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5 smart gadgets to make decorating for the holidays stress free

Decorating has never been so easy.

5 smart gadgets to make decorating for the holidays stress free Credit: Reviewed / Sarah Kovac / Getty / andresr

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The holidays are here, and if you haven’t already started decorating, it’s time to get going on creating an awesome display. Is the thought already stressing you out? It doesn’t have to. You can simplify managing your amazing holiday light show by using smart plugs and other products that can be controlled remotely.

Ready to get decorating? Here are the five smart products you need to create an awesome holiday display.

1. An outdoor smart plug

Meross smart plug and holiday lights on a house
Credit: Reviewed / Sarah Kovac / Getty / MarcusPhoto1

Control your holiday lights (or other festive decorations that plug into an outlet) from anywhere when you use an outdoor smart plug.

Before outdoor smart plugs existed, you either had to go outside and unplug your holiday lights late at night or use an outdoor holiday lights timer—neither of which are as easy as being able to open an app on your phone or ask your smart speaker to do the work for you. With our favorite outdoor smart plug, the Meross MSS620 Smart Outdoor Plug, you can control your festive display from anywhere.

This plug is a great alternative to relying on a crank timer or doing the work yourself, because you can set a schedule so that the lights turn on and shut off automatically. The plug also works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit.

The outdoor plug comes with two sockets, each of which can be controlled individually. This is a handy feature that lets you control multiple holiday decorations, like strands of classic white lights and inflatable holiday decorations like a 5-foot snowman on separate outlets.

Get the Meross MSS620 Smart Outdoor Plug on Amazon for $21.99

2. A few smart bulbs

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit
Credit: Reviewed.com / Nick Schmiedicker

Choose from 16 million colors, like red, green, blue, white, and more, to create a festive holiday light show.

Some people like to swap out their regular white outdoor light bulbs for something more colorful during the holiday season. With our favorite smart bulbs, you can do just that. The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit (generation three) includes everything you need to get started—and you can set each bulb to display one of 16 million colors (like red and green for Christmas or blue and white for Hanukkah). The bulbs can be controlled via the Philips Hue app or with your voice through smart assistants like Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant.

Get the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit (generation three) on Amazon for $199.95

3. A strand of smart lights

Govee Connectable WiFi Smart Outdoor String Light
Credit: Govee

Each bulb can be set to a different color for the ultimate holiday display and you can control them via Alexa or Google Assistant.

Govee's Waterproof LED outdoor string lights are perfect for bringing some holiday cheer to your backyard patio. Each bulb can be set to a different color, or you can create your own color pattern via the Govee Home app for Android or iOS devices.

What really makes these lights is the fact that they can display colors based to the beat of a song, which makes for a neat at-home light show if you plan on blasting your favorite holiday tunes. How does it work? Well, each strand of lights has a highly sensitive mic built in, which captures sound. However, you need to select the “Music” scene within the Govee Home app for iOS and Android devices, and then place an external speaker (like the Sonos One) within 16.4 ft. of the lights.

Another fun way to use these smart holiday string lights is by placing several strands (up to four can be connected at once) along your roofline with music playing from external speakers for an extra joyful holiday display.

Get Govee Waterproof LED Outdoor String Lights 24-foot (Alexa) on Amazon for $49.99

4. A smart flameless candle for your window

YEELIGHT smart candles
Credit: YEELIGHT

These rechargable LED candles work with Alexa and Google Assistant.

Take a drive around town during the holiday season and there’s a good chance you’ll come across a few homes with candles in each window of their home. The tradition dates back to the 1890s. Anyone who has been following this tradition well before smart lights came around knows how long it takes to walk from room to room and individually light (or turn on) each candle every night during December. You can save yourself some time with the Yeelight Candela Smart LED Candle.

The candles can also be controlled using an Alexa-enabled speaker, like our favorite Echo, the Echo third-generation.

Get the Yeelight Candela Smart LED Candle on Amazon for $49.99

5. An Alexa-enabled Christmas tree

Amazon Alexa-enabled Christmas Tree
Credit: Amazon

"Hey Alexa, turn on the Christmas tree."

What better place to show off your Christmas tree than in the front window of your home for others to marvel at, too? This 7-foot pre-lit Christmas tree doesn't require any extra cords or plugs to work with Alexa, as it has Amazon's smart assistant built right into it. You can say things like, "Alexa, turn my Christmas tree on," or "Alexa, set my Christmas tree to multi-color." Overall, there are 13 lighting functions you can choose from including festive options like “candy cane” and “snowflakes.”

You’re going to need an Alexa-enabled speaker to control your new tree. Our favorite Echo is the Echo (third-generation).

Get the Mr. Christmas Alexa-compatible LED Christmas Tree on Amazon for $299.99

So, whether you start decorating for the holidays as soon as Halloween is over or you wait until December to deck the halls, these five smart products can help you create an awesome holiday display whenever you’re ready.

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