The best upgrade I've ever made to my Christmas decorations are my smart Christmas lights. Whether they're outside my house or wrapped around my tree, these smart string lights make controlling and customizing your lights a snap. It's one of the few smart devices my husband actually asks for me to add to our home.
Smart Christmas lights connect to an app on your phone and smart assistants like Alexa or Google Home (some even connect to Matter for wider compatibility), allowing you to set up times for the lights to turn on, what colors you'd like them to display, and even create interactive light shows. While we're calling them smart Christmas lights, you could use them for any holiday that suits your fancy, especially since they have customizable colors. Easily switch the designs to fit for Halloween, Valentine's Day, or even your favorite sports team on game day.
Our favorite set is Twinkly's Strings Multicolor ($63), which makes it easy to design custom patterns whether the lights are wrapped around a tree or strung outside your house. If you've got the budget to upgrade or are already a Philips Hue user, the Philips Hue Festavia String Lights ($200) are another great smart option. Looking for some permanent outdoor string lights? Try Govee's Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro ($440).
Whether you're celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, or you just love getting into the holiday decorating spirit, these are the best smart Christmas lights for the most wonderful time of the year. Read our other smart home guides for more advice on how to upgrade your home for the holiday season, including the Best Smart Lighting, Best Smart Speakers, Best Smart Locks, and Best Outdoor Security Cameras.
Updated October 2025: We've updated pricing throughout this guide to reflect 2025 availability, and added a new comparison table and FAQs.