Every item on this page was hand-picked by a House Beautiful editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.It may not always seem like it, but the holidays are all about balance: A balance between giving and receiving. A balance between an all-out decorating effort and taking a few shortcuts to make things easier on yourself. Balance on a ladder as you hang lights on your house and balance again when you take them down mere weeks later. Sometimes frustrating, always time-consumingbut this is the way its always been and will always be.Or maybe not. Is there another way to deck your house in Christmas lightswithout fear of falling, electrocution, or losing your mind? Turns out, permanent holiday-style lights are an option being considered by a growing number of people.Related StoriesHow Do Permanent Lights Work?Permanent lights like these popular ones from Govee are meant to stay on your house year round, requiring just one installation for up to 50,000 hours worth of festive lighting. The lights are controlled by Google Assistant or Alexa, and can be changed depending on the season. Users can choose from 75 different scene modes and over 16 million color combinations. So you can have warm white lights for the holidays, an orange and purple light display for Halloween, or a full rainbow set up on your home for Pride monthjust change the lights any time you want through the app. These permanent light kits come in lengths of 100 or 200 feet with black or white cords, and the cost starts around $400 if youre installing them yourself.Courtesy of GoveeA house with permanent decorative lights by Govee.Are Permanent Lights A New Phenomenon?Permanent lights have become more popular in the past decade, with more and more festive light companies offering an array of options. Some Reddit users noted that the cost of these lights have gone up since gaining traction during the Covid-19 lockdown, when some cities started to put up lights many months before the holidays in an effort to bolster pandemic-dampened spirits.Are They Actually Worth It?While some reviews commend these permanent lights for durability, ease of set up, and clear instructions, others remained unconvinced that the lights were as functional as they would have liked. A few houses have them around me, wrote one Reddit user. Instead of the distinct lights, theres just this glow. I think it looks tacky. Reviewers on Amazon complained that the app didnt always connect on their phones, making it difficult to control the different functions on a regular basis.Still, Lifehacker noted that after reviewing several different brands, these permanent lights were mostly a win. You install them once, and leave them up all year. They don't look exactly like normal holiday string lights, but the effect is largely the same: a festive, colorful display. The lights are installed under your eaves or gutters and project light back onto the house. If you like, you can face them out like standard holiday lightson your roof, for instance; they'll work fine that way too. Moreover, the impact made by permanent lights puts most incandescent or LED lights to shame."Any Drawbacks to Permanent Lights?The main downfall to adding permanent lights to your home appears to be the upfront cost. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the initial installation cost is a bit of an investment, especially if you have these lights put in by a professional. This can run you anywhere from $2,500 to $5,500 for a standard home installation.This might sound like a lot, but fortunately it is just a one-time price. And think about the money youll save on hospital bills by not falling off a ladder and breaking your leg. It could well be worth it in the end.Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.