Best Permanent Lighting Brands Compared: Why We Use Oelo

Lighting Your Home Year-Round: What’s the Best System Out There?

Permanent holiday lighting is exploding in popularity, and for good reason. Homeowners are trading in ladders, tangled wires, and seasonal installs for sleek, year-round lighting that can transform their home for every occasion, from Christmas to the Fourth of July to backyard barbecues.

But with so many permanent lighting brands on the market, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Should you go with Jellyfish, Trimlight, EverLights, or Oelo? Each promises a high-tech solution, but not all of them deliver the same quality, durability, or aesthetics, especially in Florida’s heat, humidity, and coastal conditions.

At Grounded Lighting, we’ve tested, researched, and evaluated the top lighting brands, and we’ve chosen to work exclusively with Oelo. Here’s why.

What to Look for in a Permanent Lighting System

Blue LED lighting installed along the roofline and entry of a modern Odessa home.

Before comparing brands, let’s break down what really matters in a high-performance system, especially here in Florida:

  • Weather Resistance: The sun, salt, and storms here aren’t kind to cheap plastic. Your lights need to be UV-resistant, corrosion-proof, and built to last.
  • App Control & Customization: Whether you’re lighting up for Christmas, a birthday, or game day, your app should be easy to use and customizable by zone, color, and schedule.
  • Aesthetics: Great lighting should be invisible when it’s off. That means no clunky tracks or visible bulbs during the day.
  • Installation Quality: A great product is only as good as the install. Is the system DIY, or does it come with professional support?
  • Warranty & Support: You want a system backed by real customer service, not just an 800 number.
  • Value Over Time: The cheapest system isn’t always the best investment. Consider lifespan, performance, and upkeep costs.

Top Permanent Lighting Brands Compared

Let’s break down some of the biggest names in the industry, what they offer, and where they fall short.

Jellyfish Lighting

Pros:

  • Fully customizable zones and color patterns.
  • Decent scheduling features in the app.

Cons:

  • Bulky appearance. Tracks and lights are clearly visible during the day.
  • Limited installer network can make service/support inconsistent.
  • Higher cost without premium materials to match.

Trimlight

Pros:

  • One of the original permanent lighting systems on the market.
  • Good color-changing presets and automation features.

Cons:

  • Aging hardware and app experience.
  • Lights and mounting tracks are often visible on rooflines.
  • App issues reported by users, especially on iOS.

EverLights

Pros:

  • DIY-friendly installation option.
  • App is simple and intuitive for basic setups.

Cons:

  • Not ideal for complex rooflines or larger custom homes.
  • Limited brightness and control features compared to other systems.
  • Fewer install professionals, making high-end custom results harder to achieve.

Oelo (Our Preferred Choice at Grounded Lighting)

Pros:

  • Practically invisible during the day. Oelo’s flush-mounted design blends seamlessly with your trim; no visible bulbs, tracks, or bulky housings interrupting your home’s architecture.
  • Engineered for Florida’s climate. The polycarbonate lens is UV-resistant, corrosion-proof, and built to withstand Tampa Bay’s salt air, humidity, and extreme summer heat.
  • High-performance RGBW LEDs. Oelo uses a commercial-grade, fully addressable RGBW chipset (with multiple patented technologies) to deliver thousands of color options for holidays, events, or everyday ambient lighting.
  • Long life expectancy & top-tier safety ratings. With a proven long lifespan, UL listing, V-0 fire safety rating, and an IP68 waterproof rating, Oelo stands in a reliability class of its own.
  • Backed by a 7-year warranty. One of the strongest warranties in the permanent lighting industry and a major reason we trust it for our customers.
  • US-based company. Oelo is designed, engineered, and supported in the United States, giving homeowners peace of mind and fast, dependable service.
  • Simple yet powerful app experience. Easily schedule lighting by day, time, or event with intuitive controls anyone can use.
  • Seamless zone integration. Oelo connects beautifully with landscape lighting, pool cage lighting, and other exterior zones for a cohesive outdoor lighting experience.

At Grounded Lighting, we’ve installed Oelo systems across Tampa, St. Pete, Lutz, and surrounding areas. We’ve seen firsthand how well this system holds up and how thrilled homeowners are once it’s in place.

Simply put: Oelo is not another mass-produced, cookie-cutter import. It’s a premium, purpose-built system that outperforms the majority of look-alike brands on the market.

Why Grounded Lighting Chose Oelo

Clean LED lighting along a driveway and front walkway of a Palm Harbor home.

We didn’t just pick Oelo randomly. We vetted all the top brands, considered what actually works in Florida, and looked for a product that met our standards for quality, beauty, and long-term performance.

Here’s what sealed the deal for us:

  • Sleek, luxury look: Oelo enhances high-end homes without looking “tacked on.”
  • Longevity: Rated for 100,000+ hours (20+ years), Oelo isn’t a temporary solution.
  • Easy maintenance: We offer full local support and warranty handling. No shipping it off to a mystery warehouse.
  • Better value: With low maintenance and long lifespan, Oelo outperforms lower-end competitors over time.

We’ve installed Oelo systems on everything from ranch homes to waterfront properties, and each one brings out the best in that home’s architecture.

Choosing the Right System for Your Home

Still weighing your options? We get it. Every home is different, and so is every lighting goal. Whether you want your house to shine during the holidays or stay lit beautifully all year long, we can help you find the perfect setup.

  • Just want holiday lighting? We can design a color-changing display just for that.
  • Looking for full-time elegance? We can blend your roofline and landscape lights into one seamless design.
  • Not sure what fits your home? Send us a photo, and we’ll show you what it could look like.

Ready to Light Up Your Home?

🎯 Schedule Your Free Lighting Plan with Mike

Let’s talk about your goals, budget, and timeline. We’ll give you a custom quote and show you how Oelo can make your home look incredible year-round.

📸 Want a Sneak Peek? Visit our Gallery to see real projects installed by our team across Tampa Bay.

📞 Or give us a call at (813) 694-5220 to speak with Mike directly!