To hate this about Christmas tree lights?

[GardenAnarchist]

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?

😂 He said he would have a think…
The problem would be the amount of power needed for the ‘device’ would probably lessen the batteries life, but he loves a challenge, and is currently looking at an electronic parts website.

Phillips Hue. Game changer!

Tinsel? Yuk.

YANBU this used to drive us mad. Especially when you get so trigger happy with the clicking through you miss the one you want and have to go back round again! Who even has theirs on the violent flashing setting?

We got cheap new ones this year as we’ve switched from warm whites to multicoloured and the ones we got from The Range go straight on, no messing about. Haven’t even bothered checking if there’s another setting. Highly recommend.

I like a slow twinkle

Mine are only ‘on’ from Habitat — they are fab

Hear hear. Our neighbours opposite have a gazillion lights flanking the steps up to their house and they are on flashing mode. We don’t have curtains in any downstairs rooms so I can’t help but see them, and they are irritating me in their tastelessness.

Our lights actually just do steady on and this thread has made me appreciate it more. They were from Homebase RIP.
It reminds me of a time I had a boyfriend who was quite chaotic and at one point something went wrong with the fusebox and the circuit in the house for lights was permanently off. Rather than get it fixed he just got by for a while with various lights that plug into sockets.

In the kitchen/living room, the only lighting was from fairy lights and every single time we put them on, we had to click through about 7 settings to get steady on, and infuriatingly, every time we used the ignition button on the cooker it put the fairy lights onto the next setting. So you'd be cooking and suddenly plunged into flickering darkness and have to run across the room to the controls and every time you'd think "phew, back on steady" but then just as you got back to the cooker you'd realise it was actually very slow fade rather than steady.

Totally agree. This year one of my set of lights broke and the replacement ones were such bright LEDs which now seem to be the norm. Incandescent lights are more expensive. Bring back the old lights!

No, it's not something to fuck about with it case it causes a house fire, insurance won't pay out either for very dangerous plug modifications.

My neighbours over the road! Who leave their blinds open and leave them on ALL night! I have blackout curtains, but have discovered they have a tiny gap at the edge. Aaargh!

Mine you have to press 8 times. Awful

But can't you leave them on being as they are on a timer, the manually switching on is what causes a problem to neighbours because of you insist on manually switching on your lights everyday, if you turn them on at 5, your lights might be pissing your neighbours off til 2am. Let the timer take full control as this is the mistake my neighbours are making!

I knew this thread would be about the 8 button pushes!!

Yanbu. Even worse is our external lights also do this! Have to change them each time.

Me too! You’re not alone OP!

light manufacturers.. take note!!

Oh yes, I feel your pain on this. Put two new sets of lights on the tree yesterday, plugged them in and both went off on a setting which I can only describe as a cross between ‘strobe’ and ‘We have ways of making you talk’.

Eventually managed to find the ‘just on’ setting which is much more restful.

For anyone looking for ‘traditional’ lights, I’ve been through many sets over the years and ones that looked nice in the shop were always too orange, too white or too sickly. Eventually I found the almost perfect set from B&Q.

For some reason I can't post the link but if you search for "120 Warm white LED String lights With timer function Green cable" on the B&Q website, that's the ones!

very much agree. Would like the option of a gentle twinkling light, but not fussed for any of the numerous other settings beyond just on!

Yes, 100% agree. So annoying!

Yes! I have two sets of lights on my tree, and one requires about 5 presses for the steady state, while the other needs 7 or 8. Who can remember this stuff?!

I wore my sunglasses to put the lights on this year, why are they so bloody bright!😂

Wow, I just missed out on some freebie lights that a neighbour was giving away on facebook, so I had a trawl on facebook marketplace - there are lots for £10, or £3 if I drive across the city, etc. Your B&Q ones are a fiver!

Yes Yes Yes are you me because I moan about this every year too. Mine is also setting number 8 for the steady on mode as ive spent many a year now counting to 8 presses every bloody time I switch the lights on each day.
I cannot stand flashing lights they make me feel ill. Also hate it when neighbours have window lights on flashing mode. I do have an outdoor icycle lights set bought from B&Q a couple of years ago that seem to have memory of the last used mode. theyre great as when switched on are automatically on steady on mode. wish they made them all like that xx

I have finally 'found my person'! Solidarity OP.

Put ours on today and had to get up during dinner to find a more sensible setting, a long on, fade and on again. Tomorrow I will have a proper look! Ours do come back on the same as you set them, so there is some sort of memory.