Vintage Christmas lights are the large bulbs and sets, like C7 and C9, that recreate the look of Christmas past best for Christmas trees and rooflines. Incandescent bulbs produce the classic glow of a traditional Christmas at the lowest initial cost. In LED, OptiCore gives you a traditional smooth opaque finish and FlexFilament shows a curved filament like an antique Edison bulb.
What are vintage Christmas lights?
Vintage Christmas lights are the bulbs and complete sets that recreate the look of Christmas displays from the 1920s onward. They come in the classic cone-shaped C7 and C9, in G50 globes and Edison ST64 shapes, and in bubble lights and T5 mini lights.
Two finishes define the look. Transparent bulbs show the filament, while opaque finishes diffuse the light into a soft, even glow.
The two most common shapes are the C7 at 2 inches tall and the C9 at 3 inches — 50% taller, so it stands out from a greater distance. In both sizes, either finish comes in incandescent or in LED.
Incandescent gives you the original glow at the lowest initial cost per bulb. LED gives you the same two sizes rated from 20,000 to 60,000 hours with no filament to burn out, so the same bulbs light your display season after season.
See the FlexFilament vintage bulbs for the visible-filament look, or narrow the selection above by finish and technology.
Who invented Christmas lights?
Thomas Edison, inventor of the first practical light bulb, is also the man who brought to life the first strand of electric lights. He hung it around the outside of his Menlo Park laboratory during the holiday season, giving passing railroad travelers their first glimpse of an electric Christmas lights display.
In 1882, Edison's friend and business partner Edward H. Johnson wired 80 red, white and blue bulbs together by hand and wrapped them around his revolving Christmas tree — the very first strand of Christmas tree lights.
Before electric Christmas lights, families lit the tree with live candles, which were dangerous and the cause of many house fires. Johnson's tree lights were an advance in both design and safety, though distrust of electricity ran high at the time.
Assembling a strand was also expensive and required hiring a "wireman" or electrician, something only the wealthiest could afford. It would be 1903 before General Electric sold the first pre-assembled set to the average consumer — and as they say, the rest is history.
From Past to Present
What vintage Christmas lights can you buy today?
Bring the charm of Christmas past into your present and future with vintage Christmas light styles featuring modern innovations!
Four families carry the vintage look today: incandescent C7 and C9 bulbs, the same two shapes in LED, T5 mini lights, and bubble lights. What changed is the technology inside the bulb, not the shape outside it.
C7 & C9 Incandescent Light Bulbs
C7 and C9 light bulbs first appeared in the Christmas market around the 1920s. Before that, a smaller C-6 bulb and a similar shape known as "pinecone" lights were what you could buy.
Most early incandescent sets used painted bulbs that gave a soft glow, though some were transparent, leaving the glowing filament visible through the glass. Paint did not adhere well to those early bulbs and often chipped or faded within a year or two.
Today's bulbs hold their color. Triple-dipped color goes on the transparent bulbs in three passes, resisting fading and cracking, while opaque bulbs carry a classic soft color that diffuses the light.
C7 bulbs were originally an indoor bulb for Christmas trees. Once waterproof sets arrived both sizes moved outdoors, and today they line rooflines and walkways and light Christmas trees indoors and out.
C7 bulbs come in 5 watt with a 7 watt option in clear; C9 bulbs in 7 watt with a 10 watt option in clear, so you can pick brighter bulbs or more of them on a single line of light.
Light-emitting diodes (LED) are recent to Christmas lighting — the first LED was invented in the early 1960s. When LED Christmas lights reached homes, people took to them for their vivid output, energy efficiency and long life compared with traditional incandescent bulbs.
Performance was there from the start; appearance took longer. Vintage Christmas light enthusiasts were not sold on the early LED bulb, which showed no filament and looked like a different kind of light.
Recent advances in the design of C7 and C9 LED bulbs changed that, and enthusiasts are seeing LEDs in a new light.
If you want the colorful, smooth appearance of painted incandescent bulbs, OptiCore® smooth opaque LED bulbs give you a diffused glow, with color infused into the lens rather than painted on the outside.
If you prefer transparent bulbs, FlexFilament® is the newer style: a curved LED filament in full view through a lightweight PolyFlex PET lens, with select products offered with a satin glass lens that softens the filament into an even, candle-like glow.
The same visible-filament design comes in Edison-style bulbs and globe lights, popular for events, home illumination and patio lighting.
Possibly the most widely recognized of all Christmas lights is the mini light bulb, and for good reason. These flexible miniature lights can be wrapped around almost anything — Christmas trees, columns, garland, wreaths, staircases, window frames, outdoor tree trunks, bushes and crafts.
Although incandescent mini lights still offer the classic glow at the lowest initial cost, most families have moved to LED mini lights.
There are several types of LED mini lights, from wide-angle 5mm to faceted M5, but until recently none of them quite captured the glow and classic shape of the traditional incandescent mini light that vintage Christmas light enthusiasts love. The T5 LED mini light did.
T5 LED mini lights are built to the exact same bulb shape as traditional incandescent mini lights. They are rated at 100,000 hours against 3,000 hours for incandescent, and you can connect up to 45 sets of 50-count T5s end to end where about 10 sets of comparable incandescent lights is the limit.
Connecting more sets end to end makes wrapping tree trunks and outdoor areas easier, with fewer plugs and extension cords and less chance of blown fuses and bulbs.
T5 LED mini lights are designed with the exact same bulb shape as traditional incandescent mini lights. T5s also have a longer lifespan than incandescent mini lights (100,000 hours vs, 3,000 hours) and you can connect up to 45 sets of 50 count T5 LED mini lights together, whereas you can only connect about 10 sets of comparable incandescent lights together. This ability to connect more sets end to end makes wrapping trees and outdoor areas easier by reducing the number of plugs and extension cords needed while minimizing the chance of blown fuses and bulbs.
In the 1940s a New York accountant named Carl Otis came up with the idea for a bubbling, candle-shaped set of Christmas lights. The captivating lights he envisioned were brought to life with the help of NOMA Electric Corporation and given the name "Bubble Lites", quickly becoming the must-have Christmas light of the 1950s and bubbling merrily on Christmas trees in family homes across America ever since.
Early versions of the bubble light were filled with an oil mixture, later replaced with a fluid that boils at a low enough temperature to bubble from the heat of the bulb. Today's bubble lights feature glass tubes and an art deco style base design, similar to those first produced by NOMA.
vintage bubble lights image source: Bill and George Nelson's Antique Christmas Lights Museum. For more information, see OldChristmasTreeLights.com
Pro Tip:
Pro Tip:With vintage Christmas lights, match the finish of your lights to the viewing distance. Transparent bulbs show the filament, and that filament is the whole point up close — on a porch, a railing, a mantel, or a tree you walk past on the way in.
From the street the filament disappears and color is what carries. Opaque bulbs diffuse the light into a soft, even glow that holds its color at a distance, which is what you want for a vintage look along a roofline or a driveway.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are vintage Christmas lights? Vintage Christmas lights recreate the look of Christmas displays from the 1920s onward, sold as individual bulbs or as complete sets. The classic cone-shaped C7 and C9 bulbs come in both incandescent and LED, as do G50 globes. T5 mini lights and FlexFilament Edison ST64 bulbs come in LED.
Are incandescent Christmas lights still sold? Yes. Incandescent C7 and C9 bulbs are still made and sold, in opaque and triple-dipped transparent finishes. They produce the classic glow of a traditional Christmas at the lowest initial cost per bulb. C7 comes in 5 watt and C9 in 7 watt, each with a brighter clear option.
What is the difference between vintage LED and incandescent Christmas lights? The shapes are the same; the light source differs. Incandescent bulbs glow from a heated filament and cost less up front but more to operate over time. LED bulbs are rated from 20,000 to 60,000 hours with no filament to burn out. OptiCore® gives you the smooth opaque look, and FlexFilament® puts a curved LED filament in full view for the transparent look.
Are vintage, retro, antique and old-fashioned Christmas lights the same thing? They describe the same look. Vintage, retro, antique, nostalgic and old-fashioned all refer to Christmas lights styled after early and mid-century displays: large cone-shaped bulbs, visible filaments, and painted or transparent glass. The wording varies from person to person; the products are the same C7, C9, globe, Edison and mini light styles.
Can vintage Christmas lights be used outdoors? Yes. C7 and C9 bulbs are rated for indoor and outdoor use, so one string works anywhere you install it. C7 began as an indoor bulb for Christmas trees, and once waterproof sets arrived, both sizes moved outdoors, where they line rooflines and walkways.
Which vintage lights are best for a Christmas tree? C7 bulbs suit a Christmas tree at a finer scale that shows well up close, and T5 mini lights are built to the classic incandescent mini shape. C9 bulbs are the larger choice at 3 inches tall, better suited to large Christmas trees, outdoor Christmas trees, or anywhere you want the biggest vintage "big-bulb" look.
