Christmas tree lights give the twinkle to Christmas; they are tangible starlight, the shining beacon for the travel-weary and homebound. They gently lay their glow, softening all edges until everything resembles a scene in a snow globe. And they can be darn annoying.

Christmas tree lights require untangling, then checking to make sure each strand works, and replacing bulbs that don’t. Then you have to string the lights around the tree, and two hours later your hands emerge looking like the plaything of ten vicious kittens. And heavens – heavens – you have to think about fire safety, and the extra cost to run those lights! Beauty does have its price.

But that price can be less with LED Christmas tree lights. If you’re one of the thousands of Americans purchasing an artificial Christmas tree this year, buy one pre lit with LED lights. You’ll save yourself the immense hassle of stringing the lights. If you go the natural route, no worries, LED Christmas tree lights will still save you.

LED stands for “light emitting diode”. Their difference from incandescent bulbs is that the L.E.D’s don’t have a filament inside; it’s the filament that burns out and needs to be replaced. Within Christmas tree lights using incandescent bulbs, when one burns out it takes the whole string with it. Despite their accidental discovery back in 1907, and their regular commercial use starting in the early 60s, it is only recently that technology has advanced far enough to use LED lights as replacements for our beloved Christmas tree lights.

LED lights are considered as sustainable lighting because they use roughly 60% less electricity to generate light than an incandescent bulb. Within the home, this effectiveness translates into a 13-watt LED bulb emitting the same amount of light as a 40-watt incandescent bulb; meaning that a 13-watt LED lives for 50,000 hours as opposed to the 1,000 hours of an incandescent.

For Christmas tree lights, this means that you will most likely have to buy LED Christmas tree lights once in your lifetime. While they may be more expensive initially, you are saved the cost of continually purchasing new Christmas tree lights. Your wallet also benefits due to a lowered electricity bill around Christmas. In a couple of years, it is estimated that price points for LED and incandescent lights will be level.

Regular Christmas tree lights produce more heat because they require more electricity to light the filament in the bulb. This excess heat is what causes energy shortages and Christmas tree fires. LED lights, because they use less energy, generate less heat, thus greatly reducing the risk of fire.

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