USB · 33 ft
Color Changing Fairy String Lights
2 colors · 2 lengths
4.5 out of 5 (20,067 ratings)From $14.99
How Many Lights Does a Christmas Tree Need?
A rule of thumb, how to wrap a tree so the lights reach the middle, and which strands are worth the extra money.
The rule of thumb
Most decorators work with about 100 mini lights for every foot of tree height. A six-foot tree takes around 600, a seven-and-a-half-foot tree around 750. If you like a softer tree, stop at two thirds of that. If you want the tree to glow from across the street through the window, go up by half.
Count by lights, not strands. A 100-count strand and a 200-count strand look very different on the same branch, and the box always tells you the count.
Wrap the branches, not just the outside
A tree lit only on the outside looks flat, like a cone with a light shell. Start at the trunk at the bottom, run the strand out along a branch and back in, then move to the next branch. It takes longer, and the tree gains depth you can see from the couch.
Work from the bottom up with the plug end at the base, so the next strand joins where the last one stopped.
Plug-in · 66 ft
66FT 200 LED Fairy Lights Plug in with Remote
6 colors · 2 sizes
4.4 out of 5 (16,643 ratings)From $12.99
Strands in our range and how long they are
The table below shows the most-rated strands for trees, the lengths each comes in, and whether the strands join end to end.
| Strand | Lengths | Connectable | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Color Changing Fairy String Lights | 33 ft, 66 ft | No | From $14.99 |
| 66FT 200 LED Fairy Lights Plug in with Remote | 66 ft | No | From $12.99 |
| Fairy Lights Plug | 33 ft, 66 ft, 99 ft, 100 ft | No | From $8.98 |
| Twinkle Fairy Lights Plug | 33 ft, 66 ft | No | From $6.97 |
| 5 Pack Fairy Lights Battery Operated | 7 ft | No | From $11.99 |
| Fairy Lights Battery Operated, Twinkle String Lights 5ft 60LED | 5 ft | No | From $6.59 |
| Clear Christmas String Lights 100 Count 20 Feet Incandescent Bulb | 20 ft, 40 ft | No | From $8.98 |
| C9 Outdoor Christmas Lights | 50 ft, 100 ft | No | From $49.99 |
| 12 Pack Warm White Battery Operated Fairy String Lights 8 Modes | 7 ft | No | From $9.99 |
| Star String Lights Battery Operated | 17 ft | No | From $9.99 |
How many strands you can join
Connectable strands plug into each other, but not without limit. Each strand's own instructions give the maximum. The federal product safety agency puts a number on the old kind of bulb:
Never string together more than three sets of incandescent lights and never overload electrical outlets.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Holiday Safety. Read 29 September 2026.
LED strands draw much less power, so their limit is higher, often several times higher. The number is still printed in the instructions for each model, and it is the one to follow. On our product pages we list it wherever the maker gives it.
Check last year's lights first
Before a single strand goes on the tree, plug it in on the floor. It is far easier to find a dead section there than halfway up a branch. The U.S. Fire Administration puts it plainly:
Inspect holiday lights each year before you put them up. Throw away light strands with frayed or pinched wires.
U.S. Fire Administration, Holiday Fire Safety. Read 29 September 2026.
The same page carries a figure worth remembering when you are tempted to keep a strand with a pinched wire for one more year:
Almost one-third of home Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems.
U.S. Fire Administration, Holiday Fire Safety. Read 29 September 2026.
Battery
6 Pack Battery Operated LED Fairy Lights for Christmas Decor
10 pack sizes
4.3 out of 5 (8,563 ratings)From $5.99
Mini lights, clusters or fairy lights
- Mini lights: the classic look, easy to hide on green wire.
- Cluster strands: many LEDs close together, dense and bright on a big tree, too heavy for a small one.
- Fairy lights on copper wire: fine and delicate, best on a small tree or a tabletop tree.
- Mixing: stay with one type per tree. LED and incandescent bulbs glow in different colors of white.
