6 Best Low Watt Christmas Lights To Buy This Year
AT A GLANCE
It’s that time of year again – the festive season!
If you’re in the market for Christmas lights, and you want to brighten up your home, both inside and out, there are a few things you need to consider when choosing.
Firstly, you need to know what types of lights you require, and where they’ll be used, as not all lights are suitable for all use cases.
You should also think about how many lights you’ll need to create the effect you want, and what extension options (if any) are available if you decide you want more.
Finally, and we believe most importantly, you must be mindful of the wattage your Christmas lights will consume, as in most cases they’ll be running constantly for several hours a day. Thus, choosing low watt lights needs to be high on your list of priorities.
Christmas lights wattage: Do Christmas lights use a lot of electricity?
Christmas lights, in general, are low watt and thus don’t use a lot of electricity. This is because the vast majority of them use very small LED bulbs, which are by nature low-powered alternatives to energy-guzzling regular lights.
Of course, some Christmas lights are more energy-efficient than others, whilst still providing good quality lighting.
How much do Christmas lights cost to run?
For a set of lights that use 50W, if you leave them on for 10 hours a day, you’d be paying between $0.10 – $0.15 per day.
Now, assuming you’ll keep them running throughout the festive season – roughly 3 months – that’s 10 hours x 90 days = 900 hours. That will cost you just $9.
Not much, but you could still reduce this number considerably by choosing much lower wattage lights, of which there are a few.
We’ve selected 6 for you to choose from, all of which come in at under 45 watts (and a couple that don’t use regular electricity at all).
The Top 6 Energy-efficient Christmas Lights
Yiqu 2-Pack LED Solar Christmas String Lights
WATTAGE: 0 – solar-powered
BULBS: 200
LENGTH: 72ft
USAGE: Outdoor
With smart charging and energy-saving features, these waterproof string lights recharge using sunlight (solar power) and never need to be plugged in to your regular electricity outlet.
The lights can last up to 8 hours after being fully charged with the included 1800mAh battery pack, so if you charge them during the day, they will always have a charge by nightfall.
There are 8 different lighting modes, so you'll always have the right ambiance depending on your mood.
These Yiqu Christmas string lights come with a memory function, which means it will save the last setting you used, so there's no need to reset it.
The lights are easy to use; simply press the ON/OFF button to light them up or switch them off.
Pro: Easy installation, and look good for all occasions, not just Christmas.
Con: Not as bright as they appear in the photos.
Prextex White Christmas String Lights
$9.99
WATTAGE: 43W
BULBS: 100
LENGTH: 18ft
USAGE: Indoor and outdoor
In the blink of an eye, your space is lit up with Prextex White Christmas String Lights.
This set of lights is perfect for outdoor or indoor use, and includes an end-to-end connector that allows you to connect up to 6 sets together in order to light a larger area with ease.
Each bulb features bright warm white light – perfect for any occasion from Christmas festivities to birthday parties and more!
The Pretex White Christmas lights are sturdy and waterproof, perfect for use in wet conditions or in areas where they are exposed to the elements.
As a bonus, you also get 2 replacement bulbs, 2 flasher bulbs, and even 2 replacement fuses, so you can always make sure your lights stay bright and working.
Pro: They work great as regular night lights, and aren't too bright that they'll distract your sleep.
Con: The lights tend to get quite hot.
CESOF Snowflake Christmas String Lights
WATTAGE: 0 – battery-operated
BULBS: 40
LENGTH: 20ft
USAGE: Indoor and outdoor
Add some Christmas cheer to your home or backyard with these cool snowflake lights!
These festive string lights feature waterproof PVC material, making them perfect for indoor and outdoor use.
The CESOF Christmas lights are battery-operated, using 3 x AA batteries, and have a low power consumption, which means you can place them anywhere without requiring an outlet.
With 2 lighting modes to choose from, you can either set the lights on steady or twinkle/flash.
The string is bendable and flexible, so you can easily place it in any shape you desire.
As the string lights use LED bulbs, this makes them safe from overheating after hours of use; they won't get hot when you touch them.
Pro: Great for places where you have limited access to power outlets, as they are battery-powered.
Con: The power box and controller are non-waterproof, so you have to be mindful of that in wet weather. The batteries are also NOT included.
KNONEW Christmas Curtain Fairy String Lights
WATTAGE: 6W
BULBS: 400
LENGTH: 33ft
USAGE: Indoor and outdoor
The KNONEW Christmas Curtain Fairy Lights use low-temperature LED bulbs that safely illuminate your home, and will last for years to come.
Made from high quality copper and plastic, these lights are non-flammable, waterproof, and resistant to harsh weather, making them perfect for outdoor use.
These lights also have 8 lighting modes: Combination, In Waves, Sequential, Slo-Glo, Chasing/Flash, Slow Fade, Twinkle/Flash and Steady On.
You can save up to 90% energy with these super low watt string lights, as they use a negligible 6 watts.
The length of these string lights is perfect to wrap around the eave of your front porch.
Finally, with the end-to-end connectors, you can connect multiple sets together (maximum 3 - 1200 lights) to create one very long strand of lights to cover larger areas.
Pro: You get 12 months free replacement parts, and there's also 24-hour online customer service support available.
Con: The white might be considered yellow, not warm white.
JMEXSUSS Twinkle Fairy Christmas String Lights
$19.99
WATTAGE: 4W
BULBS: 200
LENGTH: 66ft
USAGE: Indoor and outdoor
Made with top of the line LED chips, these twinkling lights are perfect for adding soft lighting to your home, and the bulbs shine with a full 360 degree viewing angle, making them visible from all angles.
These lights come with 8 different modes that let you choose the right lighting for your mood. You can choose from: Waves, Combination, Fading, Fireflies, Chasing, Twinkle, Fading slowly, and Steady-on.
With the useful memory function, your last setting is saved so you won't have to reset it each day.
The barely visible, thin wires will blend well no matter if they're on Christmas trees or wrapped around garlands, indoors or outdoors.
The LED bulbs are waterproof and filled with hot melt adhesive layers, ensuring that they hold up well in harsh weather and will last for many years.
Pro: Useful, easy-to-use timing function that will automatically turn off the lights after a certain period. Can be turned off for constant lighting.
Con: Inability to connect more strands together, unlike other lights on this list.
Brizled Christmas String Lights
$17.99
WATTAGE: 4.8W
BULBS: 100
LENGTH: 33ft
USAGE: Indoor and outdoor
Add sparkle to your Christmas this year with these Brizled LED String Lights, the eco-friendly way to brighten up your holidays.
These super bright Christmas lights use energy sparingly while still giving you long lasting brightness--a set of 100 lights uses only 4.8 watts! Not only will you save a lot on your electric bill this winter, you're helping to sustain the environment too!
In addition to being 80% more efficient than conventional string lights, these lights from Brizled come with a UL certified plug, plus replacement bulbs and fuses.
What's more, you can connect up to 22 sets of lights end-to-end for extended coverage, allowing you to display a maximum of 2200 lights!
With a bulb life of up to 20,000 hours, you can be sure that your Brizled LED String Lights will last long into next Christmas.
Pro: Very bright, yet zero heat emitted, so no chance of fires.
Con: The clear caps have been known to fall off easily.
What are the benefits of low wattage Christmas lights?
There are a number of benefits to using low wattage Christmas lights – here are a few examples:
- As already stated, you’ll use less electricity and thus pay less in running costs
- You’ll be saving the environment
- Most of them will be safe for leaving on and won’t cause fires or burn out
- You can run them for long periods of time
Where possible, aim to choose low wattage Christmas lights, especially if you intend to keep them on all day, long after the holiday period is over, or if you plan to use them as regular night lights. You won’t have to worry about switching them off to conserve electricity.
Find out more about Christmas lights and the energy they consume.
