Make your Christmas connected with these top illumination options
In the past few years, smart Christmas lights have really become a thing, offering you a brand new way of decorating for the Holidays.
Forget the hassle of untangling old strings of lights or settling for basic blinking patterns – the best smart lights bring automations, customizable color schemes, dynamic animations, and even music syncing into the festive mix.
Actually, you might still have to untangle a few string lights… but that’s all part of the Christmas spirit, eh?
Brands like Twinkly, Philips Hue, and Govee are leading the charge, offering an ever-growing range of innovative devices that take your Christmas illuminations to the next level.
With features like app control, voice assistant compatibility, and advanced scheduling, these smart Christmas lights give you full creative freedom to design a festive display that’s uniquely yours.
So, whether you’re looking to create a synchronized light show across your tree and windows or simply want hassle-free options for decking out your home in holiday cheer, the best smart Christmas lights can deliver convenience and style in equal measure.
In this guide, we’ll explore the best options to help you make this Holiday season your most dazzling yet.
Here are some of the brands to look out for…
Philips Hue
Philips Hue doesn’t have an extensive range of dedicated smart Christmas lights, with the sole product being the Festavia smart string lights.
Designed for indoor and outdoor use, the 2nd-gen Festivia lights offer advanced customization through the Hue app and integration with smart home systems like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit.
The Festavia string lights come in three varieties – 100 LEDs along an 8m cord, 250 LEDs along a 20m cord, or 500 LEDs along a 40m – so, whether you’re just looking to decorate your tree, or create an outdoor show, there should be a size option to suit whatever you want to do with them.
The Festavia lights feature gradient lighting, allowing you to set three colors on the spectrum that can blend seamlessly or display scattered patterns for a vibrant festive effect.
In the app you’ll also be able to choose from dynamic effects such as “Candle,” “Fireplace,” and “Sparkle,” which mimic natural, cozy lighting.
If you want an interactive, holiday experience to blast the senses, you can also sync your Hue lights with Spotify to flash and dim in time with your music.
Govee
Govee is fast becoming the no.1 smart light brand; the Chinese company has an absolute plethora of top-end smart lights now, such as the Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra, and its Christmas range is also rapidly expanding, with many products now on their 2nd-generation.
One of Govee’s big selling point is its use of RGBWIC technology, which means that every LED delivers precise, vibrant colors alongside pure white tones, making them perfect for festive displays.
But what truly sets Govee apart is their AI-driven features and its community driven patterns. Using the Govee Home app, you can chat with the AI Lighting Bot to generate personalized lighting effects or upload photos to create custom patterns.
And, around the Holidays, you’ll find loads of user generated scenes in the Govee app, which makes moving effects like you’d get on the Govee Curtain Lights 2 and the Outdoor Net Lights possible:
Govee also has a couple of variations of tree lights on offer, plus the 2nd-gen string lights that can be used indoors or outdoors.
The Govee Icicle lights have really made my house pop this Christmas – they come in either a 10m or 20m configuration.
In the Govee app, there are over 130 pre-set animations to choose from and smart shape mapping enables tailored designs for unique layouts.
Matter compatibility means seamless integration with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings, giving you full control with voice commands or via the app.
Twinkly
Twinkly is a smart light brand that really excels at Christmas time, with an absolute barrage of options on offer.
For its 2024 range there are a number of new options, including the new Twinkly Tree Topper, the longest-ever Twinkly Strings 750, and more creative options like light-up Reindeers and mappable net lights, all controllable via the Twinkly app.
The Twinkly Tree Topper, shaped like the Twinkly logo boasts over 16 million color options and syncs seamlessly with other Twinkly products thanks to the Group Mapping option in the app, making it perfect for creating cohesive displays.
The Strings 750 feature, as the name suggests, 750 RGB LEDs spanning nearly 200 feet and are ideal for both indoor and outdoor setups.
With all products integrating with smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant and offering music syncing capabilities, Twinkly’s offerings are designed for both ease of use and maximum creativity.
Best cheap smart Christmas lights
The likes of Twinkly, Govee and Philips Hue, that we’ve highlighted above are certainly premium products but, let’s face it, they also come with premium price tags.
But it is also possible to automate your Christmas and make everything a bit smarter without breaking the bank.
Have a read of our guide on using smart home tech to create a smarter Christmas to learn more, where we talk about using regular dumb lights, smart plugs and more to make a more autonomous Christmas setup.
But there are also an absolute ton of smart Christmas lights available online. As ever, if you’re buying from brands you’ve never heard of on the likes of Amazon, always take note of customer reviews.
We’ve actually tested a bunch this year though that we can give our seal of approval…
Echosari Smart Star Fairy Lights
Echosari’s lights are super cheap, coming in at less than $10, but combine practical features with a charming frosted star design, offering a soft, non-glaring glow that works indoors and out.
10 meters long and USB-powered, you’ll get an IR remote in the box and these are also controllable via the Zengee app.
You can choose from 16 million colors, sync them to music using the built-in mic, and even group control up to five sets for a coordinated display.
Roscoo Christmas Lights
These smart LED string lights feature a triple copper wire design wrapped in a flexible leather layer to prevent rust, tangling, and wear.
With 200 high-quality LED beads evenly spaced along the 65.6-foot string, they deliver vibrant and colorful lighting effects, with RGB+IC tech on board, allowing individual customization of each LED bead.
The app (iDeal LED) is ok, if a little clunky, with access to 64 dynamic scene effects, including chasing, running water, and fireworks.
You can, if you do a bit of fiddling about, get them working with other Tuya Smart Life apps too, so could – in theory – get them connected with the likes of Alexa or SmartThings.
FAQs
Yes, many smart Christmas lights, such as Philips Hue Festavia, Govee Icicle Lights, and Twinkly Strings, are designed for both indoor and outdoor use. However, while the lights themselves are often weatherproof (IP65-rated), ensure the power plugs are protected from water.
Most smart Christmas lights work directly with apps like Govee Home, Twinkly, or Philips Hue without requiring a hub. Some brands offer additional integration with platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit for enhanced control.
Consider your needs: indoor or outdoor use, length of the string, features like music sync or RGB customization, and compatibility with your existing smart home setup. Premium options like Twinkly and Govee offer advanced features, while budget brands provide simpler, effective alternatives.
