How many lights per foot of tree?
Most decorators use 100 mini lights per foot of height. That’s 700 lights for a 7-foot tree. For a brighter look use 150 per foot; store-window trees often use 200 or more. Slim and pencil trees need about 30% fewer, and big C7/C9 bulbs need about a quarter as many because they’re spaced farther apart.
| Tree height | Subtle (50/ft) | Classic (100/ft) | Bright (150/ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft | 200 | 400 | 600 |
| 5 ft | 250 | 500 | 750 |
| 6 ft | 300 | 600 | 900 |
| 6.5 ft | 325 | 650 | 975 |
| 7 ft | 350 | 700 | 1,050 |
| 7.5 ft | 375 | 750 | 1,125 |
| 8 ft | 400 | 800 | 1,200 |
| 9 ft | 450 | 900 | 1,350 |
LED vs incandescent: running cost
LED mini lights use roughly one-eighth of the power of old incandescent minis. On a 7-foot tree with 700 lights, 6 hours a day for 40 days:
| Bulbs | Power | Cost per hour | Season cost (240 hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 700 LED mini | 34 W | $0.006 | $1.45 |
| 700 incandescent mini | 287 W | $0.052 | $12.40 |
Want the full chart by tree size? See how many lights for a 6, 7 or 9 ft tree. For other appliances, use the electricity cost calculator.
Christmas Tree Lights Calculator FAQs
How many lights do I need for a 7 ft Christmas tree?
About 700 mini lights (seven strands of 100) for a classic look, or 1,000–1,050 for a bright look. A slim 7 ft tree needs about 500.
How many strands of lights for a 9 ft tree?
Nine strands of 100 mini lights (900 lights) for a classic look; 14 strands for a bright look.
How much does it cost to run Christmas lights?
Very little with LEDs. 700 LED mini lights use about 34 watts, which is about $0.006 an hour at the US average electricity price. The same number of incandescent minis cost about 8 times as much.
How many strands of lights can you connect together?
Check the tag on the strand. Many incandescent mini strands allow only 3 connected end to end, while many LED strands allow 20 or more. Never exceed the maximum printed on the label.