The best solar Christmas lights, and the December problem
Solar Christmas lights have to work in the month with the least sun. The strings worth buying either tell you how much they need or give you another way to charge.
By Sawyer V. · Published
Solar Christmas lights solve a real problem: a shrub or a fence in the middle of a yard with no outlet anywhere near it. No cord, no timer, nothing to trip over. They also have a real problem: December has the shortest days and the lowest sun of the year.
Nearly every string is 200 LEDs on 72 feet. What matters is whether the listing tells you how much sun it needs, and whether it has a way to charge when it does not get it. Five strings below.
Wreath & Watt earns a commission on qualifying purchases made through the Amazon links on this page. It costs you nothing and it does not change the order of the picks — here is exactly how we are funded.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No imageKoxly solar string lights, 72 ft, 200 LED6 to 8 h charge, 8+ h of light | The only published charge and run times | 8.0/ 10 | Check price #ad · Disclosure |
| 2 | No imageVMANOO solar and USB string lights, 72 ft, 200 LEDSolar or USB charging | A December backup when the sun does not come out | 6.5/ 10 | Check price #ad · Disclosure |
| 3 | No imageSolarmks solar Christmas lights, 72 ft, 200 LED, IP65IP65 on both panel and string | A published weather rating | 5.8/ 10 | Check price #ad · Disclosure |
| 4 | No imageSolar Christmas string lights, 2 pack, 72 ft each, warm white2 x 72 ft, 200 LED each, warm white | Two separate runs, two panels | 6.8/ 10 | Check price #ad · Disclosure |
| 5 | No imageDooVee solar Christmas lights, 72 ft, 200 LED, warm whiteThe category default, nothing further publishedSkip this | Skip | 2.5/ 10 | Check price #ad · Disclosure |
Scores are our own weighting of published manufacturer specifications, explained in full on how we research. They are not test results. We have not tested these products.
The picks in full
#1 — The only published charge and run times
Koxly solar string lights, 72 ft, 200 LED
6 to 8 h charge, 8+ h of light
8.0
/ 10
The pick, because it is the only listing that tells you how much sun it needs. Put the panel where it gets the most.
Published specifications
- LEDs
- 200
- Length
- 72 ft
- Modes
- 8
- Charge time
- 6 to 8 hours
- Run time
- More than 8 hours
- Weather
- Waterproof
Our scoring
- Published charge and run
- 10 / 10
- Length
- 8 / 10
- Weather rating
- 5 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 9 / 10
Good
- Charge time and run time both published — the two figures that decide whether solar works for you
- 200 LEDs over 72 ft suits a shrub or a railing
Watch out
- 6 to 8 hours of sun is a summer figure; a December day may not provide it
- No published IP code
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B08B81ZBRP), verified 2026-09-11.
#2 — A December backup when the sun does not come out
VMANOO solar and USB string lights, 72 ft, 200 LED
Solar or USB charging
6.5
/ 10
The winter pick. Solar with a plug-in backup is the version of solar that still works on the shortest days.
Published specifications
- LEDs
- 200
- Length
- 72 ft
- Modes
- 8
- Charging
- Solar and USB
- Use
- Indoor and outdoor
Our scoring
- Winter reliability
- 10 / 10
- Versatility
- 9 / 10
- Published run time
- 1 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 6 / 10
Good
- USB charging is the fix for the solar problem in December — a week of cloud does not leave it dark
- Works indoors too, off USB
Watch out
- No published charge or run time
- No published weather rating
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B074M2V2BK), verified 2026-09-11.
#3 — A published weather rating
Solarmks solar Christmas lights, 72 ft, 200 LED, IP65
IP65 on both panel and string
5.8
/ 10
The rated pick. If the string lives in a hedge from Thanksgiving to New Year, the IP65 is what you are paying for.
Published specifications
- LEDs
- 200, blue
- Length
- 72 ft
- Modes
- 8
- Weather rating
- IP65, panel and string
Our scoring
- Weather rating
- 10 / 10
- Color match
- 5 / 10
- Published run time
- 1 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 7 / 10
Good
- IP65 on the panel and the string is an actual rating, not the word waterproof
- Blue is unusual in solar strings and suits a winter-white scheme
Watch out
- Blue will not match warm white house lights
- No published charge or run time
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B07D28L54T), verified 2026-09-11.
#4 — Two separate runs, two panels
Solar Christmas string lights, 2 pack, 72 ft each, warm white
2 x 72 ft, 200 LED each, warm white
6.8
/ 10
The value pick for covering two separate spots. Each string charges on its own, so a shaded panel only darkens half the display.
Published specifications
- Strings
- 2
- LEDs
- 200 per string, 400 total
- Length
- 72 ft each, 144 ft total
- Modes
- 8
- Color
- Warm white
Our scoring
- Coverage
- 10 / 10
- Color match
- 10 / 10
- Published run time
- 1 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 6 / 10
Good
- Two strings means two panels, so two separate shrubs or a railing and a tree each get their own
- Warm white matches the rest of a typical display
Watch out
- No published charge, run time or weather rating
- Two panels to site in the sun rather than one
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B08CR42XPB), verified 2026-09-11.
#5 — skip this
DooVee solar Christmas lights, 72 ft, 200 LED, warm white
The category default, nothing further published
2.5
/ 10
Our skip. It is the default solar string, and four better-documented versions are above.
Published specifications
- LEDs
- 200, warm white
- Length
- 72 ft
- Modes
- 8
- Weather
- Waterproof (no IP code stated)
- Run time
- Not stated in the listing
Our scoring
- Published run time
- 1 / 10
- Weather rating
- 4 / 10
- Differentiation
- 1 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 4 / 10
Good
- The standard 72 ft, 200 LED solar string with a ground-stake panel
Watch out
- No run time, no charge time and no IP code
- Identical in every published figure to the 2 pack, at half the length
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B07V27KR3K), verified 2026-09-11.
How we ranked these
Published charge and run time first, then backup charging, then weather rating. Every figure is one the listing prints.
| String | LEDs / length | Charge | Run time | Backup | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koxly | 200 / 72 ft | 6 to 8 h | 8+ h | No | Waterproof |
| VMANOO | 200 / 72 ft | Not stated | Not stated | USB | Not stated |
| Solarmks | 200 / 72 ft | Not stated | Not stated | No | IP65 |
| 2 pack, warm | 2 x 200 / 72 ft | Not stated | Not stated | No | Not stated |
| DooVee | 200 / 72 ft | Not stated | Not stated | No | Waterproof |
One listing publishes charge and run time, one publishes USB backup, one publishes IP65.
Source: Manufacturer listings on Amazon.com, verified September 2026.
The December arithmetic
The arithmetic
- Koxly: needs 6 to 8 hours of charge for 8+ hours of light
- A December day in much of the US: well under 10 hours of daylight
- Direct sun on the panel: a fraction of that, less if it is cloudy
In December a solar string may not see the 6 to 8 hours of good sun the only published figure asks for. Expect shorter nights of light than in the listing, and dark nights after a cloudy day.
That is not a reason not to buy solar — it is a reason to site the panel carefully and to value a backup. Where solar belongs and where it does not is on solar vs plug-in outdoor lighting.
USB backup is the winter fix
The VMANOO charges from USB as well as from its panel. After a week of cloud, a solar-only string goes dark; this one can be charged indoors overnight and put back. In December that makes it the most dependable string here.
Waterproof or IP65
The Solarmks publishes IP65 on the panel and the string — an actual rating for dust and water jets. Two others say “waterproof” with no number. A string that lives in a hedge from Thanksgiving to New Year is the case where the rating matters.
200 LEDs over 72 feet
The arithmetic
- 72 ft = 864 in; 864 / 200 = 4.3 in between LEDs
- A 500 LED plug-in tree string: about 4 in between LEDs
The spacing is close to a plug-in mini-light string. The difference is brightness, which no listing here publishes — solar strings run on a small battery and are dimmer than plug-in strings.
Solar strings suit shrubs, railings and small trees. For a roofline, where brightness matters, see the best outdoor Christmas lights; for wrapping, see wrapping trees and columns.
Two strings, two panels
The warm white 2 pack gives two separate strings with two panels, so two separate spots each charge on their own. A shaded panel darkens half the display, not all of it. Warm white also matches most house lights; the reasoning is on warm white vs cool white.
Questions
›Do solar Christmas lights work in winter?
Yes, but not as well as in summer. December has the least daylight and the lowest sun, so strings charge less and run shorter. One string here also charges from USB, which fixes the problem after cloudy days.
›How long do solar Christmas lights stay on?
The only listing here that publishes it says more than 8 hours after 6 to 8 hours of charge. In December, with less sun, expect less.
›Where should the solar panel go?
Wherever it gets the most open sky, ideally facing south, on its own stake. The lights can be in shade; the panel cannot.
›Are solar Christmas lights as bright as plug-in lights?
Generally not. They run from a small battery, and none of the listings here publishes a brightness figure. They suit shrubs and railings better than a roofline.
Sources
- Koxly solar string lights listing (ASIN B08B81ZBRP) — 72 ft, 200 LED, 8 modes, 6 to 8 h charge, 8+ h run time
- VMANOO solar and USB string lights listing (ASIN B074M2V2BK) — 72 ft, 200 LED, 8 modes, solar and USB charging, indoor and outdoor
- Solarmks solar Christmas lights listing (ASIN B07D28L54T) — 72 ft, 200 LED, 8 modes, IP65 panel and string, blue
- Solar Christmas lights 2 pack listing (ASIN B08CR42XPB) — 2 x 72 ft, 200 LED each, 8 modes, warm white
- DooVee solar Christmas lights listing (ASIN B07V27KR3K) — 72 ft, 200 LED, 8 modes, waterproof, warm white
- Spacing arithmetic — Length divided by LED count — our arithmetic
We have not tested these products. Every figure above comes from a published manufacturer specification or from arithmetic shown on this page, and anything a maker does not publish is printed as unavailable rather than estimated. How that works, and what we will not claim, is set out on how we research.