Say farewell to the hassles of running extension cords across your whole yard and fretting over skyrocketing electricity bills. Solar Christmas lights offer a smart solution to brighten your home with a festive glow using green tech.
In this post, we rate the best solar Christmas lights available and tell you their pros and cons. So jump on for this sleigh ride and explore how you can infuse your holiday season with brilliance and eco-conscious charm!
Our Top Picks
Best Overall
- Trusted supplier
- Readily available
- High-efficiency solar panels
- 25-year warranty
Best Value
- Great price
- Trusted supplier
- Very durable
- 25-year warranty
Best White Lights
- Foldable and seamless
- 1-Year warranty
- High-efficiency solar panel
- Includes case
What Makes a Good Solar Christmas Light?
Obviously the look of a solar light is the key considerations when deciding which solar Christmas light is right for you. But, here are a couple extra considerations that we have detailed with each of our best solar Christmas lights listed below:
- IP Rating – IP rating is a standardized ranking of how durable your lights and light string will be. This tells you how long the lights will stand up to outdoor elements, and how waterproof the lights are. IP ratings work where the first number represents how durable to solids the lights are, and the second number represents how durable to liquids the lights are (e.g., IP 4 5). All lights on this list are outdoor and waterproof.
- String Length – Typically, longer lights are for your house. Shorter lights are for those funky details, like windows, doors, statues, bushes, or trees.
- Battery Life – Battery life is important when you are using a solar light as only a few come with the option to charge the battery from USB. So consider whether you don’t get a lot of sun most days, or if it’s a must that your lights last into the late hours of the morning.
- Display Modes – All of our favorites came with 8 display options. Some of these varied but the classics are solid (always on), wave (a sequential and off pattern that looks like a wave), twinkle (that glimmering look like snow in sun), and combination (a bit of everything).
- Color Options – We have included a variety of solar Christmas lights that cover color, white, and yellow options. But, we also included some different patterns. One thing folks often look at is the color of the bulbs, but also keep in mind the color of the cords if you are going for a specific look.
Our Top Solar Christmas Lights
Length: 45.9 ft | Type: Outdoor | Pack Size: 2-Pack | Battery: 10 to 14 hours
These lights are bright!
With clear waterproof wiring, they also blend nicely into everything from trees to houses to lawn decorations. They have a great battery on a full charge, lasting 10 to 14 hours.
They also come with 8 display modes including solid, wave, combination, flash, slow-fade, twinkle, slo-glo, and combination. Lights will turn on and off automatically based on how much sun they are detecting.
The only negative for these lights is that there is a switch to turn on solar charging. This really isn’t a negative at all once you know it’s there, but it can be a little confusing if you set them up and they don’t turn on the first day.
- 45.9 ft length (6.5 ft lead wire)
- 3.94 inch bulb spacing
- 10 to 14 hour battery
- Outdoor/Indoor
- IP 44 Waterproofing
- LED
- Multi-colored
- 2-Pack
- 120 bulbs
Pros
- Great brightness
- Great battery capacity
- Good value
- Waterproof outdoor
- Multiple display modes
- Good replacement policy
- Clear wiring
Cons
- Confusing on-switch
Final Verdict
Great brightness for a great value! The Dazzle Bright 2-Pack LED Solar Christmas lights are easy to set-up, have great battery life, and come with clear wiring that blend into whatever you put them on.
Length: 39 ft / 72 ft / 105 ft | Type: Outdoor | Pack Size: 2-Pack | Battery: 8 hours
These lights are great value. Not only are they a 2-pack, but they are longer than a majority of other light strings in there price range. If you feel like the 72 ft is too long or short, then these lights also come in 39 ft and 105 ft options.
These lights kind of have an old school feel in a new school technology , which I really like. They have 8 display modes to match whatever vibe your are going for, and also come in solid white or yellow options if you are going for a more subdued look.
By no means did we find these lights dim, however, they certainly aren’t as bright as the Dazzle lights that get our “Best Pick”.
- 39 ft / 72 ft / 105 ft lengths (6.5 ft lead wire)
- 8 hour battery
- Outdoor/Indoor
- IP 65 Waterproofing
- LED
- Multi-colored / White / Yellow
- 2-Pack
- 100 / 200 / 300 bulbs
Pros
- Great Value
- Comes in multiple lengths
- Waterproof outdoor
- Multiple display modes
- Good battery capacity
Cons
- Less bright vs. Dazzle
Final Verdict
What can we say. A 2-pack solar Christmas light, 39 ft, 72 ft and 105 ft options, 8 display modes, a 8-hour battery, and multiple color options, at this price, is amazing value!
Length: 75 ft | Type: Outdoor | Pack Size: 2-Pack | Battery: 6 to 8 hours
If you are going for one of those classy looks with the white lights highlighting each of your house’s peaks and edges, then we recommend these Brightown solar Christmas lights. Unlike the Joomer white option mentioned above, these lights come with a thin wiring, which gives them a more seamless uniform look.
The Brightown Christmas lights have 8 display modes including solid, waves, combination, fading, fireflies, chasing, twinkle, and slow fade. They also have automatic settings for detecting sunlight and turning them on and off. These lights also come in a 33 ft 4-pack option.
Our only negative is that the 6 to 8-hour battery, leaves a good chance that the lights will be off in the morning hours. For most folks, this might not be an issue because they will likely be in bed by this time, but if you are a late partier or an early riser then you may find this an annoyance.
- 75 ft length
- 6 to 8 hour battery
- Outdoor/Indoor
- IP 65 Waterproofing
- LED
- White
- 2-Pack
- 230 bulbs
Pros
- Bright
- Comes in multiple lengths
- Waterproof outdoor
- Multiple display modes
- Clear wiring
Cons
- No color option
- Smaller battery
Final Verdict
With the thin wiring, these white lights do a great job of nestling into bushes, and trees or blending into each corner of your house’s peaks and corners. These lights are for folks wanting that classy all-white vibe edging each detail of their elegant homes.
Length: 203 ft | Type: Outdoor | Pack Size: 1-Pack | Battery: 8 to 12 hours
If you are going for an old-school kind of vibe, then these are the solar Christmas lights for you. With their big old funky bulbs and their old-school green cord, these lights have a great retro look using modern technology… which I really love!
The Dolucky Christmas lights have 8 display modes including solid, wave, sequential, slow-go, chase twinkle, slow fade, and twinkle twinkle. They also come with a remote control, so you can turn off/on, dim, or set timing, from inside your warm cozy home instead of braving the snow.
- 203 ft length
- 8 to 12 hour battery
- Outdoor/Indoor
- IP 65 Waterproofing
- LED
- Multi-colored
- 1-Pack
- 600 bulbs
Pros
- Great brightness
- Great battery capacity
- Long length
- Waterproof outdoor
- Multiple display modes
- Good replacement policy
- Remote control
Cons
- Length may be too long
Final Verdict
These are my personal favorites… but what can I say. I’m a sucker for the retro, with a modern twist. If you are looking for a touch of the old school with modern tech, a great battery life, remote control options, and a lot of length, than this is the solar Christmas light for you.
Length: 32.9 ft | Type: Outdoor | Pack Size: 1-Pack | Battery: 8 to 10 hours
If you are looking for something with a unique and funky pattern to spice up a specific area of your Christmas decorations, or to stand apart from the neighbors, then these might be the solar lights for you.
The Brightown Snowflake lights have 8 display modes including solid, wave, combination, sequential, gradual, chasing, flow fade, and twinkle fade. They also have sensors to automatically detect the sun and turn on or off your lights.
Our only negative, is that the string is much shorter than other options. However, this is understandable for the price as the bulbs a much more detailed than average bulbs.
- 32.9 ft length
- 6 inch bulb spacing
- 8 to 10 hour battery
- Outdoor/Indoor
- IP 65 Waterproofing
- LED
- Multi-colored
- 1-Pack
- 100 bulbs
Pros
- Good brightness
- Good battery capacity
- Waterproof outdoor
- Multiple display modes
- Fun pattern
Cons
- Shorter length
Final Verdict
If you are looking for a solar Christmas light with a fun and funky pattern, then we think these are a great option. They give a little extra spice to a bush or fence that will certainly be unique in the neighborhood.
Additional Resources
Frequently asked questions on solar panels
Are solar Christmas lights worth it?
Yes. Solar Christmas lights don’t cost much more than standard lights. However, they give you a few distinct benefits:
- There is no need for extension cords because they are powered by the solar panel.
- They don’t increase your electricity bills. Now truthfully, modern LEDs don’t have big impacts on your electricity bills. But, it does add up when you think of running lights for 8 hours a night all of December.
How do solar Christmas lights work?
Solar Christmas lights have a little mini solar panel that collects energy throughout the day. This energy is stored in a rechargable battery to power your lights at night.
When night turns to day again, the process starts all over. It’s a Christmas miracle!
Do solar Christmas lights work?
Yes, solar Christmas lights work great. But, you have to remember that they need sun to charge. So Make sure to stick the little mini solar panels in a place with as much direct sunlight as possible, and point it towards the sun.
Are solar Christmas lights waterproof?
All of the recommended solar Christmas lights on this list are waterproof, so you don’t need to worry about those hefty winter snow or rain storms.
Do solar Christmas lights work in winter?
It depends on where you are in the world. If you live in northern Canada, where the sun only rises for an hour or two a day during December, than you might have trouble getting enough sun for a good charge.
However, if you live in an area that gets 8 hours of sun per day during December, than you should be just fine.
Just make sure to put the little mini solar panel facing the sun, in a good location with as little shade as possible, and to clear it of snow every once in a while.
Where to buy solar Christmas lights?
Convenient links to online suppliers have been included for each of the solar Christmas lights recommended in this article.
Feel free to click them and get them conveniently shipped straight to your house, just in time for the holidays.