Christmas lights are usually designated as a ‘rare treat’ for the holiday period, but I’m they don’t need to be a one-and-done accessory. If you really want, you can keep your Christmas lights up all year long. In fact, you should.
They don’t have to be the $300 Twinkly LEDs sent to me this December, but if you’ve got the choice and the budget, it’s hard to fault the joy of these lights.
Twinkly is a relatively new name in the RGB market, but it’s one you should pay attention to. When it comes to smart lighting, you won’t get much brighter or jazzier than the newly released Twinkly strings. The version I was sent for review is the 400-string ($338) but you can nab lights in lots of 150 to 600 LEDs. It all depends on the size you’re looking to cover.
For a staircase, the 400 string is perfect and it was great to have it hanging up over Christmas.
i am writing a hot take about why you should keep your christmas lights up all year round
case A, B and C: pic.twitter.com/xdwD41TzLo
— Leah Williams (@legenette) February 3, 2021
Each LED is extremely bright, set-up is a simple matter of taping and tucking, and the results speak for themselves. Like most other smart lights on the market, you can set your own pattern using customisation tools on the Twinkly app, or take advantage of the vast free library of customer-made animations. There’s plenty to choose from, including wavy rainbows, candy cane stripes and and night light sparkles.
The best part is you can use the app to capture a photograph of your unique set-up and program the lighting pattern based on where every light is. This lets you create cascading or pulsing patterns that spread throughout the entire chain.
The app itself is extremely intuitive and lets you sparkle to your heart’s content. If you want to experience the warm glow of purple spilling throughout your entire lounge room, you’re more than welcome.
If you’re more in the mood for some warmer pinks (perfect for Valentine’s day), Twinkly has you covered there, too.
Every colour is vivid and totally gorgeous. The glow fills an entire room, rather than just being relegated to individual lights.
More than just being a fun accessory, the Twinkly lights made my Christmas far brighter than it had any right to be.
We can all agree it’s been an extremely weird year, and we all deserved a nice break over the holidays. While coronavirus ruined many of our plans, staying at home wasn’t so bad with some funky lights decorating my space. At $338 the Twinkly LEDs are an expensive ask, but the joy they spark is absolutely priceless.
I’ve spoken about the impact of lights and colours on mental health but to reiterate the point: RGB lights have the potential to spark immense joy. In 2020 we were all stuck inside and if 2021 is anything to go by, it appears we’ll still be spending more time at home this year.
If you need a pick-me-up or just a change of scenery Christmas lights are the perfect, fun decoration to really make your rooms sing. They can brighten the darker corners of your space and make being at home an absolute vibe. But beyond that, think of the convenience.
Christmas is always a blur as work wraps up and decorations start spreading across the house. You celebrate the holidays, and then everyone tells you the lights have to go away. But if you keep them up, that’s one less chore to take up your January. One less chore that makes your house seem duller.
Listen to your heart.
Those cream walls need a splash of light. Your living room should always be lit up in brilliant hues. You deserve nice things, and 2021 should be all about having as much fun as possible.
You don’t need to fork out $300 for expensive LEDs, but you should absolutely consider keeping your Christmas lights up all year round. I did, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.
Think about it: you get to do one less chore and experience joy any time you need.
That’s a win-win in my books. Let the Christmas lights do their thing.
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