People Are Trading Their Seasonal Christmas Lights for This Sustainable Swap

The most wonderful time of the year comes with a few less-than-wonderful tasks. Many of us dread climbing onto our roofs to install holiday lights (or paying someone else to do the job), a labor-intensive and costly venture. This year, we’re thankful for a trending alternative: Adding permanent outdoor lights to your exterior.

“Permanent LED lighting is having a moment—and honestly, it’s about time,” says Rachel Brown, founder and principal designer at RB Interiors. “Designers are finally treating light like the architectural jewelry it is. We’re talking sculptural glow lines, halo-lit ceilings, stair treads that feel like they’re floating, and exteriors that look like they were dipped in quiet luxury.”

Rachel Brown

Unlike standard lights, these LED strings are mounted underneath your roof and eaves, where they stay year-round. There are a few installation options, from sticking them on with mounting tape to drilling them into your exterior, and there are some you can cut and splice to easily cover your entire home in lights. Several happy customers have shared that these are understated and concealed, so they won’t affect the look of your home when they’re turned off.

LED lights are among our editors’ favorite sustainable holiday decor items, too, considering they use 80% less energy than regular string lights. These permanent outdoor lights run anywhere between $100 to $500, but they are truly the gift that keeps on giving. After install, brands report that these LEDs can run for up to 50,000 hours.

Many are also compatible with smart home systems like Alexa and Google Home, and you can sync them with music and trillions—yes, trillions—of colors. If you’re interested in trying out the trend this holiday season, try these bestsellers:

• Eufy Permanent Outdoor Lights S4, $340
• Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro, $440
• POOFZY Permanent Outdoor Lights, $200
• LETIANPAI Permanent Outdoor Lights, was $130, now $90

Looking for more sustainable swaps? Check out more energy-saving, recycled, and low-waste holiday decorations our editors love here.