Outdoor Christmas Inflatables: What Size for Your Yard, Lights and Power

Check the width before the height. Inflated figures are broad: the 12 ft snowman is 141.7 in tall, but it is also 94.5 in wide and 59.1 in deep, and the 11 ft dinosaur is 133.75 in wide. Measure the stretch of lawn or porch you want to fill, then pick the height group that leaves room around the figure.

A porch, steps or a small yard suit the 4 to 6 ft group. A standard front lawn suits the 7 to 8 ft group. A wide lawn, a long driveway or a walkway entrance suits the 9 to 12 ft figures and arches.

The foot sizes in the names are rounded, so go by the inflated size in the specifications. The 12 ft snowman measures 141.7 in, about 11.8 ft. The 9 ft Santa tractor is 110.25 in long, and it stands 57 in tall. The 7 ft polar bear scene is 81 in tall and 89.25 in long.

Five standing figures in this group are 59 to 72 in tall: the 5 ft polar bear scene, the 6 ft snowman with three penguins, the 6 ft train, the 6 ft gingerbread man and the 6 ft Santa with gifts. Three more are low or small: the Santa sleigh and the Santa tractor are long scenes only 50.5 and 57 in tall, and the hanging Santa with wreath is 41.3 in tall and hangs at a window with its suction cups.

The 6 ft gingerbread man is 43.25 in wide and 27.5 in deep, a small footprint for its 72 in height. The 6 ft Santa with gifts is 59 in wide, the 6 ft snowman 55 in wide, and the 6 ft train 70.9 in wide and 51.2 in deep, the widest of the 6 ft figures.

The 5 ft polar bear scene comes with two ground stakes, two drawstrings and two sandbags, so it can be held down on a hard surface as well as on a lawn. Its power cord is 6.6 ft long, so check the distance to the outlet.

Eight figures stand 81 to 98.5 in tall. The 8 ft gingerbread man and the 8 ft snowman are both 94.5 in tall; the gingerbread man is 25.5 in deep and 66.75 in wide, the snowman 31.5 in deep and 66.25 in across with its arm raised. The 8 ft Santa with candy cane is the tallest of the group at 98.5 in, with a 55 x 33.5 in footprint.

Several are wider than they are tall. The 7 ft polar bear scene is 89.25 in long and 44.5 in wide, and the Santa fire truck is 94.5 in wide and 35.5 in deep. The 7 ft gingerbread house is 66.9 in wide and 25.6 in deep. The 7 ft hanging Santa with dog is the narrowest at 26.8 in wide; allow about 7 ft of clear height for it.

Tall figures with little depth lean sooner in a gust, so give them every tether in the box. Our guide https://urban-picks.com/guides/how-to-secure-inflatable-yard-decorations covers stakes, tethers and sandbags.

Five pieces are 106 to 142 in tall. The 9 ft Santa gift car is 106.25 in tall on a 72.75 x 38.5 in footprint, the narrowest of the five. The 10 ft gingerbread archway is 118.1 in tall and 104.3 in wide, and the 10 ft castle is 118 in tall, 106.25 in wide and 45.25 in deep. The 11 ft dinosaur is 122 in tall and 133.75 in wide, the widest figure we carry, and the 12 ft snowman is the tallest at 141.7 in.

The archway frames an entrance with a gingerbread man on one side and a snowman on the other. The width of its opening is not given, so measure your walkway against the 104.3 in overall width before you choose it.

Check the space overhead as well as the lawn, above all for the 118 in castle. Two of these come with the most anchoring: the castle has 10 ground stakes, five tether cords and three sandbags, and the archway has eight stakes, four drawstrings and two sandbags.

Plan for the width and depth in the table plus a ring of tethers around the figure. A tether runs out at about 45 degrees, so one tied 6 ft up lands about 6 ft from the figure. The 12 ft snowman, 94.5 in wide and 59.1 in deep (about 7.9 x 4.9 ft), needs that margin on every side where a tether runs.

Add the widths when you put figures side by side. The 8 ft snowman (66.25 in) and the 8 ft gingerbread man (66.75 in) take 133 in, about 11 ft, of lawn together before any gap or tethers.

Keep the display clear of power lines, the roof edge, the sidewalk and the street, so a figure that leans lands on grass. Our guide https://urban-picks.com/guides/how-to-secure-inflatable-yard-decorations has the stake and tether setup.

Each inflatable has one power cord and a fan that must stay connected while it is inflated, so each figure takes one outlet. Fourteen of the 21 have a 9.8 ft cord. The 6 ft gingerbread man has a 10 ft cord, the 5 ft polar bear scene and the sleigh have 6.6 ft, the 7 ft polar bear scene has 6 ft, and the fire truck has the shortest at 4.9 ft. The cord length is not given for the 6 ft snowman with penguins or the 8 ft snowman.

If the outlet is farther from the figure than its cord, use an extension cord rated for outdoor use. Outdoors, plug into a GFCI outlet and keep the plug connection and the fan off wet ground and out of puddles and snow.

If several displays share one outlet or circuit, add up their input amps first. The 12 ft snowman and the 7 ft gingerbread house list 0.7 A, and the 11 ft dinosaur lists 1 A. Stay within what the circuit is rated for.

The lights are built into each figure, from 2 LEDs on the moving Santa to 11 white LEDs on the archway. The 12 ft snowman, the 10 ft castle and the 6 ft snowman with penguins add a rotating multicolor light, and the 8 ft Santa has warm white LEDs inside.

Seven figures have an eight-hour limit for each run: the 12 ft snowman, the 10 ft archway, the 11 ft dinosaur, the 7 ft gingerbread house, the 6 ft train, the 6 ft Santa with gifts and the hanging Santa with wreath. For the 9 ft Santa gift car, the manufacturer recommends no more than 90 consecutive days of use. For the rest, the one rule is that power must stay on while the figure is inflated.

An outdoor plug-in timer that switches on at dusk and off at bedtime keeps within the eight-hour limit and saves a trip outside every night. When the timer cuts the power, the fan stops and the figure settles onto the ground; if snow lands on it, brush it off before the fan starts again.

Treat them as dry-weather decorations. Every figure that comes with weather guidance is to be taken down in heavy rain or snow, and most add wind. IP44 means protection against splashing water from any direction: it allows light rain on the fabric, not a downpour or a fan standing in a puddle.

Nine are rated IP44: the 6 ft gingerbread man, 8 ft gingerbread man, 7 ft gingerbread house, 10 ft archway, 10 ft castle, 9 ft gift car, 6 ft train, 7 ft polar bear scene and the moving Santa. Even so, the archway, house, castle, gift car and train are not to be used in heavy rain, snow or wind, and the gingerbread men and the polar bear scene are to be brought in for heavy rain or snow.

Seven have no IP rating and are not to be used in heavy rain, snow or wind: the 12 ft snowman, 8 ft snowman, 5 ft polar bear scene, Santa tractor, 11 ft dinosaur, 6 ft Santa with gifts and the hanging Santa with wreath. The 8 ft Santa, the sleigh and the fire truck are to be taken down in heavy rain or snow. The 6 ft snowman with penguins and the 7 ft hanging Santa with dog come with no weather guidance, so be cautious with them.

When a storm or strong gusts are forecast, unplug the fan, let the figure deflate and bring it in. Let it dry before you fold it.

Unplug the fan on a dry day and let the figure deflate. If the fabric is damp, let it dry completely before folding so it does not mildew in storage. Shake off leaves and dirt.

Fold it loosely, coil the tethers, empty the sandbags, and keep the stakes, tethers and manual with the figure so next year's setup is in one box. The polyester bodies are light: the 8 ft snowman weighs 3 lb and the 10 ft castle, with two fans, 9 lb. Store the box somewhere dry.

All 21 Christmas inflatables ship free within the US from a US warehouse, and most orders arrive within about 8 business days. Ships to US addresses only.

For the best chance of delivery by December 24, order by Thursday, December 10. That date is the best chance, not a guarantee. Unused items can be returned within 30 days; return shipping is on the buyer unless the item arrived damaged, defective or wrong. See the whole department at https://urban-picks.com/collections/holiday.