Is It Dangerous To Leave Christmas String Lights On All Night?

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Once you've finished all the work behind decorating your home for the holidays, you'll surely want to enjoy it as much as possible. Theoretically, it could be a delight to wake up to a fully decked-out home every morning without the hassle of turning everything back on. Aside from the best way to hang lights on your Christmas tree, you might be wondering whether it's worth leaving them on all night so they're ready for prime viewing 24/7. You might wonder about other areas where you have string lights hung up, too. Before you're tempted to go to bed without turning off any strings of lights around your home, know that it's considered dangerous to let them sparkle all night long unattended—even if you believe you have the safest lighting available.

It may be appropriate in certain situations to leave a minimalist Christmas tree up all year, but there is never a safe time to leave holiday lights on in your home overnight. Doing so could put your household at risk in the event of an electrical shortage and a fire. If you're wondering whether it's appropriate to leave the string lights on, ask yourself this: Will someone in your household be awake and around them? If the answer is no, it's better to err on the side of caution and turn them off. The same rule applies to overnight or any other time everyone at home is asleep, and whenever you're away from home. As a precaution, it's best to turn off all other plugged-in or battery-operated Christmas decorations in these circumstances as well.

Leaving modern Christmas string lights on may seem harmless, but all types can become life-threatening if no one is around to detect a possible electrical fire. Unfortunately, even the safest LED lights aren't completely fireproof. While LEDs do not heat up as much as their incandescent counterparts, they do still emit some heat. It's also not just the bulbs that are a problem. Frayed wires in the strings or broken power sockets can all pose fire risks.

As you're getting your strings of lights ready for holiday decorating, always inspect them carefully before plugging them into any electrical outlet. Any damaged strings or individual lights ought to be discarded and replaced to prevent electrical shortages. This is especially important when you're stringing lights on Christmas trees. Combining a dry tree with string lighting and other electrical items increases the risk of a fire hazard. Also, while the best time to take down your Christmas tree is often a matter of personal preference, anyone with a dried-out, live tree needs to take it down sooner rather than later.

Finally, if you're looking for an easier way to turn your string lights off and on, consider versions that work with a remote or an app on your smartphone, such as these Brizled Smart Christmas Lights. You can control the string lights directly in the app, set a timer, and some versions are even compatible with voice-control software like Alexa. This can take some of the work out of manually turning multiple strings of lights off and on, so you have more time to enjoy your holiday décor all season long.