Buying guide for best Christmas projector lights
Decorating the outside of your home for the holidays is one way to get in the Christmas spirit, but hanging lights is time-consuming. And it can even be dangerous and fraught with problems — as anyone who's seen "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" can attest to. That's where Christmas projector lights come in. These laser or LED projectors beam a light show onto your home's exterior, so you only have to set up one device, switch it on and let it do the rest for you.
Since you'll be using your house light projector outdoors, you'll need to make sure it's adequately waterproof. Most are, but it's always worth double-checking. You'll probably want the lights to cover the whole exterior of your home, so it's important that you check the coverage area. You should also make sure that your yard is big enough to achieve the required display distance. To get the largest advertised coverage area, you might need to position the projector as far as 30 feet away from your house, so check that you've got enough space to work with.
The LedMall Outdoor Christmas Lights Projector is our top choice thanks to the quality of the patterns and display and the impressive coverage area of 3,000 to 4,000 square feet. Unlike some competitors, it gives you the choice between stationary and moving displays. It has patterns that look festive and magical without being too on the nose — no dancing Santas or Christmas trees in sight.
Which Christmas projector light is best?
Best programmed Christmas projector light
Product specifications
Coverage: 3,000-4,000 sq. ft. | IP Rating: IP67 | Light Modes: 8 | Light Colors: 3 | Display Distance: Flexible | Material: Metal | Power Supply: Outlet | Dimensions: 7.3” L x 6.7” W x 5.9” H
We think this is the best outdoor Christmas projector light around. Thanks to its eight programmed light settings, slides don't need to be a consideration with this one. Just select the pattern you want using the remote control and let the projector get to work. The patterns are geometric and sparkly, but not actually Christmas-themed, which may be a plus or a minus, depending on your preferences. It offers red, green and blue color options. We like that you can set it to display a single color, all three colors or your choice of any two.
The projection distance is flexible — set it up closer to your home to cover a smaller area or farther away to cover a larger area. During research, we found it covers a huge maximum area of 3,000 to 4,000 square feet, but you probably won't need anything like that amount of coverage. It plugs into an outlet and has a 25-foot power cord, which gives you plenty of length to work with. The IP67 rating means that it's fully waterproof, even when submerged in up to 3 feet, 3 inches of water, so no amount of rain is going to cause problems.
Best slide light projector
Product specifications
Coverage: 2,137 sq. ft. | IP Rating: IP65 | Light Modes: 26 | Light Colors: 10 | Display Distance: 6.6-20 ft. | Material: Plastic | Power Supply: Outlet | Dimensions: 6.2” L x 5.5” W x 4.6” H
Holiday projector lights aren't all about lasers — this one relies on slides to display patterns on your building. We love that it comes with 16 slides, and they aren't all Christmas-themed. There are also slides for other holidays and occasions, including Thanksgiving, Halloween and Valentine's Day. However, there are also light effects to go with them. We found a choice of 10 single and mixed colors with an ocean-wave effect to provide some festive sparkle.
The maximum coverage area is 2,137 square feet. To achieve this coverage, you need a display distance of 20 feet. But you can also position the projector closer to your home; we discovered that a 6.6-foot display distance gives you a coverage of around 230 square feet. The IP65 waterproof rating means it can stand up to water jets, indicating that even heavy rain won't be an issue.
Best Christmas projector light for large areas
Product specifications
Coverage: 4,000 sq. ft. | IP Rating: IP65 | Light Modes: 5 | Light Colors: 2 | Display Distance: Up to 35 ft. | Material: Aluminum alloy | Power Supply: Outlet | Dimensions: 5” L x 5” W x 5” H
If you're in the market for a large coverage projector, we're suitably impressed that this one can cover up to 4,000 square feet of real estate. That's when you position it at the maximum display distance of 35 feet — you can also place it closer to your house to get a smaller coverage area. It has five pattern options, including snowflakes, bells and Santa Claus designs. It can display its patterns in red, green or a combination of the two. We also like that there are three movement speeds and several adjustable blinking modes, letting you tailor your own festive light show.
It plugs into an outlet and has a 16-foot cord. We find that this may be long enough, depending on the location of your outlet, but you may need to use an extension cord. The casing is made from a sturdy aluminum alloy and has an IP65 rating, so we feel comfortable that it'll make it through any rainstorm.
Best Christmas projector light for Christmas and Halloween
Product specifications
Coverage: 323 sq. ft. | IP Rating: IP65 | Light Modes: 16 | Light Colors: 10 | Display Distance: 10-16.4 ft. | Material: Plastic | Power Supply: Outlet | Dimensions: 5.59” L x 4.65” W x 4.29” H
Attention spooky shoppers, we love this projector light for its Halloween light offerings as much as for its Christmas ones. It comes with 16 projection slides, most of them featuring either Christmas or Halloween designs, so if you love spooky season as much as Christmas, it's a great choice. This is a dual-headed projector, with one slide projector and one LED light that makes an ocean-wave pattern. The LED light has 10 color options, so you can display colors along with your patterns.
This projector has a total coverage area of 323 square feet, which is smaller than a lot of options, so we find it's best for anyone with a compact home. It only needs a display distance of 16.4 feet for full coverage, which is manageable in most front yards. We find the plastic housing doesn't feel as rugged as metal options, but it's waterproof with an IP65 rating.
Best classic laser projector
Product specifications
Coverage: 2,500 sq. ft. | IP Rating: IP65 | Light Modes: 1 | Light Colors: 3 | Display Distance: 10-20 ft. | Material: Aluminum alloy | Power Supply: Outlet | Dimensions: 7.2” L x 7.5” W x 5.4” H
If you're looking for a classic laser projector, this one is an excellent choice. It only really has one lighting mode, covering your desired target in little dots of light. However, you can set the speed and the flash pattern. This might sound basic, but we think it looks effective and makes a great alternative to string lights. You can set the lights to red, blue, green or a combination of all three, with the projector displaying an impressive 1,000 points of light. It has a maximum display coverage of 2,500 square feet when positioned at a display distance of 20 feet. You can also position it closer for less coverage to a minimum of 10 feet for 900 square feet of coverage.
We like the durability of the aluminum alloy body and the IP65 rating gives us peace of mind that it will stand up to rain. It has a timer that you can set to two-, four-, six- or eight-hour options. It plugs into a power outlet and has a long cord of roughly 19.5 feet.
Best snowflake projector
Product specifications
Coverage: Moving | IP Rating: IP65 | Light Modes: 1 | Light Colors: 1 | Display Distance: 10-49 ft. | Material: Plastic | Power Supply: Outlet | Dimensions: 5.8” L x 5.1” W x 4.5” H
A snowflake projector like this one really embodies the quiet magic of Christmas. If you don't want colored lights, this simple white light projector beams images of snowflakes. It doesn't have a fixed coverage area because it has two moving lamps, so the coverage changes depending on where the lamps are moving. However, it can cover the entire side of a house under the right conditions. It has a display distance of 10 to 49 feet, but an optimum distance of roughly 32 feet, so we find that it's best if you have enough space in front of your home.
It plugs into an outlet, but we wish it had slightly longer power cord since this one only stretches just under 10 feet. However, you can use an extension if you need to. The plastic housing is sturdy enough and offers ample protection from rain — and real snowflakes — thanks to the IP64 rating.
Best moving star Christmas projector light
Product specifications
Coverage: 4,000 sq. ft. | IP Rating: IP65 | Light Modes: 2 | Light Colors: 2 | Display Distance: Flexible | Material: Plastic | Power Supply: Outlet | Dimensions: 5.7” L x 3.9” W x 9.4” H
We love the simplicity of this projector — it beams dots of light onto your house, giving the effect of hanging string lights without any of the fuss. It has a maximum coverage area of 4,000 square feet with a flexible display distance; the farther the distance, the larger the coverage. That said, we find the projections are stronger and clearer when the projector isn't positioned too far from the target. It has two light modes — stationary lights and moving star lights. You can choose from either just green or a red-and-green mix.
It simply plugs into a power outlet, so setting it up is easy and there's no need to recharge or think about battery life. The housing is made from plastic, which isn't as rugged as metal but still holds up well — especially considering you'll probably only use it for a month or two a year. The IP rating means it's waterproof enough to withstand rain.
Best rotating Christmas projector light
Product specifications
Coverage: 3,541 sq. ft. | IP Rating: IP65 | Light Modes: 2 | Light Colors: 3 | Display Distance: Up to 40 ft. | Material: Plastic | Power Supply: Outlet | Dimensions: 7.3” L x 6.7” W x 5.9” H
This projector is on our list for its ability to project static lights or use its rotating function to display moving lights. We like that the red, blue and green lights can be combined to create a total of seven hues. You can also manually switch between flash frequency, stepping speed and rotating speed — or use the autorun mode. Its coverage is impressive at a maximum of 3,541 square feet. You get this coverage with a display distance of 40 feet, but if you set it up closer to your home, you'll get a smaller coverage area.
We find that plastic housing isn't quite as tough as metal, but it still feels durable. Its waterproofing rating of IP65 means that it stands up to even heavy precipitation. The timer gives the option of setting it for two, three, four, five or six hours — but once you've run it for six consecutive hours, it needs to cool down for at least 30 minutes.
Best laser projector light with Christmas patterns
Product specifications
Coverage: 2,500 sq. ft. | IP Rating: IP67 | Light Modes: 18 | Light Colors: 3 | Display Distance: Flexible | Material: Aluminum | Power Supply: Outlet | Dimensions: 7.3” L x 6.7” W x 5.9” H
The versatility of this projector is one of our favorite things about it. It has a total of 18 laser designs — but unlike many laser projectors, they aren't just dots of light or geometric patterns. There are six geometric patterns great for general use, but it also displays six Christmas designs and six Halloween designs, so you'll be ready for all the most important holidays. It has red, blue and green lights, which you can use individually, in pairs or all three at the same time.
It has a coverage area of up to 2,500 square feet and a flexible display distance — position it closer for less coverage or farther away for more coverage. While it takes a bit of trial and error, you’ll appreciate the flexibility. The aluminum casing is rugged and built to last. The IP67 rating means it can even withstand being submerged in water — we wouldn't recommend it, but it's nice to know its well-protected.
Key considerations
Projection area
A Christmas light projector is easy to install and remove. However, you need to consider just how much real estate you have to cover.
Use a tape measure or measuring wheel to determine how long your house is. Then, measure how tall it is from the ground to the roof. A standard ranch-style house is 65 to 70 feet long and 8 to 9 feet high to the gutters. That would be 520 to 630 square feet. Read the description carefully to ensure the projector will cover the surface from end to end, top to bottom.
The roof will add more square footage to that, if you choose to project lights onto it, but the slant of the roof will distort the shapes or patterns. The steeper the roof is, the less distortion there will be. The flatter the roof, the more the pattern will be distorted.
Cord or battery
Lithium batteries have come a long way, and many of them can power a projector all night, but in the morning, the batteries will have to be recharged. A projector that runs off an A/C outlet doesn’t suffer from that requirement, but you will have to run an extension cord out across the yard to it. Some people don’t like cords snaking back and forth across the grass, so this is a matter of personal taste. You’ll want to give some thought to which style you prefer.
Laser safety
The lights in many of these projectors are low-power lasers. They won’t injure anyone, but they can dazzle a person’s eyes for a few seconds if they look directly into them. For this reason, you need to make sure that you only aim them at your house, not at the road where drivers could be momentarily blinded by them and have an accident.
It’s also a fact that low-power lasers have a range that is measured in the tens of miles. If your projector is aimed too high, the lights could miss the top of your roof and continue up into the sky to airline jets and other aircraft. When those lights hit the windows of the cockpit, they can create a smear of light that obscures the pilot’s vision until they get out of the laser’s path.
The FAA takes a dim view of people who interfere with the safe operation of an aircraft, so make sure that your projector doesn’t go past your roofline when you’re setting it up.
Features
Waterproof
Christmas light projectors are meant to be used outdoors; you’ll see an international “IP” code on the box or in the description. The "IP" will be followed by two numbers. That code informs you if the device in question has been tested for solid objection penetration (the first number) and moisture penetration (the second number). An X in the place of either number means the manufacturer didn’t test it.
The first number refers to anything from being able to stick a finger in a device to it being airtight against microscopic particles of dust. The range is from 0 to 6, with 0 being no protection and 6 being the greatest possible protection.
The second number refers to the ability of any kind of moisture to penetrate the device. The range is from 0 to 9, with 0 being no protection and 9 being total protection against complete submersion for extended periods and against pressurized steam.
For example, a code of IP65 would mean the device is completely protected from dust getting into it (6) and from rain splashing against it from any direction (5). A code of IPX5 would mean the manufacturer didn’t test the device for solid object penetration but did test it against moisture exposure from multiple directions.
EXPERT TIP
Make sure that extension cords or projector cords do not lay in puddles. They are designed to be water resistant, not water submersible.
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Cord length
The length of the cord is important. Most of these devices have an optimal distance they need to be set back from the projection area in order to create a good image. If the projector has to be 25 feet from your house for best results but the power cord is only eight feet long, you’re going to need an extension cord.
Color options
Green, red, and white are popular color options for Christmas light projectors. Blue is also common. Some offer other colors, as well; a few offer a full spectrum of colors so they can be used for holidays other than Christmas. If you’re thinking about using a light projector for several holidays, it might be worth it to purchase a pricier projector with more colors available.
Pattern options
Some projectors have light programs built in; others use slides with pictures on them.
Programmed light projectors come with patterns of Santa Claus, Christmas trees, or other designs built into them. The patterns can’t be changed, so these projectors are for Christmas only.
Projectors that use slides are a bit more versatile. Depending on the manufacturer, they may offer slides for holidays like the 4th of July, Halloween, Easter, Veteran’s Day and so on.
Moving vs. stationary
Do you want moving lights or stationary ones? (Note that stationary lights that don’t move may still blink.) There’s no right or wrong answer to this question; it’s a matter of personal preference.
Temperature range
Christmas light projectors can be located inside your home or outside, but since they were originally intended for cooler temperatures outside, some have upper limits as to the temperature they can withstand. If the temperature inside (or outside in the summer) exceeds that limit, the projector could sustain some damage.
Remote control
If there are multiple options on your light projector, you probably don’t want to have to run outside to select them. Some Christmas light projectors come with remote controls for convenience. It adds a few dollars to the price, but many find the expenditure to be worth it.
EXPERT TIP
If cords are laying across the walkway, consider placing a thin doormat over them to prevent a trip hazard.
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Christmas light projector prices
Inexpensive
The low price range for Christmas light projectors is from $15 to $30. These projectors will have limited colors or slides available on them.
Mid-range
The medium price range is from $30 to $60. This is where you’ll find the greatest range of options for color, pattern, cord length, projection area, and remote controls.
Expensive
The high price range runs from $60 to $150. The main difference in product here: you get extended controls and movements along with extra sharpness in the projected images.
TIPS
- Christmas light projectors can be placed in trees as well as on the ground. This is helpful if you’ve got a lot of concrete, hard clay, or gravel in your yard and find it difficult to anchor a projector in the soil.
- Keep the curtains closed when your light projector is on. Otherwise, you could end up with a laser beam in your eyes.
- If you happen to look into one of the LEDs or lasers on these lights, the effect is similar to the afterimages you see when a flashbulb goes off in your face. It’s dazzling for a moment, but that’s it.
How did we choose the best Christmas projector lights?
Lauren Corona has been writing for BestReviews since 2017, researching all kinds of consumer products, many of them holiday-themed. We checked out 30 Christmas projector lights and compared them on a range of criteria, including coverage, IP rating, pattern, color choices and overall quality. We consulted BestReviews' Home Improvement and DIY Expert Beth Allen for tips on selecting holiday projector lights and her thoughts on some of the top lights available.
FAQ
Q. How powerful are the lasers in these projectors?
A. Actually, they’re not all lasers; some are LEDs. However, they are typically classified as Class 2 lasers or lower, meaning they are safe for general use in public.
EXPERT TIP
If your projector does not come with an
on/off timer, consider adding one.
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Q. How far out in the yard should Christmas light projectors be placed?
A. It depends on the manufacturer, but 20 to 30 feet seems to be the average.
Q. Are Christmas light projectors waterproof?
A. Very few of them are actually waterproof, but many have a rating of at least IPX5, which means they can resist rain splashing on them from above, below, and the sides.
Q. Do you need more than one Christmas light projector?
A. You shouldn't need more than one projector, as long as you buy one with a large enough coverage area. You can find models that cover upward of 4,000 square feet, which is more than enough to cover most homes. And, of course, there's no rule to say that your home needs full coverage.
Q. Are Christmas projectors safe?
A. Yes, they are, as long as you use them according to the directions. Don't stare into the beams of laser projectors, as they can damage the eyes. However, any commercially available model should be safe for brief and accidental exposure.
