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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To hate this about Christmas tree lights?

136 replies

GardenAnarchist · 14/12/2025 08:41

Picture the scene: You've spent ages trimming your Christmas tree with strings of fairy lights, sparkly baubles, shiny tinsel. Gorgeous! Then you switch on the plug socket... and your tree turns into a flashing strobe beacon visible from space. After rescuing any epileptic family members in the vicinity, you grope around the light plug for the control button and it takes 8 (eight) presses through a series of barely distinguishable but eye-watering flickery-flashy-blinky settings, to achieve the steady state of... ON.

Just why??

Why isn't ON the first default setting?
And while we're on that, why is there a setting of "pretend I'm ON, then just as the user withdraws their finger from the button, fade everything to black"?

I have multiple sets of tree lights bought over the last 10 years and they all do this. Some need 8 presses, some 7, some 9 😫 If I put my tree lights on a timer to save electricity, I come downstairs in the morning to a scene like a Star Wars laser battle and have to crawl on the floor to press all the buttons the requisite number of times.

YABU - Only a boring stick in the mud wants a steady glow on the tree. Clearly, at least 8 times more consumers prefer all the other blinky-flashy settings giving the electric storm-cum-Laserquest-kids-birthday-party vibe!

YANBU - Surely there must be a market for tree lights that just have OFF and ON? And maybe a third setting of gentle twinkling?

OP posts:
WeirdyBeardyMarrowBabyLady · 14/12/2025 08:55

And there’s the utter chaos one which is a combo of all of the previous options. Who has ever willingly selected that? Static lights all the way here.

RightOnTheEdge · 14/12/2025 08:55

YANBU OP.

I put my tree up this week and the experience was exactly as you described!

Lilyhatesjaz · 14/12/2025 08:53

I hate modern tree lights they are too bright. We went to a national trust house that had lots of beautifully decorated trees but you couldn't see the decorations as the led lights were so bright.
They are also too blue which sometimes gives me migraine.

OttersMayHaveShifted · 14/12/2025 08:53

I just have normal lights with no flashing option!

RunningNananananananananana · 14/12/2025 08:52

I think if you search for 'static fairy lights' it should bring up the none disco ones.🎄

Terriblytwee · 14/12/2025 08:51

How can anyone enjoy sitting in a room with the tree on that awful stress inducing fast flash setting. Impossible to relax with that going. Worse still if the lights are blue or ice white.

Pricelessadvice · 14/12/2025 08:49

YES!!!

I couldn’t agree more OP, this infuriates me aswell!

DisplayPurposesOnly · 14/12/2025 08:48

Pretty sure mine are just on (not put tree up yet). Possibly on/twinkly/off.

My hate is why tree lights are in a loop, such a PITA to put on. A single line would be so much easier.

Devonchills · 14/12/2025 08:47

Totally agree!! Mine needs 7 presses on 2 sets of lights we have on the tree. Surely somewhere sells and on/off set?

Playdy · 14/12/2025 08:44

I’ve often moaned about this. There is absolutely zero need for anything other than on/off/gentle flicker.

We have at least two maybe three settings that start with a gentle flicker, lulling you into a false sense of security and then after a few minutes they go nuts. It makes me unreasonably cross. Also there’s slow fade to on and off to black, I do not want or need my room going dark every 6 seconds.

TeenToTwenties · 14/12/2025 08:44

YANBU. We only use 'steady burn' too.
At least they remember the setting so you don't need to do it each time.