Best Outdoor Christmas Lights 2024 - Forbes Vetted

It’s not quite the holiday season yet—but it’s not too early to start brainstorming how you want to decorate the outside of your house and yard. For a cheerful, timeless look, you can’t go wrong with festive lights to turn your home into a winter wonderland. Out of the very best outdoor Christmas lights, the Brizled Christmas String Lights are our favorite overall. Available in three different lengths, the LED bulbs—which have 11 lighting modes—are waterproof, dimmable and affordable.

The best outdoor Christmas lights can turn your home into a winter wonderland without triggering any ... [+] safety hazards.

As you compare different outdoor lights, you want to consider a few things, starting with the style of bulb. If you want something energy-efficient and long-lasting, you can’t go wrong with solar-powered or LED lights; lights also come in a variety of shapes, from oversized C9 bulbs to novelty shapes like snowflakes. Lastly, you want to look at the strand length and whether it can be extended, and don’t forget to double-check that the lights (and their plugs) are rated for outdoor use. If you’re ready to start getting your décor ready for the holiday season, here are the best outdoor Christmas lights to consider for outside your home.

Amazon

Lengths: 66, 115, 180, 279 feet | Colors: White, multicolor and mixes | Timer: Yes | Special features: Dimmable, 11 lighting modes, remote controlled

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For that classic Christmas-time look, the waterproof Brizled Christmas String Lights are unbeatable. Available in several bulb sizes, lengths and colors, these lights are endlessly adaptable—you can wrap a single white string around a tree or you can connect multiple multicolor strands together for an elaborate full-yard display. Plus, the warm white and multicolor varieties (which have 11 lighting modes) can change colors.

And that’s not all these dimmable lights have to offer. You can also schedule them to turn off after a set number of hours using the timer, plus control everything from the ground using a handy remote control.

Amazon

Length: 25 feet | Colors: Black wire, clear wire, green wire, multicolor bulb and six more options | Timer: No | Special features: End to end connectable

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Large white incandescent bulbs on a strand have an absolutely timeless and classic look—they could have been used on a house you’d see in A Christmas Story, but they fit just as perfectly as part of your modern day holiday décor. Keep these in white for that look, or if you want something more bold, choose the multicolor bulbs. You can also adjust the colors of the wires for a more subtle change.

Each bulb has a small clip that can be used to fasten to a Christmas tree indoors or to your roof or gutters outdoors, and each strand comes with a spare fuse tucked into its plug. While 25 feet isn’t very long, these offer simple end to end connectors so that you can easily clip them together to create a longer strand. Another plus: one bulb going out doesn’t mean they all will. They can be replaced individually so you don’t need to buy an entire new strand.

Amazon

Lengths: 105, 144, 156 feet | Colors: Nine options including white, warm white and multicolor | Timer: No | Special features: Solar-powered, eight lighting modes

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If you’re in the market for eco-friendly lights (or you simply don’t have easy access to an electrical outlet outdoors), solar lights—like this pick from Joomer—don’t produce any harmful emissions. What’s more, they look just as great as standard outdoor lights. These waterproof bulbs come in nine colors and various configurations (you can buy one, two or four strands), and they’re customizable, with eight lighting modes.

To use them, all you have to do is situate the adjustable solar panel so it’s exposed to plenty of sunlight during the day. Once it’s charged for a few hours, the lights will automatically illuminate as it starts to get dark out, then turn off at dawn. Lastly, the panel has a memory function, meaning it remembers which lighting mode you used last.

Amazon

Length: 8.5 feet | Colors: Multicolor | Timer: No | Special features: Easily replaceable bulbs, connectable strands, hangable

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Adorning your roof and porch with string lights isn’t the only way to get into the Christmas spirit. These jumbo Moonflor Jumbo C9 Christmas Pathway Lights feature large bulbs that come in a variety of colors and styles, all of which are easy to assemble. Each 8.5-foot string has five bulbs, and you can also purchase sets of two and four, if you have a large space to decorate. And if you have an extra-large yard, you can connect up to a whopping 86 strands together.

Thanks to their waterproof properties, these lights can hold up to snow, rain and even ice. Better yet, you can also individually replace the LED bulbs if one ever goes out; each set comes with one spare fuse and one spare lights just in case. One more perk: The bulbs come with hooks if you’d rather hang them from your roof or porch.

Amazon

Length: 24 feet | Colors: Multicolor, warm white, white | Timer: Yes | Special features: Eight lighting modes, battery operated

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If you’re want something with a little extra pizzazz, these waterproof snowflake-shaped lights can instantly transform any home or yard into a winter wonderland. Each set comes with two 24-foot strands of battery-operated lights, which makes installation infinitely easier. (Say goodbye to searching high and low for a close, open outlet.)

Like many of our favorite outdoor lights, these come with a convenient timer function. Once turned on, the lights stay on for six hours, then automatically shut off for 18 hours. Choose between three colors: warm white, classic white and multicolor.

Amazon

Lengths: 29.5, 50, 100 feet | Colors: Multicolor, white, warm white, white and blue and five other options | Timer: Yes | Special features: Eight lighting modes, built-in memory chip

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These icicle lights are perfect for defining an entryway or the peak of a home. They have a magical, fairy-like feel to them and you can also use them to create a stunning tableau if they’re used to run the whole of your roofline.

These light strands have eight different modes, including steady on, twinkle and slo-glow. They come with a smart timer function that keeps them on for six hours and off for the remaining 18. And while you’ll likely enjoy the versatility of the crisp, cool bright white color emanating from these lights, you can also get them in warm white or a multicolor version. There are four different strand length options depending on what you’re looking for.

Amazon

Length: 68 feet | Colors: Seven options including red and green, multicolor and pure white | Timer: No | Special features: End-to-end connectivity, easy installation, shatterproof

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These dazzling Christmas lights are on the more expensive side, but if you’re willing to pay for convenience, each of the bulbs comes with a durable clip that can be used to secure the large LED bulbs to a roofline, tree branch or anywhere else you’d like to hang your holiday lights.

Plus, the bulbs can be pivoted (without creating a crimp in the wiring), which ensures a perfect uniform look. These lights come in seven colors including multicolor and pure white options, and you can safely secure up to 24 strands of these lights, ensuring you have plenty of length to light up your display.

Amazon

Length: 62 feet | Colors: Multicolor | Timer: No | Special features: Connectable for up to three strands

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When you picture a strand of Christmas lights, you’re probably visualizing something that looks just like one of the two 150-light sets found in this box of holiday lights from Sylvania. They don’t have any special features like timers or remote controls, but they’re a reliable pick that will give your home that classic holiday feel.

This company has been a trusted producer of holiday lights for generations, and they’re decidedly inexpensive, but reliable. Yes, these strands will burn out every few years, but they cost less than half as much as their LED counterparts, work indoors or outdoors and they look great.

Govee

Length: 100 feet | Colors: RGBIC | Timer: Yes | Special features: Smart connectivity, 75 lighting effects, permanent installation

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Instead of climbing up a ladder every fall to hang up lights along your roofline, why not just invest in a set of these Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro and be done with it all for years to come? These smart lights come in a 100-foot length, and while they are a bit more time-consuming to install initially, they’re designed to be left up a year-round, saving you a lot of effort in the long run.

These smart LED lights can be set to any color imaginable, and there are also 75 different lighting effects you can choose via the Govee app, including holiday-specific scenes. They have a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours, and they even work at temperatures as low as -4 degrees, so they’ll shine all through the holiday season’s chilly days and nights. And they can light up your home during other holidays, too, or serve as accent lighting on non-festive occasions.

Amazon

Lengths: 26.2, 105, 157.5 and 197 feet | Colors: RGB | Timer: Yes | Special features: Smart connectivity, custom lighting effects, music syncing

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If you’re tired of boring old Christmas lights that simply glow a warm white or multicolor all season long, well then it’s a good thing we rounded up so many outdoor Christmas lights with varied lighting effects. But if undulating, flashing, or fading lighting effects still aren’t enough to get your holiday spirit in overdrive, these programmable and music-synching lights from Twinkly will fill the gap for you.

Available in multiple lengths, the 157-foot–long strand of lights has 600 RGB LED bulbs, each of which can be controlled via smartphone app. You can create all sorts of custom programs, having the bulbs change colors in any pattern you want, setting different groups of lights, creating waterfall or chasing effects, and much more. And you can set the lights to synchronize with music, flashing and pulsing in time as you pipe holiday hits through outdoor speakers. (And of course, the lights work just as well indoors, too.)

Here at Forbes Vetted, our home experts have years of experience covering the best in holiday decor. From best Christmas ornaments to artificial Christmas trees, our team has all the bases covered. What’s more, we consider our own spaces and decorating goals when scouting for products. Like you, we want products that are dependable, worth the investment and get the job done. This story is regularly updated and was last edited in October 2023 to add more options and updated choices for our readers.

Ready to start getting in the holiday spirit? Here’s what to consider as you shop for Christmas lights.

The most important factor when purchasing outdoor Christmas lights is that they’re appropriately rated for use in the outdoors. This should be clearly designated on the product label, and it indicates that the lights can withstand exposure to rain, snow, and even extreme temperatures.

In addition to the lights themselves being weatherproof, you’ll also want to check if the plug and/or connectors can be exposed to the elements. Some inexpensive Christmas lights do not have waterproof plugs, which means you’ll need to find a weather-protected outlet to keep them operating properly.

Outdoor Christmas lights typically use either LED or incandescent light bulbs, and there are a few key differences between the two bulb types. LED lights, such as the Brizled Christmas String Lights, last for significantly longer—often 20,000 hours or more—and use less electricity. They also stay cool to the touch and sometimes may offer color-changing effects. However, most LED light strands don’t have replaceable bulbs, so you can’t replace the lights if they break.

On the other hand, incandescent bulbs, like the Minetom C9 Clear Christmas String Lights, tend to be more budget-friendly, but they have a shorter lifespan and often get warm to the touch during use.

When setting up Christmas lights outdoors, you may need longer strands to work with, especially if you’re decorating your roofline, fence or dressing large trees in your yard. You’ll want to look for a strand of lights that is the right length for your particular project, and you may also want to consider whether it can be extended with additional strands. Some products, such as the Celebrations Platinum Christmas Lights, allow you to connect dozens of strands end-to-end, which means you can cover as much ground as needed on a single outlet.

If you’re someone who likes to control all their gadgets from one source, you may want to look for outdoor Christmas lights that can be connected to your home’s Wi-Fi network. Smart lights, such as the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights, can be easily controlled from your smartphone, and they generally offer a wide range of color options, lighting effects and scheduling features.

Even if you don’t necessarily want smart lights, you may want to consider a set that comes with a remote control, such as the Brizled Christmas String Lights. This will allow you to control the lights from the ground, changing the lighting patterns or color more easily.

If you’re tired of throwing away strands of Christmas lights after just one or two seasons of use, your best option is to invest in LED lights. LEDs are considered the longest-lasting outdoor Christmas lights—they often have an expected lifespan of more than 20,000 hours, which equates to more than two whole years of all-day operation.

There are other benefits to LED Christmas lights, as well. These bulbs are more energy efficient, and they also stay cool to the touch, making them less flammable. Plus, multicolor LED lights also will not fade in the sun as quickly as incandescent lights.

For large-scale lighting displays, designers typically use professional- or commercial-grade Christmas lights, such as the Celebrations Platinum LED C7 Multicolored String Christmas Lights. These lights have a few key differences from the inexpensive Christmas lights you’ll find in most retail stores.

With commercial-grade string lights, the bulbs have a one-piece construction that makes them fully waterproof, and they’re often tested for color consistency. The lights are often made from more durable materials, as well, including thicker-gauge wire. However, because they’re higher in quality, professional-grade Christmas lights also tend to be more expensive.

If you’re not sure if lights are appropriate for outdoor use, hold off on investing in boxes and boxes of them until you suss out if they are appropriate for your home. In the product description, look for words like UL-certified, UL-listed or commercial grade, all of which means the bulbs are waterproof and will stand up to different types of weather without sparking or burning out. LED lights are the best option since they are safer and less flammable. They also last longer, but incandescent bulbs can also be used.

Any type of Christmas light can be a fire hazard. Most Christmas light fires are due to an electrical fire, which occurs because of a short in the circuit due to faulty wiring that leads to excessive heat and sparks. In order to avoid an electrical fire, be sure you thoroughly check the wiring of your Christmas lights before plugging them in, especially if your lights are older. Look for breaks or melted spots in the wire casing, exposed wires and loose connections. If you see any of that, replace the strand of lights or the entire set.

You should also be thoroughly inspecting any extension cord you might use for your lights. Hot bulbs are another fire risk, which is one reason LED lights are the preferred option—they simply don’t generate as much heat as incandescent lights do, making them much safer.