Best Christmas tree lights for a twinkly Christmas 2023

When it comes to creating that cosy Christmas atmosphere at home you can’t beat a set of pretty, twinkling fairy lights. They can transform a room in an instant and are the key starting piece to a beautiful Christmas tree.

There are lots of options to choose from these days, from twinkly warm lights to fun, colourful ones, and it can be hard to know which ones to go for.

So we’ve done all the research for you, picking out the best options for Christmas tree lights this year so you can easily find the perfect set for your home.

Here are our picks for the best Christmas tree lights to buy in 2022.

1. Best overall Christmas tree lights: Dunelm Warm White Lights

Price: £10 | Buy now from Dunelm

“We got some from Dunelm, can't stand the bright white ones either, these are great.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user ILoveMyMonkey)

For a classic string of warm white lights for your tree, get yourself over to Dunelm.

This set of mains operated 200 LED lights has a clear cable with almost 10m lit length, so it’ll wrap beautifully around your tree.

And with 8 different functions you can change things up to suit your mood, from a steady light to lively flashing.  There’s also a dimmer so you can adjust the brightness and a timer function so you never have to worry about forgetting to turn them off.

They even come with a remote so you can easily change all the settings whenever you fancy a change.

Key specs

• Cable length: 14.5m (9.9m lit length)

• Number of lights: 200

• Indoor/outdoor use: Both

Pros

• Lots of customisation options

• Waterproof battery box so can be used indoors and outdoors

Cons

• Might not be enough lights for bigger trees

2. Best budget Christmas tree lights: Sunnest Fairy Lights Warm White

Price: £6.99 | Buy now from Amazon

If you’re on a budget this year you can still get that cosy Christmas atmosphere with this set of 100 LED lights for just £6.99.

The mains powered lights are insulated and waterproof, so you can use them inside and outside. They also come with a remote control that you can use to set one of the eight different lighting modes. Pick either fireflies flashing or twinkling/flashing to get that gorgeous twinkly look for your tree.

Key specs

• Cable length: 10m

• Number of lights: 100

• Indoor/outdoor use: Both

Pros

• Eight lighting modes

• Safe for indoors and outdoors

Cons

• Might not be enough lights for bigger trees

3. Best lights for a big tree: Netta LED Cluster Lights

Price: £49.99 | Buy now from Amazon

“It was these ones, but with 2000 lights. I'd recommend them” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user PoshWatchShitShoes)

If you love to go all-out at Christmas with loads of decorations and a big tree centre stage, then you’ll need lots of lights to complete the look.

And this set of 1000 LED lights fits the bill perfectly.

The lights are a warm white for a cosy look, and there are eight light modes to choose from. You can control the settings with a button on the plug adapter, and they have a memory function to remember which setting you chose last.

Safe for both indoor and outdoor use, these lights will look amazing wherever you decide to put them.

Key specs

• Cable length: 12m lit length

• Number of lights: 1000

• Indoor/outdoor use: Both

Pros

• Large number of lights

• Long lead cable

• Eight lighting modes and timer function

Cons

• Timer function can’t be personalised

4. Best copper wire lights: Nexvin Copper Wire Fairy Lights

Price: £15.99 | Buy now from Amazon

“You can also get copper wire lights and they are great as you can mould them to the branches and they hold their shape.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user Friendofdennis)

The copper wire on these Nexvin lights means you can easily shape them any way you like. So you can bend them around the branches of your tree and know they’ll stay firmly in place.

They’re mains powered and really customisable, with eight twinkle modes, timer functions, and four dimmable light levels that can all be controlled by remote control.

With 200 small warm white LED lights and thin copper wire this set will look stunning on any tree this Christmas.

Key specs

• Cable length: 22m

• Number of lights: 200

• Indoor/outdoor use: Both

Pros

• Thin, bendable copper wire

• Lots of customisation options

Cons

• LEDs are small

5. Best twinkly fairy lights: Next Christmas Line Lights

Price: £18 | Buy now from Next

“I bought twinkling lights last week from Next- £20 for 300. There are about 8 settings and one of them is pretty and twinkly.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user DuchessMinnie)

There’s nothing quite as magical as a set of Christmas lights that really seem to twinkle, not just flash or fade.

This set of LED lights from Next come highly recommended in the Mumsnet forums as being especially pretty and twinkly.

It has 200 LED lights on a clear cable and is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Just make sure to choose the twinkle option from the selection of eight different modes.

Key specs

• Cable length: 15m

• Number of lights: 200

• Indoor/outdoor use: Both

Pros

• Eight lighting modes

• Clear cable

Cons

• No timer option

6. Best customisable Christmas tree lights: NOMA Spectrum App Controlled String Lights

Price: £56.85 | Buy now from Amazon

“Try Noma lights from Amazon. Until I can afford some vintage Cinderella carriage ones, the Nomas are good” (Vetted by Mumsnet user TheCanterburyWhales)

Take complete control of your Christmas light setup with these Noma remote controlled string lights.

Wrap the string of 240 LED lights around your tree and then download the NOMA spectrum app. From the app you can set the colour of the lights to any shade you fancy, as well as the lighting mode.

You can also sync the lights to dance in time with your favourite music and set them to turn on and off at any time that suits you.

Key specs

• Cable length: 23.9 lit length

• Number of lights: 240

• Indoor/outdoor use: Both

Pros

• Completely customisable

• Easy to control everything with the app

Cons

• Expensive compared to other lights

7. Best prelit Christmas tree: Balsam Hill Canadian Blue Green Spruce

Price: £189 | Buy now from Balsam Hill

“I've got a pre-lit Balsam Hill one, it's got loads of lights on, and I usually stick another string on, just for good measure” (Owned and loved by Mumsnet user DoorbellsSleighbellsSchnitzel)

Take the stress out of decorating with a pretty pre-lit artificial tree.

This Canadian blue green spruce from Balsam Hill looks stunning with its dense foliage and gorgeous natural colours.

The four foot version comes already decorated with 200 LED lights so all you have to do is plug it in and you’re ready to go.

Key specs

• Number of lights: 200

• Indoor/outdoor use: Indoor

Pros

• Quick and easy to set up

• Great quality to use year after year

Cons

• More expensive option

8. Best coloured lights: Habitat 480 Multi-colour Multifunctional LED Lights

Price: £26 | Buy now from Argos

“I have coloured lights on my tree after being in the white camp for decade, and I LOVE them. To me it just feels so much more fun & festive.” (Recommended by Mumsnet user SpnBaby1967)

If white lights just don’t do it for you at Christmas, then this set of multi-coloured lights will help you add more fun to the festivities.

With 480 LEDs in a range of colours you can get your tree lit up and decorated in no time.

They’re also safe to use outside and the long cable length will give you tons of flexibility with where you string them.

Key specs

• Cable length: 28.7m

• Number of lights: 480

• Indoor/outdoor use: Both

Pros

• Good cable length

• Plenty of lights

• Bright and colourful

Cons

• No timer or customisation options

9. Best retro Christmas tree lights: The Christmas Workshop Multi-Coloured Tree Lights

Price: £10.99| Buy now from Amazon

“They're beautiful but the bulbs do go quickly - which is why I've bought so many (one box is for spare bulbs). Totally worth it.” (Tested by Mumsnetter Fuckinellitsme)

For a retro blast from the past these multicoloured fairy lights from The Christmas Workshop are a real winner.

The 100 lights are all old-style bulbs that are super bright and just shine differently from modern LED bulbs.

The traditional bulbs do use more energy and don’t last as long, but these lights will give you a truly nostalgic experience this Christmas.

Key specs

• Cable length: 7.9m lit length

• Number of lights: 100

• Indoor/outdoor use: Indoor

Pros

• Retro style

• Bright and colourful

Cons

• Less energy efficient than LED bulbs

• Bulbs more likely to need replacing

How to put lights on a Christmas tree

There’s no right or wrong way to put lights on a Christmas tree, but our favourite way to do it is to start at the bottom and wrap them around horizontally.

First of all plug your lights in to make sure they’re all working and so you can make sure they’re spaced out well as you put them on the tree.

Then start at the bottom and wind your way around the tree, pushing some lights further back towards the trunk and leaving others closer to the tips of the branches.

How to buy the best Christmas tree lights

Look for LED Christmas tree lights for the best, most long-lasting bulbs. Make sure the lights you buy fit with your idea of a cosy Christmas - for example, ‘bright white’ and ‘warm white’ lights give quite a different look - and don’t forget to check whether they’re mains or battery powered.

Are LEDs better than bulbs?

LEDs consume around 90% less energy than traditional effervescent bulbs, and they don’t get hot, so they’re the obvious choice from an environmental, financial and safety perspective.

How many lights are needed to dress a Christmas tree?

Christmas tree light specialists Lights4Fun recommend 5m and 100 lights for every 2ft of Christmas tree, if you want an even, generous spread.

What are the best Christmas tree lights to buy?

We’ve picked out the warm white lights from Dunelm as the best Christmas tree lights to buy in 2022.

They come with eight different light modes, dimmer options, a timer, and a remote so they’re really customisable.

How we chose our recommendations

We have thoroughly researched and weighed up the pros and cons of the different types of Christmas tree lights that you can buy in 2022 and picked out the best ones for you. Our research includes tried and tested experiences from a wide range of reliable, trusted sources.

Here is how we carefully pick out the best products.

Recommendations from real Mumsnet users

Because we know that there’s nothing like a real recommendation from a real parent, we first headed to the Mumsnet forums to find out which Christmas tree lights discerning Mumsnet users had bought for their own families. We compiled a list of the lights they recommended for being good value and great quality.

Expert opinions

We then did some research across the wider web, looking at which tree lights had won accolades or been featured in ‘best buy’ lists across websites and print media.

Authentic customer reviews

Finally we visited a mix of retailer sites and read the reviews there, to find out what real people thought of the different options.

Having collated all that information, we picked the Christmas tree lights we thought would make the best buys in several categories.

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.