Purple LED Christmas Lights Guide

Purple LED Christmas lights have become very popular in the last several years. We receive numerous inquiries each and every month asking to know which purple LED light bulb is the “truest” purple. There has been much discussion, between employees and customers over this very question, and there may not be a right answer.

Why?

Everyone’s definition of what a “true purple” is, is different.

What are the different types of purple LED lights? 

In order to answer which bulb style gives off the “truest” purple light, we need to look at what colors make up purple. The color purple is comprised of the primary colors of red and blue. Therefore, a “true” purple is going to be equal parts red and blue. With that said, most of the questions we receive are, “Is it bluish? Are they reddish? Closer to pink?”

We have an answer!

Purple is one of the newer colors offered in LED, and the process of treating LEDs for this color has not yet been perfected. Due to this fact, the bulb shape plays a major role in attaining a true purple. For more information on the different bulb styles, their uses, and how they affect the lighted look you get, please see our article on Selecting the Best Bulb Shape.

In order to assist our customers in their decision of which color purple would work best for them, we decided to do some testing, and here is what we found:

The 5MM, or conical bulb style, tends to give off the truest colors when it comes to blue, red, green, and even white. But when it comes to purple, the light can look a little pink or a little blue, and can vary depending on the angle you are viewing it. This is because it uses a chip that produces a mix of red and blue, not a perfect purple.

The G12, or raspberry bulb style, almost always has more of a bluish tint to it. The reasons are similar to the 5MM in that the chip does not produce a true purple. The bulb style is also on the smaller side which means that it is closer to the chip and thus you are basically seeing the color the chip is producing.

The M5, or mini light bulb style, seems to produce a more true purple, but it can still be closer to what some people would consider a pink-ish-purple. This is because of the size and shape of the bulb is larger, and therefore the chip inside has to fill up a larger space which results in you seeing a mixture of the bulb cover color and the color of the chip inside.

The best bulb for a “true” purple LED Christmas light is the C6, also known as the strawberry bulb. This is because the LED inside is evenly centered and is far enough away from the actual bulb, so the color of the bulb cover is able to effectively blend with the color of the LED chip inside.

If you’re looking for something larger than a C6, the C7 bulb style in our commercial co-axial connected LED light strings also provides what we would consider a true purple. The color will be a little deeper than what the C6 bulb produces.

How to choose your purple LED Christmas lights

While shopping for purple LED Christmas lights, please keep the aforementioned information in mind. There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding which bulb you would like to use for your purple light display.

Purple is a difficult color as it is subjective. Someone’s blue-ish-purple may be someone else’s true purple, and a third person’s pink-ish-purple. If you are looking for a particular purple, or you need to match a specific shade of purple, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be more than happy to assist you further.