Best Shape
The Holiday Aisle LED Snowflake String Lights
Pros
- Available in multiple colors
- Easy to hang
- Plug-in power source
Cons
- Strands can get tangled in wind
When we think of Christmastime, snow—specifically, snowflakes—come to mind, which is why we're loving these long strands of pre-lit string lights. Unlike traditional styles, these don't wrap around railings and up trees. Instead they hang vertically, giving the illusion of giant snowflakes (think one-square-inch) floating down from the sky. One reviewer notes, "They're beautiful, twinkly, and fully in the winter spirit. Untangling [them] takes a minute but it's totally worth it for the ambiance."
Color | Warm white, multicolor, and cool white |
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Length | 11.5 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 96 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Most Whimsical
Pottery Barn Candy Cane String Lights
Pros
- Battery operated
- Includes on/off timer
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Expensive
As delicious as these sparkle-dusted candies look, they're not edible. They're also not nearly as enormous as they may appear in the photo. In fact, they're about the same size as your typical Christmas ornaments, so if you want to add a touch of whimsy to your tree, you can't go wrong with these. Otherwise, string them up outside to give your neighbors a real feast for the eyes.
Color | Red and white |
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Length | 72 inches |
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Number of Bulbs | 10 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Most Romantic
Balsam Hill Outdoor Cascade Tree Lights
Pros
- Come in set of six
- Features five light settings
- Crafted with durable PVC and copper
Cons
- Tangles easily
These are the kind of twinkly lights you can leave up all year. Simply attach them to tree branches and let them do the rest of the work. Similar to our first option on the list, these don't wrap around the branches. Rather, they cascade downwards, creating a seriously festive (and, dare we say, romantic) look. One happy customer says, "We purchased three sets of these lights. They are beautiful and unique."
Color | Warm white |
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Length | 6.5 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 1,080 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Best Vibe
Dailyart Globe String Lights
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Strands connect via plugs on either end
- Features eight light settings
Cons
- Available in only one color
As the picture so astutely points out, these waterproof globe lights plug into an outdoor electrical source, so you never have to worry about them going dim due to drained batteries or minimized solar power. Feel free to change the settings on the handy remote control, which can shift between eight different modes. One reviewer says, "I love these lights! The twinkle mode is beautiful and it really makes the coziest light. I wouldn’t use it if you want to light up your entire room very brightly, but for some accent lighting and vibes it’s amazing."
Color | Warm white |
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Length | 59 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 100 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Most Festive
COOLWUFAN Candy Cane Pathway Markers
Pros
- Includes 12 candy canes
- Stays in ground with durable stake
- Plug into electrical outlet
Cons
- Customers report more red than white glow
Light the way to your front door with these pathway marking lights shaped like red-and-white candy canes. Each order includes 12 lights, so feel free to space them as far or near one another as you like. "These candy canes were just the right size and looked very festive in our driveway. Hope to use again this year," one happy reviewer notes.
Color | Red and white |
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Height | 28 inches |
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Number of Candy Canes | 12 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Best Teardrops
The Holiday Aisle Outdoor Solar String Lights
Pros
- Available in multiple colors
- Solar-powered
- Stay lit for eight to 12 hours
Cons
- Some reviewers report dim lights
These teardrop-shaped fairy lights will make your garden look magical. They're solar-powered to avoid overloading your home's electricity, and the cool white will reflect beautifully off of snow. "I like these because they look like icicles. Since they are solar, I don't have to worry about which outlet to use or overloading the circuit by having too many strands," one reviewer writes.
Color | White and yellow |
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Length | 21 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 30 |
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Solar-Powered | Yes |
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Best Lantern
Balsam Hill Lantern with Pre-Lit Ornaments
Pros
- Battery-operated
- Features shatter-proof ornaments
- Handcrafted from glass and metal
Cons
- Batteries not included
Have these elegant lanterns filled with ornaments flank the front door or garage for a warm welcome home all winter. Be sure to place them under cover on the patio, as they're meant for covered outdoor use. "I purchased this lamp because I knew it would look perfect on my front porch with my other decorations," wrote a reviewer. "It's a great height and the glowing clear bulbs make it warm and inviting."
Color | Warm white |
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Height | 18 inches |
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Number of Bulbs | 15 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Most Colors
Toodour LED Icicle Lights
Pros
- Affordable
- Available in various lengths
- Features eight light settings
Cons
- Difficult to store
Hang string-light icicles from your roof with these warm white strands, or get them in cool white, multi-color, and color-changing options. "These are lightweight and easy to put up on my house. The lights are small but bright and the cord is very long," one reviewer notes. "I can do a different setting every night instead of just plain steady lights. I hope they last!"
Color | Multicolor; red, green, and blue; warm white; warm white and multicolor; and white |
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Length | 29.5 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 360 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Most Unique
Adecorty Meteor Shower LED Lights
Pros
- Features four light settings
- Under $20
- Available in multiple colors
Cons
- Sets can fall out of sync with each other
Looking for a unique alternative to the traditional icicle string lights? These meteor shower-inspired lights look like falling stars cascading from trees (or wherever else you hang them from). You can score them in white, as seen here, or in a cool blue or purple. "For the price, the falling rain/snow/meteor (depending on color and your imagination) effect of these lights is fantastic. The lights fire in sequence down the tube, looking like a rain, snow or rainbow meteor shower," one reviewer says. "When you first turn them on, they are synced up, but the longer they remain lit, they fall out of sequence and fall into a pattern of falling rain, which looks very cool and unique."
Color | White, multicolor, purple, and blue |
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Length | 12 inches |
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Number of Bulbs | 144 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Most Nostalgic
Wintergreen Lighting Warm Christmas Lights
Pros
- Available in multiple colors
- Strawberry shell filled with LED bulbs
- Affordable
Cons
- Some report lights being too bright
If you like the textured look of those beloved vintage strawberry-shaped bulbs, but aren't into lots of colorful lights, which undoubtedly feel more contemporary, this pick will give you that coveted nostalgic feeling. And with individual clips attached to each light, it's easy to line your roof (or just about anything). One customer says, "These lights are perfect for Christmas and any time of the year. The amount of light they give off is just right."
Color | Cool white, blue, green, multicolor, red, and warm white |
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Length | 17 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 25 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Most Colorful Strawberry
Anycosy LED Christmas String Lights
Pros
- Features eight light settings
- Includes built-in on/off timer
- Affordable
Cons
- String is delicate
On the other hand, add some color to the mix. These lights boast the same strawberry shape as the previous set, but these ones come in more fun colors that plain white. What's more, each set can be connected to another so that your whole exterior light setup is synced. One reviewer notes, "I was very pleased with the colors and quality of these lights. I had one garland inside and one outside. Both worked great through the whole season."
Color | Multicolor |
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Length | 32.8 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 100 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Best Overall
Prextex Green Wire Christmas Lights
Pros
- Easy to set up and store
- Available in other colors and lengths
- Can work indoors and outdoors
Cons
- Some bulbs can burn out
For the ultimate classic Christmas string lights, these bright green-wired ones will get the job done. You can also get them in either of the other colors, if neutral isn't your go-to. One reviewer says, "They are bright and look wonderful on my outside Christmas tree."
Color | White, orange, and purple |
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Length | 20 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 100 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Most Micro
MAOKOT Waterproof Christmas Lights
Pros
- Finished with 400 tiny LEDs
- Features eight light settings
- Includes remote control
Cons
- Tiny bulbs may fall off
If tinier bulbs are more your style, these mini LEDs are a great option—they come in multi-color and warm white, and will give your tree (or roof, or wherever!) a pretty glow without the bulbs being too in-your-face. One five-star reviewer loved that these lights were so long and waterproof.
Color | Multicolor |
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Length | 137 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 400 |
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Solar-Powered | Yes |
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Most Affordable
Amir Copper Fairy Lights
Pros
- On sale for less than $10
- Available in two neutral colors
- Made with thin, flexible copper wire
Cons
- Requires bright sunlight
With over 12,000 reviews, these copper-wire fairy lights are solar-powered, so they'll automatically start to light up your house (or trees, or bushes!) as soon as the sun goes down. One of the 8,000-plus five-star reviewers says, "These lights are so pretty and the lighting is great. I've ordered three sets for my trees. So pretty, I'd highly recommend."
Color | Warm white and cool white |
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Length | 39 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 120 |
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Solar-Powered | Yes |
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Best Snowflakes
MILEXING Snowflake String Lights
Pros
- Available in multiple colors
- Under $10
- Battery-operated
Cons
- Snowflakes can break off in wind
You don't need snow to have a white Christmas this year, thanks to these snowflake lights that look festive just about anywhere. And if pure white isn't your thing, these lights also come in warm white.
Color | Warm white and cool white |
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Length | 19.6 feet |
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Number of Bulbs | 40 |
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Solar-Powered | No |
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Why trust us?
House Beautiful shopping editors are constantly scanning the market for the best furniture and home decor items you may need for your home. For this particular story, Associate Shopping Editors Janae McKenzie and Jessica Cherner spent hours researching and reading about outdoor lights in order to find the best ones with the most positive reviews. Some of our top picks feature more than 9,000 five-star ratings! Rest assured, all of our favorite finds on this list are popular for a reason. Just be sure to read the product specs, pros, and cons to make the most educated purchase for your space. No matter what you end up snagging to dress up your outdoor area, you really can't go wrong.
Janae McKenzie is the Associate Shopping Editor at House Beautiful, where she regularly covers the best of the best in home brands. Since joining the House Beautiful team in 2023, Janae regularly creates seasonal in addition to reviewing and evaluating home decor, bespoke furniture, and accessories. Janae also routinely tests viral products, from to , determining quality and guiding readers to the best purchases possible. Janae holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and began her career at Food Network shortly after graduation. She also covers relevant and in the home space, a skill she honed during her tenure as a news writer at Glamour. When she’s not writing or scoping out the to test, you can find her hunting for trinkets to add to her bookshelf or artfully arranging her Playbill collection.
Jessica Cherner is House Beautiful’s Associate Shopping Editor, a role she’s honed since joining the editorial team in September 2022. Since then, she’s been testing and reviewing , carefully curating timely , and tapping her vast network of interior designers to weigh in on that often have the Internet divided. Though most of her day-to-day is product-focused, every now and then, she manages to publish a few , which are the types of features she has written over the course of her eight-year career and in previous roles at 1stDibs and Architectural Digest. In her current role as a shopping editor, Jess has mastered the art of swapping decor in and out of her own New York City apartment to fulfill her seemingly never-ending quest for the perfectly styled space.
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