White Christmas lights are the most popular color of Christmas lights, and the best choice for weddings, events and white or flocked trees. Warm white produces a soft, classic glow that recreates the look of traditional incandescent Christmas lights. Cool white produces a crisp, bright look evoking ice and snow.
Warm White Christmas Lights vs Cool White
White is not a single color. In LED the choice is between two shades; in incandescent, between two bulb finishes.
Warm white Christmas lights. Warm white produces a soft, classic glow that recreates the look of traditional incandescent Christmas lights. It is the best-selling Christmas light color, and the usual choice for weddings, events and displays seen up close.
Cool white Christmas lights. Cool white produces a crisp, bright look evoking ice and snow, and a more high-contrast look from a distance. It is the shade to choose for a winter theme, and the one that pairs with blue, green and red.
Clear and white incandescent bulbs. Clear bulbs show the filament, while opaque finishes diffuse the light into a true white.
White Wire Christmas Lights vs Green Wire
On a string light set, white can describe the bulbs or the wire. The two are chosen separately, and wire color is a daylight decision: once the lights are on, the wire is not what you see. White Christmas lights are available on green, white, black and brown wire, so the wire matches the surface it mounts on and blends in during daylight: white with white gutters, green with greenery, black with dark fascia, brown with natural wood.
White wire Christmas lights. White wire is the standard recommendation along gutters and eaves. It blends with white fascia and trim, and disappears against white gutters, trim and railings in daylight. It does the same indoors against white ceilings, tent canopies and sheer fabric, which is why white wire is the usual choice for weddings and events.
Green wire Christmas lights. Green wire is the right choice for most outdoor applications. It disappears against foliage even in daylight, which makes it the one to use on greenery and trees.
Types of White Christmas Lights
White Christmas lights come two ways: bulbs you add to socket wire, and sets that arrive with the bulbs already on the string.
Replacement bulbs. C7 and C9 bulbs are sold by the box in warm white, cool white, clear and opaque white, along with G40 and G50 globes. Bulbs are interchangeable, so you can change colors or replace bulbs without buying a whole new set. The socket wire is a separate purchase, so you choose its color too.
Mini light sets. Mini lights are the sets that arrive with the bulbs already on the string: small bulbs closely spaced along a flexible wire. LED sets come in warm white and cool white in Lux360™ D5™, 5mm wide-angle, M5, T5, C6, G12 and D5 bulb styles, including SoftTwinkle versions in 5mm that fade in and out slowly and independently. Incandescent sets come in clear, with twinkle versions, plus ready-made C7 and C9 sets in clear or white.
Icicle lights. Icicle lights hang on drops of varying length from a horizontal wire, so the strand looks like a row of icicles. They are the best Christmas lights for gutters and eaves, and come in warm white, cool white and clear.
Battery operated white sets cover the places without an outlet: planters, lanterns and table settings.
White Christmas Lights for Weddings, Events and White Trees
White goes with everything, which is why it turns up well past the roofline and well past December.
Weddings and events. White mini lights, icicle lights and globe lights are the styles most used for ceremony and reception spaces. Wrap trees, an arbor, gazebo, railings and columns with mini lights; hang icicle lights from a ceiling or inside a tented space; hide battery operated sets in planters, lanterns and under table linens. Green wire suits natural settings outdoors, white wire suits fabric and pale surfaces indoors. LED sets stay cool to the touch, so they are safe against fabric, greenery and table settings.
White and flocked trees. On a white or flocked tree, wire color matters more than it does on a green tree: white wire disappears into the branches, while green wire stands out against them. Shade is the look decision on top of that, with warm white giving the tree a cream, candlelit cast and cool white keeping it closer to snow.
Color combinations. White pairs into most Christmas color schemes: red and white for a candy cane theme, red, green and white for a classic look, and blue and white for a winter wonderland.
Pro Tip
Pro tip. Decide on one white before you buy. Warm white and cool white do not blend by accident, and one cool white set at the end of a warm white string is an eyesore you'll notice first thing from the curb every night. Mixed deliberately they are something else: layered over each other or blended evenly, you get a depth neither shade has alone. Buy the whole project in one shade, buy both and combine them on purpose, or buy a set that has already blended the two for you.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the most popular color of Christmas lights? White, by a wide margin. Warm white is the best-selling shade, cool white second, with multicolor, red, green and blue behind them. White has held the lead in every year measured.
Should I choose warm white or cool white Christmas lights? Match the shade to the look you want. Warm white produces a soft, classic glow that recreates the look of traditional incandescent Christmas lights, which suits indoor rooms and displays seen up close. Cool white produces a crisp, bright look evoking ice and snow, and holds more contrast from a distance.
What is the difference between clear and white Christmas lights? Usually this is a question about incandescent versus LED. Clear is the incandescent term for a transparent bulb that shows its filament. LED sets are sold as warm white or cool white instead, and warm white is the shade that recreates the incandescent look. Incandescent bulbs also come in an opaque white finish that diffuses the light into a true white.
Which white Christmas lights are best for a white or flocked tree? Choose white wire. On a white or flocked tree the wire is the part that shows, and white wire disappears into the branches while green wire stands out against them. Either shade works: warm white gives the tree a cream, candlelit cast, cool white keeps it closer to snow.
Are white Christmas lights good for weddings? Yes, and they are the usual choice. White mini lights, icicle lights and globe lights are the styles most used for ceremony and reception spaces. Use white wire indoors against fabric and pale surfaces, green wire outdoors in natural settings, and LED sets wherever lights touch fabric or greenery.
