Solar Christmas lights promise grid-free festive lighting.
Should you switch? Here are four things about solar Christmas lights to help you decide.
#1 Solar Lights Set Up Easy
A string of solar Christmas lights uses a small solar panel for power; there are no extension cords that must be plugged into outlets.
The panel -- about the size of a hockey puck -- powers rechargeable batteries that illuminate a 25- to a 100-bulb string of LED lights.
Panels come with small stakes so you can put them on the ground, where they can take advantage of the sun.
Panels come with small stakes so you can put them on the ground, where they can take advantage of the sun.
#2 They Cost About the Same as LED Lights
Pricing for solar-powered and plug-in LED holiday lights runs neck and neck. A string of 100 miniature lights costs about $10 and up for both solar and LED. Yet solar costs nothing to operate.
#3 They're Durable
They don't have any filaments that burn out easily, and they're made of plastic, which doesn't break as easily as glass.
#4 But They May Not Be as Bright as You'd Like
A fully-charged string of lights should glow for a few hours after the sun goes down. But if you don't get much sun, and with the shorter days, you could see only an hour or so.