Here Are 4 Things You Ought to Know About Solar Christmas Lights

Easy setup with no electric cords is one big advantage.

know about solar christmas lights multi colored large bulb lights hanging on a roof edge in low winter light
Image: Stephen Simpson/Getty

Solar Christmas lights promise grid-free festive lighting. 

Should you switch? Here are four things about solar Christmas lights to help you decide.

#1 Solar Lights Set Up Easy

A string of solar Christmas lights uses a small solar panel for power; there are no extension cords that must be plugged into outlets.

The panel -- about the size of a hockey puck -- powers rechargeable batteries that illuminate a 25- to 100-bulb string of LED lights.

Panels come with small stakes so you can put them in the ground, where they can take advantage of the sun. 

#2 They Cost About the Same as LED Lights

Pricing for solar-powered and plug-in LED holiday lights runs neck and neck. A string of 100 miniature lights costs about $10 and up for both solar and LED. Yet solar costs nothing to operate.

#3 They're Durable

They don't have any filaments that burn out easily, and they're made of plastic, which doesn't break as easil as glass.

#4 But They May Not Be as Bright as You'd Like

A fully-charged string of lights should glow for a few hours after the sun goes down. But if you don't get much sun, and with the shorter days, you could see only an hour or so. 

Related: Decorating Hacks for an Easy-Up Easy-Down Christmas

Alyson McNutt English

Alyson McNutt English writes regularly about home improvement, decorating, and “green home” tips; her work has appeared in magazines like Pregnancy, Kiwi, and Parenting and on many websites, including BobVila.com and HGTV.com.