Ready to light up your home with holiday magic? Let’s find the perfect outdoor Christmas lights to make your space sparkle this season!

Coming home after a long day at work, walking through the dark and cold, there’s nothing like turning the corner and seeing my house lit up. Trees sparkle, warm lights in the windows—it’s an instant mood booster. The best outdoor Christmas lights are a simple way to make your space feel festive and cozy. They enhance your home’s charm and add a magical touch everyone loves during the holidays.

Whether you’re looking for something classic, colorful, or high-tech, the options are endless. In this guide, I’ll walk you through some of the best outdoor Xmas lights that will make your home the highlight of the neighborhood. Keep reading to find the perfect lights to bring that extra sparkle to your holiday season!

1. Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro

With the holidays quickly approaching, I found myself dreading my least favorite task—putting up decorative lights in freezing 6.8°F weather. The cold is bad enough, but let’s not forget how dangerous ladders can be.

What if you could just leave the lights up all year? That’s exactly what Govee’s Permanent Outdoor Lighting Pro offer. Sure, you’ll need to use an extension ladder to set them up, but after that, they’re good to go for the long haul. These LEDs are way more powerful than your typical holiday bulbs and come with tons of customization options. With 16 million colors and 75 scene modes, you can create all sorts of lighting effects for any occasion. What’s more, the Govee Home app lets you control each light’s color individually, so you can get creative.

While the $399.99 price tag might feel like a lot upfront, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lighting Pro will save you much time and effort in the future. No more tangled lights or balancing on ladders—definitely a win in my book!

2. T5 LED Holiday Lights: Pro Christmas

The Pro Christmas T5 LED Lights are a solid pick if you’re after bright, durable, and high-quality holiday lights. With thick, twisted wires and vibrant colors, they shine across all options—whether you prefer warm white, cool white, or multicolor. Plus, the 3-year seasonal warranty and customizable color choices make them a standout choice for T5-style LED lights.

From what I’ve read, users say the Pro Christmas T5 LED Lights hold up well through freezing temperatures, heavy rain, and even days under snow. And the best part? They will set you back just $24.95!

3. Best outdoor smart string lights: Twinkly Strings

The Twinkly Strings add a vibrant touch to holiday decorations without emptying your wallet. These smart lights make setting up hassle-free, with a sleek black cord that blends seamlessly into your tree—or green, if you prefer. Through the app, countless premade lighting effects are at your fingertips, along with tools for crafting unique patterns using intuitive finger gestures.

A standout feature is the ability to sync multiple devices through the app to create a massive, coordinated display. Users rave about how smoothly it integrates with major smart home platforms, especially Google Home.

Thanks to the IP44 rating, the Twinkly Strings can handle the harshest weather. Right now, they’re on sale for $79.99—33% off the regular price!

4. Nanoleaf Matter Smart Holiday String Lights

The Nanoleaf Matter Smart Holiday String Lights give you plenty of room to get creative and have fun. If you already own Nanoleaf products and love putting on a Christmas light show, these are a no-brainer.

There’s also a community feature where you can grab lighting animations and color palettes made by others, giving you tons of design ideas without much effort. It’s one of my favorite things about Nanoleaf, since you can find so many options with just a quick search.

You can use them with ‌HomeKit‌ or any other Matter-enabled smart home system, but they also work just fine with the Nanoleaf app over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Plus, with the included controller, you can sync the lights to music.

These lights work both indoors and outdoors, but there’s one small design flaw—the black wire. It’s a bit odd since most people decorate with green trees, and it makes the wires stand out more. Also, they aren’t as customizable as Twinkly lights, but Nanoleaf offers a nice variety of pre-made scenes and color palettes. Overall, the Nanoleaf Matter Smart Holiday String Lights are a solid choice, especially at 40% off for $89.99.

5. Outdoor incandescent Christmas lights: Holiday Time Clear Mini Lights

If you prefer the warm glow of classic incandescent bulbs, Holiday Time’s Clear Mini Lights are worth considering. You can hang them both indoors and outdoors, and connect up to 5 sets without any safety concerns. I’ve seen people mention they leave these lights on their front yard trees all year round. They’re nice and bright. And with a 10% discount, the Holiday Time Clear Mini Lights are priced at $15.99.

What to consider when choosing outdoor Christmas lights

When choosing outdoor Christmas lights, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your display looks stunning and lasts season after season.

First off, LED lights are a popular choice, and for good reason. They’re safer, longer-lasting, and more energy-efficient than traditional bulbs. Also, they tend to stay bright without drawing too much power. But it’s important to find a balance. While you want your lights to be bright enough to shine through the daylight, they shouldn’t be blinding when you look at them at night.

Another factor to consider is the wire quality. Some strands have tight, organized wires, making them easier to handle and set up. Meanwhile, others might be messier and more difficult to manage. You’ll want something that’s durable and easy to work with, especially when you’re putting up lights for the long haul.

When it comes to hanging your lights, it all depends on where you’re putting them. If you’re planning to install lights along the roofline, gutter or shingle clips are a great option. These clips are handy, discreet, and can often stay in place throughout the year, so you won’t have to worry about putting them up again next season. For other spots, like along fences or around windows, Q-hangers can make the job easier and keep everything neat.

In the end, finding the right outdoor Christmas lights involves choosing the right type, quality, and hanging method that suits your space and style. Happy decorating!

Bottom line

No matter your style or budget, the right outdoor Christmas lights can make all the difference in creating a warm, festive atmosphere. With so many options to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect lights to brighten up your home and spread some holiday cheer!