13 Best Outdoor Christmas Lights for a Magical Display

Add a little holiday magic to your outdoor display with this pair of glowing starburst spheres. Each one is wrapped in warm white LED fairy lights that give off a soft, welcoming shine—perfect for your doorway, porch, or any cozy corner outside. With steady and twinkle modes and a built-in timer, they’ll easily make your house the star of the block.

Let it snow with these bright LED folding snowflakes, available in cool white, warm white, and multiple sizes to fit any space. With pre-attached LED bulbs and a sturdy polypropylene frame, these stunning snowflakes are ready to shine, season after season. Hang a single snowflake for a simple, elegant look, or mix different sizes and colors together to create the perfect “wintery mix” along your porch or entryway.

Give your yard a show-stopping glow with this waterfall of warm white string lights, complete with a dazzling 12-inch star topper. The 320 LEDs cascade down nine strands to create a beautiful draped effect, and with eight lighting modes, you can switch from subtle sparkle to full-on festive in seconds. They’re easy to hang and work on trees from 8 to 13 feet tall.

This waterproof LED light string lets you customize your own light show and choose from millions of colors through the coordinating app. With so many options, you’ll be tempted to leave the lights up year round…or at least through January. 

“The lights can be anything from a warm and cozy white to bold and wild party colors,” wrote one enthusiastic Amazon reviewer. “Using the Twinkly app, you can control every individual LED, creating patterns, animations, and color schemes exactly how you want. You can even map the lights to match the shape of your tree or outdoor setup. How cool is that?” Wanna see them in action? Check out Drew’s display from last year! 

No batteries or electrical outlets are necessary with these solar Christmas lights, which can last for 10 to 14 hours depending on the weather. It also comes with eight different modes, from “twinkle” to “steady on,” so you can create whatever winter wonderland works best for you. 

“These lights were easy to set up and they look great,” reads one five-star customer review. “They can be easily seen at night from a distance… So far they’ve lasted through several days of rain with no issue. And the price is very affordable.”

If you prefer the glow of white twinkly bulbs over multi-color options, these outdoor LED Christmas lights are pretty dazzling. Even better, they are Energy Star-certified and come with a three-year seasonal warranty.

“I like the warm light these produce, and lack of flicker which is common in cheaper lights,” writes one reviewer. “Also, the gap between bulbs is only 8 inches, tighter than many other products.” 

Net lights are the easiest way to make trees or shrubs around your yard look very merry indeed. This happy customer agrees, writing in their review, “They are just what I wanted. The colors are beautiful and bright. They are going to look festive on my shrubbery this Christmas. I highly recommend this product. The price is a great bargain.”

Twinkling snowflakes are a magical way to complement the rest of your holiday display. These indoor/outdoor string lights would look best in your window or hanging from a front porch, fence, or balcony. Some reviewers noted that the set arrived tangled but, as one customer said, “once untangled they look stunning.”

Sometimes, you just need to go with a classic. These warm white LED string lights, which have a green cord that’ll blend in with any trees or garland, are as traditional as they come. One customer wrote that it’s a “great product and tends to keep the same color of LEDs across the years.”

Help light Santa’s path by hanging these icicles from your front porch, roof, or balcony. You may need to buy a few strands to cover the whole space, depending on the size, but up to 31 strings can be connected. 

“These are perfect,” reads one five-star review. “Easy to hang and connected five strands to one another. We’ve received compliments from our neighbors and comments about not seeing anything like these before.”

Battery-operated outdoor Christmas lights, especially LED ones, can be safer than plug-in options and don’t have to rely on good weather as much as solar-powered strands. These also come with a timer function for extra peace of mind.

“These are the best battery operated lights I have purchased,” shares one pleased customer. “They have a timer and by my surprise they turn on the exact time everyday and cut off six hours later… I ordered two and just purchased two more for next year. I don’t have to worry about plugging in the lights or leaving them on all night. You don’t need an outlet, just put them up, add 3 AA batteries, set the lights, and enjoy your day. I really love these.”

Can’t decide between soft white, bright white, green, multicolor, red and green, or something else entirely? You can have it all with these smart Christmas lights. It even offers hands-free voice control, so you can change to whatever setting you want through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

“I purchased these lights for my trees out front,” says one Amazon customer. “The main reason I purchased these is to only install once for the whole holiday season. It’s perfect for Halloween and Christmas! I love the different color choices! They are stunning.”

Whether you’re tired of untangling and installing a ton of Christmas lights every year or need something last minute, a projector is an easy way to stay festive without putting in the work. This snowflake lamp is also waterproof, so it’ll last even when the weather outside is frightful.

“I can’t wait until it is time to decorate for Christmas,” says one reviewer. “This is absolutely the simplest, most practical way to decorate. Just plug it in, situate it on the spot you want, and turn it on. The white snowflakes project perfectly all over the door and the whole front of the house. LOVE THIS.”