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| # | Product | Best for | Lumens | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |  Brizled C9 LED Christmas String Lights, 16 ft, 25 Bulbs, Warm White A roofline that should read from the street | Plugs in and clips on. Nothing fixed to the building. | Not published | $15.99 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 11, 2026. How we earn |
| 02 |  Brightown C7 Clear LED Christmas String Lights, 25 ft, 26 Bulbs, 0.6W each The C9 look at a smaller scale | Plugs in and clips on. Nothing fixed to the building. | Not published | |
| 03 |  Brizled 5mm Wide Angle LED Christmas Lights, 100 LED, Warm White, Connectable Wrapping a tree, a railing or a trunk | Plugs in and wraps. Nothing fixed to the building. | Not published | $19.99 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 11, 2026. How we earn |
| 04 |  RuiAoTD C9 LED Replacement Bulbs, 25 Pack, Warm White 2700K, E17 Base Putting a real kelvin figure on a roofline | Bulb swap into an existing C9 cord. Fully reversible. | Not published | $15.99 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 11, 2026. How we earn |
Specifications are the manufacturer or retailer published figures, compiled by hand. We have not measured them, and where a figure is not published we write "Not published" rather than guess.
01
The verdict
C9 for a roofline, C7 for a porch or a window frame, 5mm wide angle for anything you wrap. The one rule that costs people money: C9 and C7 use different bases - E17 and E12 - so replacement bulbs are not interchangeable between them.
The naming is less arbitrary than it looks. The letter is the bulb shape and the number is its diameter in eighths of an inch, exactly as with the A19 household bulb. C9 is nine eighths across; C7 is seven eighths. Once you know that, the whole system reads.
| Shape | Diameter | Base | Best job | Reads from the street? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C9 | 9/8 in. (~1.125 in.) | E17 intermediate | Rooflines, long outlines | Yes - clearly |
| C7 | 7/8 in. (~0.875 in.) | E12 candelabra | Porches, windows, railings | At close range |
| 5mm wide angle | 5 mm | Fixed to the string | Wrapping trees and posts | As a line, not bulbs |
| Mini (incandescent) | ~5 mm | Push-in wedge | Trees, traditional wraps | As a line, not bulbs |
02
What each shape is actually for
C9 is the street bulb. At 1.125 in. across and typically spaced 8 to 12 in. apart, it is the only common holiday shape that still reads as discrete points of light from across a road. That is the entire reason it survives in the LED era: the shape is doing a visual job that a smaller bulb cannot.
C7 is the same idea at closer range. It suits a porch roof, a window surround, a railing - places a person walks past rather than drives past. On a two-storey roofline it disappears; on a front door surround it is correct where C9 would look like municipal decoration.
5mm wide angle is the modern wrap bulb. The old mini threw its light straight out of the bulb tip, which is why a wrapped tree looked bright from one angle and dim from another. The wide-angle lens spreads it sideways, so the wrap is even. If you are circling a trunk, a post or a tree, this is the shape.
03
The sets, and who each is for
C9: the Brizled 16 ft, 25-bulb set. Twenty-five warm white C9 bulbs at roughly 8 in. spacing.
Who it is for: an outlined roofline or a long fence run. Who should skip it: anyone with a short single-storey frontage, where C9 at 8 in. spacing can look heavy - C7 suits that better.
C7: the Brightown 25 ft, 26-bulb clear set. 0.6W per bulb published, which is the only per-bulb wattage figure in this comparison.
Who it is for: porches, window surrounds, railings and doorways. Who should skip it: anyone outlining a two-storey roof, and anyone who wants warm white specifically - these are clear bulbs, which read cooler.
5mm: the Brizled wide angle 100 LED set. Connectable end to end, so several runs come off one outlet.
Who it is for: tree wraps, trunk wraps, railing spirals. Who should skip it: anyone who wants to see individual bulbs from a distance.
Replacement C9 bulbs: the RuiAoTD 2700K 25-pack. E17 base, and a published 2700K - rare enough in this category to be worth the mention.
Who it is for: anyone with a working C9 cord who wants to change the color or replace failures. Who should skip it: anyone with a C7 cord - wrong base entirely, and the thread will not start.
The picks
The products behind this page
01
A roofline that should read from the street
Brizled C9 LED Christmas String Lights, 16 ft, 25 Bulbs, Warm White
#ad Price as of October 11, 2026. How we earn
The big traditional C9 bulb in LED form - the shape that outlines a roof and still looks like a bulb rather than a dot of light.
| Lumens | Not published |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | Warm white; no kelvin figure published |
| CRI | Not applicable |
| Power source | Plugs into a standard outlet; 25 LED C9 bulbs over 16 ft |
| Dimmable | No |
| Renter-safe method | Plugs in and clips on. Nothing fixed to the building. |
What it gets right
- C9 is the large bulb shape that reads from the street, not a pinpoint
- LED, so a long run draws a fraction of what incandescent C9s did
- 16 ft with 25 bulbs is roughly 8 in. spacing - the traditional roofline look
- Rated for outdoor use
What it costs you
- No lumen figure published, which is normal for this category and still a gap
- Not dimmable
- 25 bulbs covers one short run - a full roofline needs several sets
- C9 bulbs are bulky to store
Spec source: Amazon listing - Brizled Christmas Lights Outdoor Warm White, 16 ft, 25 LED C9 String Lights - retrieved September 3, 2026.
02
The C9 look at a smaller scale
Brightown C7 Clear LED Christmas String Lights, 25 ft, 26 Bulbs, 0.6W each
The mid-size strawberry bulb at 0.6W apiece - the right shape for a porch, a railing or a window frame where C9 would be too heavy.
| Lumens | Not published |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | Not published |
| CRI | Not applicable |
| Power source | Plugs into a standard outlet; 26 bulbs at 0.6W each over 25 ft |
| Dimmable | No |
| Renter-safe method | Plugs in and clips on. Nothing fixed to the building. |
What it gets right
- 0.6W per bulb is published, which most of this category will not state
- C7 suits porches, railings and window frames where C9 looks oversized
- 25 ft of run from one set
- Rated for outdoor use
What it costs you
- No lumen or kelvin figure published
- Not dimmable
- Clear bulbs read cooler than the frosted warm-white versions
- C7 and C9 bulbs are not interchangeable - different bases
Spec source: Amazon listing - Brightown C7 Clear LED Christmas String Lights Outdoor, 25FT, 26 bulbs, 0.6W - retrieved September 3, 2026.
03
Wrapping a tree, a railing or a trunk
Brizled 5mm Wide Angle LED Christmas Lights, 100 LED, Warm White, Connectable
#ad Price as of October 11, 2026. How we earn
The small conical 5mm bulb with a wide beam - the modern mini light, and the one to wrap things with because 100 of them connect end to end.
| Lumens | Not published |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | Warm white; no kelvin figure published |
| CRI | Not applicable |
| Power source | Plugs into a standard outlet; 100 LEDs, connectable end to end |
| Dimmable | No |
| Renter-safe method | Plugs in and wraps. Nothing fixed to the building. |
What it gets right
- Wide-angle 5mm throws light sideways rather than straight out of the tip
- Connectable, so several sets run from one outlet
- 100 LEDs is enough to wrap a small tree or a long railing
- The modern replacement for the old mini bulb
What it costs you
- No lumen or kelvin figure published
- Not dimmable
- Small bulbs do not read from the street the way C9 does
- Connectable has a limit - check the set's maximum run before chaining
Spec source: Amazon listing - Brizled 5MM Wide Angle Christmas Lights Warm White, 100 LED, Connectable - retrieved September 3, 2026.
04
Putting a real kelvin figure on a roofline
RuiAoTD C9 LED Replacement Bulbs, 25 Pack, Warm White 2700K, E17 Base
#ad Price as of October 11, 2026. How we earn
The rare holiday bulb that publishes a color temperature - 2700K, the same warm value the rest of the house runs on, in a C9 replacement bulb.
| Lumens | Not published |
|---|---|
| Color temperature | 2700K |
| CRI | Not published |
| Power source | E17 intermediate base; replacement bulbs only, no cord included |
| Dimmable | No |
| Renter-safe method | Bulb swap into an existing C9 cord. Fully reversible. |
What it gets right
- 2700K published, which almost nothing else in this category states
- Matches the warm value most interior bulbs run at
- 25 bulbs replaces a full standard C9 run
- Lets you keep an existing cord and change only the color
What it costs you
- Bulbs only - you need a C9 socket cord already
- E17 base, which is not the E12 candelabra base people often assume
- No lumen or CRI figure published
- Not dimmable
Spec source: Amazon listing - RuiAoTD 25 Pack C9 LED Replacement Christmas Light Bulb, Warm White 2700K - retrieved September 3, 2026.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
+What is the difference between C7 and C9 Christmas lights?
Size and base. C9 is the large bulb, roughly 2.5 in. tall, on an E17 intermediate base. C7 is the smaller strawberry shape, roughly 2 in. tall, on an E12 candelabra base. They are not interchangeable - a C9 bulb will not thread into a C7 socket. C9 is the roofline bulb; C7 suits porches, windows and railings.
+What does the C in C9 mean?
It is the bulb shape designation - C for cone, with the number giving the diameter in eighths of an inch at the widest point. C9 is nine eighths, so about 1.125 in. across; C7 is seven eighths, about 0.875 in. It is the same naming logic used for household bulbs, where A19 means an A-shape 19 eighths across.
+Are 5mm and mini Christmas lights the same thing?
Not quite, though they get used interchangeably. The old 'mini' is the small incandescent bulb on a twisted wire. The 5mm wide angle is the LED replacement for it - a small conical lens that throws light sideways rather than straight out of the tip, which is why a 5mm set looks brighter from an angle than an old mini set did.
+Which Christmas light size is best for a roofline?
C9. It is the only shape that reads clearly as individual bulbs from the street at normal house distance. C7 works on a single-storey frontage you pass close to; mini and 5mm bulbs blur into a line from any distance and are better used for wrapping.
+Can I put C9 bulbs in a C7 string?
No. C9 uses an E17 intermediate base and C7 uses an E12 candelabra base, so the threads do not match. Buying replacement bulbs means checking which base your cord has, not which bulb looks right.
+Which size uses the least power?
In LED form the differences are small and the published figures are thin - one C7 set here states 0.6W per bulb, which is the only per-bulb wattage any of them publishes. The large energy difference in holiday lighting is LED against incandescent, not one LED shape against another.
Sources
Where the numbers came from
- U.S. Department of Energy - LED lighting, brightness and energy use explained
- Amazon listing - Brizled C9 LED Christmas string lights, 16 ft, 25 bulbs, warm white
- Amazon listing - Brightown C7 clear LED Christmas string lights, 25 ft, 26 bulbs at 0.6W each
- Amazon listing - Brizled 5mm wide angle Christmas lights, 100 LED, warm white, connectable
- Amazon listing - RuiAoTD 25 pack C9 LED replacement Christmas light bulbs, warm white 2700K, E17 base
All sources retrieved September 3, 2026.
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About the author
Sawyer V. An enthusiast who reads the spec sheets and does the arithmetic. No lab, no test bench.