Incandescent vs. LED: What Option Is Best for Your Holiday Lighting Display?

When it comes to deciding on what to use for your holiday light display, you have a few considerations to make. An important one is if you should use incandescent or LED bulbs. Which is the best option? Is one safer than the other? What about efficiency? Is one more affordable than the other?
If you want to pick the right lights for your holiday display, knowing the answers to these questions is key. Keep reading to learn more about each type of light to make an informed decision regarding the one that best suits your needs. 
Benefits Offered by LED Holiday Lighting In the past few years, the popularity of LED has grown significantly. Today, LEDs are the bulbs of choice for most lighting fixtures and purposes. If you wonder why, consider the facts here:

• Eco-Friendly: LEDs are not designed with any type of toxic chemicals, such as mercury, which is used in fluorescents. Also, LED bulbs can last much longer than incandescent bulbs. 
  
• Energy-Efficient: If you want to save money this season, LED bulbs are a smart option. For example, incandescent bulbs have approximately 20% efficiency, while LEDs are up to 90% efficient. This means more lighting power with reduced utility costs. 
  
• Long-Lasting: LEDs provide up to 100K hours of light.
  

This sounds good, right? However, before making a move from traditional incandescent lights to LED bulbs, you should consider a few things. 
What Is the Current Condition of Your Incandescent Holiday Lights?LED lights require you to invest. As a result, you want to ensure it is time to replace your holiday lights. 
It is best to use your incandescent lights until they no longer work. This is going to ensure you are not creating more waste than necessary. Along with making sure the lights work, you should consider how long you have had them. Most light strands will last for around four to six years. 
If it is time for you to upgrade your holiday lights, some home improvement stores will give you a discount on LED lights if you bring in your old incandescent lights to “trade-in.”
How Long Will You Use the New Lights?If you plan to use the lights for many years, then choosing LED is a smart option. However, if you plan to move somewhere soon and will need to downgrade or upgrade, you should wait to make this purchase. Choose the cheaper route until you are ready to stay put for a while. 
Can You Save Money with LED Holiday Lights?While LEDs have an expensive upfront cost, they can help you save money over time. For example, with LEDs, you don’t have to deal with electrical repairs, blown fuses, and your electrical costs will be lower. 
Have You Decided?Regardless of what type of lights you decide to install, make sure you take some of the stress and hassle out of your holiday display by hiring professionals to handle the installation process. They can help create a custom holiday lighting design, put the lights up, and then return to take them down. ​