If you’re in need of lights that stand up to the elements and look super chic all year, SHINE HAI are the best outdoor Christmas lights for you.

While the price seems higher for a set than average lighting, you get 48 feet of string, each with 24 weatherproof sockets.

The set comes with 26 bulbs to start you off, but they are easily replaceable with a different design of your choosing, or when the bulbs eventually burn out.

Even though the strings are already 48 feet, they feature an end to end connection, so you can make a very long light strand that could either be layer for a multi string affect, or run together to cover a lot of space.

The durability of these was evident as they didn’t sag or fall in windy conditions.

If you live in an area where solar lights aren’t feasible, but you want something to look good and stand up to the weather, these would be a safe bet.

A lot of customers commented that while they were nice during the Christmas season, they also provided a nice ambiance year-round and opted to leave them hanging up in patio areas for a soft glow.

Combined with the fact that buyers found them to be durable and high quality, this is a light strand that would be economical for long-term or multi-year use.

Pros:
• These are commercial grade lights, so they are very durable and weatherproof
• Can interchange different bulbs with the 24 light sockets for a unique look
• Withstand windy conditions and hold up well once hung

Cons:
• You need an outlet socket to plug these into and because they are not LED, you will see a cost added to your electric bill

If you want a dramatic effect, this curtain of lights are the best Outdoor Christmas lights for you. There are 300 lights on each string that cascade down, having a waterfall effect of lights.

There are 10 strands across, but you can plug strands together to create as long of string as you want.

The LED lights are a great for those that worry about heat output because since they aren’t actual bulbs, they don’t produce heat.

So, if you end up spending a lot of time handling these strings, your hands won’t feel the worse because of it.

However, most reviewers thought that they were easy to hand since it is just a single strand to put up and then you undo the dangling lights so they are not in the way while trying to connect the main strand to your house or wall.

There are eight lighting modes to the light, so you won’t fear getting bored with your display.

If steady on gets to be too monotonous, there is the option for waves, sequential, slo-glo, flash, chasing, slow fade, a twinkle flash, or combination.

The lights are a warm white, which consumers seemed to love.

And since they are classic in color, you could even use them past the Christmas season, either continuing through winter, or even in the summer, so you get a longer use out of them.

While they lights are somewhat waterproof, they aren’t “fully” waterproof, which could be an issue for those that live in more rain prone winter areas, since for long life and function it suggests keeping the lights out of rain or dampness.

Pros:
• Can cover a bigger area with one string and provides a very dramatic back drop
• Multiple lights on a single string mean less hassle with multiple cords
• Different lightly features, so do not have to maintain single lighting affect through the season

Cons:
• Are plug in lights, so will add to the meter reading each month
• Once you commit to the full light affect, you’ll either have to be strategic in placement of the lights, or buy in to multiple packs to keep the affect continuous
• Can have an overwhelming affect if not used strategically
• Not completely waterproof

These are the best outdoor Christmas lights if you are a traditionalist when it comes to your holidays. While they are described as Christmas tree lights, they work both indoor and outdoor.

They have a super bright white light affect to give some glow to your home.

There is the option for end to end connection, so while you will need to start them out plugged in to an outlet, you can keep the effect going continuously by putting multiple strings end to end.

Each string gets you almost 23 inches of lights. Once on, they can go continuously for 90 days if you prefer not to deal with the hassle of timers, or plugging them in and out.

Some buyers found that they didn’t last quite that long, but the shortest amount of continuous use was a full month.

Because these are the more traditional glass lights, you can replace the lights if they burn out. However, they will also warm up from the heat and the glass could break if handled too heavily.

Some reviewers compromised having a classic look with the heat by laying a thin strip of aluminum foil between the lights and what they rest against.

Pros:
• Long lasting lights can get you through 3 months of holiday cheer with a single plug-in
• Can string multiple strands together for seamless length

Cons:
• Require a plug-in outlet in order to string them
• Traditional lights made of glass, so they will get warm and could break

If you light the idea of classic string lights around your house, but fear the expense of added electricity use, these Lalapao solar powered string lights are your best outdoor Christmas lights.

Since they are solar powered, there’s no need for reservations about plugging them in.

Simply put the sun sensor in a spot where it will get a fair amount of sunlight to store during the day, and they will automatically turn themselves on when it becomes dark.

They are designed to work 8 hours or more on a good charge, so if for some reason your neighbors are creeping around in the wee hours of the morning, they’ll still be able to admire your handiwork.

While solar panels are great on the environment and your bank account, if you reside in a particularly overcast area of the world, you may not get optimal results.

While the lights could still come on at night, they might not give you as much time to enjoy them.

They are a single light strand, so you do have some flexibility on how you want to hang them, whether close together or more spread apart, or even as a single line to outline a shape.

If you do require more than a single strand to decorate the are in question, you will need to be able to place the extra solar panels in high sunlight areas as well, since the strands run separately off their own panels and do not string together.

You can get the lights in either a softer yellow glow, or a clear, almost blue glow depending on preference. Both were equally favored by users and provide just a soft enough glow to add a nice ambiance to the neighborhood.

Pros:
• They are solar powered, so they won’t require paying extra on your monthly bills
• Turn off and on automatically after the sun goes down

Cons:
• They are solar powered, so if you live in a very overclouded winter location, it could be hit or miss whether these turn on at night, or stay lit

Solar lights have been becoming more and more popular in the lighting world as people not only become increasingly aware of their environmental impact, but also of their budgets.

For a while, solar lights were either smaller or they came in only white or yellow for an option.

These GDEALER LED lights are multiple colors, adding some variety to the solar lighting options available.

With these lights, if a single bulb does go out, it doesn’t affect the rest of the set.

A relief for those that remember the days when having a single light blow meant a time-consuming process to try and figure out where it all went wrong.

On these lights, there are 30 water drop lights on a single string, so they would complement an entryway or smaller accent area.

If you want to string them over longer spaces, you will have to position another sun absorbing stake where it will get equal amounts of light during the day, otherwise you may have one string lit up longer than its pair.

Because of how these water droplets fall, this string set works best hanging high and letting the lights dangle. This works well for outlining, but if you need to wrap strings around a structure, these would not have the same effect as a more traditional lighting set.

Pros:
• Solar lighting won’t hit your budget
• Option of fun colors make for a more festive display
• The price for a set is reasonable if you don’t need a large area to cover with them
• They come on automatically at night, so you don’t have to worry about all that effort of hanging them going to waste by forgetting they’re there

Cons:
• There is only 20 feet per set, so the amount of boxes needed could make these more expensive in the end
• Depending on how much sun you get, you may not get the full amount of time to admire these lights

LED’s have become a very popular option for outdoor Christmas lights, since they use less electricity, are less prone to breakage than traditional glass lights, and stay cool to the touch.

This strand combines LED lighting and improves upon traditional string lights by incorporating the lights on a copper wire.

This allows the light sets to be molded into shapes if you aren’t one for getting on a ladder, but they are also easier to work with in spreading them out in a line.

If you like to wrap your lights around fixtures, these are a great option, since the corded construction fits more securely winding around than regular lights that stick out in all directions.

The copper wire is coated in lacquer, so it will be more water resistant out in the elements.

There is also a USB plug-in option for mobile plug in options that don’t limit you to stay near an outlet.

However, you may want to have care when unraveling the rolls, since some Amazon reviews found they seemed delicate and wouldn’t use a heavy hand when stringing them up.

The lights are smaller, which reviewers liked overall, but it is a more fairy-like affect than the bigger, bolder lights, so depending on the affect you are going for, these could be just the ticket, or too dainty for large projects.

Pros:
• The plug in feature means that you don’t have to worry about having enough solar polar to keep the lights on
• Lights are on strands of copper wire, so are easily moldable and maneuver for hanging
• LED lights won’t heat up like traditional lights, so you can hang these without fearing the nearby reindeer display will catch fire

Cons:
• The lights do plug in to an outlet, so will affect electricity usage
• Have to use care when unraveling the light strings

If you are unable to plug your lights into an outlet outside, or just don’t like the thought of spending anything extra on utilities, these Lalapao battery powered lights are your best outdoor Christmas lights.

They are powered via a battery set into a waterproof control box, so as long as the batter is charged up, you get 6 continuous hours of lights.

The battery is rechargeable and the control box itself serves as a charger.

You only have to unscrew the box as a whole and plug it in to recharge via USB cable.

The control box comes with space for two batteries, but the manufacturer promises that the lights will work with only the one included.

Adding a second batter would serve to make the lights last longer without needing to be charged. With a 6 hours on, 18 hours off timer, the lights should last a full 5 day before needing to be re-charged.

The control box also allows you to set different modes for the lights, including wave, chasing, fading, and twinkling, stead on and sequential.

It also has a memory feature that can remember your preferences, so you aren’t stuck watching fading lights if that’s not your favorite feature.

The lights are the smaller LED lights, but are supposed to be brighter than their solar-powered counterparts.

While you do get 72 feet of string lights, there is no end to end option with these lights, so if you are recharging the batteries, you may want to keep multiple control boxes within easy reach so you aren’t up and down ladders at multiple spots every few days.

Pros:
• Are run on battery power, so don’t require an outlet or sunlight to work
• Battery is rechargeable
• 8 different lighting modes and a memory function that remembers modes of preference
• Rubber ring protects the control box, making the entire string water proof

Cons:
• Lights are smaller, so have a smaller affect
• Do have to re-charge the battery manually, so it would require access to the control box to take on and off