Light-Up Reindeer & Figures

Picking a light up reindeer for your home

Start with the spot. Measure the windowsill, hall table or corner of the porch you have in mind, then check the measurements in a piece's details, since a figure that looks modest on screen can fill a sill. A larger figure reads well from the street, while a smaller one suits a shelf you pass close by.

Then think about power. Most of our pieces plug in, so plan for a socket nearby, with no lead stretched across a doorway or a path. Somewhere you can see from your favourite chair, or from the pavement, is where it earns its place through December.

Stag, reindeer, snowman or Santa?

Different figures set different moods. A stag, with its tall branching antlers, feels grand and wintry beside evergreen garlands and pine cones, and some of ours are stags. Reindeer Christmas lights carry the story of Santa's sleigh, so a reindeer or two by the gate says Christmas to anyone walking past.

A light up snowman or a light up Santa strikes a more playful note, and we have a few Santas and snowmen too. Some of our pieces are acrylic, a material that carries light through to its edges, so a lit acrylic figure looks crisp and glassy against a dark window.

How plug-in figures work

A plug-in figure takes its power from a socket through a cable, often by way of an adaptor that steps mains power down for the lights. Some of ours use LED lights, and LEDs draw far less power than old filament bulbs, which is why they are the usual choice for decorations that stay lit through long winter evenings.

You will also find pieces that are as much Christmas lighting as decoration, and they sit happily alongside the string lights you already have. If a piece comes with instructions, read them before you plug it in and keep them with it for the following Christmas.

Porches, paths and front gardens

Before you buy an outdoor light up reindeer, check that it is made for outdoor use; some of our pieces are, and anything not marked that way belongs inside. Even an outdoor figure does best in a sheltered spot: a covered porch, a corner under the eaves or a lawn out of the worst of the wind. If it comes with ground stakes, use them, so a gust is less likely to tip it over.

Keep the plug and any adaptor indoors or in an outdoor socket with a cover, and run the cable along a wall or a border where nobody will trip on it.

Grouping figures into a scene

In a front garden or a room, light up Christmas decorations look their best in small groups rather than dotted about. A stag with a couple of reindeer tells a little story, and groups of three tend to look more natural than pairs. Vary the heights, put the tallest piece at the back and leave a gap between figures so their outlines read clearly after dark.

A garland, a wreath or a pre-lit tree nearby ties the scene together, and on a narrow windowsill one figure with a few fairy lights can be plenty. Check the colour of the light in a piece's details, too, so it sits well with your other lights.

Cleaning and packing away after Twelfth Night

Unplug a piece before you clean it, and keep water well away from the plug and any adaptor. A soft, dry cloth is usually enough to lift dust. Acrylic marks more easily than glass, so skip scouring pads, window cleaner and alcohol, which can scratch it or leave it cloudy.

When Christmas is over, bring outdoor figures in on a dry day, or let them dry fully indoors before packing. Coil the cable loosely and store the piece in its original box or a sturdy one, in a dry cupboard rather than a damp garage or loft. Before it goes up again next winter, look the cable over for nicks or wear.