When the holiday season is approaching, it's time to take inventory of your Christmas decorations. How many motorized outdoor Christmas decorations do you have? If you don't have a good collection, it's time to do some shopping. Animated decorations can make your yard truly stand out. To save you some time, we've made a list of the best animated holiday decorations.
|
PRODUCT |
FEATURES |
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
Why You Should Trust Us
If I could celebrate the holiday season all year, I would. It’s my favorite time of year, and I go overboard when it comes to decorating. So, I know my way around motorized outdoor Christmas decorations. Although I love basic holiday decorations, there’s something about animated ones that spreads joy. I have a large collection of motorized decorations that fall under every category under the sun. When it comes to choosing new decorations, I know what to look for. We’ve done the research to pick some of the best decorations, and we compiled a list of the top outdoor Christmas decorations.
What You Should Know About Motorized Outdoor Christmas Decorations
Motorized decorations don't come at a low cost. Before, you start shopping and make an investment, there are a few things you should know about motorized outdoor Christmas decorations. Find out everything you need to know, and you can buy the best product for your needs.
They Have Different Features
Motorized decorations all have one thing in common - motion. However, they all have very different features. Some have lights that make the display stand out at night. The lights might be static and unmoving, or dynamic and animated. LED lights are energy efficient and tend to attract the most attention at night.
Another feature is the type of motion. While some products feature simple, small movements, others have much more complex motions. Think about what type of movements would be best for your yard decorations. Then, be sure to fully understand what the display does when it’s in motion.
Some motorized displays are inflatable, but others are made of plywood or similar materials. If you’re worried about storage, inflatable decorations are the way to go. The products collapse when they are deflated, which makes them take up limited space. With stiff motorized decorations, you need to get more creative with how you store them. If you don’t have ample space, you might be forced to get a storage unit to keep all of your holiday decorations.
Consider the Warranty
Because motorized outdoor Christmas decorations aren’t cheap, you want the products you buy to last. Unfortunately, some decorations only last one holiday season. To make sure you get a product that works, you should buy a decoration that comes with a warranty.
Keep in mind that not all holiday decorations come with warranties. Even if one does come with a warranty, it could be limited. You might only have protection against a few malfunctions. Be sure to read the fine print, or you could end up with a useless warranty.
If your product comes with a warranty, you’re off the hook for buying a costly replacement. You won’t need to worry about buying new holiday decorations every year. When something goes wrong, simply rely on the warranty to get a repair or replacement.
Assembly
Depending on the type of decoration you get, there could be some assembly. A product that’s difficult to install may not be your best choice. Find out how much work goes into assembling a product, or you may regret your purchase.
One of the benefits about inflatable motorized decorations is that they’re easy to assemble. In fact, there’s almost no assembly. Your only jobs are to plug in the inflatable and to tie it down to the ground. Typically, inflatables come with stakes and tethers, which make it easy to tie down the product.
If you buy a more rigid product, you may need to do some assembly. For the most part, assembly of motorized outdoor Christmas decorations is simple. But you should still look into the assembly instructions.
Quality Matters
When it comes to your holiday decorations, quality matters. What materials did the manufacturer use to make the product? If the manufacturer cut corners and used cheap materials, the product won’t last.
Most inflatables are made of a polyester material. However, other types of motorized decorations might be made with plywood, PVC, or other materials. Do some research to make sure the product lasts. If you have concerns about the environment, find out how you can dispose of the product after it stops working.
When you buy ornaments or wall hangings, quality doesn’t matter much. The products are inside and don’t get significant exposure to UV light or rain. But your outdoor decorations have a lot going against them. Wind, snow, and sun can damage your decorations. The winter is hard on your holiday decorations, so you need products that are made of sturdy materials. Only buy products that are made well enough to withstand the winter.
Aesthetics
You also should consider the aesthetics of the product. Do you have a love of traditional holiday characters, like Rudolph or Santa? Or, do you prefer characters from modern holiday movies. You can find motorized decorations that display almost any holiday theme.
Additionally, consider the aesthetics of the decoration. Is it 2D or 3D? If you want something that looks realistic, you shouldn’t settle for 2D. That said, there’s nothing wrong with a 2D decoration.
When looking at a product, consider the visibility. If you want to impress others with your display, you should buy a decoration that has bright colors and defined features.
Best Motorized Outdoor Christmas Decorations
We checked out some animated holiday decorations, and picked our top choices. Here’s what we found:
Best Motorized Peanuts Christmas Decorations
This 2D display features Snoopy decorating his dog house.
- Nostalgic design
- Durable materials
- Only lasts one season
|
|
Who doesn’t love the Peanuts characters? If you’re a fan of the cartoon or of their holiday movies, you need this Peanuts outdoor decoration. It features Snoopy decorating his dog house with Christmas lights. On the roof of his house is a small Christmas tree. An officially licensed product, this decoration looks just like the real comic character.
The product is made of a bright fabric draped over a durable metal frame. Several of the components in the product are made of PVC. With 70 white LED lights, this Snoopy decoration is hard to miss. It’s bright and bold, just like Snoopy. The motion is in Snoopy’s arm, which swings around as he hammers in the decorations.
Measuring approximately 32”x25”x3”, this product is large enough to be noticeable. Whether you pair it with other Peanuts decorations or you have more traditional decorations, you’ll have quite the display.
Best Motorized Snowman Christmas Decoration
In memory of the animated classic, this Sam the Snowman display rotates.
- Commemorates Rudolph
- Rotates around
- 2D only
|
|
Another officially licensed product, this Snowman is from the 1964 animated special about Rudolph. Known as Sam the Snowman, the character narrated Rudolph’s story. Decades later, the story is one of the most popular Christmas narratives.
This 2D motorized yard art features a snowman that spins around. Equipped with 50 clear lights, this snowman brightens up your yard on the darkest of nights. The lights are on the inside of the snowman, which gives it a cartoon-like feel.
The frame of this product is made of metal, which makes it durable enough for outdoor use. On top of the frame, there’s a fabric cover. Sam’s green vest, umbrella, and black hat has a holiday feel to it. Because it measures 36" x 14" x 20", this decoration isn’t too small. If you have other Rudolph motorized outdoor Christmas decorations, you can create a display that commemorates the popular holiday classic.
Best Motorized Santa Claus Outdoor Decoration
This teeter totter features Santa and his reindeer moving up and down.
- Whimsical design
- Up and down movement
- Motor may get stuck
|
|
Santa Claus likes to have fun too! When he's not busy making toys and delivering gifts, he's playing with the reindeer. In this whimsical scene, Santa Claus is on a teeter totter with a reindeer. Santa and his reindeer friend move up and down, and there are lights inside the inflatable to brighten up the display.
This decoration is a 3D inflatable. Therefore, it’s easy to install and sets up almost anywhere. At about four feet tall, this product may tower over some of your other inflatables. It’s as tall as it is high, so this inflatable is highly visible. When you’re done using the product, it deflates easily and folds into a compact shape.
Made of a high quality material, this is one of the motorized outdoor Christmas decorations that will last through the weather. It’s cute, jolly, and durable. If you’re looking for a cute holiday display, this product is an excellent option.
Best Ensemble Cast Outdoor Christmas Decor
This bright and shiny product features Rudolph driving a train of friends.
- Covered in tinsel
- Rudolph greets everyone
- Small size
|
|
If you love the animated Rudolph special, you’ll enjoy this decoration. It has all the main characters and has many mini-lights that make the decoration sparkle at night. When it comes to standing out, this decoration doesn’t disappoint. It’s a 3D display, so there’s something to see from every angle.
Bumble the Abominable Snowman lifts and lowers the star to the top of the (included) Christmas tree as Yukon Cornelius, Hermey the Dentist, and Rudolph look on. The entire display is rated for outdoor use and should withstand the rough elements of winter weather. For a fun Rudolph display, position this decoration in your yard.
Best Unconventional Outdoor Christmas Decoration
If you want to see a cute image of Santa flying a plane, this inflatable is for you.
- Propellers spin
- Santa waving at visitors
- Blower doesn't last
|
|
At eight feet wide, this holiday display is one of the largest motorized outdoor Christmas decorations on our list. It features Santa Claus piloting an airplane. A holiday inflatable, this decoration is made of polyester. As Santa flies through the sky, his airplane propellers spin around.
The motorized decoration has internal lights, which makes it easy to see at night. It measures 96”x100”x59’ in total. When you plug it in, the inflatable lights up in under a minute. Before you plug it in, you can tie the inflatable down with stakes and tethers. It can withstand windy weather. Additionally, this product deflates quickly for easy storage during the other months.
Although this decoration isn’t your traditional Santa, it is amusing and festive. It works well with a variety of other holiday decorations, from rustic to cartoon. The polyester lining of this product makes it durable enough to last through the winter.
How We Picked
To decide which motorized holiday decorations belonged on our list, we did some serious research. We made a long list of desired qualities and used that list to find the top animated decorations.
During the selection process, we looked for decorations that were aesthetically pleasing. We only chose decorations that we thought would spread holiday joy. While some of them are cute, others are nostalgic.
We also picked decorations that would take center stage. It was important to us that the decorations had bright lights and noticeable movements. Finally, we wanted displays that would last. If they’re not made to last, they don’t belong on our list.
Conclusion
Out of all of the top Christmas decorations, the Santa Claus teeter totter was the clear winner. Because it’s an inflatable, this product comes with no hassles. It’s easy to set up and easy to tear down. You can store it in a small bag, and don’t need to rent a storage space to keep it for upcoming holidays.
The large size of this inflatable also made it a top choice. It’s both long and tall, which means you can’t miss it. At night, lights illuminate the adorable scene. No matter how you like to decorate for Christmas, Santa and his reindeer belong on your lawn.