Unlike traditional incandescent Christmas lights, LED lights do not get hot—a big plus if you will be using them on a real tree; but really a big plus for anyone and any use.

LEDs use 90 percent less electricity than regular Christmas lights, saving you money on your holiday utility bills, and reducing your impact on the environment.

LED lights last up to 100,000 hours. Assuming you use your Christmas lights five hours a day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, that’s only 200 hours of use each year! How’s that for long-lasting?

Since LEDs use light emitting diodes (not incandescence) to produce light, there are no filaments to have burn out; and thus, no bulbs to replace. Just plug in your Christmas lights, and they’re ready for use. Also, since the bulbs are plastic, rather than glass, there’s less chance of breaking lights while you’re stringing them up, and less time spent fussing over how they’re packed up after the holidays. Just toss them in a box, and forget about them until next year.

Big bulbs, small bulbs, colored bulbs, white bulbs—LED Christmas lights come in a wide variety of styles—so there’s truly something for everyone. You can even find snowflake-shaped lights, rope lights and net lights.

Strands of indoor/outdoor lights can be purchased from big-box retailers for as little as $9.99 a strand.

While LED Christmas lights save a lot of energy and money, they may not be for everyone. Take a trip to the store to look at the technology first-hand. Then, decide if LEDs are right for you. Most retailers have displays that allow you to try out the bulbs, and some may even have entire trees or displays decorated with them.