14 best Christmas lights for your tree and outdoors 2023
Transform your home – inside and out – with our picks for the most festive, innovative and unique Christmas lighting options.
These products are hand-picked by our team to help make shopping easier. We may receive payments from third parties for sharing this content and when you purchase through links in this article. Product prices and offer details are not assured, and should be confirmed independently with the retailer. Learn more
Transform your home – inside and out – with our picks for the most festive, innovative and unique Christmas lighting options.
Before you get going on your Christmas shopping list, you need to get your house and tree properly dressed first.
Whether your tree’s classic string of lights are on its last legs, or you’re just looking for some lighting options with a bit more oomph – we’ve rounded up our picks of the best outdoor and indoor Christmas lights to get you excited for the silly season, including the best-selling Twinkle Star 200 LED 66 FT Copper String Lights that have over 13,000 five-star reviews. Shoppers say they’re “absolutely gorgeous” and “are super bright and perfect for livening your place.” Other have said the lights are “unbelievable value”.
RELATED: Best fake Christmas trees to buy this year
From smart lighting options you can control via your phone or voice assistant, to the laser projector that can be set up in seconds, to the tried and true classics – there’s something for every Christmas decorator.
HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS
Our team of experienced writers spend hours researching products to include in articles. We find out what factors make a good product by talking to experts, reviewing test results and analysing thousands of customer reviews.
OUR TOP PICKS
In this article
- Where does the tradition of hanging lights at Christmas originate from?
- Where does the name ‘Boxing Day’ originate?
BEST OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
SOCO Outdoor Solar Powered LED Christmas String Lights, $14.83 at Amazon Australia
What You Should Know
Each bulb in these tubes turns on and off in sequence, adding interest and a fullness of light to trees, awnings and fences. Waterproof and solar-powered, six hours of daylight will give you more than eight hours of power – an Amazon reviewer reported that “when I came out for work this morning they were still going!”.
Each string comes with eight tubes, but at the low price they’re going for, no doubt you’ll be happy to buy in bulk to ensure every inch of your home’s facade is covered with them.
These lights are sitting at 4.1 stars on Amazon with one five-star review saying, “ I am totally enjoying these lights as are my neighbours. The description says they work eight to 10 hours but I have gotten at least 13 hours every night.”
“The lights are awesome! They go on at dusk and stay brightly lit until the sun comes up. They have consistently run every night for the past two months,” said another happy customer. Most reviews rave about the quality with another five-star review saying, “I love these lights and compared to solar lights I have had before these are great quality.”
Boricalat Disco Lights, $29.99 (down from $59.99) at Amazon Australia
What You Should Know
If the thought of untangling and stringing up hundreds of metres of fairy lights makes you feel a little Grinch-like, this laser light will be your new best friend. Simply plug it in, point it in the right direction, and just like that you’ll have over a thousand glimmering lights covering your home.
It is rated Amazon’s Choice for strobe light and has over 1600 five-star reviews.
“I am super impressed by this little disco light! It is small, lightweight, and SUPER BRIGHT! It comes with a very long cord which is really convenient. Excellent value for money!,” wrote one five-star review.
Red & White Stripe LED Candy Cane Solar Powered Path Lights, $29.95 at Christmas Warehouse
What You Should Know
So often we concentrate on decking out our gutters, windows and trees, while forgetting the lawn. We suggest you add to your kerb appeal this Christmas with this pack of LED candy cane lights. Best of all, mounted on stakes, setting up and dismantling is an absolute cinch.
Ankway 200 LED Solar String Lights, $18.90 at Amazon Australia
What You Should Know
This dainty string of golden lights is made from high quality copper, meaning you can bend it to any shape your heart desires. Both waterproof and solar-powered, it’s ideal for the Aussie summer, and the eight lighting modes allow for versatility from twinkling to flashing.
Furthermore, with over 2287 five-star reviews, you can feel confident about throwing away the receipt. “Considering the size of each individual globe they put on a lovely display. They were easy to set up and use. They come on at dark and don’t turn off till about 6am in the morning they definitely shine brightly all night,” said one five-star review.
If you’re after something a little bit special then these are the ones. One five-star review said, “The wee bulbs look a little more “magical” than normal size Twinkie lights.”
Jingle Jollys Christmas Motif Waterfall String 720 LED Fairy Lights, $129.95 at Crazy Sales
What You Should Know
This Christmas light ornament consists of 720 warm-coloured LED bulbs, hanging from a rust-resistant hoop – the ultimate for anyone who is short on time and still wants to make a high visual impact. Know that you’ll make returns on your investment for many Christmases to come, as these bulbs have life expectancies averaging 25,000 hours.
Our favourite feature? Not season-specific, you’ll be able to break this lighting out whenever you entertain throughout the year.
HISEN Set of 3 Moving Head Reindeer Family, $149 at Amazon Australia
What You Should Know
Make yours the yard that passers-by stop to gawk at with this motorised reindeer family decoration. The stag and doe move their heads to capture attention, with the golden rope light standing out against any backdrop. There’s a seven metre cable so you can easily reach an outlet, for convenience.
Yotozu Solar Firework Light, $26.98 at Amazon Australia
What You Should Know
Arguably the most “fun” lights on the list, these lights are designed to look like fireworks. Crafted from copper wires, the lights are flexible meaning you can create your own shapes such as flowers, hearts or spirals. You can choose between flashing or constant lights as well.
These lights currently have over 1240 five-star reviews so you know they are well-loved. Customers love how well they work in their gardens. “Love these so much I bought another set! Perfect to add a bit of ambience to my yard,” said one five-star review. Another wrote, “Love these so much I bought another set! Perfect to add a bit of ambience to my yard.”
BEST SMART CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Twinkly Smart Icicle Lights 190 RGBW LEDs, $169 at Amazon Australia
What You Should Know
Sure, smart lights aren’t the cheapest option, but the convenience they offer is unmatched – especially if you’re serious about your Christmas decorating. Control them via the phone app or your voice assistant – in this case, you can map out the icicle-style lights to control each individual LED light and create zones, unique effects, gradients and colour animations. They’re safe for indoor and outdoor use.
Twinkly Smart String Lights 250 RGB LEDs, $179.99 at Myer
What You Should Know
These smart string lights from Twinkly offer 20 metres of colourful lighting. Like the icicles, you can easily control them via your phone or voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to create bespoke lighting design around the house and on the tree. Create any colour and any design – the power is yours.
Reviews rave about how much they love these lights. One five-star review says, “This has got to be one of the best Christmas lights out there. Very bright lights. Loads of colours and patterns.” Another remarks “Absolutely love our Twinkly Lights. We bought a few more sets to decorate our house. Love the effects and that they react to music with the dongle. We received so many compliments about the lights, everyone loved them!:
Popotan Outdoor String Lights, $93.74 at Amazon Australia
What You Should Know
These phone-controlled Christmas lights aren’t quite as customisable as Twinkly – you can’t control individual LEDs, but rather the string as a whole. That said, they’re a great alternative. Weatherproof, you can opt to purchase a second for your outdoors. Just have a teeny tree? Buy lengths from two to 20 metres through the link.
“These Popotan Smart String Lights are perfect. They’re functional for both indoor and outdoor use and have a multitude of settings for colours, patterns, speed and brightness. You can control the lights using the remote control (included), the control panel on the plug, or by downloading the Popotan app for your phone or tablet. Downloading the app also allows you to sync music up to them as well.” wrote one five-star review.
BEST INDOOR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Twinkle Star 200 LED 66 FT Copper String Lights, $14.83 at Amazon Australia
What You Should Know
Providing a soft warm glow, these LED lights are perfect for adding a little bit of ambience to a room. The bendable copper wire are ideal for shaping whether it be around the tree or stairwell. The lights have eight settings including flashing, twinkling and slow fade. Powered by a USB, there is no need to worry about swapping out the batteries. Instead, simply plug it in and you’re good to go. They also feature a timer so you can put them on and off exactly when you want.
These Christmas lights have almost 13,000 five-star reviews so you know they’re going to be good. “Unbelievable value, bright, neat and no fuss remote. Lovely warm white,” wrote one five-star review. Another wrote, “The light is a warm white, NOT a bright glaring LED that hurts your eyes to look at. These lights provide a soft glow, and you can adjust the brightness if you’d like.”
300 Warm Colour Multi-Func Plastic Tub, $99.99 at Myer
What You Shhould Know
If you’re looking for a classic string of lights to form the base of your tree decor, you needn’t look further than this string of warm coloured LED lights from Myer. With a subtle, warm glow, these lights also come with a perfectly sized box for storage purposes. Say goodbye to tangles.
Take it from users themselves, who have left reviews such as, “We love the light and colours. It’s been just perfect for our Christmas tree both day and night.” Another five-star review remarked, “They had a great bright colour and are doing really well wrapped around our column outside.”
USB Curtain Lights, $39.99 at Cotton On
What You Should Know
300 centimetres long, these curtain lights from Cotton On are perfect for stringing across your windows so you can enjoy them from the inside and passers-by can view their glow from outside. USB-powered, they can be charged up so you don’t need to buy batteries, and you can set them to have a pretty waterfall effect.
Customers love how these lights “instantly brighten a room”.
“Easy to use and instantly lifts a room. Gives off a lovely light- beautiful when draped over bedhead, a window or a plain mirror- what a difference!,” said one five-star review. Another wrote, “These were bought for Christmas for my daughter to put at the foot end of her four poster bed. They are the perfect size to hang across the double size bed. Cascading looks amazing.”
WHERE DOES THE TRADITION OF HANGING LIGHTS AT CHRISTMAS ORIGINATE FROM?
The earliest decorating of homes with light in association with Christmas is attributed to 17th century Germany – also where the modern Christmas tree tradition is said to have originated – when Germans would attach lit candles to tree branches and to window sills, to indicate their Christian faith. In the centuries that followed, the tradition swept first Eastern Europe, then England – to finally, the United States, where in the 1950s, Christmas lights spread from Christmas trees to the extravagant outdoor displays many around the world set up and admire today.
WHERE DOES THE NAME ‘BOXING DAY’ ORIGINATE?
There are two widely-accepted theories as to where the term ‘Boxing Day’ originates from: the first, is that it started in the 1800s, when the affluent would give their servants the day off after Christmas festivities, often sending them away with a box of small gifts and leftover food. The second is that like the holiday it succeeds, Boxing Day has its origins in Christianity, and references the almsgiving plate passed around church services, the contributions of which were handed out on the feast of St Stephen’s – December 26.
More Christmas coverage
Best Christmas tree decorations
More Coverage
Keen to save your hard-earned cash? Make sure you see the news.com.au Coupons page before you finalise your purchase.
We also recommend signing up to our shopping newsletter to get all the best deals, shopping tips and guides delivered to your inbox every single week.
’Best air fryer’ for Xmas down to just $79
Sort out your last minute Christmas gifting with this “amazing” mini air fryer that’s currently 47 per cent off – and you can still get it delivered in time.
‘Fantastic’ sellout Amazon advent calendar in stock
Offering $500 worth of hot beauty picks for just $100, the once sold out Amazon advent calendar is back for a very limited time.
‘Sexy’ annual Firefighter calendar sparks frenzy
The annual Firefighter calendar is back for another year and shoppers are flocking to their hands on the “hot blokes”.
30% off ‘delicious’ Lindt advent calendar
Named the “best advent calendar”, this super affordable Christmas pressie is perfect for chocolate lovers. Get in quick before it sells out!