The 10 Best Christmas Lights

Editor's Notes

April 23, 2020:

In today’s update, we added the GE Energy Smart Miniature LED, a set that’s hard to go wrong with and from a well-known name in lighting. They come with 100 lights per strand and are available in multicolored or white. As far as LEDs go, these probably look as much like traditional, warm incandescent bulbs as anything out there, so you won’t feel you’re sacrificing on the look in order to get the other benefits of LED. These benefits include a generous lifespan of up to 20,000 hours (roughly around 10 years), and they’ll stay cool to the touch, so you won’t have to worry about them overheating dangerously. Unlike many others, these sport a tangle-free design that makes them easy to drape around your tree, as well as to put away for storage. Incidentally, GE was the first company in the United States to sell strings of Christmas lights.

If you’re the type of person who has a hard time deciding whether to use white or multicolored lights on your tree during any given Christmas season, trust us, you’re not alone. You’ll appreciate the ingenuity in a set that’s designed to change from white to multicolored, or vice versa, with the push of a button, as your mood dictates. The Brizled LED Decorative offer this functionality, and they can flash or fade, or change automatically between white and colored modes every few seconds. Based on personal experience, all of these options in a set of lights can be quite hard to come by; they seem to be more readily available on pre-lit artificial trees sold in stores, which doesn’t help those who prefer a real tree. This particular set also provides a three-step dimmer, a six-hour timer, and a convenient remote control.

Our well-rounded selection features several sets good for either indoor or outdoor use, as well as those solely meant to be hung outside, like the ProGreen Outdoor, which come in a 44-foot strand of 100 LED globe lights with eight dimmable modes. Another set that will look great in front of your home, with or without additional decorations like laser holiday lights, are the Maxinda Strawberry. Their bulbs feature textured surfaces for a pleasant effect. The bulbs are easy to replace, as needed, and two extras are included. For some outdoor lights powered by the Sun’s energy, take a look at the Lalapao Solar, which turn on automatically at dusk and stay lit for up to 10 hours when fully charged. You can choose from among eight modes that include steady and flashing, and they’ll conveniently remember your previous setting the next time they turn on.

For an elegant set of fairy lights that will add a whimsical touch during the Christmas season or any other time of the year, check out the TaoTronics String, which includes 100 dainty bulbs encased in insulated copper wiring. They’ll stay cool to the touch and can be set at 10 brightness levels.

For safety’s sake, refer to the manufacturer’s product manual to find out exactly how many strings of a given set of lights can be connected together. Do not operate these lights on a Christmas tree when you’re not at home, and make sure any real tree inside your home that’s adorned with lights stays properly watered. Always inspect each strand of lights before using them; if you find any damage to the cord, throw them away.

October 12, 2018:

Replaced Fullbell Twinkle model with Dewenwils C9 due to repeated complaints they lacked durability. Recommended Lalapao solar lights instead of Qedertek because of the high volume of consistently higher user ratings Added the Twinkle Star Curtain for some more variety.