Is It Safe To Leave Outdoor Christmas Decorations On Overnight?

It’s the same question you ask every year as you string your outdoor Christmas lights around the roofline — can I leave these on all night long? Inevitably you have to Google it again just to put your mind at ease (and if you genuinely can’t remember the answer, it’s fine — it’s been a long year). So, is it safe to leave outdoor Christmas decorations on overnight? Whether you have lights, inflatables, or other festive lawn ornaments, here’s what the product safety and fire prevention authorities have to say about whether or not to turn them off when you go to bed. Spoiler alert: might want to invest in a timer.

Is it safe to leave outdoor Christmas lights on overnight?

In short: no, you should not leave outdoor Christmas lights and decorations on overnight. It’s indisputably safer to turn your exterior lights off when you hit the hay, according to the The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commisson (CPSC). Their holiday safety guide clearly states that you should “turn off all lights on trees and other decorations when you go to bed or leave the house. Lights could short and start a fire.” If you’re worried you’ll forget or don’t want to fuss with turning your light display on and off every day, just invest in an outdoor light timer.

You can significantly reduce electricity-related safety risks of using outdoor lights by making sure your strands are in good condition before you hang them, and following the manufacturer’s directions closely (as in, not plugging too many strands into each other if the warning label sets a limit). Before you start hanging your lights, Susan McKelvey, communications manager for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), says you should do the following:

• Inspect your lights for broken plug prongs, cracks in the wire coating, or frays in the wiring.
• Ensure your outdoor electrical outlets and wiring are in good working order.
• Double check that your lights are designed for outdoor use.

If you have an elaborate light display and want to be able to connect a lot of strings of lights together, that’s something to consider when shopping. (You should never connect more than three sets of incandescent lights, plug no more than three strings of lights into an extension cord, or overload your electrical outlets, according to the CPSC.)

If you’re using lights you’ve had for years, you want to be extra cautious, but newer LED lights are a bit safer to use in general. “We used to always say don't plug more than three sets of lights. But LED lighting gives you a lot more flexibility. Again, you want to follow the manufacturer's instructions,” McKelvey says.

Is it safe to leave inflatable decorations on overnight?

For starters, you should always read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions closely when you put up your decorations. Check your inflatable’s owner manual to see if there are any warnings about how long they can be left on, or whether they should be supervised while on. You can also search the CPSC recall database for your specific inflatable decorations (or lights) to see if there have been any recalls on them between last year and now, McKelvey says.

If you’re purchasing new inflatables this year, you should be mindful about the product’s safety testing when you’re deciding which giant blowup snowman to buy.

“Whether it’s an inflatable or electrical lighting, you want to make sure that it’s tested by an independent laboratory, which ensures that it’s been tested to establish safety levels,” says McKelvey. And again, if it’s an inflatable you’ve had for a few years, check that all of its parts and pieces are in good condition before plugging it in again this year.

So, happy decorating! May your outdoor décor be both festive and very, very safe.