Outdoor Christmas lights and holiday landscape lighting illuminate the night and bring tidings of comfort and joy with these dashing lights and decorations suited for you this holiday season. Enjoy the warmth of colors created by these exterior holiday lights and cozy up to a cheerful ambiance. Choose from a wide array of festive string lights, individual outdoor bulbs, or festive wreaths to bring your outdoor space one step closer to a festive look.
· Energy Use: LED uses ~75–90% less electricity; incandescent uses much more
· Running Cost: LED costs less to operate; incandescent costs more over the season
· Lifespan: LED typically lasts years/decades of seasonal use; incandescent burns out sooner
· Heat & Safety: LED stays cool (lower burn/fire risk); incandescent gets hot (higher risk)
· Durability: LED bulbs are more shock-resistant; incandescent glass/filaments are fragile
· Brightness & Color: LED can be very bright and consistent; incandescent is warmer/softer by default
· Color Options: LED offers many colors/effects; incandescent options are more limited
· Cold-Weather Performance: LED works well in cold; incandescent can be less reliable/efficient
· Upfront Price: LED usually costs more to buy; incandescent is cheaper upfront
· Compatibility: Some LED strings need compatible dimmers/controllers; incandescent is often simpler with older setups
· Environmental Impact: LED uses less energy and produces less waste over time; incandescent uses more energy and needs more replacements
Before purchase, make sure that your outdoor Christmas lights, specifically the string lights that will be exposed to the elements, have an IP65 rating. This makes the fixtures rated for waterproofing, meaning that they can still operate in the outdoors even if they come into contact with snow, rain, dirt, or small debris. While you can still run outdoor holiday lights without the IP rating, you run the risk of those lights failing during inclement weather.
The features of exterior holiday lights vary per model. Some offer a static light while others have a pattern or color set pre-installed. However, certain brands will also feature app support that can enhance your outdoor holiday lights. For instance, the Twinkly controller allows users to choose from a massive library of patterns, color schemes, and animations that bring life to your holiday decorations.
Between the two options, the C7 bulb is slightly smaller, making it a perfect bulb for lining door frames or wrapping around small poles. If you want to mimic string lighting during the holidays or wrap large shrubbery, we recommend the larger C9 variant.
You absolutely can use RGBW lights in lieu of traditional holiday lighting. If you plan to have a year-round installation, having RGBW lights can make it easy to create custom lighting scenes that are relevant at various times of the year. Before purchasing a set, make sure that the RGBW fixtures have a protective coating or an IP65 rating so that they can still operate during inclement weather.
The lifespan can vary depending on a few factors. For holiday lights, the leading factors include the type of bulb used and the patterns used. For the former, LED lights are your best bet for extended use because they use low power and have low heat output. A traditional LED bulb will last you anywhere between 15,000 and 50,000 hours. The latter also affects your setup. If you have a blinking pattern or use your holiday lights to make larger images, their lifespan might be shorter due to constant changes.
The main limiter on your setup is the available wattage on your transformer. As a general rule, the total wattage of your system should be, at most, 80 percent of the transformer’s capacity. This buffer ensures that all of your lights are operating at full capacity and that your system as a whole is protected in the event of an electrical surge.
Before putting away your lights at the end of the holiday season, you should check each bulb to see if there is any dirt or debris that can potentially impact its lifespan when you put it up again next year. You should also inspect the wiring to ensure that there are no tears or fraying that can cause electrical shock and even potentially start a fire. If you plan on keeping these outdoor holiday lights up all year, you can make this lighting maintenance check routine. Add it to your seasonal checklist along with the rest of your outdoor lighting setup.
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