For many people, getting in the holiday spirit includes starting early on holiday shopping and decorating for Christmas. Though that latter task often conjures visions of burned-out bulbs, tangled wires, and colors that just don’t pop, there’s a wide selection of high-quality Christmas lights that won’t leave you disappointed. Some sets even have fun (and often helpful) features like timers and programmable settings.
Between vintage-style lights, mini incandescents, multicolor LEDs with different modes to match your mood, novelty lights, and the traditional string lights, there’s a lot to consider before the holiday season starts. Whether you’re looking for models that will last you years or upgrading your mundane light display, we put several Christmas lights to the test to help you find the best picks that will suit any household.
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Looking for more Christmas décor for your home? Check out our stories on the best artificial Christmas trees, the best outdoor Christmas decorations, and the best Christmas window decorations.
Traditional “mini lights” are made up of tiny incandescent bulbs that press into a plastic socket. Incandescents use a filament that is heated which brings the light to life, and they’re often available in a variety of color options. While these lights will give you that old-fashioned Christmas look, there are often issues that you can run into over time, like flickering bulbs, sections that burn out, and overheating.
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Besides longevity and quality concerns, incandescent lights also cost significantly more to run than LED lights, and require more energy to stay powered. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LEDs use up to 90 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
You can cut down your electric bill during the holiday months by investing in LEDs instead, but hang onto the incandescents if you still want that timeless appearance and don’t plan to run them 24/7.
LEDs can be wired in two different ways: series or parallel. Series circuits work by sending the current from the power source, through each light, then back to the power source—so if one burns out, all the lights after that will burn out, too.
Each light on a parallel circuit is powered by its own circuit, so if a light burns out, it has no effect on the rest of the lights—and they’re replaceable. Both methods are acceptable, but we recommend parallel circuits so you don’t find yourself with a half-lit tree.
LEDs often get grief around the holidays because of the color, since they don’t give off the same cozy amber glow as incandescents. Instead, you’ll likely find them in cool-toned options that have more of a pale, bluish hue.
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If you like the traditional incandescents that emulate candlelight, it’s tough (though not impossible) to find an LED substitute. Our best overall pick from Brizled combines both warm white and multicolor LEDs for the best lighting variety.
Some Christmas lights include extras that give you more color options and functions. There are sets that are dimmable, sometimes with several degrees of brightness, and those with multiple lighting modes so you can opt for slow fade one day and twinkling the next. There are also sets made specifically for covering bushes and shrubs, along with solar- and battery-powered options if you want to hang them out of easy range of an outlet.
If you plan on decorating all over your house or property, look for options with remotes and timers, which usually include end-to-end connection so you can control more than one set at once.
Keep in mind: Since LEDs use less power, you can connect multiple strings together to create displays that would impress even Clark Griswold, without overloading your circuit. Incandescents can’t handle the same amount of connections, and often require more than just one wall socket. You should always refer to the manufacturer’s product information to determine exactly how many lights can be strung together.
We dug into our own research and tried out several lighting versions to make our selections, plus we considered reviews from expert sources including Good Housekeeping. We surveyed the market and used our own hands-on experience with Christmas lights—including the ones we rely on each year—to determine the best options based on color variety, indoor, and outdoor use. We’ve settled on the following list with a range of types, styles, and functionality to help you create an eye-catching holiday decor experience.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
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