Other Christmas Lights to Consider
Photograph: Nanoleaf
Nanoleaf Essentials Smart Holiday String Lights for $100: These lights work with Google Assistant, Alexa, and HomeKit, and they’re similar in look, style, and price to our top pick. The only major difference is that the cord splits in two—the idea is you start from the middle of the tree, not the bottom, and wrap one cord to the top and the other down to the bottom. It’s a little disorienting, and the cords might be more of an eyesore depending on your tree placement.
Ollny Christmas Cluster Lights for $56: If you want something a bit simpler, Ollny’s warm and welcoming Christmas lights are affordable. I tested this 49-foot light string, which has 1,000 LEDs in a lovely warm white color. They are IP44 rated and they come with a handy wee remote control that makes them ideal for outside your home. You can choose from eight effects, four brightness levels, and set timers to switch them on or off automatically after several hours.
Govee Outdoor String Lights (48 feet) for $49: I love the look of big-bulb outdoor lights for the holidays. These lights from Govee have a little too much space between each bulb to be the perfect outdoor Christmas light, but they’re great for hanging off a fence or pergola. I like that you can combine ropes of these to make them longer or shorter, depending on your needs.
Twinkly Net Lights for $100: These net lights work well, with a larger bulb and net style to make it easy to throw over your yard’s foliage and not lose the lights in the leaves. It’s a good size for a single hedge, but there’s no easy way to connect several of them if you have a lot of bushes you want to cover.