Outdoor string lights are a simple and inexpensive method to improve the aesthetics of any outdoor area. LED string lights not only provide needed illumination in the evening but also create a welcoming and comforting atmosphere. String lights are a beautiful and practical way to illuminate your patio, deck, screened-in porch, or other outdoor space in your backyard.
Adding string lights provides not only practical but also visually pleasing ambient lighting. They illuminate a large area without producing glare that may be bothersome in traditional lighting setups.
We looked at a large number of different types, sizes, and prices of outdoor string lights to discover the finest ones on the market.
The Best Choices for Outdoor String Lighting
Lepro LED Outdoor String Lights
Lepro string lighting uses a quarter of the energy of a standard 7-watt incandescent bulb while producing the same amount of light. It comes with 25+1 0.6-watt LED bulbs. Each LED bulb only uses 0.6W of power, yet produces the same amount of light as a standard 5-watt incandescent bulb.
These festoon lights employ plastic bulbs instead of glass ones, so they’re more resistant to the elements and last longer under regular conditions of usage. If you wish to enjoy its lovely illumination, simply connect it to the electricity and hang it where you choose. A clip is included with each socket to facilitate mounting. Each individual light on this garden string is 50 feet in length, and you can join up to 38 of them together to get the length you want. Gardens, gazebos, balconies, bedrooms, wedding receptions, and outside Christmas decorations are just some of the places where this beautiful and comforting lighting may be put to use.
Better Homes & Gardens Clear Glass Globe String Lights
If you’re on the hunt for string lights but have a limited budget, consider this inexpensive choice from the Better Homes & Gardens collection. The parent company of Real Simple, Dotdash Meredith, also owns Better Homes & Gardens. There are twenty glass globe bulbs that hang from a dark brown cable that comes with the lights. These lights look great anywhere, and their soft white glow is especially attractive in a garden or on a patio.
These lights come with two spare bulbs in case any of the primary ones fail or burn out, and they can be connected to two other sets over 60 feet in length if you need to illuminate a bigger area. There is a little hanger attached to each lamp holder for simple installation anywhere from a fence or tree.
You should exercise extreme caution while installing these lights because of their fragility. They aren’t as storm-proof as other alternatives; a little shower won’t hurt them, but a severe one might do significant damage.
Koopower 100 LED Fairy String Lights – Battery Operated
If you’re searching for an inexpensive way to illuminate your outside environment, consider these Koopower battery-operated string lights. The supplied remote may be used to manually turn on and off the string of 100 small LED lights, or it can be programmed to do it automatically (for six hours on and 18 hours off). You may adjust the blink rate and blink pattern of the lights with the included remote control, which provides eight distinct blinking modes (including twinkle, gradual fade, and flash).
The bulbs on this set of lights provide a soft, warm white glow, and they’re all connected by a long, pliable transparent wire. Additionally, the lights are both dustproof and waterproof, making them suitable for use in any climate. Remember that these are fairy lights and not standard bulbs, so the light they create won’t be as intense, but they will still illuminate a huge area because there are so many of them on the string.
Portfolio White Incandescent Edison String Lights
This Portfolio option is a perfect choice if you’re looking for Edison bulbs, often known as string lights with a retro style evocative of the earliest light bulbs ever made. The 11 warm white Edison bulbs (with two replacement bulbs and one replacement fuse) on the 24-foot black cord of these indoor/outdoor lights make them perfect for lighting up a garden or patio.
These lights may be used year-round because they are both waterproof and sturdy. Up to seven of these sets may be strung together for a more impressive appearance, so you can use them to illuminate your whole outdoor area. Putting together the wires and plugging them into an electrical socket will create a lovely, cozy ambiance. These lights are a little more expensive than average, so if money is a major consideration, keep that in mind. This is an expensive kit, but if you can afford it, you won’t regret buying it.
Brightown 100ft Outdoor String Lights
Using these Brightown outdoor string lights, we made the backyard feel more welcoming and cozy. The 100-foot string, which has rounded Edison glass bulbs, is a perfect fit for classic or retro decor.
This string of lights is safe for the outdoors, efficient, and dimmable. These bulbs used only 5 watts of electricity yet generated 23 lumens of light, making even the darkest part of the night look bright. The light string comes with 100 G40 incandescent lights and four spare bulbs just in case. These soft white string lights, at 2,700 Kelvin, are perfect for a night of romance in the garden.
The included gutter clamps make installation a breeze. We clipped the string sockets to clotheslines in a grid arrangement over our heads. We chose a grid arrangement so that we could sit comfortably under the lights late into the night while reading our magazines
Buying Guide of Outdoor String Lights
Type of Bulbs
The most common types of bulbs used in outdoor string lights are incandescent and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs are favored by many because of their extended service life, high brightness, and low energy consumption compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. Unfortunately, they are typically more expensive. Meanwhile, incandescent lights are less costly than LED lights and give out a warmer, more conventional light.
The Length of Cord
Every set of string lights has a chord, which can be as little as a few feet or as long as a few dozen. Think about the dimensions of the room you want to illuminate when deciding on the appropriate chord length, but keep in mind that you can often purchase additional sets of lights and join the cords together for a more comprehensive appearance if necessary.
Energy Supply
Many of these lights plug into wall outlets, but others run on batteries or solar energy. Smaller fairy lights often utilize battery packs, whereas solar-powered lights are widely adopted for their sustainability but can be a bit more challenging to use on days when the weather is gloomy and dark.
Anti-Weather Properties
The IP rating, from 0 to 68, indicates how well protected the lights are against things like dust and moisture, and is included with many sets of string lights. The first number indicates the lights’ resistance to dust and debris, while the second number indicates its resistance to water and temperature swings. For maximum safety, opt for lights with a high IP rating in both numbers.
