Comparing Our Favorite Smart Christmas Lights
Honorable Mentions
Here are some of the other smart string lights we’ve tested for this story that are still available this year.
Photograph: Nanoleaf
Nanoleaf Essentials Smart Holiday String Lights for $150: These lights work with Google Assistant, Alexa, and HomeKit, and they’re similar in look, style, and price to our top pick. The only major difference is that the cord splits in two—the idea is you start from the middle of the tree, not the bottom, and wrap one cord to the top and the other down to the bottom. It’s a little disorienting, and the cords might be more of an eyesore depending on your tree placement.
Ollny Christmas Cluster Lights for $50: If you want something a bit simpler, Ollny’s warm and welcoming Christmas lights are affordable. We tested this 49-foot light string, which has 1,000 LEDs in a lovely warm white color. They are IP44 rated and come with a handy wee remote control that makes them ideal for outside your home. You can choose from eight effects, four brightness levels, and set timers to switch them on or off automatically after several hours.
How to Use a Smart Plug With Regular Lights
If you don’t want a whole new set of Christmas lights but still want to add some smarts to your holiday decor, a smart plug can be the perfect solution. These plug into your outlet and turn the outlet smart, giving you Wi-Fi based control over it.
With smart plugs, you’ll get a simple level of control: on or off. It’s great for lights in particular, because you can leave the light technically on and the smart plug will remember what time you want it on or off. You’re able to sync it with a smart speaker too, to voice command the controls. You won’t get custom colors like you would with the true smart Christmas lights we recommend above, but if you mainly want a remote control to turn your lights on and off, these smart plugs will do the trick.
FAQs
What Makes Christmas Lights “Smart”?
Smart devices, whether they’re smart Christmas lights or smart bulbs or smart speakers, all have the ability to connect to Wi-Fi and can be controlled with an app. For smart Christmas lights, that means you can use the app to create light designs, set timers for when the lights should turn on and off, and take advantage of other features like scenes or presets, depending on the app’s features. This opens up many more lighting options with your single string of lights than a “dumb” light string that can only be set colors and offers no custom controls.
Are Smart Christmas Lights Worth It?
They’re worth it for anyone with the time to take advantage of the features, or anyone who gets frustrated trying to remember to turn their holiday lights on and off each morning and night. It will take a little more setup time than a regular set of string lights, but smart Christmas lights are a great device to make your holiday decor exactly what you want. Plus, then you can easily control the lights while you’re lying on your couch.
Are Permanent Outdoor Lights Smart Too?
The permanent outdoor lights we’ve tested have all had smart capabilities so far. Features can vary based on what brand you choose, but the concept is that you can install them once and customize your colors to use year-round from there. They are much more elaborate to install due to the permanent nature, and aren’t a fit for every kind of home. You can also get them professionally installed for you.
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