Commercial Christmas Lights

What makes Christmas lights commercial-grade

Commercial-grade Christmas lights are built for longer runs and harder use than retail sets. They use heavier SPT-1 or SPT-2 wire, sealed or watertight bulb bases, and are rated for longer connected runs. A commercial C9 set typically connects up to 1,000 feet on a single run, against a handful of sets for consumer-grade product. That difference matters on a roofline, a treeline or a parking lot, where rerunning power partway through a job costs more than the lights.

Buying for a job? See wholesale pricing for contractors.

C7, C9 and mini lights

C9 bulbs are the larger of the two classic shapes and read clearly from the street, which makes them the usual choice for rooflines and ridges. C7 bulbs are smaller and suit closer detail work such as doorways, railings and wrapped columns. 5mm and M5 mini lights are smaller again and are used for tree wraps, columns and interior work where the bulb should be less visible than the light it gives.

Spools, stringers and bulk packs

Bulk spools and stringers let you cut a run to the length a job actually needs instead of joining fixed sets end to end. Stringers come in 5, 7 and 10 amp ratings in SPT-1 and SPT-2 wire, in green, white and brown. Replacement bulbs are sold in bulk packs, including contractor packs of 500 and 1,000 bulbs, so a failed bulb mid-season is a five-minute fix rather than a replaced run.

Choosing for the job

Start with the bulb shape and spacing the design calls for, then match the wire gauge and amp rating to the total run length. Check the socket spacing against the surface you are lighting. For outdoor work choose watertight bases. Send your footage counts for a quote.