Traditional String Minilightslast updated April 14th, 2022
These christmas lights are classic minilights lights dating back to the 1970’s. They are a perfect addition to any home decoration plan. Each bulb is about a quarter inch large and can be seen well from far away. While these lights come in a variety of plug varieties, we recommend a classic simple wall plug since this is still the most common solution and easiest to use. Minilights come in a range of colors to choose from. When buying white lights, make sure to take into account whether they are warm or a cooler white so you don’t get a mismatched set. Also watch out for the color of the cord since a green cord blends in well with greenery, but a white cord typically looks better on your home. Finally, there are now many LED varieties of minilights. These typically come at a higher price than classic incandescent bulbs and colors can be more glaring. LED bulbs do take less power as well, but typically this isn’t an issue for modest displays anyways. Luckily most types of minilights have been produced for a long time so quality usually isn’t an issue and prices are very approachable.
Bulb Color
The color of the lights you choose is typically the most immediately obvious feature of your lights. Bright colorful lights can project a fun personality, whereas consistent single colors can give a very modern and clean appearance.
Bulb Type
The type of bulb can have a big impact on the colors and brightness of your display. Incadescent bulbs typically have a slightly more complete color profile, but LEDs can be brighter and use less energy.
Bulb Size
The size of each light bulb on a string can have a major impact on how it looks. Sizes for larger bulbs are usually given a C designation like C2 or C6 to indicate the size. The larger the number, the larger the bulb. On the smallest end, bulbs are typically just refered to as "mini".
Cord Color
The color of the power cord connecting a string of lights can be very important in how the lights blend with their surroundings. A white cord is typically best on your home, whereas a green cord hides the lights better in shrubbery.
Our Favorite Lights
Most Fun
Multicolor Christmas Lights, 21.63ft 100 Count Incandescent Holiday Lights Connectable, 120V UL Certified Mini Christmas Tree Lights for Xmas, Party, House Indoor & Outdoor Decor, Green Wire
These colorful lights are an excellent focal point of your display. The colors stand out great at night, and the green cord blends in well with any greenery. Note, a white cord might work better along a roof line. The bulbs themselves are incandescent and so provide a fairly warm and well-rounded color compared to most LED bulbs.
Most Versatile
Incandescent Christmas Lights, 21.63ft 100 Count Clear Christmas Mini Lights Connectable, 120V UL Certified Indoor Warm White String Lights for Bedroom Party Patio Outside Decor, White Wire
This set of lights is a classic for roof lines. A warm white incandescent bulb makes the lights attractive to the eye, while the white cord blends in well with most house colors. The white cord isn’t ideal for wrapping trees or bushes.
Methodology and Results
We search for a wide range of different products so that you can find them all in one consolidated place. We try to avoid too much overlap so that you can find the product you're looking for quickly and easily rather than searching through huge numbers of duplicates. We understand that what you care about is the resulting display, not which specific vendor you bought from, so we focus on how lights will look in your display. While we do test almost all the lights on the site, we do not hesitate to include ones that might look great in your display before we've fully tested them.
| Name | Image | Spacing | Price | Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Lights, 21.63ft 100 Count Incandescent Clear Christmas Lights, UL Certified Outdoor Christmas Mini Lights Connectable, Green Wire Tree Lights Indoor for Home Party Decor, Warm White | 4.8 Inch per Bulb | $0.52 per foot | $0.11 per bulb | Order | |
| Multicolor Christmas Lights, 21.63ft 100 Count Incandescent Holiday Lights Connectable, 120V UL Certified Mini Christmas Tree Lights for Xmas, Party, House Indoor & Outdoor Decor, Green Wire | 4.8 Inch per Bulb | $0.48 per foot | $0.10 per bulb | Order | |
| Incandescent Christmas Lights, 21.63ft 100 Count Clear Christmas Mini Lights Connectable, 120V UL Certified Indoor Warm White String Lights for Bedroom Party Patio Outside Decor, White Wire | 4.8 Inch per Bulb | $0.48 per foot | $0.10 per bulb | Order | |
| Holiday Essence 100 Multi-Color Christmas Lights with White Wire – Professional Grade for Indoor / Outdoor Use – Static + Flashing, UL Certified. | 4.8 Inch per Bulb | $0.67 per foot | $0.14 per bulb | Order | |
| 100 Red Christmas Lights, White Wire 20.6 Feet Long String Lights Set for Outdoor Indoor Décor, Valentines Day, Wedding, Halloween, Christmas Trees, Holiday Lighting Decorations, UL Certified | 4.8 Inch per Bulb | $0.62 per foot | $0.13 per bulb | Order | |
| Pink Christmas String Lights, 100 Mini Fairy Lights Set, White Wire 20.6 Ft Traditional Valentines Easter Holiday Décor for Home, Christmas Tree, Bedroom, Patio, Wedding, Indoor Outdoor Decoration | 4.8 Inch per Bulb | $0.62 per foot | $0.13 per bulb | Order | |
| Red White Blue Lights, 69.6ft 300 Count 4th of July Lights, Connectable 120V UL Certified Independence Day Light, Incandescent Patriotic Lights White Wire for National Day, Flag Day Decor | 4.3 Inch per Bulb | $0.37 per foot | $0.09 per bulb | Order |
