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The best solar-powered Christmas lights have all the illumination and wire length you need while providing ample solar energy to power them. While you might find a color you like, the brand might not have the support to run them all night. With so many colors, designs, and technical aspects, choosing the right pack can prove challenging.
We’ve reviewed several brands to bring you the best holiday decorations for any situation. Whether you’re looking to light up your whole yard or stick out from the crowd, we’ve got you covered. Continue reading to learn more about these festive string lights.
- Best Overall: SANJICHA Solar String Lights
- Best Alternative: Toodour Solar Christmas Lights
- Best for Brightness: Albeit Solar String Lights
- Best Icicle Lights: Brightown Meteor Shower Lights
- Best Retro Lights: Huacenmy Solar Christmas Lights
Best Overall: SANJICHA Solar String Lights
- 【New Upgraded Solar String Lights Outdoor】: Super Bright 2-Pack Each 72ft 200 LEDs String Lights with Upgraded LED Bulbs, Higher Conversion with Larger Size Solar Panel, Larger Capacity...
- 【Widely Used Solar Lights Outdoor Decorative】: This starbright solar lights is a great choice for Outdoor Decorations, Patio, Garden, Yard, Porch, Roof, Tree, Wedding, Christmas, Party, Fence,...
- 【Quick Charging Technology & Energy-Saving & High Efficiency】: This outdoor string lights charging by solar energy, have no extra utility electric cost, and no need to replace the battery. it can...
- 【8 Lighting Modes & Memory Function & Auto On/Off】: These solar twinkle lights have the On/Off button and mode button. You can select 8 different modes to satisfy your diverse needs by pressing...
- *NOTES* : 1. Please power ON first before charging, and it will be charged automatically. 2. Be sure the solar panel is in a sunny location – not in a shady area – and the solar panel faces the...
For brightening up your house this holiday season, SANJICHA provides some of the best solar-powered Christmas lights out there. These string lights come with the length you need to wrap the trees in your yard, the contour of your roof, or anything else you might like to decorate. With plenty of bulbs and a variety of colors to choose from, it’s hard to beat this deal.
What we love the most about SANJICHA Solar String Lights is their solar storage. The package comes with two solar panels that attach to stakes, so you can set them up anywhere you need power. These panels are the largest on the market and charge a lithium-ion battery up to 1800mAh. With these lights, you can expect them to last throughout the night. You can find the SANJICHA solar string lights in a pack of two for under $16.
Check out SANJICHA Solar String Lights on Amazon.
Best Alternative: Toodour Solar Christmas Lights
- Solar Powered & Auto On/Off: Solar energy supply, no extra utility electric cost, and no need to replace the battery. Light sensor controls the solar Christmas lights charging at daytime and auto on...
- 2 Switches & 8 Different Modes: This outdoor solar lights have On/Off button and Mode button, press mode button selects 8 different modes to satisfy your diverse needs.
- Waterproof & Memory Function: The solar outdoor string lights can withstand all kind of weather(IP65), including heavy rain and snow, perfect for indoor and outdoor decorations. Build in Memory chip...
- Easy to Install and Operation: Solar panel with ground stake, 72ft long string is perfect for wrapping around a tree or wherever you like to light up your garden, patio, lawn, porch, gate, yard, etc....
- Widely Application: The solar fairy lights is a great choice for garden patio decorations, wedding, holiday, garden, yard, lawn, fence, porch, roof, deck and so on.
While our best overall comes with everything you could ask for at an affordable price, these Toodour Solar Christmas Lights take it one step further. While they have the same length and amount of bulbs, this brand comes with a history of quality. Customers have mentioned that their Toodour lights have lasted for over 5 years without issues. To some, that longevity is worth the extra dollars.
Although our best alternative has a smaller battery, it has space for up to two more. This gives it one of the largest power banks on the market. If you live in an area where sunlight is scarce, having that extra storage will keep your lights running longer. Choose up to seven different colors, including multi-color, for about $25.
Check out Toodour Solar Christmas Lights on Amazon.
Best for Brightness: Albeit Solar String Lights
- 【2022 New Upgraded 2-Pack Each 72FT 200 LED Solar Outdoor String Lights】: Super Bright with Bigger Lamp Beads, Extra-Long (2-Pack Total 144FT), Unique 8 Lighting Modes & Memory Function & Auto...
- 【Built-in 1800MAH Super Larger Capacity Battery and Bigger Size Solar Panel】: This solar outdoor lights upgraded battery 600MAH to 1800MAH, so that have longer working time and more durable.
- 【Energy-Saving & High Efficiency & IP65 Waterproof Performance】: This outdoor string lights charging by solar energy, have no extra utility electric cost, and no need to replace the battery. It...
- 【8 Lighting Modes & Memory Function】: These twinkle lights have the ON/OFF button and mode button. There are 8 different modes for your different situation. And it has memory and will keep the...
- *NOTES*: 1. Please power ON first before charging, and it will charge at daytime and light on at dawn automatically. 2. Be sure the solar panel is in a sunny location – not in a shady area – and...
If you think traditional holiday decorations are too dim, Albeit has some of the best solar-powered Christmas lights for brightness. This company uses larger, high-quality LED chips for better connections and more illumination. Upgraded just last year, you can expect these string lights to last.
Because of their larger chips, Albeit needed to provide a little more power. These holiday string lights come with a large, yard solar panel and a 1800mAh battery for optimal power and capacity. These specs would set them up as one of the nicest on the market, but Albeit’s lack of colors makes them more of a niche purchase. You can find these solar string lights on amazon for about $20.
Check out Albeit Solar String Lights on Amazon.
Best Icicle Lights: Brightown Meteor Shower Lights
- Unique Design: 31.2 feet with 10 pieces 12 inches tubes, 180 LED meteor shower effect with Romantic Aesthetic, the light of every tube turns on and out one by one in sequence and quickly just like...
- IP65 Waterproof: The meteor shower lights outdoor are made of strong and flexible rubber strands with shatterproof LED plastic tubes that are sturdier than traditional glass material. More...
- Energy Saving: Free from the public electricity supply, no extra utility electric cost, and no need replacing the battery of the meteor christmas lights, 0.06W lower wattage 15000H lifespan LED bead,...
- Installed in 2 ways: 1)Wall Mounting: the solar panel can be wall mounted with the included screws,135 degree for max direct sunshine receiving. Just switch on the LED icicle string lights,and it will...
- Available Occasions: This meteor icicle lights can be easily hung with hooks or cable ties, fantastic for the house, villa, window, table, garden, balcony, gazebo, porch, hallway, corridor, fence,...
Maybe you already have string lights, but this year is the year you take it to the next level. These meteor shower lights from Brightown will make any display stand out. And unlike other high-resolution Christmas lights, these use solar energy to help you save on electricity.
Instead of individual bulbs, Brightown presents its lights in the form of tubes. On about 30 feet of wire, 10 tubes with 18 LEDs each hang down to represent icicles. Keep in mind that if you’re looking to line the contour of your roof in these, you might need multiple packages. You can purchase these meteor shower lights on Amazon for under $30.
Check out Brightown Meteor Shower Lights on Amazon.
Best Retro Lights: Huacenmy Solar Christmas Lights
- 50 LED multicolor Christmas lights. Total length: 21ft, lead wire length: 3.2ft, space between LEDs: 4 inch
- Diamond strawberry shaped LED string lights, C6 bulbs Christmas lights to create a festival and a romantic atmosphere
- Function: 8 Modes(combination, in wave, sequential, slo glo, chasing/flash, slow fade, twinkle/flash, and steady on). Press the button on the solar panel to switch the lights on and choose light modes...
- Solar powered waterproof outdoor garden lights. Eco-friendly, convenient to move. Suit for indoor and outdoor, Christmas party, night party, birthday party, stage, Christmas trees, courtyard, garden,...
- You can buy this decor lights with confidence. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us
Dating back nearly a century, Christmas lights used to feature decorative glass bulbs. In homage to the traditional holiday style, you can pick up these strawberry string lights from Huacenmy. But you won’t have to worry about a massive electric bill; while they look retro, these ornaments use updated LED chips and a good-sized solar panel to reduce their power requirements.
This pack features 50 2-inch bulbs spread across 21 feet. This makes them perfect for decorating smaller trees or bushes in your yard. However, if you’d like to line your how with them, you’ll have to purchase multiple sets. These retro solar-powered Christmas lights come in multi-color for a price of just over $20.
Check out Huacenmy Solar Christmas Lights on Amazon.
How to Pick the Best Solar-Powered Christmas Lights
When choosing the right solar-powered Christmas lights for this holiday season, there are four main considerations.
- Length and lights
- Battery and solar panel
- Colors
- Price
Let’s review each one in more detail.
Length and Lights
The first consideration when looking at different packs of solar-powered lights is their length and light count. Most standard packs come in 72 feet with 200 lights, but some will come shorter or with less. You’ll have to decide what you want to decorate before you look at lengths; smaller features like bushes and tree trunks won’t require as many lights, but lining your entire house will take more.
Battery and Solar Panel
Using the best solar-powered Christmas lights come with advantages; not only will you save money on your electric bill, but you can place them just about anywhere you need them without using an extension cord.
However, it’s important to understand that not every solar panel is built the same. Even though your lights might run on solar energy, they could run out after a few hours. To facilitate this, look for brands that promote the size of their panels. A good panel size is 3.0 inches squared or larger.
Additionally, take care to look at the battery size. Small batteries, even when fully charged, will only provide a few hours of power. When looking at different string lights, 1800mAh is the industry standard.
Colors
It doesn’t matter if a company sells the right amount of length or a quality solar system if they don’t have the colors you’re looking for. While purchasing Christmas lights, take a look at the varieties; most brands sell cool and warm lights, but their variety of colors beyond that can greatly differ.
Price
Purchasing Christmas lights can be a little tricky; sting light brands use a variety of methods to draw you into their products. Before you get wrapped up in paying more for your Christmas decorations than you need to, it’s important to know that a standard 72ft/200-light pack runs for about 7-15 dollars.
The price of lights starts to rise drastically beyond the standard bulb style. Decorations such as icicles or retro lights can cost twice as much or more for the same amount of illumination. When getting creative with your holiday designs, prepare to expand your budget.
What to Know Before Buying Solar-Powered Christmas Lights
For your solar-powered Christmas lights to work as you expect, it’s important to know how your solar panel works. This is especially critical in the winter when the days get shorter.
To set up your panels, make sure they are not under any trees or other obstructions. Any amount of shade will drastically reduce the amount of energy they absorb. Ideally, set your panel to upwardly face the equator line. For those in the continental U.S., this would suggest angling it to face the South.
Another aspect to consider is how much you use your lights. If clouds obstruct the sun on a particular day, consider not using your lights all night to conserve battery power. If you absolutely must use your decorations, however, most solar-powered Christmas lights run on standard AA batteries that you can replace.
Using Solar-Powered Christmas Lights: What It’s Like
When testing the best solar-powered Christmas lights on the market, users first compared the luminosity of each pack. The standard string lights all provided excellent lighting, with the Albeit brand standing out with its large bulbs. However, they only come in two colors, limiting them to only certain designs.
When used extensively, it’s understandable why SANJICHA is the top choice; its comparatively large solar panel keeps the lights running all night, significantly longer than most. Still, each option provides plenty of power and an acceptable solar panel for charging.
According to users, the decorative LEDs were fun to use, albeit limited to small-scale designs. Because of their short length, they had to be used close to the ground or with an extension for them to reach the panel. In most cases, our top choice was easy to work with in most situations.
Best Solar-Powered Christmas Lights: Further Reading
Save money on your electric bill this holiday season with the best solar-powered Christmas lights. With updated LED technology and plenty of designs, you’ll be happy to decorate with these festive packs. Check out the articles below for more solar-powered technology that would make a great gift for friends and family.
- The 5 Best Solar Lanterns for the Modern Camper – Always have light when you need it with these solar-powered lanterns.
- The 6 Best Solar-Powered Battery Packs You Can Buy Today – When you rely on your electronic devices when you’re out of the home or office, these solar battery packs will always have the power you need.
- Can Sono Motors Make Good on Its Affordable Solar-Electric Sion EV? – With electric vehicles dominating transportation, this company is working toward a solar alternative.
- 7 Solar-Powered EVs You Can Buy Today – It’s no surprise that automakers are working on solar-powered electric vehicles. Here are the industry leaders that are ahead of the pack.
