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Looking for the best Christmas icicle lights to light up your home for the holidays? We’ve got 6 fantastic options! Updated on December 7th, 2021
Nothing says deck the halls like a tasteful light arrangement. Whether you are a pro that goes all out and leaves little room for walking in your front yard or you’re just looking to add a little holiday cheer to your apartment, the best Christmas icicle lights are a must-have.
Unlike classic string lights, icicle lights provide an enhanced aesthetic for the holiday season. With drops that can range from a few inches to a few feet you can add the effect of beautiful small or large icicles without the risk of tearing down your gutters that you might get from the real deal (ice is heavy!). Although this added feature does make storing icicle lights more challenging than traditional string lights.
Icicle lights also provide the benefit of a higher bulb count per foot vs. traditional string lights. If you’re looking to increase light emitted per section then icicle lights will be your best bet.
In this article you’ll find our top picks for the best Christmas icicle lights in 2021.
In a hurry? Here is our top pick:
| Keyword | Link | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Best Christmas Icicle lights | Ollny Christmas Lights Outdoor IcicleLights String | |
| Best Icicle Lights with Automatic Timer | YAKEXI White Christmas Icicle Lights 19.6ft 300 LED with 60 Drops 8 Modes | |
| Best LED Icicle Lights | Toodour LED Icicle Lights | |
| Best Incandescent Icicle Lights | Kringle Traditions 8.5 ft 150 Clear Twinkle Icicle Lights on White Wire | |
| Best Twinkle Icicle Lights | Twinkle Star 360 LED Christmas Iciclelights Outdoor Dripping Ice Cycle Lights | |
| Best Twinkling LED Ice Crystal Icicle Lights | GE 20-Count 100 LED Twinkling Ice Crystal Icicle Set |
Things to Consider When Looking for the Best Christmas Icicle Lights
Weather Resistance
IP rating: a light’s ingress protection (IP) rating is a fancy way of saying how well it holds up against the elements. IP ratings are made up of two digits. The first digit indicates the level of protection for solid objects like dirt, and the second digit represents the level of protection against liquids like rain. Essentially, your icicle lights need to have an adequate IP rating to withstand dirt, dust, rain, and snow. Most indoor lights for dry spaces have a rating of IP20. When choosing icicle lights to hang outside, you should look for a rating of IP44 or higher. This will ensure that the best Christmas icicle lights stay functional and bring joy for years to come.
Drops
The drops of icicle lights give your house a little more flare than traditional string lights. Each drop is an additional strand of wire that stems from the base wire connecting them, which is the one you hang on your gutters, railing, etc. Icicle light options vary by the number of drops, the length of those drops, and the spacing between drops. These are important factors to consider for the particular aesthetic you’d like to achieve. Typically, you’ll find drops that hang 12-22 inches from the base wire. Some have alternating drop lengths, i.e., a sequence where every other drop is 12” and the other is 22”. Spacing between drops is often 6”.
Power Consumption
One of the main draws of LED lights is their energy saving capability. LED Christmas lights use about 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lights. LED lights are therefore good for the planet and your wallet.
Light Color
Icicle lights come in a variety of colors including multi-colored strands and many shades of white to achieve cooler vs. warmer effects. Many folks (including us) prefer the traditional incandescent bulbs for the classic Christmas white look. LED white lights tend to look cooler and even have a blue tint sometimes. There are warm white LED lights, but these usually still look a little different from the traditional incandescent warm white hue. It is of course a matter of preference and taste, though. We’ve picked out superior icicle lights with both LED and incandescent bulbs for you to check out and compare.
Modes/Effects
Luckily for those of us who really get into the Christmas spirit, string icicle lights now have more and more options for changing colors, brightness levels, and blinking effects. Better still, many lights now have automatic timers, memory settings, and remote controllers to ensure your Christmas display is the envy of the neighborhood all night, every night.
Heat Sensitivity
If you’re concerned about the heat of the lights, you may want to consider LED icicle lights instead of the traditional incandescent bulbs, as those can become hot to the touch. While both LED and incandescent lights can be enjoyed safely in and outside your home, you can look for a light’s UL listing and approval, which means it has been tested and approved for fire and electrical safety by Underwriters Laboratories.
Budget and Price
We’ve included icicle light products to accommodate a range of budgets. The best Christmas icicle lights with standard features will cost you anywhere between $25-$50. But if you’re an extremist and really get into the holiday spirit you might go for some ice crystal lights which quite literally resemble real icicles. These types of lights will run into the $100 range. Whichever you choose you’d be hard pressed to spend more than $150 on a single strand.
Top 6 Christmas Icicle Lights for Indoor and Outdoor
The following are some of the best icicle lights for indoor and outdoor available on the market.
1. Ollny Christmas Lights Outdoor IcicleLights String
Overall Best Christmas Icicle lights
+ 11 lighting modes
+ 4 brightness levels
+ 7 blinking effects
+ 4 color options
+ comes with waterproof remote controller
– gets tangled when taking out of the box
Our #1 pick, this set is the holy grail of icicle lights as a true all-in-one solution. We love the quality and the look of these mini lights hanging in three different drop lengths. To sum it up, here are the ways this product offers the best of both worlds where it matters:
First, the color-changing modes can turn this strand of soft, warm white lights one night into a fun, vibrant multicolor display the next. For even more variety, there are three different multicolor settings. This is perfect for those who can’t decide which color to get, or for those who want multicolor this year and warm white next year without buying a whole new strand.
Second, these lights have the cool temperature, energy efficiency, and long life from the LED bulbs AND a soft, warm white color. These LED white lights are not cold or blue at all – just warm and cozy!
Lastly, this set checks every other main box on our checklist without any major downsides. While this set of icicle lights is a little pricier than others of similar length, the added benefits were worth it to us and land it atop the list of best Christmas icicle lights.
2. YAKEXI White Christmas Icicle Lights 19.6ft 300 LED with 60 Drops 8 Modes
Best Icicle Lights with Automatic Timer
+ 8 lighting modes
+ 2 year extended warranty (extra $)
+ 4 different drop lengths
+ End-to-End connectable
– LED blue hue
Bundling up every day to go outside and plugin or unplug lights is a hassle, especially if you have to climb up and down a ladder. Most people opt for the old-faithful plugin timer with the twist dial to prevent having to do this task day in and day out. But if you are looking for an even simpler timer solution then look no further.
Most icicle lights these days come with built in timers, so this was a hard one to pick. What pushed this product out in front of the others was how user friendly and easy the timer function was to engage. Press the button on the adapter for a short 3 seconds, and the indicator light will turn green to notify you that the timer has been activated. Once activated the lights will initiate a cycle of 6 hours on and 18 hours off. That’s it. Nothing else needs to be done.
Now that you’ve saved so much time from having to turn lights on and off you can stay warm inside and devise plans for a bigger and better light display next year. Of course we’ll be here to help you find all that you need to pull it off!
3. Toodour LED Icicle Lights, 360 LED 29.5ft 8 Modes Window Curtain Fairy Lights with 60 drops
Best LED Icicle Lights
+ 8 lighting modes
+ multiple color options for both the lights and the wire
+ comes with automatic timer and memory functions
– cannot connect more than 3 strands
LED icicle lights are growing in popularity for good reason; they’re safe, energy efficient, cool to the touch, and long-lasting. We recommend this option as the best LED icicle light set for all these reasons and more.
The 30V output voltage makes it safe and saves energy. While the bulbs themselves are waterproof (IP44), make sure to keep the adapter dry. In addition to the sturdy LED bulbs, we love all the added benefits and variety, like the many color options for both the lightbulbs and the strand’s wire.
The easy-to-operate automatic timer is another great feature. With the push of a button, your lights will remain lit all night (6 hours), and then turn off and stay off all day (18 hours). The built-in memory chip also allows you to save your mode setting so you don’t have to reset it each time.
4. Kringle Traditions 8.5 ft 150 Clear Twinkle Icicle Lights on White Wire
Best Incandescent Icicle Lights
+ spot-on, traditional Christmas white color
+ 4 drop lengths
– may need to be stretched first to ensure they hang right
If you’re a person of tradition, this set of incandescent icicle lights is a great pick for you. These are the icicle lights of our childhood, the ones we helped dad hang up along the gutters before we went inside to help mom hang our favorite ornaments on the tree (probably the shatterproof kind if you were a clumsy kid like me). If you’re planning on going classic this year, here’s why we like these icicle lights from Kringle Traditions:
First, the color is not too cool and not too warm (as is often the case when it comes to LED bulbs). Instead, the color has the traditional Christmas white hue. We also find the drop length variation on these (4 lengths between 9 and 18”) to be very aesthetically pleasing.
Second, they are very easy to hang up around your home. Also, the strands can easily be connected to each other so if you decide you want to add more lights to your display, you can simply buy another strand and plug it into the last one.
Just know the strands of lights will likely have to be stretched out a little bit before you go to hang them. This will be a bit time-consuming in the beginning, but will ensure you have a beautiful, functional display for the whole holiday season.
5. Twinkle Star 360 LED Christmas Iciclelights Outdoor Dripping Ice Cycle Lights
Best Twinkle Icicle Lights
+ 9 color options
+ M5 LED bulbs are waterproof & shatterproof
+ end-to-end connectable up to 44 strands
+ just the right amount of “twinkle”
– could be costlier than other options if you have a lot of area to cover
Something about twinkling icicle lights really puts us in the holiday spirit. Personally, some lighting effects can be a bit too much for us, but this one features just the right amount of sparkle. If you’re looking for a charming, subtle twinkle like sunshine on fresh snow, then this is the set for you.
Most strands of icicle lights let you connect a few to several strands together, but this product is end-to-end connectable up to a whopping 44 strands. There are 9 different color options, and we think the cool white captures the cool ice / winter wonderland aesthetic beautifully.
6. GE 20-Count 100 LED Twinkling Ice Crystal Icicle Set
Best Ice Crystal Lights
+ comes with mounting clips for easy hanging
+ high-end GE bulbs
+ energy smart (up to 80% energy savings)
– only one effect setting
There are icicle lights and then there are ice crystal icicle lights, which are shaped like large, pointed icicles hanging from the eaves of your house to give a realistic wintertime look. If you want to go big or go home for the holidays, these LED ice crystal icicle lights are a great option. Their UL listing indicates an 80% energy savings with the top-notch quality LED bulbs from GE.
While the set’s random sparkle setting is a nice effect, it cannot be switched to a steady light (something to keep in mind while you shop in case you want that option). This strand of lights is also connectable up to 25 sets and comes with mounting clips for an easy install.
Frequently Asked Questions About Icicle Lights
What LED lights are similar to traditional Christmas lights?
M5 LED lightbulbs are essentially the equivalent of the popular Christmas mini lights in the traditional incandescent version. These bulbs offer a classic aesthetic with all the modern, energy-saving advantages of LED technology. Another reason M5 lights are a great alternative for the original incandescent minis is the fact that they are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
How to hang lights from gutters with leaf guard?
To hang icicle lights from gutters with a mesh leaf guard, you’ll need to use Christmas hooks, ideally metal as opposed to plastic. A durable, metal hook we recommend which you can easily re-use year after year is at the link below.
Christmas Hooks for the Best Christmas Icicle Lights
Parting Thoughts
The holidays are all about spreading joy and spending time with the ones we love (and the presents, too)! Decorating is a key part of getting into the holiday spirit, and the icicle lights on the outside of your home are the first impression on your friends, family, and neighbors. Whether you decide to go with a classic winter white color or a fun multicolor look, icicle lights are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.
We hope you enjoyed our roundup of the best Christmas icicle lights in 2021!