Best Christmas tree lights for a sprinkling of festive sparkle

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree - how lovely are your branches lights.

When it comes to decorating your fir, adorning it with twinkling fairy lights is the first step to creating a suitably festive design. Then comes the baubles, tinsel, candy canes, chocolate decorations and of course the pièce de resistance – the angel or star shining proudly at the very top.

Whether opting for a subtle golden glow or flashing multi-coloured lights, there are so many different options to choose from, for every tree shape, size and taste. Christmas tree lights give an instant sense of magic to the tree, transforming it into a seasonal showstopper, ready for presents to be placed beneath. As dusk hits, cosy up in front of the tree as it sparkles away and wake up to twinkling branches that fill the room with festive spirit. A lit-up Christmas tree is the ultimate way to set the scene for the most wonderful time of the year, and you get to decide just how to glitz it up.

First things first, check out how long each set of lights is to ensure they will cover your whole tree. You may even need a longer style, or even a couple of sets. Then choose the colour bulb – do you want white, warm white, golden, red, multi-coloured? And what type of light? There are mains or battery powered so consider where your tree will be positioned and if plug sockets are accessible. Some lights will feature timers so you can leave them to switch on/off at specific times and lots have different settings to flick between, such as fading, constant or flashing lights.

Shop our edit of the best Christmas tree lights for some inspiration to add some festive sparkle…

John Lewis LED Battery Operated Lights

Length: 16.9m

Add some sparkly magic to your Christmas tree with this string of 192 miniature bulbs, available in either a warm and pure or icy white. LED battery-operated, they will consume up to 90 per cent less power than incandescent bulbs and are complete with a timer so you can set them to come on as soon as the evenings draw in. Three AA batteries required.

Buy now £30.00, John Lewis

Lights4Fun Multi-Coloured Pinecone Christmas Lights

Length: 15m of lights, 5m lead wire

Brighten up your Christmas tree with these pretty pinecone lights, each of which is fit with colourful LED bulbs for a vibrant festive glow. Wrap them around and up the tree (the cable is camouflaged green) and choose between the eight lighting settings – from flashing and twinkling, to still or fading. There’s also a six-hour timer to use if required.

Buy now £29.99, Ligths4Fun

Habitat 160 Multicoloured Multi-Function LED Lights

Length: 14.6m

Whether it’s flashing, twinkling or constantly glowing, however you like to have your Christmas illuminated, these fairy lights from Habitat will do the job. Fit with eight pre-set functions, deck the tree with 160 multi-coloured bulbs and add some festive cheer to your room. Mains powered and featuring a dark green cable to subtly blend into the tree.

Buy now £13.00, Argos

Cox & Cox Cascading Wire Tree Lights

Length: Each string of 42 lights is 220cm, lead cable is 8m

Feeling a little extra this year? Add some extra special cascading lights to your tree for an extravagant yet classy touch. Place the ring at the top of your tree and let the 16 strings of warm white lights fall majestically over your tree.

Buy now £40.00, Cox & Cox

Dunelm Candy Cane String lights

Length: 1.9m

Give your tree a super sweet touch with these candy cane lights that are just like the real thing. Imbuing a warm white light, the 20 LED bulbs will add some merriment to your Christmas display and are battery powered so don’t require a mains socket – just two AA batteries required. Grab a couple of sets to fully deck out your tree.

Buy now £2.50, Dunelm

M&S Warm White Lights

Length: 27.94m

Adorn your tree with 300 warm white lights to add a stylish sparkle to the room and set the scene for the festivities. Simply plug into the mains and then control using the remote included. This will give you the ability to switch them on/off, choose the brightness, set a timer or flick between the eight different settings for the ultimate convenience and to provide multi-functional lighting.

Buy now £19.50, M&S

Ansio Multi Action Fairy Lights

Length: 10m

Illuminate your tree and add a twinkle to your room with these 100 bulbed fairy lights that are a top choice on Amazon. Featuring eight different functions to switch between including slow glow, fade and flashing, choose your favourite and add instant ambience and festive spirit.

Buy now £8.98, Amazon

Dunelm Lustre Festoon Lights

Length: 9.5m

A little more statement than some of the others, this string of lustre festoon lights will look glorious against your Christmas tree and means fewer baubles are required. The 20 warm white bulbs will provide a magical glow and are simple to set up, just plug into the mains.

Buy now £20.00, Dunelm

Lights4Fun Multi-Coloured LED Traditional Christmas Tree Lights

Length: 15m of lights, 5m lead wire

If you’re going for a colourful theme on your Christmas tree, these LED lights will bring a lovely joyful glow to its branches. The 150 classic pointed-shaped bulbs have nine speed settings to choose from and also have a six-hour timer so you can leave them to switch off by themselves.

Buy now £29.99, Lights4Fun

Cox & Cox Remote Control Candle Tree Lights

Length: Each candle is H13 x Dia. 2cm

Go back in time with traditional-style candles to light up your tree. Simply clip this set of 10 onto different branches, control via the remote included and enjoy an elegantly glowing tree, just like the fairy tales. Battery powered, requiring one AA battery per candle and one AAA for the remote control.

Buy now £40.00, Cox & Cox