Battery-powered Christmas lights are strings of small lights, very often LED lights, that are powered by batteries rather than electricity conducted through a power outlet and plug. These allow a user to string the lights in more places, particularly places that are far away from an electrical outlet. While these Christmas lights offer versatility in their placement, they are limited in the amount of time the lights can be used. The batteries will die after a certain amount of burn time, so many people choose to use rechargeable batteries. LED lights tend to use less energy than other types of lights, thereby increasing the amount of potential burn time.
Most Christmas lights feature a similar design: several small lights are connected by woven wires that provide the power to the individual bulbs. The power source is connected to one end of the string of lights. They usually have a plug on one end that can be affixed to a wall outlet that supplies power. Battery-powered Christmas lights feature a battery pack at one end of the string of lights instead of a plug, thereby eliminating the need for a wall outlet. The size of the batteries, as well as the number of batteries necessary, will depend on the length of the string of lights as well as the size of the lights. Smaller strings of light will require only AA batteries, while longer strings or larger bulbs will require larger batteries.
Other styles of battery-powered Christmas lights exist as well. One increasingly popular style of battery-powered Christmas lights is the window candle. These lights feature a plastic shell that mimics the look of a wax candle; the top of the candle is a bulb that imitates the light of a flame from a regular candle. The batteries are usually inserted right into the body of the plastic candle to conceal the power source. Many plastic candles feature a plastic base to provide stability as well, and the bulbs can be replaced easily if necessary. Since these lights are low wattage, the battery life is quite long. The batteries may last an entire Christmas season or more.
Many battery-powered Christmas lights are small and portable; some can even be worn on a garment. These types of lights might operate off an even smaller battery, such as a watch battery. Since LED lights have become the standard, battery life has been extended and the power requirements have been reduced, thereby allowing the use of smaller batteries that will last longer than in times past.