When it comes to decorating your Christmas tree, selecting the right length of smart LED lights is essential for a festive, evenly lit tree and the merriest Christmas decor. With so many different lengths of lights and LED numbers available, it can be hard to know exactly how long your lights should be for a balanced lighting effect. If you have a short string, your tree might look sparse and dim. If you have too much string, it can feel overwhelming.
In this guide, we’ll talk about how to choose the correct length of lights for your Christmas tree. You’ll discover how to evaluate factors like desired brightness, tree height and light type. Whether you prefer a subtle sparkle on your tree or a bold screen of light, we’ll help you bring your perfect Christmas tree to life and determine how many smart LED lights you need for your tree. Read on to find out how to perfectly light your tree and our suggestions for the best products to make this Christmas shine brightest.
Once you have your lights ready, read this post on how to hang your Christmas tree lights like a pro.
1. Tree brightness
How bright do you want your Christmas tree? Brightness depends on your light density. More LEDs will lead to denser lighting and a brighter tree. Twinkly smart Christmas lights transform your tree into a one-of-a-kind screen-like display that can be customized to display 3-D effects for all levels of brightness. The animations are more fluid and dynamic with higher brightness and density.
- Low Brightness: Lower density provides a gentle, ambient glow for a cozy or minimalistic look. It tends to work well in dimly lit rooms and provides a soft shimmer.
- Medium Brightness: Medium-density lighting creates a warm, inviting ambiance. This balanced option provides enough intensity to showcase animations and effects clearly without being too intense. It’s ideal for spaces where you want a festive but comfortable glow.
- High Brightness: High density is perfect if you want your tree to be the focal point of your holiday decor. The intense, vibrant light ensures that every animation plays fluidly. A fully lit tree fits perfectly in large rooms, brightly lit spaces, or areas where you want a bold holiday display.
2. Tree size
How tall is your tree? The Twinkly LED calculator makes evaluations based on the size of your tree and the LED density you desire. Access the interactive calculator here. Below, find the recommended minimum and maximum LED count for each tree height and the equivalent recommended lengths, using Twinkly Strings as a benchmark with LEDs positioned 8 cm (3 in) apart.
- 1.5m/5ft tree: 250 to 600 LEDs | 20m to 48m of lights
- 1.8m/6ft tree: 400 to 800 LEDs | 32m to 64m of lights
- 2.1m/7ft tree: 500 to 1200 LEDs | 40m to 96m of lights
- 3.1m/10ft tree: 800 to 1800 LEDs | 64m to 144m of lights
- 4.0m/13ft tree: 1200 to 2400 LEDs | 96m to 192m of lights
3. Style of LED lights
Twinkly smart Christmas lights guarantee exceptional color vibrancy and brightness, which can be personalized according to your taste. You can choose from a palette of 16+ million colors and infinitely customize complex animations using the Twinkly App. Lights have precise spacing between LEDs for a perfectly even distribution of light.
All Twinkly lights connect to your home Wi-fi for seamless control via your smartphone and can be easily grouped to act as one. The Twinkly App guides you through the quick process, so, if your tree needs more than one string of lights, they can be mapped together to perform as a single string for a unified display. These are our top picks for the perfect Christmas tree lighting:
Twinkly Strings
Twinkly Strings are THE smart Christmas lights. These ultra-versatile LED strings connect to a power source via a traditional plug. They are perfect not only for Christmas trees, but also for all Christmas décor and year-round decorative lighting. They come in the following lengths and color variations:- 100 LEDs | 8 m (26.25 ft) | Multi-color, Multi-color + warm white
- 250 LEDs | 20 m (65.6 ft) | Multi-color, Multi-color + warm white, Gold & silver
- 400 LEDs | 32 m (105 ft) | Multi-color, Multi-color + warm white, Gold & silver
- 600 LEDs | 48 m (157.5 ft) | Multi-color, Multi-color + warm white
- 750 LEDs | 60 m (196.85 ft) | Multi-color
Twinkly Strings USB-C Candles
Strings USB-C Candles smart LED Christmas lights are USB-C powered (power supply not included) and feature a lightweight, portable design. The candle-shaped makes them especially unique with a glowing effect for the holidays. They also come in star, heart and pearl shapes. They are available in 2 sizes and come with the multi-color + warm white palette:
- 100 LEDs | 12m (39.4ft)
- 200 LEDs | 6m (19.7ft)