The best solar Christmas lights, and the December problem
Solar Christmas lights have to work in the month with the least sun. No string on sale now publishes a charge or a run time, so the ones worth buying are the ones with a backup charge or a real weather rating.
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 |  Brightown solar string lights, 2 pack, 80 ft each, 200 LED2 x 80 ft, 200 LED each | The longest published run | 5.0/ 10 | |
| 2 |  Solar and USB rechargeable string lights, 2 pack, 72 ft each, 200 LED eachSolar or USB charging, 2 x 72 ft | A December backup when the sun does not come out | 6.0/ 10 | $23.99Amazon #ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · Disclosure |
| 3 |  Selarlyt solar Christmas lights, 2 pack, 72 ft, 200 LED, IP65IP65, 8 modes, 2 x 72 ft | A published weather rating | 5.8/ 10 | $14.99Amazon #ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · Disclosure |
| 4 |  LALAPAO solar Christmas string lights, 72 ft, 200 LED, warm white72 ft, 200 LED, warm white | Warm white that matches the rest of the display | 4.3/ 10 | $14.98Amazon #ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · Disclosure |
| 5 |  Solar string lights, 72 ft, 200 LED, extra longThe category default, nothing further publishedSkip this | Skip | 1.8/ 10 | $19.79Amazon #ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · 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 longest published run
Brightown solar string lights, 2 pack, 80 ft each, 200 LED
2 x 80 ft, 200 LED each
5.0
/ 10
The pick on published length. Nothing on sale now publishes charge and run times, so buy the run you need and site the panel carefully.
Published specifications
- Strings
- 2
- Length
- 80 ft each
- LEDs
- 200 per string
- Weather
- Waterproof, no IP code stated
- Charge time
- Not stated in the listing
- Run time
- Not stated in the listing
Our scoring
- Published charge and run
- 1 / 10
- Length
- 10 / 10
- Weather rating
- 4 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 5 / 10
Good
- 80 ft is the longest published run here — eight feet more per string than the 72 ft field standard
- Two strings means two panels, so a shrub and a railing each get their own sun
- A named brand, which on this page is the minority
Watch out
- No charge time and no run time published, which are the two figures that decide whether solar works in December
- Waterproof with no IP code behind it
- 200 LEDs spread over 80 ft is a thinner line of light than the same count over 72 ft
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B0GC6XN961), verified via the Creators API 2026-10-02. Replaces the discontinued Koxly 72 ft string (B08B81ZBRP), which published charge and run times no live listing now carries.
#2 — A December backup when the sun does not come out
Solar and USB rechargeable string lights, 2 pack, 72 ft each, 200 LED each
Solar or USB charging, 2 x 72 ft
6.0
/ 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
- 400 across the pair, 200 per string
- Length
- 144 ft across the pair, 72 ft per string
- Modes
- 19
- Charging
- Solar and USB rechargeable
- Weather
- Waterproof, per the listing
Our scoring
- Winter reliability
- 9 / 10
- Versatility
- 9 / 10
- Published run time
- 1 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 5 / 10
Good
- USB charging is the fix for the solar problem in December — a week of cloud does not leave it dark
- Two strings at the same 72 ft length as everything else here, so runs stay comparable
Watch out
- No published charge or run time
- No brand named in the listing, and no IP figure behind the word waterproof
#ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · How we are funded
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B0F3T7NGST), verified via the Creators API 2026-09-24. Replaces the discontinued VMANOO solar and USB string (B074M2V2BK).
#3 — A published weather rating
Selarlyt solar Christmas lights, 2 pack, 72 ft, 200 LED, IP65
IP65, 8 modes, 2 x 72 ft
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
- Strings
- 2
- Length
- 72 ft each
- LEDs
- 200 per string
- Modes
- 8
- Weather rating
- IP65
- Charge and run time
- Not stated in the listing
Our scoring
- Weather rating
- 9 / 10
- Color match
- 7 / 10
- Published run time
- 1 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 6 / 10
Good
- IP65 is an actual rating rather than the word waterproof, and it is the only one on this page
- Two strings at the 72 ft field standard, so runs stay comparable with everything else here
- Eight modes published, which at least tells you there is a steady setting to choose
Watch out
- No charge or run time published
- The rating is stated for the set without saying whether it covers the panel as well as the string
#ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · How we are funded
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B0CTY5YLJ3), verified via the Creators API 2026-10-02. Replaces the discontinued Solarmks IP65 string (B07D28L54T).
#4 — Warm white that matches the rest of the display
LALAPAO solar Christmas string lights, 72 ft, 200 LED, warm white
72 ft, 200 LED, warm white
4.3
/ 10
The warm white pick. Buy it where the solar string has to match plug-in lights rather than stand alone.
Published specifications
- Length
- 72 ft
- LEDs
- 200
- Color
- Warm white
- Weather
- Waterproof, no IP code stated
- Strings
- 1
- Charge and run time
- Not stated in the listing
Our scoring
- Published charge and run
- 1 / 10
- Length
- 7 / 10
- Weather rating
- 4 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 5 / 10
Good
- Warm white is the color that sits beside mains house lights without clashing
- A named brand at the lowest outlay on this page
- 72 ft is enough for a shrub bank or a porch rail in one run
Watch out
- One string rather than two, so one panel position has to serve the whole run
- No IP code, no charge time and no run time published
#ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · How we are funded
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B07PFV157K), verified via the Creators API 2026-10-02. Replaces the discontinued 2-pack warm white string (B08CR42XPB), which was dead but outside this run's flagged list.
#5 — skip this
Solar string lights, 72 ft, 200 LED, extra long
The category default, nothing further published
1.8
/ 10
Our skip. It is the default solar string at a premium, and four better-documented versions sit above it.
Published specifications
- Length
- 72 ft
- LEDs
- 200
- Weather
- Waterproof, no IP code stated
- Modes
- Not stated in the listing
- Color
- Not stated in the listing
- Charge and run time
- Not stated in the listing
Our scoring
- Published run time
- 1 / 10
- Weather rating
- 3 / 10
- Differentiation
- 1 / 10
- Spec completeness
- 2 / 10
Good
- The standard 72 ft, 200 LED solar string with a ground-stake panel
Watch out
- No brand, no mode count, no bulb color, no IP code and no run time
- The highest price on this page for the least published detail
#ad · Price as of October 26, 2026 · How we are funded
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B0CX4YYLTS), verified via the Creators API 2026-10-02. Replaces the discontinued DooVee 72 ft string (B07V27KR3K).
How we ranked these
Published charge and run time first — nothing on sale now prints either — then backup charging, then weather rating. Every figure below is one the listing prints.
| String | LEDs / length | Charge | Run time | Backup | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brightown 2 pack | 2 x 200 / 80 ft | Not stated | Not stated | No | Waterproof |
| Solar + USB 2 pack | 200 / 72 ft each | Not stated | Not stated | USB | Waterproof |
| Selarlyt 2 pack | 2 x 200 / 72 ft | Not stated | Not stated | No | IP65 |
| LALAPAO, warm | 200 / 72 ft | Not stated | Not stated | No | Not stated |
| Unbranded | 200 / 72 ft | Not stated | Not stated | No | Waterproof |
No listing here publishes a charge time or a run time any more. One publishes USB backup, one publishes IP65.
Source: Manufacturer listings on Amazon.com, verified September 2026.
The December arithmetic
The arithmetic
- A solar string needs a day of direct sun to fill its battery (an assumption, since no listing here publishes a charge time)
- 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
None of these listings publishes a charge time or a run time any more, so there is no figure to plan from. Expect short nights of light in December, 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 solar and USB two pack 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, and it arrives as two 72 ft runs rather than one.
Waterproof or IP65
The Selarlyt pair publishes IP65 — an actual rating for dust and water jets — though it states it for the set rather than naming the panel and the string separately. The 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
Three of the five here arrive as two strings with two panels — the Brightown pair at 80 ft each, the Selarlyt pair at 72 ft and the solar and USB pair — so two separate spots each charge on their own, and a shaded panel darkens half the display rather than all of it. The single LALAPAO string is the warm white option, and warm white 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?
None of the listings here publishes a run time any more. Plan on a few hours on a December evening after a sunny day, and nothing after a dark one.
›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
- Brightown solar string lights 2 pack listing (ASIN B0GC6XN961) — 2 x 80 ft, 200 LED each, waterproof; no charge or run time published
- Solar and USB string lights 2 pack listing (ASIN B0F3T7NGST) — 2 x 72 ft, 200 LED each, 19 modes, solar and USB rechargeable, waterproof
- Selarlyt solar Christmas lights 2 pack listing (ASIN B0CTY5YLJ3) — 2 x 72 ft, 200 LED each, 8 modes, IP65
- LALAPAO solar string lights listing (ASIN B07PFV157K) — 72 ft, 200 LED, warm white, waterproof
- Solar string lights listing (ASIN B0CX4YYLTS) — 72 ft, 200 LED, waterproof; no brand, mode count, color or run time published
- 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.