What To Do If Your LED String Light Is Too Long

LED string lights are everywhere these days. They’re great for holiday decorations, adding ambience to parties, and just generally making you feel good. If your LED string light is too long or short though, it can be a big problem. This blog post will teach you how to fix the length of your LED string lights so that you don’t have any problems with them in the future!

How Long Is Too Long With String Lights?

What’s considered too long? Well, that depends on what kind of look you’re going for when decorating. The standard rule-of-thumb is this: if there isn’t enough excess wire hanging out after where the plug starts/stops (the male end), then they might be too short; but if there’s extra slack at the plug end/starting point (the female end), then they might be too long.

If your string lights are too long, it could cause problems with plugging them into outlets. The extra slack can pull the light strand around to where you’re unable to get a good grip on it and plug it in. You might also have trouble wrapping up excess cord or getting decoration hooks through because of how much space there is between the plugs/female ends at each end of the strand.

On the other hand, if your LED string lights are too short, this will make things difficult when trying to attach decorations like garland or bows onto your strands because they won’t be able to reach that far without being stretched tautly against the wall. When dealing with potted plants, you’ll have difficulty reaching all sides if not enough slack hangs out for proper wrapping around the pot.

How To Fix A String of LED Lights That Are Too Long

If you’re unsure of what to do with excess cord, here are a few ideas:

Use it as an extension!

If your strand is too long or if there’s just enough slack for your needs, then you can easily attach another string light on to keep things lit up and looking festive. However, if using LED lights we suggest that they have safety features against overloading cords and outlets; otherwise, you could cause major problems in short order should this occur. 

Wrap it back into itself/loop tightly together

Wrapping and looping them can help shorten them down by suspending any extra wire inside (this works best when not dealing with multiple strands). It also works well at keeping them from getting tangled up with other decorations as well as keeping them clean and free of snags.

Use it to secure items/decorations in place

If you have a problem area where your LED lights need extra support, then the excess wire can be used for that purpose by wrapping tightly around or through handles. It’s also helpful when trying to attach garland or bows onto walls because there will be enough slack hanging down for this job; but if it isn’t long enough, we suggest measuring out how much more cord length is needed before placing an order (if stringing multiple strands together).

Choosing The Right String Lights

There are a few factors to consider when buying string lights of any kind:

Price

LED string lights can be bought in bulk for major discount prices; but if you’re only looking for one or two strands, then this might not be the most cost-effective option. If purchasing just one strand, it may work best to pick up an extra box with your order so that you have enough cord length when dealing with multiple decorations around the house. 

Length/width of wire used

Strings using wider lamp spacing will naturally use more wire than those which don’t (like mini bulbs). The thicker the gauge size on our LED strings is, oftentimes they’ll need less overall cord length because there’s less wiring needed between each bulb. 

Length and spacing of the bulbs themselves

Bulb length will vary between brands and types; but typically, we’ve noted that smaller LED lights (like mini) tend to use less wire than larger models like globe or C-bulbs—mainly because there’s more cord used for each bulb due to their placement on the strand. The same idea applies with string light strands using wider lamp spacing as well since it takes up more space along the thin wire itself. For example: if your indoor/outdoor string lights have bulb center-to-center distance measuring 12 inches apart, then you’ll need approximately 20% extra cord length compared to those which are spaced at 14 inches instead.

Get The Best String Lights From LED Lights Unlimited

If you need some string lights for the holidays, then be sure to check out our inventory of indoor/outdoor LED lights which are available in a variety of colors, lengths, and styles. Our strand spools can be used for both indoor or outdoor applications based on the type you choose. We also sell replacement bulbs individually should anything happen while decorating your home this year.

Disclaimer: Our products are ROHS-compliant. This means that we are aware they may contain lead but do not exceed the allowable amounts.