Christmas lights UK: tree, window, fairy and outdoor sets

Christmas lights for the tree, windows and garden

LED strings, curtains and shapes for the tree, the window, the mantelpiece and the garden. Choose by where the lights will hang, then by power: a mains plug for long runs, batteries or solar where there is no socket. Most sets here cost between £8 and £19, and each section below points to the page that does that job.

Christmas lights: choose by where they go

Nearly all the sets here are LED strings or curtains on thin wire or cable, from 2 m to over 20 m long. The job narrows the choice faster than the bulb count, so start with where the lights will hang.

Tree lights

A tree needs length first and brightness second. The usual rule is 100 bulbs per foot of height, which makes 600 for a 6ft tree, and about 15 m of lit cable wraps one. Christmas tree lights lists the length and bulb count of each set.

Window lights

Window sets are bought by the size of the glass. Curtain lights hang in a 2 m or 3 m square of drops, and stars and snowflakes stick to the pane. A 120 cm square window needs 3.6 m for the top and both sides. See Christmas window lights.

Fairy lights

Thin-wire strings of 2 to 5 m fit a wreath, a mantelpiece or a jar, and about half of them run on batteries. They stay useful in January in bedrooms and gardens, which is why fairy lights have a page of their own.

Outdoor lights

Outside, the water rating and the power source matter more than the colour. A front door frame takes about 5 m for the top and both sides. Outdoor Christmas lights compares mains, battery and solar sets.

Light types explained: string, curtain, icicle, cluster and rope

Shops use these names loosely, so it helps to know the shapes before you read a listing.

Type	What it looks like	Usual spot
String or fairy	Bulbs spaced along one thin wire or cable	Trees, wreaths, rooms, fences
Curtain	Drops of equal length from one cable	Windows, walls, patio doors
Icicle	Drops of mixed length from one cable	Gutters, eaves, porch edges
Cluster	Many bulbs on short strands, a few centimetres apart	Trees and shrubs
Net	Bulbs in a grid on mesh	Hedges and bushes
Rope	Bulbs sealed in a flexible tube	Steps, paths, window sills

Check the title and the photos for the shape before you order: two sets sold with 200 bulbs can look very different once they are up.

Mains, battery or solar Christmas lights

Power decides where a set can go. More than half of the sets here plug into the mains and a third run on batteries, with a few on USB or solar.

Power	Works best for	Watch for
Mains plug	Trees, rooflines, long runs	The unlit lead must reach a socket
Batteries, often 3 AA	Wreaths, mantelpieces, door garlands	Batteries run down, so use a timer
USB	Window curtains, shelves, bedrooms	You need an adapter or a power bank
Solar	Garden spots that get daylight	Short winter days give a small charge

The guide to solar or battery Christmas lights covers how long batteries last and how much charge a December day gives a solar panel.

Colour, bulbs and the numbers on a listing

Nearly all the sets here use LED bulbs, which draw far less electricity than filament bulbs and run cool. The comparison of LED and incandescent Christmas lights has the running costs.

On the listing	What it tells you
Warm white, 2,700 to 3,000 K	A golden tone close to a filament bulb, and the most common colour here
Multicolour	The traditional look, with fewer sets to choose from
Length and LED count	Divide one by the other for the gap between bulbs: 20 m with 200 LEDs is 10 cm
IP rating	IP44 resists splashes and IP65 resists water jets; no rating means only the seller’s word for outdoor use
Timer and modes	About half of the listings have a timer; look for a steady-on mode as well as flashing ones

Buy every set for one tree or window at the same time, because two sets both sold as warm white can differ in tone.

Using Christmas lights safely

These are the widely accepted basics, and the instructions in the box come first.

Plug each set in and check it before it goes up. A cracked bulb or a frayed cable means replacing the set, not repairing it.
Use outdoor-rated sets outside. Indoor sets are not built for rain or frost.
Keep plugs, adapters and battery boxes dry, and do not join more sets than the instructions allow.
Switch lights off when you go to bed or leave the house, or fit a timer. LEDs run cool, but a damaged cable can still fail.

What to spend and what to check

The usual spend is £8 to £19, and most sets score between 4.2 and 4.6 out of 5. With ratings bunched that tightly, the stars barely separate one set from another: read the lowest-rated reviews for dead sections and water damage.

Price does not follow length. A 20 m string of 200 LEDs can cost up to 70% more from one maker than from another, so compare the cost per metre and the extras (timer, remote, IP rating) before the brand.

Frequently asked questions: Christmas Lights

How many Christmas lights should go on a 7ft tree?

The usual rule is 100 bulbs per foot, so about 700 on a 7ft tree, with around 20 m of lit cable to wrap it. Halve the count for a soft glow, or add half again for a full look. Count metres for coverage and bulbs for brightness, because the same 20 m can hold 200 bulbs or several hundred more, depending on the spacing.

How much should I spend on Christmas lights?

Most sets in this collection cost between £8 and £19. Short battery strings tend to sit at the low end, and long mains sets with a timer and remote at the top. Spend extra only on what you will use, such as an IP rating for outdoors or a longer lit length for a big tree.

Which Christmas lights can stay up all year?

Warm white fairy lights on a mantelpiece, shelf or bedroom wall are the usual choice, because indoor sets are not exposed to weather. Outdoors, Christmas sets are sold for the season, and sun, wind and frost wear the cable and the plug. For a permanent display on a house, ask an electrician about lighting made for that.

Is it safe to leave Christmas lights on all night?

The usual advice is to switch lights off when you go to bed or leave the house. LEDs run cool and use little power, which lowers the risk, but a damaged cable or a loose plug can still fail. A built-in timer or a plug-in timer switch does it for you.

Can I use indoor Christmas lights outside?

No. Indoor sets are not built for rain, frost or damp, and the plug and connectors are the weak points. Look for outdoor use in the listing and an IP rating of IP44 or higher, and keep the plug and any transformer dry.