A sign of happier times to come, the outdoor Christmas light is a seasonal beacon of joy.
Ah, Christmas – the time of year best known for enduring your family, the meat sweats and annual headache of putting up and taking down the Christmas lights. Whilst the first two are debatably not worth it, the latter most certainly is: the beauty of seeing a house lit up by a thousand twinkling lights shouldn’t be underestimated.
If you’re planning on jazzing up your front garden this year, you’ll probably want to avoid an astronomical electricity bill or the hell of untangling a ball of resolutely knotted string lights and you’ll need to ensure you buy a set that are fit for use outdoors, too.
There are plenty of things to consider before you purchase a new set, from where you plan to use them to the power source you need and the style you want. We’ve broken down the key questions you’ll need to answer before you part with your money.
Where are you planning to hang them?
This may seem like an obvious one, but bear with us. Are they going on your roof? You’ll be wanting string lights if so. Or are they going on a tree? It might be more sensible to opt for a netted version. Planning ahead will help you avoid the inconvenience of trying to repackage the wrong set of lights whilst simultaneously trying not to fall ten feet to the ground.
What do you want them to look like?
Warm glowing lights tend to be on the cheaper side but often cost more money to run. LED lights often have a bluer undertone, so look colder, but are brighter and more energy efficient. Think carefully about where you’re willing to make concessions before making your purchase.
Battery or mains operated?
If you’re after plug in lights, you’ll need to consider where you’ll be getting your power source from and if you’ll be needing an extension chord. Battery operated lights often work on a self timer, making them more cost effective as well as convenient to power on.
What's your style?
Getting familiar with the language used to describe lights will ensure you don’t accidentally purchase the wrong ones. Here’s our breakdown:
String lights: Traditional fairy lights, strung together by connecting wires – perfect for wrapping around trees or attaching to a roof.
Rope lights: Lights are encased completely within a plastic tubing, making them a great option for areas that are likely to see rain. They also look great when framing a door or window.
Net lights: Net lights do exactly what they say on the tin – the fairly lights are connected by a net making them ideal for throwing over a Christmas tree or covering a panel of roof. The best thing about these is that they’re quick and easy to put up and often look the neatest too.
Icicle lights: Designed to look like a string of icicles, these lights hang from an overlaying chord of wire and look best when placed over a window or door.
Projector lights: Projects different holiday themes like snowflakes and Christmas trees onto any surface
Here’s our pick of the best outdoor light sets to buy for this year’s festivities.
Twinkly App-Controlled Outdoor Reindeer
Controlled by your smart phone, create endless colour combinations and animated effects with this quirky reindeer display. Suitable for both outdoor and indoor use, this colourful creature uses up to 90 per cent less power than incandescent bulbs and makes for an especially impressive Christmas display. H80 x W68 xD15cm
£175 | John Lewis | Buy it now
Baby Bullfinches Lighted Display
Perfect for space-saving city dwellers who want a sprinkling of Christmas rather than a slathering of it. These sweet baby finch lights can be used both outdoors and indoors and look adorably Christmassy arranged alongside other Christmas themes or set out alone across a window seal or mantle. These lights are freestanding (plug included) and are water and weather resistant.
£28.41 | Wayfair | Buy it now
10M Fairy Lights
Simple but effective, these fairy lights offer 10 metres of a white, warm lighting that will create a welcoming and romantic ambiance. Creating an inviting glow, there are eight lighting modes including wave and combination.
The vibrant lights are ideal for both indoor and outdoor purposes such as hanging up on your house, around trees or along fences or gates. The energy-saving product have a long life span of 30,000+ hours, while also offering a 12 month guarantee. They are safe with no risk of electric shock or fire and are battery powered.
£8.98 | Amazon | Buy it now
Candy Cane Path Finder Lights
Let the whole neighbourhood know how to find you with these colourful outdoor Candy Cane lights. Don't have a path to place them on? Plunk them down in a few indoor house plants for the Christmas party season.
£15 | Argos | Buy it now
Projector Light for Garden
Prepare for your Christmas lighting game to be stepped up a notch with this multifunctional projector. The device features 16 slides including designs for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and birthdays. There is a double headlight which are independently controlled, giving you the option to have the designs set to a wave effect.
Just set the projector at around 3-5m away for the best quality and affix to the ground or hand on a wall using the base and stake provided. The projector is powered by a remote as well as being rain and snow-proof.
£21.99 | Amazon | Buy it now
Icicle 220 LED Fairy Lights
Decorate the trimmings of your building, along fences or on the roof with these handy fairy lights with a beautiful icicle design. The lights are composed of 220 LEDs set along an extra-long 10m cable. There are eight functions, including combination and waves among others for a stunning effect.
The product is mains operated,but they use an extra safe low voltage so there is no risk of an electric shock. They also come with a 12 month warranty.
£24.99 | Amazon | Buy it now
60 Red and Green LED Holly Berry Christmas Lights
Bringing all the festive charm that you can ask for, these fairy lights composed of green and red lights to resemble a holly berry. While this results in a vibrant colour display, it is not just aesthetics that has made this a popular option. The lights are energy efficient, lasting 500 times longer than traditional bulbs as well as having a safe low voltage transformer.
£19.99 | Christmas Tree and Lights | Buy it now
3D Sleigh and Reindeer With Ice White LEDs
This display piece will make a bold centrepiece for your light display. An eye-catching statue, it composed of a sleigh and reindeer that will sit sparkling in front of your house. The statuesque is 1.5m or 5ft high with 408 bright LED lights on a study metal frame.
£69.99 | Christmas Tree and Lights | Buy it now
240 LED Cool White Meteor Shower Lights
Resembling a meteor shower, these lights gives the illusion of illusion of falling snow with a water fall function. The dripping icicles are 8x30cm while the row is 2.4m length with the addition of a 3m lead so you can plug it in easily. The mains-operated fairy lights have energy efficient light bulbs.
£22.99 | White Stores | Buy it now
5m Snowflake Fairy Lights
These adorable snowflake fairy lights have steady and twinkle settings to creative a truly jolly effect. The battery operated lights have an on/off switch as well as the option for a 6 hour timer where the lights automatically switch off and then 18 hours later come back on at the same time as the previous day.
£9.99 | Festive Lights | Buy it now
100 Blue LED Connectable Lights
Decorate your house and garden with these electric blue fairy lights that feature 100 LEDs on the row. Wrap around tree trunks outside or around a bannister indoors for the full Christmassy effect. The lights are 10m long but if you need for a larger surface, you can connect multiple together by just screwing them at the end of each set
£29.99 | Christmas Trees and Lights | Buy it now
Daddy Penguin Spun Christmas Figure
For the full winter wonderland effect, these adorable little penguins are a must. For your porch, drive, or front lawn, the little statues have a white light glow with 200 LEDs and an 8m lead that connects to the mains. Metal pegs are also included that secure the penguins to the floor.
£79.99 | Lights4fun | Buy it now
Happy Harry Snowman Christmas Light Figure
Create your very own North pole at your home with these festive figures that will put a smile on any passer-by’s face. Our favourite though? The snowman that has a cute red hat and scarf with a love heart detail and a jolly smile. Loved by adults and children alike, the figure is 60cm tall with energy efficient bright white LEDs and a 5m lead to stretch to a plug.
£49.99 | Lights4fun | Buy it now
