Video: What is the “mini” in minilights?

by | Mar 24, 2022

What is the mini in mini lights?

The description “mini” refers to the relative size of the small glass bulbs in Christmas tree lights compared to larger C7 or C9 bulbs. These three bulb sizes were the most prevalent when Christmas lights were first manufactured. Today’s bulb range in size from a single tiny drop of acrylic resin to larger bulbs with the same size bases as standard incandescent reading bulbs.

Video Transcript

Shellie: Today’s video answers the question, “What’s the mini in mini lights?” What?

David: Focus

Shellie: We get this question because things have really changed in Christmas lights. At one point, back in ancient history, like when I was a kid, lights only came in three varieties. They came in C7, these bulbs that screwed into cords, C9s. And here, let’s look at them. Here we go. Squirrel. And then they also came in this type of light, sort of a Christmas tree light or a string light. These bulbs are glass and they’re incandescent, and they have to be large enough to accommodate a filament inside. So, these are just over 1/2 inch long and about 0.2 inches wide. If you need a reference, here’s my thumb. See? Look. Oh, wait, the manicured side is here. Mosquito. And so, that’s about how big these mini lights were back then, but things have changed.

Now, with the advent of LED Christmas lights, they don’t need a filament. They produce light because electrons excited by electricity are jumping up and down in the valence band. And so, you can have lights like these. These are some battery lights with micro drop bulbs, and you can see they’re tiny little things.

So, we call these micro drops. You’ll see other terms for small LED bulbs, like micro drop, itsy bitsy, fairy, but those are not mini. These are mini lights. So, what that means is when you’re shopping for Christmas lights, take a look at the specifications and see the dimensions of the bulbs on the light strings that you’re purchasing to make sure they’re going to be the right size for your project.

So, I hope this helped illuminate you today. And I’m Shellie at Christmas Light Source.

Jack: It’s going…

Shellie: Is it going?

Jack: Yes.

Shellie: Oh, where’s our… Dude, for Levi, do the board. Do the board.

Jack: Is it all right if dad’s hair comes in the shot every once in a while?

Recent Posts

Sharing Tables and Meeting Neighbors

Sharing Tables and Meeting Neighbors

We to -  - As the weather warms up or will warm up in the Northern states soon, our minds turn to clearing out the clutter that seems to build up no matter how hard we try to stay simplified. As an alternative to a traditional yard sale or carting everything to a...

read more

0 Comments

Related Blog Posts

What does the IP65 rating stand for?

What does the IP65 rating stand for?

The Answer: Whether or not you've heard of the actual rating, IP ratings are becoming more attractive to consumers since they are applied to cell phones. Everyone wants to know what will happen to their phones if they were accidentally dropped in water. Either them or...

read more
FAQ: What do I use to outline my roof?

FAQ: What do I use to outline my roof?

What do I use to outline my roof?During Christmas, a few basic materials are used to outline rooflines with lights. The list includes C7 or C9 Christmas cords, bulbs, commercial clips, and gilbert plugs (both end and inline). You'll also need wire snips and...

read more
Are C7 and C9 bulbs the same?

Are C7 and C9 bulbs the same?

Are C7 and C9 bulbs the same?Short Answer: No, they are very similar but are different sizes. Continue reading the long answer for photos and more information. Longer Answer: C7 bulbs are shorter with smaller diameters than C9s. Both are installed in 18 AWG...

read more
Christmas Lights Lingo!

Christmas Lights Lingo!

Common Christmas Lights Terminology and Vocabulary 5mm This is a shape of LED lens that is about the shape of and slightly smaller than a pencil eraser. It has been referred to as "wide angle" and "conical" in the past since there is a cone shape molded into the lens...

read more
LED Bulbs: Comparing the Whites! 2022 Edition

LED Bulbs: Comparing the Whites! 2022 Edition

This year, we are releasing Natural Pure White, the third available color white in our LED product line. Commercial C9 LED bulbs with E17 bases and 5mm light strings have been released for the 2022 season. More versions will follow next year. Here is a photo comparing...

read more