The pressure to have the neighborhood’s best holiday light display is real. But what’s even more daunting is the electric bill you’re left with after setting up all of those string lights.
Solar-powered Christmas lights are the perfect way to ensure you have the best holiday decorations on the block without causing your electric bill to skyrocket.
Clark Griswold’s electric meter after plugging in his unforgettable holiday display in the movie, Christmas Vacation. Image source: Giphy
*Note: This is an unbiased review: we have no financial ties with any of the companies mentioned, nor do we earn money from affiliate advertising. The content of this blog is based on research and information available at the time of writing.
Why choose solar Christmas lights?
Low-cost
The biggest advantage of using solar-powered Christmas lights as opposed to traditional lights is that they won’t run up your electric bill. Solar-powered lights come with a small solar panel (and an even smaller price tag) that charges a battery that will power your lights long after the sun goes down. 
No outlets required
Solar Christmas lights are powered by the sun, meaning there is no need for outlets. You will have so much more freedom to arrange the display exactly the way you want it, without using energy from your home.
No fussing with cords
No need to untangle the extension cords this year! Solar-powered Christmas lights are excellent for decorating everything from your porch, to your fence, to turning the spruce in your front yard into a perfectly-lit Christmas tree. Simply hang up the lights, place the panels in the sun, and your work is done.
No cords means they’re much safer, too. They’re less of a fire hazard because you can’t string solar lights together. You also won’t have to worry about the danger of overloading extension cords.
Better for the environment
No one wants coal for Christmas, so why would you want to use it to power your holiday display? Unlike traditional Christmas lights, solar lights run on 100% clean energy. You can rest easy knowing your light displays are being powered by solar instead of dirty fossil fuels.
Solar-powered laser light projectors
Many homeowners have made the switch to laser light projectors instead of hanging up traditional Christmas lights. Setting up a projector takes less than 10 minutes and uses much less electricity than traditional string lights.
Thanks to Lasers and Lights’ solar-powered laser light projector, you can enjoy the simplicity of a festive holiday display without using electricity from your home – which makes setting up the projector even easier. It’s powered by a solar panel located above the projector, which also charges two lithium ion batteries.
With fully-charged batteries, the green laser can remain on for 8 hours and the red laser can remain on for 8.5 hours. If you choose to have both lasers on, a full charge will run the lasers for 4-6 hours. The projector can be put on an automatic timer of 4 hours on, and 20 hours off. Not only that, the projector will cover up to a 3,000 square-foot area.
Solar-powered string lights
Solar-powered outdoor string lights are perfect for achieving that classic holiday look. OutdoorSolarStore.com offers warm white solar Christmas lights that can be purchased in strings of 50, 100, or 200, depending on how long you need them.
The solar panel charges a rechargeable AA battery (included with purchase) and the lights can stay on for 8 hours on a full charge. No cord or outlets necessary!
MagicLux Tech also offers solar string lights that come in bright white and multi-colored varieties. Each strand is 72 feet long with 200 individual LED lights attached.
Once the lights are hung, place the solar panel in an area that receives lots of sunlight. The panel will charge a battery that will, in turn, power the lights. It will take approximately 6 hours of sunlight to fully charge. On a full charge, the lights will remain on between 8-12 hours.
Solar-powered fairy lights
Koopower’s solar-powered fairy lights are another great option for decorating your home this holiday season. The LED lights are on on a copper wire, making them easy to bend into shapes, which is useful if you want to use the lights to spell out words! 
Each of the solar fairy lights’ strands comes with a solar panel that charges a nickel-metal hydride battery. With a full charge, these lights can run for upwards of 8 hours. What’s great about them is that they can also be used throughout the year as soft outdoor lighting.
Solar-powered icicle lights
Another popular solar light alternative are icicle lights. The solar icicle string lights from SUPSOO are sure to spruce up your solar Christmas display. 
These lights, like all the others, include a solar panel that needs to be placed in sunlight in order to charge the battery. These solar Christmas lights automatically turn on at night, meaning once you hang them up, you can forget about them! It takes about 6 hours for the lights to charge and will last for about 8 hours.
Another variation of these pretty light displays are VMANOO’s LED solar icicle tube lights. These icicle lights are encased in tubes, which give a different look than string lights. Each strand comes with 8 tubes and 36 LED lights inside each tube. 
Each string comes with a high-efficiency solar panel that charges a built-in battery. A fully-charged battery will keep these lights on for up to 12 hours!
These solar Christmas lights have a “falling water effect” which will really bring your light display to life. They come in multiple colors and are perfect decorations to keep up all winter long!
Solar-powered Christmas decorations
There are a ton of solar decorations that go beyond strand lights. For example, you can add some festive light-up Christmas deer lawn decorations that are, you guessed it, powered by solar! Each deer comes with its own solar panel that lights up the wreath around its neck. 
You can also add some cheery lighting along your walkways. By installing holiday solar yard stakes from Oriental Trading, you’ll feel like you’re walking right up to Santa’s workshop! 
The outdoor stake lights have a solar panel built into the top, which charges during the day and automatically turns on at night. No batteries, no cord, no problem!
Whether decorating for Christmas simply isn’t for you, or you want some decorations that can stay out long after the holiday season, solar-powered LED snowman garden stakes are just what you need.
The stakes come with a solar panel built onto each that charges a battery during the day and powers the snowmen and snowflakes at night. When fully charged, these snowmen will stay lit for up to 8 hours.
The solar panel cells automatically turn the LED lights on at night and off during the day. They’re the perfect winter decoration for your lawn, walkway, or even your home garden!
Solar Christmas lights are sure to brighten your holiday
Solar Christmas lights allow you to decorate your home for the holidays without having to worry about spending extra money on your electric bill. Instead, you can put that extra money towards making sure your loved ones receive everything on their list.
If you’re still having trouble finding the perfect gifts, check out our solar gift guide! It covers solar-powered gadgets that are cool, useful, and powered by clean energy.
Put on an excellent holiday light display without breaking the bank by using solar Christmas lights. If you want to save with solar all year long, consider installing a solar panel system on your home. Check out our solar panel calculator to see how much solar could save you!