Retail Grade vs Commercial Grade Holiday Lighting

Our customers frequently ask us “What is the difference between the holiday lighting I can buy at the big chain stores and Creative Display’s Commercial Grade holiday lighting?” It’s one of our favorite questions.

You see, our manufacturers chose only high-quality components to produce Commercial Grade products. For this reason, there are a few key differences that are important to take into consideration when comparing retail grade vs commercial grade holiday lightings, such as:

Pricing

The big box stores’ manufacturers pass on lower pricing by selecting cheaper components that may only last a season or two if that. They offer thinner wires and unsealed bulbs. But one of the biggest differences is the length.

Length

You may think longer commercial holiday light strands would save you time and money, but in fact, greater length means a greater chance for failure. The longer your commercial holiday light strands, the more solder points, bulbs, and inches of cord for tangling. It simply means that damaged lights and tangled wires are just a matter of time. The price may be lower but chances are good you’ll have to replace that holiday light strand as early as next season.

Commercial Grade holiday lighting strands tend to be shorter. They are easier to handle and can generally be installed quicker than a bulky, long set that gets tangled up and is hard to hold onto. We recommend from 50 to 100 bulbs. These shorter holiday light strands cut down on weak solder points, damaging tangles, and even installation time. Commercial grade holiday lighting strands also feature thicker, 20-gauge wire and sealed bulbs to protect your commercial holiday lights from the elements.

Design

Retail Grade lights are manufactured with a two-piece design. That means that you can remove the bulb as needed to replace the LED diode. The reason for this design is that you will need to replace Retail Grade bulbs because of the high failures. The two-piece design tends to allow water and debris to seep into the socket which causes failures.

On the contrary, our Commercial-Grade holiday lighting bulbs have the lens and socket molded together to create an effective barrier against water and debris. As a result, the light sets have a much lower failure rate since debris and water in the socket is a leading cause of set failure.

Retail Grade lights cycle on and off half as frequently as our Commercial-Grade lights. It makes a difference in the visual quality, often noticed as an obvious flickering in Retail Grade lights. Retail Grade LED Christmas lights are not a bad choice as long as you understand that the cheaper upfront cost means that you will save money initially, but the set will only last a few years. The overall look will also be different.

If longevity and quality are more important and spending a little more at the time of purchase is not a problem, then we would recommend our Commercial-Grade lighting.

Commercial-grade Holiday Lighting for Every Person

Get variety and quality commercial-grade holiday lighting with Creative Displays. Find the right lights for you, either if you want to decorate a house or a business, and even custom holiday lighting displays. Browse our catalog or contact us directly and we will be more than happy to assist you. Let’s create memories together!