From cute to creepy, these Halloween lights will add glowing ambiance to your holiday décor inside and out.
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The Best Indoor and Outdoor Halloween Lights for 2024
Updated Sep. 27, 2024
Halloween is one of the most enjoyable holidays, thanks to its playful approach to fear, community-driven traditions like trick-or-treating and the chance to transform your home into a haunted house. While decorations are plentiful, one category that often gets overlooked is lighting.
Though typically associated with Christmas, themed house lights can add a spooky ambiance to your Halloween decor. We’ve rounded up the best Halloween lights for your home—from eerie spiderweb string lights to unsettling wall sconces—to help create a truly haunting experience.
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Best Spooky Halloween Lights
Eyeball Lights
Give your Halloween party guests the creepy feeling someone is watching them with this string of eyeball lights. The set comes with 30 LED eyeballs and a convenient remote control. Set them on a timer, control the brightness and choose among eight flashing patterns.
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Best Flame Halloween Lights
LED Flame Bulbs
Create an eerie ambiance by switching all your indoor and outdoor bulbs to these LED flame bulbs. The faux flames flicker and dance like real fire without the safety risk. They’re also energy efficient, using only three watts of power.
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Best Battery-Operated Halloween Lights
Ghost String Lights
This set of colorful Halloween lights run on three AA batteries, so you can hang them wherever you want without searching for an electrical outlet. The three eight-foot strings include 20 bulbs each, in festive shapes: orange pumpkins, purple bats and white ghosts.
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Best Long Length Halloween Lights
Purple and Orange String Lights
This string of purple and orange lights is 100 feet long and includes 300 bulbs! They’re perfect for decorating a large room, an outdoor patio or a big tree. Outdoors, these durable lights will work rain or shine thanks to their IP44 waterproof rating.
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Best Halloween Curtain Lights
Purple Curtain Lights
These purple curtain lights come with a multifunction remote that controls the power, the eight lighting modes, the brightness level and a timer. Read this interesting fact about purple LED lights.
The ghostly purple glow sets the spooky mood at your Halloween event so that your rooms have the best Halloween décor. Hang them on the wall or behind fabric to create a glimmering backdrop. They make a terrific divider as well.
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Best Halloween Wall Light
Happy Pumpkin Light
This happy pumpkin light hangs on your wall and makes a cheerful addition to your Halloween décor. Even when it’s off, it makes an adorable wall decoration. When lit, the whole wall lights up behind the pumpkin with a starburst pattern. The LED lights inside can be set to flicker or glow steadily.
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Best Lawn Stake Halloween Lights
Garden Stake Ghost Lights
Lead trick-or-treaters to your front door with these not-too-scary garden stake ghost lights. Each fabric ghost is lit with a C7 5W bulb, and they’re connected together with black wire. Buy more than one set to extend your collection into a whole welcome party of ghosts!
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Best Halloween Lights for Your Shrubs
Purple Net Lights
These purple net lights hang over your shrubs without tangling, creating a tidy grid of light that’s easy to install. You get this connectable mesh in different sizes and includes LED bulbs, you can connect multiple nets if you’ve got a lot of shrubs. When the season is over, cleanup is easy.
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Best Fall-Themed Halloween Lights
Maple Leaf Garland
This light-up maple leaf garland features beautiful orange and yellow leaves lit by vibrant orange twinkle lights. The festive garland looks beautiful on your mantle or draped on your front door. When Halloween is over keep it displayed through Thanksgiving!
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Best Creepy Halloween Lights
Wall Hand Candle Holder
This scary wall hand with an included LED candle adds a spooky element to your décor. Hang a few at your entryway or near the party food, then watch as the sinister fingers extend from the wall, scaring your guests while lighting the way.
VIA MERCHANTBest Wireless Halloween Lights
Hanging Floating Candles
If you’re aiming for a haunted house vibe or a big Harry Potter fan, these hanging floating candles are a perfect Halloween lighting choice. Battery-powered and wireless, they offer the freedom to hang them anywhere. Plus, they come with a magic wand-shaped controller, adding an extra layer of spooky enchantment to your setup.
What to Look for When Buying Halloween Lights
When buying Halloween lights, consider these key factors to ensure your home looks spooky and stays safe:
Lighting Type
- LED lights are long-lasting, energy-efficient and versatile (some offer color-changing options via mobile apps). However, they tend to emit cooler light.
- Incandescent are traditional bulbs that emit warm light. They burn brightly but have a shorter lifespan, consume more energy and are limited in color.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Use
Make sure to select lights designed for the appropriate setting:
- Outdoor lights are weatherproof and built to handle elements like rain and wind. Using indoor lights outside can be hazardous, leading to shorts, exposed wiring and potential injuries.
- Indoor lights are generally more decorative but not as durable for external use. However, outdoor lights can be safely used inside.
Power Source
- Battery-powered lights are portable and flexible for decoration placement but may require frequent battery changes.
- Solar-powered lights are cost-effective over time, as they don’t need electricity or batteries but require consistent sunlight exposure to work effectively.
- Plug-in lights are reliable for indoor or nearby outdoor outlets but may need extension cords if the location is far from power sources.
Theme & Color
Common Halloween colors include orange, purple, green and black. Many lights feature themed designs, like bats, ghosts or pumpkins.
Size & Length
Check the size of the bulbs and the length of the strands to ensure they fit your space. Plug-in lights require a nearby outlet or extension cord, so measure your intended area before buying.
Special Features
Some lights offer settings like flickering (to mimic flames), flashing patterns or dimming options. Remote controls and timers are also available to enhance convenience.
Safety
- Look for the UL certification icon to confirm your lights meet safety standards.
- Consider lights made from fire-resistant or weatherproof materials for added safety.
By keeping these factors in mind, you can find the perfect Halloween lights to make your home stand out in spooky style while ensuring safety and ease of use.
Why You Should Trust Us
Erica Young is a regular contributor to Family Handyman and an experienced journalist whose work has been featured in various respected publications, including Taste of Home, POPSUGAR, The Belladonna, Your Tango, The Organized Mom, Reader’s Digest and Curbly. With a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication, she specializes in home decor, organization, cleaning, landscaping and DIY projects.
Sean Tirman, Content Updates Editor at Family Handyman, updated and contributed research to this piece. Sean has written shopping guides since 2016 and is a former associate editor at Gear Patrol.
How We Found the Best Halloween Lights
We researched dozens of Halloween lights to find the best options for you, scouring various top retailers (including those featured in our best Christmas lights guide). We also focused on safety features and certifications to ensure the recommended lights are safe for indoor and outdoor use. Key factors like durability, brightness, ease of installation and more were carefully evaluated. After thorough research, we finalized the list of standout Halloween lights you’ll see here today.
FAQ
How can I safely hang outdoor Halloween lights?
First, to safely hang outdoor Halloween lights, ensure they’re rated for outdoor use to handle weather conditions like rain and wind. Inspect the cords and bulbs for damage, such as exposed wires or broken bulbs. Also, verify that your power source—whether an outlet or battery pack—is safe and functioning properly. Once you’ve completed these checks, hang the lights using appropriate tools like hooks or nails, similar to how you’d install Christmas lights.
How long do LED Halloween lights last?
LED Halloween lights can last between 50,000 to 100,000 operational hours (about 14 years) with proper use and care. Factors like exposure to harsh weather, improper storage and build quality can affect their lifespan, but generally, LEDs last a long time.
What are the most energy-efficient Halloween lighting options?
LED lights are the most energy-efficient Halloween lighting option, consuming less power than traditional bulbs. Solar-powered LED lights are even more efficient, requiring no electricity or batteries, although they’re primarily for outdoor use.
Originally Published: October 13, 2021
