It’s not only in the dark season that chains of lights are a real eye-catcher. Whether on the Christmas tree, in the garden or on stair railings: The many small lights make for a very special atmosphere. Our guide explains what types are available and what you should look out for when purchasing.
Light chains for every need
- Simple light chains: Characteristic of these light chains is that the eye of the viewer falls on the light itself. Plants in the garden look particularly decorative with these and they look classy on a Christmas tree.
- Decorative light chains: The main focus here is not on the light, but on the whole surrounding. When it comes to Christmas decorations, decorated Christmas garlands are popular.
- Light chains with screen: Here the lights are found in balls or other “screens”. The light is therefore often attenuated. A typical example is Chinese lantern light chains for garden parties, where the lights are placed in paper lanterns.
What to look out for when it comes to light chains
- LED: Admittedly, there are hardly any other types. And there is a reason: LED last 20 times longer than classic bulbs, and, at the same time, power consumption is around 85 percent lower. And LEDs do not get hot, which makes them safer.
- Arrangement of LEDs: Light chains are available as ring-shaped or in a string. Depending on the area of use one may be more suitable than the other.
- Light colour: While incandescent light bulbs always create a warm white light, LEDs produce a somewhat cold, bluish white. Information about these properties is given by the colour temperature, expressed in Kelvin. The rule of thumb applies here: The higher the value in Kelvin, the higher the proportion of blue and the colder the light. From 3300 Kelvin the light is cool.
- Operation: Not all light chains have a plug. It is also possible to have some that are battery operated or operated via a built-in solar module. If you want to make sure that the light chain is always lit, select one with an electrical power connection.
Water resistance: If the light chain is to be used in the outdoor area, it must be water resistant. Such models are recognisable by the protection class IP44. Higher protection classes are even better, where the second digit indicates the protection against water.
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