With the holiday season coming soon you can finally put up the Christmas lights for your windows again. How about changing things up a little this year and going beyond the traditional decorations with LED Christmas laser lights?
Lighting is essential in creating eye catching decorations in your front yard and backyard, for example using LED icicle Christmas lights enhances a winter wonderland theme. Whether you prefer something grand and larger than life or holiday decorations that are more subtle and classy, finding the right lighting design is key in elevating the entire concept.
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10 Best Christmas Lights
To help make your vision come to life, here is a roundup of the ten best outdoor Christmas lights, from simple waterproof string lights to cartoon porch lights and even projectors for the most professional decorators.
1. For Something Playful: Besti Santa Porch Light Cover
Don’t worry, no complicated light replacements are required for installing these adorable Santa Claus faces. These are flexible light covers that you simply place over the lamp by your front door or lamp post using cords to keep them in place.
The light cover is made of weather-proof crystallized acrylic with a rough texture to create more dimension and a softer light. The biggest component is the ‘white beard’ where the light shines through the most.
These cute cartoonish Santa faces are a happy welcome to your home, bringing Christmas cheer to anyone that comes to your front door. They are also a quick and stress-free decoration option that does not require any complicated setup – great for a last-minute solution.
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Type | Lamp cover |
Dimensions | 10 x 12 in |
Color Temperature | N/a |
Waterproof | Yes |
Material | Crystallized textured acrylic |
No. Of Lights | 1 |
2. Most Energy-Efficient: JSOT Solar Power Color Changing Spotlights
If you are someone that goes all out with the outdoor Christmas decorations, you know that using inefficient lights hikes up your energy bills during the holiday season. This year, you can set up breathtaking outdoor decorative lighting at no extra running costs thanks to these JSOT spotlights that run on solar energy.
Installation is simple because there is no wiring needed. Each stand-on-own unit has its own 2200 mAh lithium battery rechargeable through the attached solar panel. Simply stick them into the ground or screw them into place on the porch or against the wall using the included parts.
This is a great choice if you want to create elaborate light shows with changing colors since each unit displays 7 different colors with 9 different lighting modes. The head itself can be set at 2 angles so you can always light up your garden elements at just the right angle.
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Type | Solar power spotlight |
Dimensions | 13 x 9 x 9 in |
Color Temperature | Several colors |
Waterproof | IP65 |
Material | Plastic |
No. Of Lights | 4 units |
3. Most Subtle: Omika 66ft Outdoor LED Rope Light
This simple LED rope light is more impressive than it appears because it includes a remote control that lets you change to 16 different colors, 4 different lighting modes and 4 different speeds. You get all this without any complicated wiring since you can either use the battery or plug it into a regular wall outlet.
Omika took care in creating a high quality product. For better luminance it has a super thin transparent wire that is also tangle free and waterproof.
Wrap these fairy lights around your porch pillars or front yard fence for a cozy dreamland atmosphere. These low voltage lights are very versatile and weather-resistant so you can use them for any kind of decorations throughout the entire year.
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Type | String light |
Dimensions | 66 ft |
Color Temperature | 16 colors |
Brightness | N/a |
Material | Plastic and copper |
No. Of Lights | 200 LED bulbs |
4. Most Traditional Christmas Lights: MZD8391 105ft String Lights
If you like to keep things traditional, then this green cord Christmas lights are exactly what you are looking for. This extra long design reaches 99 feet with lights and has an additional 6 feet to plug into a wall outlet but you can also attach up to 4 sets for an even longer string of lights.
The LEDs twinkle in 8 different modes and the memory function makes sure that every time you turn it on again, it repeats the last mode that you set it to. This product is waterproof so it is perfect for outdoor use such as in trees or as porch lights.
Feel assured of good quality with the company’s 60 days money back policy and 12 months free replacement warranty. In other words, you can trust that you get to reuse these lights for next year’s holiday decorations, as well.
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Type | String light |
Dimensions | 105 ft |
Color Temperature | Warm yellow |
Waterproof | IP65 |
Material | Polyresin and copper |
No. Of Lights | 300 LED bulbs |
5. Best Thematic Shape: Twinkle Star LED Lights
You often see star-shaped string lights in children’s bedrooms but this waterproof LED light cord works just as well as outdoor decorative lighting, especially when going for a more whimsical theme. One set has 100 LED bulbs spread over 49 feet but the design is extendable to up to 10 chains.
The stars themselves are textured with what looks like little water drops trapped inside. This create a softer glow and prettier pattern so that your outdoor lighting has more dimension in a classy way.
Have fun with the 8 different lighting modes that you can set it to, try alternating on each night so that you have something new to admire each time. This is a plug-in model so make sure that the transformer remains dry at all times since this is the only part that is not waterproof.
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Type | Star shape String light |
Dimensions | 49 ft |
Color Temperature | Warm white |
Waterproof | IP44 |
Material | Plastic |
No. Of Lights | 100 LED bulbs |
6. Best for in Trees: BlueFire Cascading Lights
Wrapping trees with string lights is not the only way you can decorate your outdoor trees. Cascading lights hang vertically so together it looks like a curtain of pretty lights which works best on trees with a wide top and irregular shape.
This product is brighter than many other brands since it uses SMD 2835 LED chips. They also have a 360 degree angle so that there are no shadows on one side.
One unit has 10 tubes that are each 19.6 inches long and a cord that is 10.3 feet. Considering these lengths, it is best to get several units for a more impressive outdoor light display.
This is a plug-in model so make sure that you have an extension cord if the tree that you want to decorate is further away from your outdoor plugs. Also note that the LEDs are brighter than you might be used to but feel comfortable with the notion that this product is low voltage and waterproof.
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Type | Cascading meteor light |
Dimensions | 10.3 feet |
Color Temperature | Bright white |
Waterproof | IP65 |
Material | Plastic |
No. Of Lights | 54 LED bulbs per tube |
7. Most Colorful: VanRayal Multicolor Strawberry Lights
Another versatile option for both indoor and outdoor use are these strawberry bulbs cord lights by VanRayal. It has a green cord that easily hides away in trees and shrubs leaving you with a bright rainbow of colors.
These low voltage LED beads are highly energy-efficient so you don’t have to worry about high running costs. Knowing this, you can create an elaborate setup by connecting up to 42 strands reaching 756 feet so that your entire front lawn is brightly decorated this season.
Also speaking for its durability is the structure of the light bulbs which are a thick textured plastic. This prevents scratches and avoids heat dissipation, making this a safer choice for households with children and pets.
A single cord is 18 feet long with a total of 50 individual LED bulbs. It is IP44 rated and has a lifespan of 10,000 hours.
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Type | Multicolor string light |
Dimensions | 18 feet |
Color Temperature | Multi-color |
Waterproof | IP44 |
Material | Plastic |
No. Of Lights | 50 LED bulbs |
8. Best for a Professional Setup: KABCON Snowflakes Projector Lights
If you want the most original Christmas lighting on the block then you have to have these projector lights that create a show of moving snowflakes across any surface. The LED projector emits the image of both white and blue snowflakes of different sizes creating an interesting and unique pattern.
Stake the projectors on your lawn and aim them at your house for a moving display across your front walls or mount them on the walls and create a fun pattern on the ground. Either way, the projector head is adjustable with an ability to pivot 180°.
The light heads themselves are waterproof and each package comes with a 16.4 foot cord so you can reach the nearest wall outlet. The product is frost resistant up to -4°F so it does not lose out to a small layer of real snow.
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Type | LED projector lights |
Dimensions | 7.7 x 4 x 5 in |
Color Temperature | White and blue |
Waterproof | IP65 |
Material | Plastic |
No. Of Lights | 4 |
9. Best for Windows and Patios: Lighting Ever Curtain Lights
Curtain lights are even easier to put up than string lights because they already cover a wide surface area. This kind of lighting looks whimsical and is great as a separation of spaces.
These icicle lights create a waterfall of bright fairy lights that fits into any concept. Make your front porch more cozy or create a barrier of light on your frosted windows.
Each set is 9.8 x 9.8 feet with an additional 9.8 foot long power cord. This contains 306 individual LEDs giving of a warm white color temperature at 3000 kelvin.
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Type | Curtain light |
Dimensions | 9.8 x 9.8 ft |
Color Temperature | Warm white |
Waterproof | IP44 |
Material | Plastic |
No. Of Lights | 306 |
10. Best for Shrubs: Joomer Connectable Christmas Net Lights
How to decorate shrubs with Christmas lights is more difficult because it is easy for string lights to fall in between. The solution is string lights that has already been put together as a net so you can simply drape it over the shrubs.
These colorful Joomer lights are connectable so you have the option between a smaller net of 12 x 5 feet or one that is 5 times larger by connecting extra sets. It also has a power cord that is nearly 10 feet long.
Each net has multi-color LEDs giving off a soft twinkle but you can set it to any of the 8 lighting modes available. All 360 LEDs are very small and draw little power but deliver enough brightness for a wonderful display.
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Type | LED net light |
Dimensions | 12 x 5 ft |
Color Temperature | Multi-color |
Waterproof | IP44 |
Material | Plastic |
No. Of Lights | 360 |
Things to Remember When Buying Outdoor Christmas Lights
Each one of the these Christmas lights are different in design, style and size but there are a few things that you should always look out for when buying new outdoor decorative lights. Here are a few quick tips.
1. Check the IP Rating
Read the product description and find out how well they can handle moisture and how weather-resistant the materials are. Look for an IP rating of at least IP44 but above IP60 is better.
2. The Transformer Is Rarely Waterproof
Even if the product is rated as waterproof, the plug and transformer rarely are. Make sure that the end of a plug-in model stays dry which might mean plugging it in indoors.
If the power cord is too short to reach your house, you may have to look for an extension cord. This makes it more difficult to keep the plug and transformer dry so measure everything beforehand.
3. Stay Energy-Efficient
A bright display does not necessarily have to consume a lot energy if you remember to look for the right technology. Look for outdoor lighting that uses LED technology and is low voltage to stay energy-efficient or better yet, find a product with a rechargeable battery that uses solar power for free running costs.