Merry and bright: these 9 sets are the best Christmas lights of the 2023 holiday season

An illustration of an illuminated branch

(Image credit: Illustrated | Schoolhouse)

published 20 November 2023

Holiday rule no. 1? It's not Christmas without Christmas lights. The minute the displays go up, the season begins in earnest. It's just the way it is. Sure, there are indoor and outdoor string lights and fixtures you can hang and enjoy 24/7, but the specific kind of holiday lights that come 'round once a year are in a league of their own.

Toss a strand around your favorite Christmas garland, or wrap some around your favorite Christmas wreaths. Pick some up while buying other holiday pieces at one of your favorite stores. Or pull off that set you've had since you were a kid that's currently collecting dust in your parent's basement.

Whatever works, just make sure you have 'em! Below, we've compiled our favorite Christmas light must-haves for the 2023 season, from where to buy Christmas decorations and what to buy lights-wise, and hope you find something you love for your (compulsory) festive decor. Sorry, we don't make the rules!

The Livingetc edit of the best Christmas lights

100ct LED Smooth Mini Christmas String Lights with Green Wire

Price: $7

Sometimes the best product is the simplest. These mini Christmas lights from Target are a comforting warm white and would work fabulously wrapped around a banister or even around your tree. For $7, buy a bunch and experiment!

Mini Textured Warm White String Light

Price: $44.95

These CB2 string lights are an elevated version of the ones from Target, complete with 60 textured plastic bulbs.

Curtain Rain String Lights

Price: $89

Especially around the holidays, curtain lights can make such excellent wall decor! Use this Pottery Barn set during a party for a festive and illuminating touch.

LED Micro String Lights

Price: $29

Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, these micro string lights can be draped, wrapped, or hung around your favorite garland.

LED Net Lights

Price: $54

The beauty of net lights is not in their shine or their glow, but in their simplicity — toss a set of these babies over a bush or shrub in your front yard and call it a (festive) day.

Solar Christmas Meteor Lights

Price: $46.99

Turn any tree into one covered in icicles (even in warmer temperatures) with meteor lights, whimsical, classy, and different than your average holiday lights all at once.

Cool White Christmas LED Dome Icicle Lights

Price: $24.98

Alternatively, if you'd like the icicle look but a bit more subtle and for, say, your front porch, a set like these from Home Depot would easily do the trick.

Rudolph Multi-Color Outdoor String Lights

Price: $50

If you're looking for a basic light strand for outside the home, try these multi-color outdoor string lights from Lights.com. Not only are they heavy-duty and weather-resistant, they also come with 10 different light effects so you can control the speed, rhythm, and sequence of the twinkling.

200LED Hanging Sphere Lights

Price: $15.97

And if the alternative Christmas lights have piqued your interest, maybe hang a few of these starbursts from the your front porch, back porch, or that large-but-underwhelming tree in your yard.

How often should I replace my Christmas lights?

LED bulb Christmas lights, which are 'ideal as they last longer, are safer since they don’t overheat, and are more commonly found nowadays,' should 'last you years,' Sheva Knopfler, decor expert and co-founder of Lights.com, tells Livingetc. 'Most LED string lights are projected to last you anywhere from 5 to 10 seasons, depending on weather conditions, usage, and storage.'

Is there a lighting hack to make hanging my lights easier?

Sheva's 'biggest tip' to 'make sure you store your Christmas lights in a safe and organized manner. Remember to label your string lights with the bulb color and string length so you can easily pick what you need each season. Wrap the cords loosely so they do not wear down and can last you longer.'

Should I hire a professional to hang my lights?

'If you are limited in mobility and resources, hiring a professional to hang your lights may be a good option for you,' Sheva says. 'Otherwise, hanging Christmas lights can be an opportunity to come together as a household to prepare for the season and start spreading the holiday cheer.'

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Brigid Kennedy is a freelance writer and former style editor for Livingetc.com, where she scoured the internet for the best and most stylish deals on home decor and more. She also served as the website's in-house sofa expert, completely revamping and reworking Livingetc's expansive sofa buying guide by interviewing a total of 17 interior designers and sofa experts at top brands like Article and Benchmade Modern; sitting on upwards of 50 sofas across both Pittsburgh and New York City; extensively polling her friends and family for their own sofa-buying anecdotes and product recommendations; and traveling to Dallas, Texas, to tour the floor of a couch factory. In total, she estimates she has spent 40+ hours (and counting!) reading, writing, and talking about couches with accredited sofa connoisseurs o then pass that knowledge on to you. She describes her personal design style as colorful and clean, and in her free time enjoys reading, watching movies, and curating impossibly niche playlists on Spotify. She recently relocated from Manhattan to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she's decorating and DIYing a new home downtown.