These smart Christmas lights will give you a total holiday makeover
Christmas lights have undergone many upgrades over the years, such as bright LEDs and automatic timers. But the latest fairy lights go much further: app control, built-in microphones and sensor technology let you program light patterns, sync lights to your favorite Christmas carols – and many more surprise gifts.
So if you’re ready to upgrade your Christmas decorations (including year-round options) with super smart lighting options, here are the picks to get you started.
Special note: If you’re looking for a time to buy, now is the time! Many of these bulbs are currently on sale for Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday, so you can save money on the admittedly expensive smart LEDs.
Govee Christmas lights 2
Govee lamps can do it all — literally.
Length: 66 to 328 feet
Govee’s smart string light upgrades are among the best, with a number of design changes that we particularly like. These lights – which have Matter support and work with Google Home or Alexa – ditch the hanging bulbs for a string light design, making them a lot easier to place on a Christmas tree, wrap around a wreath, and so on.
Plus, the app packs some serious smart features, with 130 preset modes, shape mapping technology for complex DIY options, and a surprising AI feature that will attempt to automatically adjust the lights based on texts, snippets of audio music or picture cues, so you can really have fun. If you want to take the season to the next level, there’s a music mode that uses built-in microphones to sync with nearby holiday songs.
Note that you can choose a color for the LED string itself, with green being the best option for hiding the lights in a tree or bush. They are also weatherproof and suitable for outdoor use, so they will fit into any holiday home plan. We also like how affordable they are compared to many options.
Philips Hue Festavia string lights
If you want lighting that can serve any holiday event, Festavia is the right choice for you.
Length: 100 to 500 lamps
If you’re tired of taking out different types of Christmas lights for every event and then putting them away again, the Philips Hue Festavia lights are made for every Christmas event. The indoor and outdoor string lights can be changed to any color using the Hue app, down to any LED, to set exactly the theme you want. Add a Hue Bridge ($60, supports all Philips Hue smart lighting) and you can also enable automatic music sync. These lamps work with Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri.
Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Holiday String Lights
Nanoleaf has a few unique tricks for simple holiday setups.
Length: 300 lamps
This Nanoleaf string has many vaunted smart features, including Matter with support for Apple Home/Siri, Google Home and Amazon Alexa, plus music sync. It also has an in-line controller for people who might not want to mess with a new app while decorating. But our favorite feature by far is the Screen Mirror on PC: download the Nanoleaf app and you can instantly make the lights reflect the colors of your computer screen, allowing for truly creative settings.
Twinkly 200 foot strings
Twinkly has some of the best extra long string lights.
Length: 26 to 200 feet
If you hate having to string strings of lights together to cover a sizable spot in your home, we recommend Twinkly’s extra-large 60-foot LED string, which lets you do it all at once. The indoor/outdoor lighting features 750 LED bulbs, along with Alexa/Google Assistant support. The app is a little more limited than some, but is excellent for those who just want to set basic colors and timers with some simple light mapping – without causing a headache. You can add a Twinkly microphone ($30)sold separately, to assist with music syncing.
Govee Permanent Outdoor Lighting Pro
Govee permanent lighting could be the perfect holiday lighting solution for some homeowners.
Length: 100 to 200 feet
Are you the type who hates turning the Christmas lights off and find that they ‘accidentally’ stay on all year round? Make it official with this elite Govee installation. These lights are made specifically for your eaves, but are flexible in placement and attach one lamp at a time for a permanent display. They can provide everyday lighting and then switch to holiday themes and synchronized flashing when the season arrives. The lights can be cut and spliced for installation or repair, and they even work with the Govee motion sensor to activate when people approach.
If you want to learn even more about your smart lighting options, check out our guide to the best general smart bulbs, the best smart indoor lighting tips, and the best smart plugs that can provide even the silliest smart Christmas light features. Oh, and if you’re annoyed by the constant failure of LED lights, we’ve got a guide on exactly why that happens.
