‘Tis the season to start thinking about this year’s Christmas decorations. And given that more than 86 percent of Americans will be decorating their homes this December, you wouldn’t want to find yourself in the Grinch-filled minority, would you? So to help get you started on the right path, we’ve put together a selection of the best Christmas lights to give your tree, your home and your general surroundings that festive sparkle which never fails to make you feel warm inside.
As you’re locking in the best Christmas lights for your house, be sure to add an artificial Christmas tree, a Christmas tree skirt and one or more of the best Christmas stockings to your arsenal of decorations to deliver a more comprehensive Christmas atmosphere. After all, alongside hanging eye-catching lights, including the best outdoor Christmas lights, erecting an eye-catching Christmas tree and installing unique outdoor Christmas decorations are the easiest ways to create an appealing festive environment.
What to Consider Before Buying Christmas Lights
No matter where you want to hang your lights, there are several factors that go into choosing the best Xmas lights. Here are some elements to consider before committing to your final choice:
- Color – Perhaps the biggest decision is exactly what color you want your lights to be. While people may have different opinions on how to light a tree or home, the most popular options are undoubtedly white or multicolored. Both have their advantages, with white offering a more subtle glow, while colorful lights create that undeniable festive atmosphere.
- Size – Another big decision to make is the size of the lights. Smaller, more delicate lights are better suited to more intimate environments, such as trees, walls or furniture pieces. Larger lights are generally better suited to outdoor use, such as in trees, on gutters or along hedges, where grabbing attention is the name of the game.
- Shape – A lot of people forget that Christmas lights come in different shapes. Yes, simple, rounded lights usually suffice for the majority of lighting jobs, but perhaps snowman, icicle, faceted or globe-shaped lights would be better suited to certain needs. You’ll find all kinds of light shapes included in our selection.
- Length – It’s all well and good having stunning lights to hang, but if you only buy enough to cover half the length of your living room, things could look a little bit odd. When purchasing Christmas lights, be sure to choose a string which is long enough to cover your chosen area.
- Power Source – The majority of Christmas lights you’ll find can be plugged into an outlet. However, it’s worth noting that you can also buy battery-powered and solar-powered Christmas lights which provide a little bit more freedom when it comes to where they can be installed.
- Smart Tech – If you like the sound of being able to adjust the color and timing of your Christmas lights using your smartphone or voice, check out the smart lights included on our list.
- Brand – While ratings and reviews can help a lot when you are deciding on the best Christmas LED lights, it’s also worth considering who the best Christmas light brands are. After all, by choosing the best brand of Christmas lights over the cheapest or first ones you find, you’ll have lights which are built to last longer than a single season. And while the initial investment may be larger, in 10 years time you’ll be happy you spent a little more. Reliable brands include Prextex, Twinkly and Home Accents Holiday.
Ultimately, the right choice of Christmas lights for you comes down to your budget and personal preference.
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So, whether you’re a new homeowner purchasing lights for the first time or you have decorated for many years but want to upgrade to newer, safer lights, these are the best Christmas lights to buy this year.
1. Prextex Christmas White Wire Light Set
BEST OVERALL
There’s something incredibly picturesque about a house covered in white lights and fresh snow. The white color is clean and soft, relaying the peaceful feeling of the holidays. Whether you intend to put lights indoors or outdoors, these Prextex Christmas White Wire Light Set can help give your home a classy white Christmas appearance. Each string has 100 bulbs. In addition to holiday decor, these lights could also be used at weddings or year-round on your outdoor patio.
2. SEWANTA Multicolor Christmas Lights
BEST BUDGET
At under $10 and with five-star ratings from over 80% of Amazon users, these SEWANTA Multicolor Christmas Lights are the best budget-friendly Christmas lights on our list. Each 22.8-feet string includes 100 UL-certified bulbs resistant to bad weather and lasting up to 10,000 hours. These lights are also available in several different colors, such as white or blue, and can be connected to four other light strings to provide greater coverage.
3. VanRayal C3 Christmas Tree Lights
BEST FOR CHRISTMAS TREES
We’ve come a long way since lighting our Christmas trees with candles, but sometimes the old way is better. Skip the bright LED lights for your tree this year and instead use these attractive VanRayal C3 Christmas Tree Lights for a softer look. They’re still LED lights to save you money on your electric bills, but they use lower power to allow for more beautiful colors. Each strand of these “strawberry lights” has 50 bulbs, and up to 42 strands can safely be connected together.
4. Twinkly Strings App-Controlled LED Lights String
BEST SPLURGE
Take total control of your home’s Christmas lighting with these Twinkly Strings App-Controlled LED Lights String. It’s possible to customize them into almost any color you desire using the FX Wizard on the accompanying Twinkly App. They come in strings ranging from 100 to 600 LED and also have the backing of more than 3,500 five-star ratings from Amazon customers who love what they can do. The lights are also waterproof, which makes them good for indoor or outdoor use. Furthermore, the high level of control offered by these versatile lights is great for all kinds of occasions, from Christmas and parties to weddings and birthdays.
5. Holiday Essence Multi-Color Christmas Lights
BEST EVERYDAY
Some things are just classically Christmas, like evergreen trees, red and white Santa Caps and these colorful string lights. Decorating the tree or the outside of your house with the Holiday Essence 100 Multi-Color Christmas Lights is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit. The string of lights includes five different colors and can be lit continuously or with a flashing mode. Each string boasts 100 lights, and if one light bulb burns out, the others will stay lit.
6. Minetom LED Globe Ball String Lights
MOST UNIQUE
While you could go for the classic Christmas look, having different lights will help you stand out from the crowd. These Minetom 100 LED Globe Ball String Lights boast globes instead of pointed light bulbs for a soft, vintage look. Each string comes with 100 bulbs that can be lit with warm white or multicolor. These lights also feature a USB hub and adapter, so you can plug them directly into any outlet or laptop. They also have a built-in timer, so you don’t have to worry about turning them on and off.
7. TOPIST Falling Rain Decoration Lights
BEST ICICLE
The TOPIST Falling Rain Decoration Lights are like icicle lights on steroids. These LED tubes create a falling rain (or snow) aesthetic for a unique light display that could be hung from trees or from your gutters. Each string includes eight tubes, and each tube includes 18 lights, so each string has an impressive 144 LED lights. Thanks to their unique design, these falling rain lights could also be used for weddings or year-round decor.
8. Dazzle Bright LED Christmas String Lights
BEST VARIETY
With lengths ranging from 240 to 2,000 bulbs and colors ranging from multicolor to warm white, we’re confident there’s a set of these Dazzle Bright LED Christmas String Lights to fulfill your decorating needs. These versatile lights can be connected to one another to create longer lengths and are used in either indoor or outdoor displays. You can also have confidence in any purchase as the lights come with more than 2,000 five-star ratings from happy Amazon customers.
9. HAYATA C9 Bulbs Christmas Lights
BEST OUTDOORS
Transform your home into a gingerbread house for the holidays with the HAYATA C9 Bulbs Christmas Lights. These traditional bulbs are larger than most other outdoor Christmas lights on the market, allowing your house to make a more colorful appearance. Each 16-foot string contains 25 LED bulbs, and up to 90 strings can be connected together.
10. Christmas Outdoor Laser Light Projector
EASIEST TO PUT UP
If you want to skip the hassle of hanging strand after strand of Christmas lights from your gutters, think about investing in laser lights. These devices are becoming increasingly popular thanks to their ease of use. All you need to do is point the light at your home, pick which of the five patterns you want to display and turn it on. The laser light will then cover the exterior of your house with a beautifully festive design.
11. Twinkle Star LED Star String Lights
BEST SHAPE
Reimagine the starriest of nights with these star-shaped string lights suitable for both indoor and outdoor decorating. A set of twinkly little stars will really set you apart from the rest of the block. The best part about them is that you can’t tell they’re stars until you’re closer to them, so they aren’t as obvious as you think shaped lights would be. Looking to decorate the interior of your home this Christmas? These will make a striking addition to any holiday table centerpiece or fun mantle design.
12. Ollny Net Mesh Lights
BEST NETTED
While you might be wondering why you would ever need anything like this, think about it: these net lights are an easy way to decorate a fence or larger bush during the holiday season. They’re even better in color, which is a nice alternative to the usual warm lighting most Christmas lights have. The lights also come with a remote control to activate eight different lighting modes and four levels of brightness to match exactly what you want your home to look like this winter.
13. LED Pine Sprig Dew Drop Battery Operated Lit Garland
BEST INDOOR
This 30-count string light with pine twigs makes a beautiful statement on any tree, mantle or trim. The 10.83-foot silver wire comes wrapped in twine with 30 lights that produce a warmly lit glow.
14. Wintergreen LED Red and White Christmas Lights
BEST MINI LIGHTS
This set of 70 red and white mini Christmas lights come strung on a cord 24 feet in length. Offered in a variety of other colors including white, green, purple, blue and more, these lights will look good in any area of your home, indoors or out.
15. Room Essentials LED Plug-in Curtain String Lights
BEST INDOOR
Although the Room Essentials LED Plug-in Curtain String Lights are made for indoor use, we love these Christmas lights for spicing up your home interior during the holiday season. If you’re hosting a holiday party, the string design looks really great draped in between door frames to bring more holiday spirit to your home interior. Living in a dorm or a smaller space? Use these lights all year round to lighten up your room and make it feel merrier.
16. ProductWorks Pro-Line AnimotionYard Decoration
BEST ANIMATED
These ProductWorks Pro-Line AnimotionYard Decorations bring a level of visual entertainment few other Christmas decorations can compete with. Made up of Santa and a snowman, each of the animated Christmas lights offers its own eye-catching movement. In the case of Santa, he’ll wave you into your home or to any passersby. On the other hand, the snowman will impress you with its gift juggling capabilities. Each decoration is also attached to a metal frame for easier mounting and greater durability.
17. Brighttown Store Outdoor Curtain String Light
BEST CURTAIN STRING LIGHTS
These Brighttown Store string lights will add amazing beauty to the front of your house. These Christmas lights are also great in bedrooms or offices. Each strand is 19.6 feet long and has eight modes of operation. The set is also supplied with a remote that allows you to automatically turn on the icicle lights for six hours and turn them off for 18 hours each day.
18. DenicMic Firework Lights
BEST STARBURST LIGHTS
For a burst of twinkly fun, starburst lights are the way to go. Each one is a little firework that’ll light up any indoor or outdoor space. This option comes with a pack of two, so you can hang them both together for an extra glow or put one in the foyer and one in a tree in the backyard. You can also use the handy remote to switch between different brightness levels and blinking modes.
19. Kurt Adler Frosty the Snowman Light Set
BEST SNOWMEN
If you prefer the idea of physical figures as lights instead of plain old bulbs, this Kurt Adler Frosty the Snowman Light Set could speak to you. The Officially-licensed product features ten individual figures of Frosty the Snowman evenly spaced along the string which light up to produce a festive glow. The set is also suitable for indoor or outdoor use and makes a great gift idea for fans or collectors of the popular snow-based character.
20. Globe String Lights
BEST GLOBE LIGHTS
These embellished globe lights provide a unique, warm glow to any space. If you’re over traditional twinkly lights, these can offer you the same Christmas spirit with a bit of a twist. The decorative little orbs make a bit more of a statement to illuminate and bring holiday cheer.
21. Fraser Hill Farm Merry Christmas Sign
BEST SIGN
The Fraser Hill Farm Merry Christmas Sign makes it easy to pass on your festive greetings to your neighbors and passersby without ever having to say a word. This imposing, three-feet tall sign comes in two pieces, a “Merry” and a “Christmas.” Across the two pieces, you’ll find 590 faceted LED lights. It’s also possible to mount the sign indoors or outdoors, as all the lights are bright, long-lasting and most importantly, resistant to unpleasant weather.
22. Roytong Waterproof Cascading Meteor Shower Rain Lights
BEST SHOWER
Deck your home out with these cascading rain lights. In each set, you’ll receive ten brightly lit tubes that can be hung indoors or out. Offered in four vibrant colors, you can string several sets together to make an even bolder statement.
23. Brizled Smart WiFi Christmas Lights
BUDGET SMART PICK
If you’re looking for smart Christmas lights but don’t want to spend the big bucks, consider these Brizled Smart WiFi Christmas Lights. At under $50, they won’t break the bank, but they will give you lights that can be controlled from your smartphone using the accompanying app. This app, or even your voice via a virtual assistant like Amazon’s Alexa, can be used to set timers, adjust colors, sync music and change the brightness. Furthermore, the lights are available in different colors and in a remote-controlled version if Wi-Fi connectivity isn’t important to you.
24. Suction Cup Fairy Lights
BEST FOR WINDOW DISPLAY
Christmas lights don’t always have to hang on a string along roofs or mantles. These themed suction cup lights are perfect for creating a holiday window display. They include bell, snowman, star and Santa fairy lights that you can enjoy while inside and the neighbors can enjoy when they walk by the house.
25. Home Accents Holiday Multi Incandescent Mini Lights
BEST STAPLE
These Home Accents Holiday Multi Incandescent Mini Lights are a versatile addition to any Christmas decoration arsenal. The 68.5-feet string is available in either multicolor or white and features 300 mini lights to add a twinkling effect to any kind of holiday-themed decor. In addition, the lights can be used either indoors or outdoors and will also continue to shine even if one of the bulbs burns out, making for a reliable answer to decorating trees, handrails, windows and other areas in need of some festive lighting.
26. Home Accents Holiday LED Twinkle Net Lights
BEST NET
These Home Accents Holiday LED Twinkle Net Lights make it possible to cover bushes, hedges or fences with Christmas lights. They’re available in either cool white or multicolor and have 150 long-lasting LEDs to offer an eye-catching level of radiant illumination. Each net measures four by six feet and can also be connected to up to 17 other nets when you want to cover larger indoor or outdoor spaces.
27. HSicily Fairy Lights
BEST FAIRY LIGHTS
Make your indoor decoration displays a little more special with these HSicily Fairy Lights. The versatile fairy lights are highly flexible and can be easily woven along curtain rails, into a string of garland on the mantel or added to your miniature house display. In addition, each string is supplied with a handy remote control and features eight modes and four timing settings to choose from.
28. Holiday Essence Red Musical Christmas Lights
MUSICAL PICK
By being capable of playing 25 favorite classical holiday songs and lighting up in eight different ways, these Holiday Essence Red Musical Christmas Lights offer entertainment for both your eyes and ears. The 31.2-feet string includes 140 long-lasting lights, each of which has an average lifespan of 25,000 hours. The tough bulbs, which can be set to modes including slo-glo, chase, flash and twinkle, are also resistant to breaking, fading and chipping.
29. KAQ Warm White String Lights
MOST VERSATILE
Whether you’re decorating for Christmas, Halloween, a birthday or even a wedding, these versatile KAQ Warm White String Lights can add a touch of warming light to any affair. The string is available in either a 300 or a 500 LED light version and also comes in a wide range of alternate colors, such as blue, purple and multicolor. In addition, these waterproof fairy lights can be set to one of eight modes, including fading, twinkling, slo-glo and sequential.
30. Joiedomi Christmas Candy Cane Pathway Markers
BEST PATHWAY LIGHTS
You want the Christmas cheer to hit you and your guests the second you start walking up to the house. Pathway Christmas lights can help you make that happen. These Joiedomi Christmas Candy Cane Pathway Markers come on stakes to line the pathway leading up to your home. Each set includes two six-piece sets of either 12 or 17-inch candy canes. Additionally, if you prefer to use them indoors, removing the stakes and hanging them from handrails or shelves is easy.
31. Home Accents Holiday Faceted Lights
BEST FACETED
Give these Home Accents Holiday Faceted Lights a try for something with a bit of a classier look. The lights are available in either a warm white or a colorful version and feature 100 LEDs per 65.3-feet string. For greater coverage, the lights are designed to connect to other sets, with a maximum number of 45 being possible. You’ll also find these C9 LEDs deliver an appealing level of light and remain cool to touch, even after being on for hours.
32. Super-Long Christmas String Lights
LONGEST STRING
If you’re one of those people who loves to cover everything in twinkling lights, you will love these Super-Long Christmas String Lights. At 180 feet long and with 500 LEDs, you’ll have plenty of length and lights to cover every tree, handrail, fence or furniture piece with sparkling lights. Plus, if 180 feet is too much, you can choose from a number of different lengths which may be better suited to your needs, as well as alternative colors, including blue and purple.
33. Joomer Solar Christmas Lights
BEST SOLAR
These Joomer Solar Christmas Lights are a great way to save on energy bills during the festive period. They’re ideal for either indoor or outdoor use (so long as the solar charger sits in the light). The strings are available with between 100 and 300 LEDs and also come in a range of color options, including multicolor, blue, red and white. The solar panel is supplied with a fixing plate and a ground stake, making it easy to fix it in the ground and face towards the sun. In addition, the light’s auto on/off function, which begins at dusk, means you’ll never forget to switch them on.
34. Toodour Outdoor LED Rope Lights
BEST FOR WRAPPING
With their transparent and thick round PVC tube covering, these Toodour Outdoor LED Rope Lights are ideal for covering a whole range of outdoor or indoor items. The 100-feet string includes 720 LED lights which come supplied on a reel for easier distribution and storage. The lights allow you to choose from eight different modes, while it’s also possible to connect up to three strands end-to-end if you need additional coverage.
35. Popotan Smart Outdoor String Lights With Music Sync
BEST SMART DANCING LIGHTS
These multicolor Bluetooth lights offer over 16 million colors and over 50 dynamic modes that can be manipulated via remote control, app or Amazon Echo. There’s also a built-in mic to sync with sound and dance to the beat of the music.
36. Home Heritage Luminations Holiday Party Lights
ALSO CONSIDER
These Home Heritage Luminations Holiday Party Lights are more advanced than your average set Christmas lights. Not only can they be controlled through the accompanying Twinkly app, which also provides access to several downloadable animations, but they also sport an uncommon design that helps them stand out further than most standard bulbs. By housing each dome-style LED on an elongated stalk, the lights can prevent tree foliage from getting in the way and deliver a cleaner, more visible appearance.
37. Alpine Corporation Hanging Snowflake
BEST SNOWFLAKE
Few shapes are as effective as snowflakes when it comes to creating a winter wonderland in your home. For this reason, adding the Alpine Corporation Hanging Snowflake to your setup is a great idea. This beautiful hanging feature is made from durable plastic and adorned with 102 cool white LED lights. It also lets you pick from eight unique lighting effects, including a slow fade, a wave and standard twinkling and flashing.
38. Philips Warm White Hanging Starbursts
BEST HANGING
If you’re looking for the perfect finishing touches to your display or just want to add an extra glow to any indoor or outdoor space, try these Philips Warm White Hanging Starbursts. Each of the three pieces included in each set comprises 210 micro dot LEDs to bring a dash of warm white cheer to your home. The energy-efficient lights can also be placed or hung in remote outdoor areas as they run on three AA batteries rather than requiring an outlet.
39. Northlight Blue LED C6 Faceted Christmas Lights
BEST BLUE
If multicolor or white lights aren’t really where you’re at when it comes to Christmas light colors, you may find these Northlight Blue LED C6 Faceted Christmas Lights more appealing. The 70 LED faceted bulb string measures 22.5 feet long and has green wires to fit in with any wintery display. The lights are also approved for indoor or outdoor use and come supplied with replacement bulbs and a fuse.
40. GE Energy Smart LED Christmas String Lights
ENERGY SMART PICK
With soaring energy prices, it’s no surprise that the popularity of energy smart products, like these GE Energy Smart LED Christmas String Lights, is on the rise. In addition to being energy smart, this Lowe’s exclusive product measures 49.6 feet long and includes 150 multicolor LEDs. The plug-in lights will also continue to operate should another bulb come loose or burn out. Furthermore, connecting up to 24 sets of these indoor or outdoor lights together is possible to provide greater coverage for your home, garage or yard.
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