Other Christmas lights to consider
Photography: Nanoleaf
Nanoleaf Essentials Smart Christmas Light String for $100: These lights work with Google Assistant, Alexa, and HomeKit, and are similar in look, style, and price to our top pick. The only major difference is that the cord splits in two; The idea is to start from the middle of the tree, not the bottom, and wrap one cord to the top and the other to the bottom. It’s a little disorienting and the wires can be more of a nuisance depending on the location of the tree.
Ollny Christmas Lights For $56: If you want something a little simpler, Ollny’s warm and cozy Christmas lights are affordable. I tested this 49-foot string of lights, which has 1,000 LEDs in a beautiful warm white color. They are IP44 rated and come with a handy little remote control making them ideal for outside your home. You can choose from eight effects, four brightness levels, and set timers to automatically turn them on or off after several hours.
Govee Outdoor String Lights (48ft) for $49: I love the look of large bulb outdoor lights for the holidays. These Govee lights have too much space between each bulb to be the perfect outdoor Christmas light, but they are great for hanging from a fence or pergola. I like that you can combine these ropes to lengthen or shorten them, depending on your needs.
Flashing net lights for $100: These net lights work well, with a larger bulb and net style to make it easier to place them over the foliage in your garden and not lose the lights in the leaves. It’s a good size for a single hedge, but there’s no easy way to connect several of them if you have a lot of shrubs you want to cover.