Battery Operated Christmas Lights vs Mains Operated Christmas Lights

We hope this information will help you make an informed decision on which lights are going to serve your desired purpose best this Christmas.

Battery-Operated Christmas Lights

Pro - The first obvious benefit of battery-operated Christmas lights is that they are energy-efficient and money-saving. Without having to plug in multiple sets of lights you will be saving money on electrics and saving those extra pennies is always handy at Christmas time.

Con – However, depending on which batteries you choose you will only get a maximum of 30-40 days use out of your battery-operated lights before you have to replace the batteries.

Pro – With no plug, you are not limited to where you can put your lights. There will be no fuss over not being able to reach your nearest power source meaning that you can use your lights for multiple purposes.

Con – The battery packs can sometimes be quite chunky and difficult to hide sometimes becoming an eyesore, especially when used on a Christmas tree.

Pro – Most battery-operated lights are suitable for use indoors and outdoors.

Con – However, it is important to ensure that the battery pack is waterproof as if left outside and exposed to the elements some batteries can rust or leak which will stop the lights working.

Pro - Battery-operated lights are available in multiple different colours which means you will always be able to find a set that suits your colour scheme and preferred styling.

Con – Battery-powered lights are never going to be as bright as mains-operated lights and they typically come in lower bulb sets so you will also not get as many bulbs or as long a lit length compared to mains-operated lights.

Pro – Battery-operated lights run at an extremely low voltage making them extremely safe for use. Even when they malfunction a shock is extremely unlikely.

Mains-Operated Christmas Lights

Pro –The biggest benefit of mains-operated lights is the lifespan. Often lasting between 5-10 years, mains-operated lights require very little maintenance during this time period apart from being stored safely when not in use.

Con –The biggest negative when it comes to mains-operated lights is the plug. If your lights do not have a long lead cable you may be limited to where you can put your lights. But many mains operated lights now come with a lengthy 10m lead cable which eliminates this issue but does mean you have trailing wires.

Pro – Mains operated lights can be used indoors and outdoors providing that you have a suitable outdoor socket or can plug into an indoor socket.

Con –Mains operated lights can be difficult to get onto your Christmas tree as you are plugged into a socket and this can lead the wires to get tangled up easily compared to a battery-operated set which gives you freedom to move around.

Pro – Mains operated lights are substantially brighter than battery-operated lights and can have significantly more bulbs and a longer lit length as they are not limited by battery power.

Con – Mains operated lights can cost money in electricity to run – we recommend choosing LED lights as these are much more energy efficient and reduce the cost to run quite significantly.

Pro – There are lots of styles of mains operated lights some with large spaces in between bulbs and some with small spaces for a fuller look and these styles come in many different colours to suit your themes of preferences.

Con – Whilst mains operated lights can be used to decorate other areas of the house such as windowsills, fireplaces and staircases if you have multiple sets of lights you may find you run out of plug sockets.

Pro – Mains-operated lights are more likely to fit larger trees than battery-operated lights as they have more bulbs. Meaning if you have anything larger than a 4ft tree, which many of us do, mains-operated lights are the only lights to light your tree effectively.

We have a large selection of all Christmas lights, which are suitable for trees, fireplaces, windowsills, staircases and any location you can think of.