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    Christmas Tree Light Types: The Balsam Hill Guide

    Updated last Jan. 20, 2025

    Nothing says Christmas like a tree adorned with glowing lights. It creates a warm and inviting atmosphere perfect for holiday gatherings, whether enjoying a special meal or opening presents on Christmas Eve. At Balsam Hill, we offer pre-lit trees with various light options to suit your style. Here’s everything you need to know about our Christmas tree lights.

    Benefits of a Balsam Hill Pre-Lit Christmas Tree


    Pre-lit artificial Christmas trees

    Aside from making tree assembly quick and easy, here are other things you can expect from our pre-lit Christmas trees:

    • Professionally Hand-Strung – Lights are strung by hand to provide optimal coverage and keep wires from showing.

    • Easy Plug® Technology – Our patented trunk design has built-in light string connections for tangle-free set-up and storage. Simply plug the tree into an outlet to light it up.

    • Optimized Bulb Hue – We optimize bulb brightness and light counts to give each tree a balanced and warm festive glow.

    Christmas Tree Light Types

    Balsam Hill offers unlit and pre-lit trees with incandescent or LED lights in various colours and types. Learn more about them below.

    Clear

    Gather around and bask in the soft and warm glow of classic Christmas lights.

    Christmas tree with clear incandescent lights

    Clear Incandescent

    Premium commercial-grade lights that stay lit even if one bulb burns out or is removed. See video.

    Christmas tree with Candlelight LED lights

    Candlelight LED

    The warm candle-like glow of traditional lights in clear LED. See video.

    Multi-Coloured

    Bring festive colour and charm to your holiday centrepiece with Christmas tree lights in various cheerful hues.

    Tree with clear lights

    Colour+ Clear®

    Switch from clear to multicoloured to both and enjoy 30% more lights. Available in both incandescent bulbs and LED. See video.

    Trees With Clear Lights

    Colour-Changing

    Showcase your style with animated lights that create a stunning Christmas tree display.

    Artificial Christmas tree with Twinkly lights

    Twinkly Light Show

    A smart LED lighting system that lets you customize your lights. See video.

    Christmas tree with fiber optic lights

    Fibre Optic Light Show

    Choose from multiple light show options to set a merry mood. See video.

    Unlit

    If you prefer to string your own lights, see our selection of unlit Christmas trees. Each is designed as a beautiful canvas for your decorating style.

    Unlit artificial Christmas tree

    Simple String

    Plug in compatible light strings without running extension cords through your tree. See video.

    Control Types

    Manage your Balsam Hill pre-lit Christmas tree with easy-to-use controls ranging from a simple foot pedal to an innovative app.

    • Manual – Turn lights on and off with a foot pedal for standard trees or a control box with a timer function for potted trees. On/off foot pedal included for trees with Clear or Multi Lights.

    • Remote Control – Switch between clear lights, multicolour, or both with the touch of a button. Included for all trees with Colour + Clear Lights.

    • App – Choose from pre-set light shows and customize them to your mood—all through your phone. Available for Twinkly Light Show trees.

    How Many Lights Do I Need for My Christmas Tree?

    The number of lights needed for a Christmas tree depends on various factors, including height, shape, preferred density, and bulb type. For example, a 7-foot tree with a full profile will require a higher count of fairy lights or other tiny LEDs than a narrow tree of the same height.

    Here are our recommended light counts based on tree height and desired coverage. Feel free to add lights depending on your preference.

    Tree HeightLow DensityMedium DensityHigh Density
    6.5 feet325650975
    7.5 feet450900

    1,350

    9 feet675

    1,350

    2,025

    10 feet800

    1,600

    2,400

    11 feet900

    1,800

    2,700

    12 feet

    1,000

    2,000

    3,000

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Below, we answer some of the most common questions about Christmas tree lights.

    How Long Do Pre-Lit Christmas Tree Lights Last?

    The lifespan of pre-lit Christmas tree lights varies depending on the type and usage, but they can generally last 3 to 5 years with proper care and storage.

    How Long Do LED Christmas Lights Last?

    LED Christmas lights can last up to 25,000 to 50,000 hours, depending on usage and maintenance conditions.

    What’s the Difference Between Incandescent and LED Lights?

    Traditional incandescent Christmas lights heat a metal filament to produce light, emitting heat in the process. These are available at lower prices but burn out over time and consume more energy. LED Christmas lights, which use light-emitting diodes, are more expensive upfront but emit brighter light, consume less energy, and stay lit longer, saving you on electricity and replacement bulbs.

    Are LED Christmas Tree Lights Better?

    Many people consider LED Christmas tree lights better than traditional incandescent lights because of their energy efficiency, longer lifespan, and reduced fire risk.

    We hope this guide helped you learn more about our Christmas tree light types. Click the button below to browse our complete selection of pre-lit trees.

    Shop Pre-Lit Christmas Tree

    Learn More About Christmas Tree Lights

    Visit the links below for more information on holiday tree lights.

    • All About Twinkly Christmas Trees: Assembly, Use, and Storage Guide
    • How To Troubleshoot a Pre-Lit Christmas Tree
    • Incandescent vs LED Christmas Lights: Which Are Better?
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