Tru-Tone LED Christmas Bulbs have a vintage appearance but are the result of modern electronic developments. The stated average lifespan of our bulbs is 20,000 hours, determined by strict lab testing by the LED component manufacturer.
As the 20,000 hours figure is an average, it's possible that some may fail before this, but many will last much longer than this. Our own outdoor testing in northern Michigan surpassed 25,000 hours without failures.
Seasonal use is primarily what we recommend, however, as full-time outdoor use for any coated colored bulbs will introduce premature fading, a problem with any color-coated bulb, including ours.
For our classic glass C7 and C9 bulbs, the most vulnerable components are the glass enclosure and colored coatings, which may see damage or wear before the LED filament fails. While safe to use outdoors, exposure to the elements may increase the likelihood of fading, early wear or failure.
If glass breakage and fading are a concern of yours, or if you plan to use your bulbs outdoors for extended periods, we'd encourage you to check out our Dura-Bulbs.
You can also check out our Product Guide for more information about storage, outdoor use and fading.