“Just like any design you should have a focal point,” says Jowill Leano, senior designer at home building company Welcome Homes. “This can be a giant star you hang from a gable or a Christmas tree made out of lights. I think lights are a good way to express yourself and really help bring around the cheer.” But Christmas lights aren’t only for Christmas time. While these light strings reliably make our homes merry around the holidays, they can also add a twinkle of light to our dorms, decks, or apartments all year long. Whether incandescent or LED, rope light, or icicle, the best Christmas lights come in many varieties and colors, each its own merry string of cheer. “The more colors, the happier!” says Carine Le Garrec, owner of Fairy Lights Factory. “The less colors, the calmer and softer.” Whether you want mini bulbs, large C9s for a display, color changing LEDs, or classic incandescents, there’s a set of Christmas lights for you. But when you’re shopping, don’t forget the other factors, like length, the lead from the plug to the first bulb, and what sort of power source the lights are compatible with. With a classic warm incandescent white, we think the 612 Vermont 100 Clear Christmas Lights add cozy ambience to any home. Read on for a look at the best Christmas lights for your home. Keep in Mind: Incandescents usually use considerably more power than LEDs and don’t last as long. These lights come in a string of 50 or 100 on a white wire that matches the white bulbs. At 20 feet long, the 100-light string features bulbs that are spaced 2.2 inches apart, with an 18-inch lead from the male plug and a 6-inch tail before the female plug. The 50-bulb string is 11 feet long, with the same 18-inch lead and 6-inch tail, and 2.2 inch bulb spacing. UL-approved for outdoor use, these lights will create an inviting atmosphere whether you hang them inside or out. The purchase also includes two replacement bulbs, and a replacement fuse, which fits the fuse compartment in the plug. Two included flasher bulbs can make the lights flash in unison if you choose to add them to the string. While incandescent lights rarely last as long as LEDs, this Vermont Light set does come at a low price. Because of its affordable price and warm, pleasant glow, these lights are the best white Christmas lights on our list. Price at time of publish: $12 Product Details: Length: 11 or 20 feet | Bulb type: Incandescent | Bulb size/shape: Mini | Number of lights: 50 or 100 Keep in Mind: Incandescent bulbs consume more energy than LEDs. With an end-to-end connection that can power up to six sets, a few strings of Prextex lights make for an affordable choice to light up your whole Christmas den or coat the eaves of a multi-story farmhouse. Each string features 100 lights, spread across a cord that’s just under 20 feet. With a classic green cord, they’ll blend seamlessly against Christmas trees and shrubbery. They’re also waterproof and suitable for indoor or outdoor use. Two replacement fuses, two replacement bulbs, and two flasher bulbs are included with the purchase, which make repairs easy and will keep your string of lights twinkling for longer. While these incandescents might not last as long as contemporary LEDs and will consume more energy, their classic appeal and solid value make them the best choice for colorful Christmas lights. Price at time of publish: $10 Product Details: Length: 20 feet | Bulb type: Incandescent | Bulb size/shape: Mini | Number of lights: 100 Keep in Mind: As a small business, their free personalized design service might take time to respond. On the Fairy Lights Factory website, you’ll find over 30 pre-designed lighting sets as well as a build-your-own service that allows you to create your own color schemes. Each set gives you an option of 20, 35, or 50 lights. Among the brand’s sets you’ll find Nathan, which will look right at home among Hanukkah decorations, Vanille, which gives a traditional and neutral winter glow, and so many more. “I would recommend choosing four or five colors that match the color scheme of your room,” says Carine Le Garrec, owner of Fairy Lights Factory. “The lights also look great when they are not lit up and can be used in a number of ways; put them around a mirror, an indoor plant or tree, in a redundant fireplace, or in a vase.” If you’re just not sure what fits, then Fairy Lights Factory is happy to help. Its website includes a Design Help page where you can reach out for personalized advice on color picks and even send a photo of your space over for Fairy Lights Factory to match with a custom design. However, keep in mind that since it’s a small business, the company may not respond immediately. Price at time of publish: From $40 Product Details: Length: 12, 18, or 24 feet | Bulb type: Incandescent or LED by request | Bulb size/shape: Cotton bulb cover | Number of lights: 20, 35, or 50 Keep in Mind: The wire on fairy lights is much thinner than other string lights. Designed for the outdoors, these fairy lights feature an IP65 ingress protection rating, which guarantees that they’ll withstand rain, sleet, and sand. Each strand attaches to a solar panel with a battery and features a mode control that will have them twinkling or glowing for hours after the sun has set. Connected via a copper wire, the two strands of miniature glowing LEDs feature 200 lights each. While they may not be as bright as some alternatives, this is one of the best value light sets we’ve seen. The fact that they use solar power and won’t add to your electric bill is an additional plus. Price at time of publish: $20 Product Details: Length: Two strands, 72 feet each | Bulb type: LED | Bulb size/shape: Mini (fairy) | Number of lights: Two strands, with 200 lights each Keep in Mind: Some users reported that unboxing these lights was a bit time consuming. Toodour’s 29.5-foot string lights feature 60 icicles strands, for a total of 360 LED lights, and the brand also offers string lights in lengths up to 100 feet. The strands are waterproof, with an ingress protection rating of IP44, though it’s important to remember that its adapter does not feature the same waterproofing and should be protected from the elements. The lights are also available in several different color options, including multicolor, white, and white and blue. With so many energy-saving LED lights in a string, Toodour was an easy pick for the best icicle lights. Just keep in mind that you may have to spend a bit of time taking the lights out of their packaging during their first use. Price at time of publish: $24 Product Details: Length: 29.5, 35.4, 50, or 100 feet | Bulb type: LED | Bulb size/shape: Mini (fairy) | Number of lights: 360, 432, 612, or 1,224 Keep in Mind: These lights are pricey and do require a somewhat technical setup. Twinkly Strings are available with up to 600 LED lights. Mapped on the Twinkly app, these lights can be programmed with a plethora of motion effects, gradients, and colors. To do so, the app will ask you to scan your lighting display from multiple angles. Once you’re set up, simply program away with intuitive controls. The app is capable of programming up to 4,000 lights at once. While the potential to wow is vast, be aware that some users say programming your Twinkly Strings is a bit of a fussy business. As with most complex technology, the best results take patience and maybe a little troubleshooting. However, those who are willing to spend the time on it can achieve magical results, with hundreds of LEDs glowing in unison in real time, coiled through Christmas trees, across the eaves, and throughout your garden’s trellis or pergola. Price at time of publish: $120 Product Details: Length: 26, 66, 105, or 157.5 feet | Bulb type: LED | Bulb size/shape: Mini (fairy) | Number of lights: 100, 250, 400, or 600 Keep in Mind: The remote control option costs extra, but we think it’s worth the cost. These mini lights can connect one to the next, linking up to 10 strands to one transformer and remote, giving you control of a vast amount of sparkles with a simple click of a button. Their IP44 rating means they can resist rain and snow, although they are not waterproof. With an attractive copper wire, these are some of the best Christmas lights for year-round ornamental garden installation. They can be purchased with or without an included remote, but we recommend springing for the remote option, as the remote offers the only way to turn the lights on and off without physically unplugging them from the socket. Price at time of publish: $15 Product Details: Length: 49 feet | Bulb type: LED | Bulb size/shape: Mini | Number of lights: 100 Keep in Mind: Some users report that the remote range isn’t reliable, so you may have to get closer than the advertised 26.25 feet. Easily cycle between white and multicolored lights with the press of a button on the remote, and change the brightness setting while you’re at it with four settings. While the remote provides lots of options, some have experienced an inconsistent range, which Brizled claims to be between 16.4 feet and 26.25 feet. You may have to get a little closer than that to use the remote, but it will still prevent you from having to bend over to manually unplug and plug in the lights. The string lights also include a timer, which allows you to schedule a specific time for your lights to turn on. With small bulbs, a green cord that will blend in with your Christmas tree, and end-to-end connections, these lights can be connected to two more strings—more than enough to fill out even the largest of indoor Christmas trees, depending on the length of strand you choose. The versatility and multiple color options that come with this light set make it the best choice for LED Christmas lights. Price at time of publish: $24 Product Details: Length: 82, 115, 181, 279, or 361 feet | Bulb type: LED | Bulb size/shape: Mini | Number of lights: 200, 300, 500, 800, or 1,000 Keep in Mind: Unlike many fairy lights, these need to be plugged in and don’t come with a battery pack. At 66 feet long, these fairy lights stand out from other fairy lights that have short wires and battery packs. Instead of a battery pack, this strand of lights plugs into a USB source, and the lights include a USB power adapter and cable. They are also durably made of three copper wires, which are sealed for waterproofing. Price at time of publish: $13 Product Details: Length: 66 feet | Bulb type: LED | Bulb size/shape: Mini (fairy) | Number of lights: 200 Keep in Mind: These are more expensive than many alternatives. Built for the outdoors, these large polycarbonate C9 bulbs are compatible with Christmas light clips and easy to run along your home’s gutters and eaves. The ultra-bright, low-energy LEDs use 21 watts per 25-foot line, and each line is connectable up to 960 watts, or around a thousand lights. This power capability and build quality makes these a great pick for withstanding the elements. C9 lights remind us of the Christmas light displays of our youth, and this LED set only updates that aesthetic and ushers it into the modern, low-power-consuming LED era. They’re available in a variety of different hues, including multicolor, red, green, blue, pink, and warm white. The only downside is the premium you’ll pay for that sturdy build and remarkable brightness. Price at time of publish: $65 Product Details: Length: From 25 feet | Bulb type: LED | Bulb size/shape: C9 Large | Number of lights: From 25 Keep in Mind: Some might find this rope light too bright. With 900 LEDs lining the interior of the transparent 50-foot Guotong rope, this rope light can get very bright—so much so that it may be too much for a lot of in-home applications. The rope is fully waterproofed for outdoor use, with an IP65 ingress protection rating and thick walls that are sturdy enough to keep moisture out. Indoors, this rope makes a great accent piece behind a recessed panel, while outside, it gives you lots of options for bright contour-defining illumination of your home. The light’s design certainly has powerful applications for illuminating your home’s grounds throughout the dark days of the winter. We think it’s the best Christmas light for bright pops of outdoor illumination, particularly when you’re looking to direct people along wooded paths or safely guide them along bodies of water in the dark. Price at time of publish: $38 Product Details: Length: 18, 20, or 50 feet | Bulb type: LED | Bulb size/shape: Rope, SMD F3 LEDs | Number of lights: 150 or 540 Keep in Mind: The IP44 rating for the adapter means it’s water resistant but not waterproof. You’ll want to bring it inside or place it in a sheltered area during heavy rain. With five patterns and two colors as well as multiple speeds and flashing modes, the lights are fairly customizable. The projector also features a slew of useful features, including a UL-approved waterproof plug, an overall IP65 rating that certifies it rain- and snow-proof, a 16.5-foot cord, timer function, and a remote control. Be aware that the adapter is only IP44 rated, meaning it’s water resistant but not waterproof. You will need to bring it inside in the event of a downpour. Price at time of publish: $40 Product Details: Length: Not applicable | Bulb type: Laser | Bulb size/shape: Not applicable | Number of lights: Not applicable Keep in Mind: Some users report that the light pattern setting doesn’t save when the power’s off. This net light comes in a 6.6- or 12-foot option that is appropriately sized for shrubs. With 360 separate LEDs, it creates a bright shimmering surface that fills the bushes with twinkles. With a 9.8-foot lead cable, it’s easy to set up anywhere. The lights feature an IP44 water-resistant rating, but it should be noted that this doesn’t extend to the power adapter, which should be kept dry. With eight power modes that include fairy twinkles, undulating waves of light, and steady on, you’ll be able to match your net lights to the waving Santa Claus decoration on the lawn or adjust them to match the steady twinkle with the C9 lights along the eaves. Unfortunately, some users report that this net light set doesn’t save your mode selection after being powered down, so you may need to reset it. Altogether, we think the Lyhope net light is a solid choice for a warm LED net light that won’t cost you too much, especially with its nearly 10-foot lead power line and water (and snow) proofing. Price at time of publish: $22 Product Details: Length: 6.6 or 12 feet | Bulb type: LED | Bulb size/shape: Mini | Number of lights: 160 or 360 We picked the 612 Vermont 100 Clear Christmas Lights as our favorite string of white lights for their warm incandescent glow and respectable build quality and the Prextex 100-Count Multi Color Green Wire Christmas Lights for our favorite multi-color lights. For the best LED option, Brizled Christmas Lights are available in white or multi-color hues and will save you money on electricity.

What to Know About Christmas Lights Before Shopping

Light Type

Traditional incandescent Christmas lights are made with multi-colored, frosted, or clear glass, whereas LED lights can often be color-customizable, switching between white light and multi-colored light. When choosing between LED Christmas lights and incandescents, there are a couple of factors to keep in mind. LED lights use 80 to 90 percent less energy than incandescent Christmas lights, leading to significant power savings over time. LEDs are also often constructed more ruggedly and get less hot—because of this, the bulbs may last much longer than incandescents. Incandescents are known for having markedly warmer tones than LEDs. While some LEDs manage to warm up the signature of their light, it’s usually not as warm and comforting as a classic incandescent string. If you’re looking for truly warm white lights on your Christmas tree or multi-colored bulbs that don’t have that slight blue cast, then incandescents are a better pick. When we asked Le Garrec about LEDs and incandescents, she said, “LED lights use less energy but will never equal the brightness of incandescent lights. The main advantage is that you can connect them to a power-bank and use them everywhere without a wall plug.” In the end, the choice comes down to aesthetics. LEDs will usually serve you better for longer and save money on electricity, but incandescents achieve that warm Christmas glow in a way that many still want. If you’re torn, we recommend using a safe incandescent line of lights on your Christmas tree centerpiece but picking a good LED line, like the Opticore Large Bulb, for outdoor use. Most solar-powered Christmas lights use LED bulbs and will power themselves without affecting your energy bill.

Weather Resistance

When you’re buying lights for outdoor use, it’s important to make sure they can hold up to the elements. Most of the best Christmas lights for the outdoors feature ingress protection ratings, which certify how well they keep out water and snow. When reading ingress protection ratings, it’s important to understand what the numbers and letters mean. These are usually written as a code: IPXX. “IP” stands for “Ingress Protection.” The first variable “X” signifies how well the object keeps out dust and other such matter. The latter “X” signifies how well it keeps out water and snow. We recommend at least IP44 for outdoor lights, which means the lights are water resistant against rain, snow, and splashes. If you want a completely waterproof set, look for a rating of IP65.

Length

Length varies considerably among Christmas lights. It’s a good idea to measure out the space you’re hoping to cover with lights before you buy to ensure that you get enough lights. If you’re hanging fairy lights over your bed, you might only need 10 feet of lights. However, if you’re looking to line the eaves of a large house, you might need 100 feet or more.

Bulb Size and Shape

There are a variety of bulb sizes and shapes on the market. Fairy lights are usually the smallest bulbs while mini LEDs are often larger than fairy lights. Fairy lights and mini lights often range from around 5.5 to 22 millimeters. The most common lights for indoor Christmas trees are T1.75 string lights, which are usually between 5.5 millimeters in diameter and 44.45 millimeters long. C7 lights are a larger intermediary size and are around seven inches, with the “C” standing for “cone.” C9 lights are large 9-inch Christmas lights that are usually used to adorn displays, eaves, and storefronts. It should be noted that Christmas light sizing frequently mixes and matches metric and English units and often doesn’t keep to standard sizing. Because of this, it’s a good idea to look for sizing on a case-by-case basis, rather than assuming every light within a given category is the same.

Number of Lights

The number of lights varies dramatically from one string to the next. A boutique string of ornamental lights might only have 10 lights on it while a modern LED rope light could feature 900 LEDs. How many lights are right for your space will depend on what that space is. For example, a short string of 10, C7-style bulbs hung over a wreath could look quite elegant in a dining room, while fully decking a long hedge with mini LEDs could require hundreds or thousands of lights. If you’re looking to use Christmas lights to illuminate a dark outdoor setting, you’ll likely want to use more lights.

Your Questions, Answered

When should you put up Christmas lights?

When Thanksgiving rolls around you might start to wonder, is it time? You don’t need to wait till all the leftover Turkey is gone to put up Christmas lights, but it’s also not wrong to wait a week. In short, it’s a good idea to start putting up Christmas lights whenever you feel like it. Also, keep in mind that Christmas lights can be used all year round. Le Garrec suggests that you use Christmas lights in the home “wherever you want to bring warmth and coziness.” 

Where can you place Christmas lights?

Christmas lights can be placed throughout the home and outside. “Mixing sizes of lights will really help create some depth, but do take a good look at the exterior of your home,” Leano says. “Large lights on roof lines, smaller lights in shrubs and bushes and walkways. And get creative. Lights these days are insane: icicles, snowflakes, pathway lights, lights that run on different speeds. We have them across our pool, and it always creates such a mood at night.” Leano recommends using fairy lights in rooms for kids, though they’re by no means only for children. “When I’m doing a room for a young boy or girl, I always want to include something sparkly and twinkly because I think it adds to the whimsical feeling, it’s just magical.” Leano suggests layering lights indoors. “It could be as simple as adding them to your mantle, dining, tablescapes or even somewhere unexpected like your powder bath,” she says. “Just be sure your lights are a warm temp not cool, so it adds to the ambience.” For more Christmas light installation inspo, check out our guide on the best ways to safely hang outdoor lights.

Are Christmas lights safe to use?

Generally, Christmas lights are safe to use. However, it’s important to always follow safety instructions included with your Christmas lights. If your lights feature a male and female plug and are able to be strung together, most will stipulate how many lines of lights can be connected. Make sure that you don’t exceed this amount as this can lead to a situation where you overload the circuitry and potentially start a fire. It’s also a good idea to be wary of feeding electricity to one string of lights through a string from a different brand or type of Christmas lights, as they may or may not be engineered to pass the correct amount of power to the next strand. If not, this could create a hazardous situation. A timer can also be a great safety measure and serve the dual purpose of guaranteeing your Christmas lights don’t burn out too soon.

Who We Are

Gabriel Morgan is a writer for Better Homes and Gardens. He writes about outdoor gear, goods for the home and garden, and technology. For the purposes of this article he interviewed Jowill Leano, senior designer at Welcome Homes, a tech-enabled home building company that streamlines everything from design, to permitting, to build. He also interviewed Carine Le Garrec, owner of Fairy Lights Factory. When researching the products featured on this list, he spent hours looking through product lists, examining spec sheets, reading over message boards on Christmas products, and perusing Christmas light reviews.