If you haven’t yet put up and decorated your Christmas tree and the rest of your home for the holidays, it’s now or never! And Christmas lights are one of the best and easiest tools to make your home feel festive. But with many Christmas lights and decorations quickly selling out, these are the best Christmas lights that are still available to shop now.
If you prefer your best Christmas tree to be unlit then, of course, Christmas lights are a must to bring your tree to life. But Christmas lights can also jazz up other areas of your home, including your windows, the mantelpiece, the staircase and even your dining table.
But if you’re wondering where to buy Christmas lights to get the best, prettiest, most original and stylish ones, these are the top 9 designs I’ve found after searching high and low, along with the top places to shop from.
Where to buy the best Christmas lights – the quick list
Got a specific twinkly style in mind? If my top picks haven't made your Christmas dreams come true, then this is the round-up of the best places to shop for Christmas lights.
- Amazon: a wide selection of classic Christmas lights
- Argos: a varied range of Christmas lights at excellent prices
- ASDA: budget-friendly, fun Christmas light designs
- Cox & Cox: elevated, high-quality Christmas lights
- Dunelm: budget-friendly lights with a fun, playful twist
- John Lewis: a large selection of own-brand and other Christmas lights
- Lights4Fun: high-quality Christmas lights that go the distance
- Marks & Spencer: fun Christmas light designs with a stylish look
- Next: a broad range of lights from various brands as well as their own
- The White Company: a luxurious collection of Christmas lights
The best Christmas lights for 2025
If you’re looking to add a festive touch above your mantelpiece or any of your doors (both the front door and those inside your home) then a light-up bow decoration will do the trick. Bows are still one of the biggest Christmas decor trends this year and this John Lewis bow light is playful yet stylish.
The White Company is one of the best places to buy timeless ‘quiet luxury’ Christmas decorations, and these fir cone lights prove it. Featuring 30 bulbs and frost-like glittery silver cone decoratios, they’re so much cooler than your average fairy lights. They’ll look stunning wrapped around some branches in a vase as a centrepiece, on your Christmas tablescape or hanging atop your fireplace.
If you were just as entranced by Stacey Solomon’s magical Harry Potter ceiling a couple years ago as we were - clearly, as it's still firmly in our memory - you might want to replicate this look yourself this Christmas. To do this, you’ll need some magical floating candles - like these Dunelm ones! Not only are the nylon strings almost invisible, but this pack of 10 even comes with a remote control so you can activate the flickering flames. And they come in three different colourways to choose from, too.
Do you love Christmas baubles? Do you love Christmas lights? If you answered ‘yes’ to both of those questions, you’ll love this bauble garland from M&S. Not only does it come in four different colourways (even though not all of them are currently in stock), but the integral LED lights also bring an extra sparkle to the garland. In my humble opinion, we think this garland will be the perfect addition to your mantlepiece or your bannisters. But with several of the colourways selling out, you must be fast to snap these up!
Natural, wooden Christmas decorations like these string lights with star-shaped ornaments are a timeless classic that will never go out of style. They fit both into the Scandi Christmas tree trend and the rustic cottagecore decorating style. At just £5, they’re an absolute bargain and are great for those who favour a more pared-back approach to Christmas decorating.
Lights4fun is one of my favourite destinations for all things Christmas lights. Specialising in this type of product, the brand never disappoints - whether you want something unique or more traditional like this curtain light adorned with little starburst-shaped LED lights. Decorating your windows for the festive season in style can be tricky - but not with the vertically hanging strings of curtain lights. A design like this makes the task at hand a joy.
The limit does not exist when it comes to fairy lights. Especially over Christmas! And if you’re after some budget fairy lights that don’t break the bank, Amazon has always got your back. This pack comes with 600 bulbs and spans 41.9 metres, meaning you can deck out a whole room with fairy lights if you really want to. You can also choose from warm white, bright white and multi-coloured.
I don't know about you but I have a thing for Christmas decor and Christmas lights that look frosty, icy and authentically wintery. And that's exactly what this Cox & Cox garland is, bare and covered in a frosted effect but warmed up with 165 little light bulbs. There's something very chic and elevated about Christmas lights like these - as many Cox & Cox designs are.
Do you really want to jazz up your festive decor this year? Then why not go for disco ball-style Christmas lights?! The Christmas disco trend has been around for a while now but it's now been pushed even further with the tinsel Christmas tree trend, championed by the likes of Stacey Dooley.
How to choose the best Christmas lights
If you’re on the hunt for the best Christmas lights, but you’re not sure how to choose the best of the best, there are a few questions you can ask yourself:
Do they fit your aesthetic? Christmas decorations are extremely subjective. While some people go bold and mish-mash, there are others who like everything to match their home decor perfectly. Because of this, you need to ask yourself whether the Christmas lights fit your aesthetics and your dreams for your festive home.
How are they operated? Indoor Christmas lights normally fall into two categories: mains-powered or battery-operated. This will rarely change the aesthetic or the look of the lights, but they may affect how practical they are - and, of course, the price. While mains-powered lights will up your energy bills, battery-operated lights will require you to buy batteries (unless the lights come with batteries included).
It’s also important to note that battery-operated Christmas lights will also be portable, whereas mains-powered Christmas lights are restricted to being near a plug socket. So, think about where you want to put the lights and decide from there.
Can they be used indoors and outdoors? It’s highly likely that you’re going to buy more Christmas decorations before the big day arrives, which is why opting for Christmas lights that can be used indoors and outdoors can be a great advantage. This way, you can move them in and around the house without having to commit to using them inside the house. Of course, if you’re confident that you won’t want to put them outside, there’s no need to buy Christmas lights that can also be used outside.
Do they have a timer? Timers are extremely handy when the festive months come around. By placing your Christmas lights on a timer, you can make sure that your energy bills don’t suffer too much. Many Christmas lights now come with these timers as standard, but some don’t. So, you may need to buy one separately.
How much are they? Christmas is a time to celebrate with your loved ones and enjoy some much-needed rest, which is why many people save up all year to spend lots of money on presents and decorations during this time of the year. However, we’d always suggest setting yourself a budget when it comes to Christmas lights. While we wouldn’t encourage you to buy the cheapest options on the market (as the quality might reflect the price), we also wouldn’t encourage you to spend too much. After all, you’ll only be using them for a few weeks.
FAQs
Which type of Christmas lights are best?
'The best Christmas lights are easy to use and install, durable so they can be brought out year after year, efficient so they cost little to run, and offer handy additions such as a timer, remote control operation and different lighting functions,' says Claire Bassett, head of product at Lights4fun.
It’s generally considered that Christmas lights with LED bulbs are the best, as these are more energy efficient and higher quality. In fact, they last considerably longer than alternatives, which will allow you to use your Christmas lights year after year.
You also need to consider the colour of these bulbs. In our humble opinion, warm lights create the cosy ambience many people are looking for when it comes to the best Christmas lights. However, there are others who prefer the ice-white bulbs reminiscent of a winter scene.
'In terms of the Christmas light colours that look best, you can never go wrong with a classic warm white light, adding the desired glow whilst creating a cosy, festive atmosphere,' says Marlena Kaminska, designer at ValueLights. 'Cool-toned white lights also work and stand out against the dark Christmas nights, but we find the warmer tones tend to tie in with the more traditional Christmas colours of red, green and touches of gold.'
Are LED Christmas lights worth it?
Yes, LED Christmas lights are truly worth it – especially if you want to save a bit of money over the Christmas period. While LED Christmas lights use considerably less energy than alternatives on the market, they don’t scrimp on quality.
'LED bulbs are a great choice when it comes to your Christmas lights,' says Anthony Formisano, product manager at home and garden lighting firm and smart light specialists 4lite. 'Not only are they energy-efficient, which is increasingly important during the busy holiday season, but they also offer impressive brightness and a long lifespan, ensuring your display is nothing short of spectacular.'
If you want to fill your house with festive cheer this Christmas, the best Christmas lights are definitely the way to go.
