christmas party spirit, they provide you with the option to have your lights twinkling, blinking, changing colours and more! And some will even cycle through all of these functions to create a festive display. In addition, many multifunction lights can allow you to chose the colour and setting you want specifically (If they allow it) so if one day you’re feeling warm and cosy, you can choose to display them as a twinkly warm white and if the next day you’re feeling more of the festive spirit, have them change colour throughout the eve! The options to decorate are endless when it comes to multifunction lights, so you can see why they have become a truly popular choice at Christmas.
400 MULTI-ACTION RAINBOW LED SUPABRIGHTS
Set the Scene with Silhouettes
Set the scene of Christmas in your home no matter how small the space. Silhouettes can add a statement to even the smallest of places and that’s why we love them, and even more so as they’re sustainable.
Silhouettes are perfect for small space living, pop them onto shelves, bookcases, windowsills, or any flat surface for a truly Nordic feel in your home this Christmas. With built in LEDs you know not only is the scene beautiful but efficient when it comes to saving money on your energy bills!
These Nordic style wooden decorations are perfect for the environment as they use more sustainable materials than most typical Christmas decoration and with the use of LEDs, you know you’ll be consuming less electricity.
With it’s Nordic style comes its fairy tale flavour, scenes set similar to old and vintage fairy tale designs adds a subtle magical touch to any home this Christmas. They’ll be both delightful in the daytime and produce a gentle glow after dusk, and with their neutral finish, they’ll suit any space in any home.
Why not add them to shelves in childrens room to carry the magical and festive feel throughout your home – perfect as they’ll also be out of reach on any high surface
Save Energy with Christmas Lights
Saving money on your energy bills is more important now than ever before, but saving energy this year shouldn’t mean that you miss out on the Christmas glow this year.
LED Christmas lights are becoming increasingly popular as they are energy-efficient and long-lasting. LED lights are available in all different shapes, sizes, and colours, so you can find the perfect set of lights for your Christmas decorations.
An LED light only uses 0.1W per bulb – 10% of the energy used by non-LED lights.
Choosing LED lights for your Christmas display is a no-brainer for several reasons.
Firstly, LED’s use a lot less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. This means that they’ll save you money on your energy bill, and they’ll also help to conserve resources.
Second, LED lights last much longer than traditional bulbs, so you won’t have to keep replacing them as often. And, of course, they’re also much more environmentally friendly. So, if you’re looking for a way to save money and be more sustainable, LED lights are definitely the way to go.
Third, they’re more versatile – you can get them in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and they even come in colours other than the traditional red and green.
And fourth, they just look better – LED lights are brighter and more evenly distributed than incandescent bulbs, so your Christmas display will look its best. So, when it comes to choosing Christmas lights, LED is the obvious choice.
Don’t Forget the Essentials
We’ve all arrived home and completely forgotten everything we need to make our purchases work, so here are a few of the essentials you’ll definitely need when setting up your festive Christmas lights this year.
No matter what your Christmas decorating style is, there are a few essential accessories you’ll need to make sure your Christmas lights are properly hung and placed.
First, you’ll need a ladder or step stool to help you reach the higher areas of your home.
Second, a set of light clips will come in handy – these attach the lights to gutters, eaves, and other tricky spots.
Third, for LED Christmas lights, you may want to invest in a light controller or timer; this helps regulate the flow of electricity to the lights, preventing them from overheating and being on during the day.
By following these simple tips, you can ensure your Christmas lights are safe, efficient and stylish – an effortless yet beautifully lit home this Christmas.
Tips & Tricks for Decorative Lights
When it comes to decorative lights, I recommend always placing them at the front (or on top), whether it’s your fireplace, table top or Christmas tree. My personal favourite to really utilise your decorative lights on a Christmas Tree, is to snake them down the front facing part of your tree – avoid wrapping them around the tree, as this will mean you lose a lot of the light if your tree is placed into a corner
Using decorative lights can really brighten your Christmas displays at home and create a warm or cool Christmassy atmosphere. Whether you add them to your tree for that finishing touch, drape them over mirrors to create a dazzling display or to make your table settings sparkle for Christmas, they can be effective wherever they’re used.
Why not try something different this year with decorative lights? We’ve established the three most popular uses for decorative Christmas lights, so why not be unique and try some of our tips below for some extra stylish decorative ideas.
- Wrap micro lights around decorative twigs for a festive feel on your home décor.
- Place string lights into vases, bowls, jars or bottles to create a subtle festive glow.
- Wrap battery operated lights into garlands along your banisters for a glow throughout your home.
The best thing about Christmas lights is that there are no rules – you can use them however you want! So, get creative and enjoy decking the halls with beautiful festive lights this Christmas!
Storage & Care
One of the best things about Christmas is the lights, they add a touch of magic to the Christmas season and really help to get you into the holiday spirit.
Of course, once Christmas is over, you need to figure out how to store your Christmas lights. The best way to store Christmas lights depends on the type of lights you have.
If you have traditional incandescent lights, you should wrap them loosely around a piece of cardboard. This will help to prevent them from getting tangled and make them easier to untangle next year.
LED Christmas lights are more durable and can be stored in a storage bin or other container. However, it’s still a good idea to wrap them around something so they don’t get tangled.
Whichever type of Christmas lights you have, proper storage will help to ensure that they last for years to come (and will help keep the arguments at bay next year!). So, take a few minutes after Christmas to put your lights away properly and enjoy them again next year, hassle free.
Not Just for Christmas… Right?
A puppy isn’t just for Christmas, so why should your Christmas lights be? When we head into the later winter seasons and the evenings are still dark and glum, why not utilise those Christmas lights during other months of the year? Keep your hedges and shrubs shining through the dark winter nights to brighten up your Garden and get the most you can out of your lights! When it comes to summer, why not utilise them for those late summer evening soirees to light up the sky that little bit longer.
