When planning your holiday lighting display, it's easy to focus on the bulbs and light lines—but it's equally important to consider the clips that hold everything in place. While they may seem like small accessories, clips play a crucial role in keeping your display secure and looking great.

Unfortunately, clip deterioration is a universal issue with all light clips currently on the market. Even the best-performing clips have a limited lifespan, typically lasting 24 to 36 months of continual use. Exposure to sun, moisture, and extreme temperatures over time causes the plastic to weaken, crack, or lose flexibility—especially in harsh climates or when left installed year-round.

Why Does This Happen?

Most Christmas light clips are made from durable plastic materials, but even high-grade plastics will degrade over time due to UV exposure, freeze/thaw cycles, and physical stress. These environmental factors cause plastic to become brittle, which leads to breakage during removal or reinstallation.

Industry Insights

There’s ongoing testing across the industry to develop more weather-resistant and long-lasting materials for clips. At Christmas Designers, we’ve conducted our own evaluations of various clip types. So far, there are no immediate breakthroughs that significantly outperform what’s currently available, but we’re optimistic about future advancements.

Our Commitment

We’re continuously researching the latest developments and improvements in lighting accessories. As more durable, long-lasting clips become available, we’ll test them—and once they meet our standards, we’ll add them to our product lineup.

Helpful Tip

To extend the life of your clips:

• Remove them at the end of each season

• Store them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight

• Avoid forcing clips into place on surfaces they aren’t designed for