Christmas Lights with a Conscience

If you're dreaming of a green Christmas but still want to deck your halls for your holiday party, check out Gaiam's solar-powered outdoor Christmas lights. You just put the solar cell in the sun, wait till sundown, and watch the  LED lights come on automatically.

They'll go off on their own at dawn, and as long as the weather's not too frightful, charge up again the next day. Starting at $89 with a two-day FedEx delivery for $19.95, they don't come cheap, but sometimes you have to spend to save (the world).

Safety alert: The lights come with a warning that the product may contain lead and to "wash hands after use." Yikes! But it turns out that this is true for almost all Christmas lights, not to mention extension cords (check the cord itself and/or the box for the warning you probably never noticed before); lead is in the PVC used to protect the wiring. If you do decide to hang lights, consider wearing gloves, wash your hands after handling them, and teach your kids not to touch 'em.

Comments

That's actually a great idea for putting lights in places where an extension cord is not suitable, like when decorating outdoor trees, etc.

I may have to wait until the price comes down, as it always happens with new technology. :)

That's perfect that they come on automatically, too. You can go out for a holiday and then your home will be all lit up when you arrive. Are there any cheaper versions?

I really like the idea of these, it is too bad the price is so high and second, the only color at the moment in stock is red. Coming home to a red lit house is a bit too much like a horror flick.

Not to rain on your wonderful blog, but All LED and solar lights are not optimum in my book. They look too much like bug zappers or halloween lights(LED's are bluish, solars are bluish or orange). They look cheap and are cheap imitations of real outdoor lighting. For good outdoor lighting, I would suggest purchasing the real thing and using timers...buy one piece at a time, for money-saving frugals (like myself).

J, the ones I have are red, and the color is true red...which looks pretty festive to me, especially against evergreen garland. And LED lights use 90% less energy than conventionals, meaning better for the environment and better for your wallet. P.S. I was in a Christmas boat parade this year and the solar lights were perfect to decorate the boat with--no plugs to worry about!