If you want to do a quick search, click here, but I recommend you read below first.

What shocked me? Well, I went solar Christmas lights shopping at some of the local “home improvement” stores, after doing some online research, and was amazed at what I found. The selection was TERRIBLE! I tried three different places near my home, and searched the net for local stores that would have solar powered Christmas lights. Here is what I found:

First, I tried Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH). Osh is run by Sears, who I have come to trust for a lot of products. They had exactly one brand of solar Christmas lights, in a total of 2 varieties! The worst part was that after all the research I had done (and it was a LOT), I had never even heard of the brand that they carried! I called Sears and they had the same brand, but in three varieties. They had solar LED icicle lights, some short string lights and net lights. All of them were in white – no colors.

Okay, so let’s check out the Home Depot. They have the biggest selection of solar lights I have seen at a local retailer. Guess how many solar Christmas lights they had at the store? They had a whopping total of 0. Yep, they did not have a single solar Christmas light. My online search for a local vendor proved no more fruitful. Frustrating, no?

I would figure that with the state of our ecology right now and Christmas coming up, solar powered Christmas lights would be everywhere. Well, it seems that some of us are just a step ahead of our local merchants. I found myself going back to my old, trusted friend – the internet.

I actually spent a couple of hours on the net searching for different online vendors. Well all was said and done, I wound up back at Amazon. Now since some people have a problem with Amazon’s interface and finding exactly what they are looking for, I have bookmarked the results page for you.

Click here to browse the search results.

Here are the lights I wound up ordering and a quick review:

Set of 200 Wide Angle LED Multi Solar Powered Christmas Lights

Good points – These had no rating yet, but for $39.99 for two strings, totaling 200 lights, it was a no brainer. The strings at Osh were 9 feet long and cost 24.99. These strings are 33’ long with a light spacing of 4”. They light up really well. They stay cool, have solar rechargeable batteries and come with a separate charger that you can use if you can’t get a full recharge from the sun.

Draw backs – The panels are kinda big and hard to hide. Since I used these lights to frame my roof, I decided to not use the garden stake and mounted the panels on my roof instead. Also, the bulbs are not replaceable, so if one burns out, I have to live with a blank spot. This is a drawback seen in every solar lights set-up I have seen though. Luckily the LEDs last for a long time.

Aurora Glow – Glass Solar String Lights

Good points – These lights are absolutely beautiful. They also come with an extra long lead, so you can mount the panel up to 15’ away. They are very unique looking, hand crafted, and did I say beautiful? They are.

Draw-backs – They are a little pricey. I was reluctant to get them at first, but I really wanted something unique. When I looked at them though, I immediately understood why they cost what they do.

Bethlehem Lighting Indoor/Outdoor 50-Lamp 5mm Wide-Angle LED Lighting Set

Good points – Very nice lights. Very bright. Low cost.

Draw-backs – THEY ARE NOT SOLAR! I made a mistake when ordering these. They are listed with Amazon as “solar Christmas lights”, but they are not solar. If I had read the description more carefully, I would not have made that mistake.

I looked at a couple of other lights there, but I decided I will buy more next year. My biggest advice to you now is to read the descriptions carefully and order soon, so that you get them in time for Christmas.

I hope I have been of some help in your quest for Solar Christmas Lights. Happy lighting and Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading,
Steve

PS – You have got to check out this video! Christmas Lights Video

Related posts:

1. Solar Christmas Lights
2. How to Choose Outdoor Solar Lights
3. Solar Patio Lights

If you are like most of us, you likely have a space in your garage rafters or in the basement where you keep all of your old Christmas lights. Every year, you take them out and sort through the jumbled wires. You plug them in to test for burned out bulbs. Look around for the extension chords, etc. When you are done stringing them up, they look great. They are just a major pain to get them to that point.

I have been talking, over and over, on this site about how solar power technology has grown by leaps and bounds in just the last few years. One of the areas that show off that growth the best is solar lighting. Manufacturers have become very clever with their design and implementation, and that cleverness really shows itself in solar Christmas lights.

Let’s take a look at what comprises Solar Christmas lights:

• The Lights – The traditional holiday lights were a bulb and socket design. Basically, it was a filament bulb that was screwed in or pushed into a light socket, much like the light bulbs in your home. Solar Christmas lights are actually LEDs. They last much longer than incandescent bulbs and stay cooler, so there is much less of a fire risk. Also, LEDs are plastic, so they are less likely to break.

• Light Strings – The lights strings on most solar Christmas lights have between 20-50 lights. Not a big difference from the tradition styles, except that they can be a bit shorter.

• Solar Panels – Instead of ending in an electrical cord, these strings end in a solar panel. Solar Christmas light panels usually have around four solar cells and a rechargeable battery. There are a few manufacturers making polycrystalline and multicrystalline solar cells. These will charge the batteries to near full, even on a rainy day!

• Rechargeable Batteries – Pretty much every solar light has a rechargeable battery. With Solar Christmas lights the battery is usually in the panel assembly. The most common batteries are NiCad, but a few are actually being made with lithium batteries.
  

That’s about all there is to a solar Christmas light. Next come the type and style options. I won’t even go into detail about these because there are way too many. I have personally seen traditional white string lights, multicolored string lights, net lights, solar angels, solar Santa Clauses, solar nativity scenes, and quite a few others that don’t come to mind at the moment. If you want to browse some online, here is a link to an Amazon.com search. I sorted it by best reviewed for you.

The benefits, of course, are many more than just the convenience of not having to run extension chords. As with all solar lights, these Christmas lights are good for your environment. They use no energy, therefore none of the Earth’s natural resources. Since they use no energy, they are good for your pocketbook (no huge electric bill). They should last you for at least 3 to 5 years without ever having to change a bulb.

There are a few downsides to solar Christmas lights, however. First of all, they do cost a bit more than more traditional lights would. That may be enough to stop some people from trying solar Christmas lights, but you will be surprised by how much they will save you on electricity.

Another downside is that the lights are not as bright as their incandescent counterparts. No real way to get around that. I personally like the way they glow, but that is a personal preference. LEDs are way more efficient in the way they produce light out of energy, so whether or not they are bright enough for your taste, depends upon the lights you are used to. Either way, take some time and do some research. Check out your options and shop wisely.

**Update – I went out and got some solar Christmas lights recently.  Check out my reviews here.

Have a happy and safe holiday. I will do the same.

Related posts:

1. Merry Solar Christmas
2. Solar Lights 101
3. Solar Lights Reviews