Colorful bulbs, such as the Enbrighten LED Color Changing String Lights, are often chosen for their ambience rather than their lighting ability. This article was written by Camryn Rabideau, a freelance contributor for The Spruce. With a hefty 102 feet to work with, the Banord lights spanned the length of the arch three entire times and we still had a few feet left over. But they still got dripping wetyet it didnt seem to affect them at all. And there are 12 inches between bulbs, which means the 25-foot strand will have 25 lights on it. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. The 27-foot strand features 12 shatterproof plastic LED bulbs. Options like steady lighting, slow fade, and twinkle mode add a fun twist to these basic outdoor string lights. Its best to figure out how long your string lights should be before you purchase themafter all, its frustrating to realize your lights arent long enough when youre midway through installation. Plus, additional sets can be connected for even more illumination. Theres so much to love about these outdoor string lights. Outdoor string lights can brighten a backyard or a patio space and make warm nights more relaxing and festive. First, check the product description to determine if the lights are intended for outdoor use. We created a nighttime centerpiece by looping the copper wire inside a glass vase. While the remote has eight lighting options, a couple of the flashing ones are pretty annoying and distracting. Our best overall pick is thePottery Barn Indoor/Outdoor LED String Lights Strand, which stand out for their durability, energy efficiency, and range of lengths. We noted the length of the cord, the number of bulb sockets, and how easy it was to hang them on a structure. Lighting color temperature is measured using the Kelvin (K) temperature scale. And each strand includes 99 feet of lighting with 300 micro LED bulbsperfect for decorating large outdoor areas. If youre looking for a less expensive strand, go with the Home Accents 300-Light Clear Incandescent Set (view at Amazon), which gives you almost 68 feet of length at an incredibly affordable price. Consider the size of the outdoor space and the lighting layout when choosing the ideal wire length. Fairy lights bring an instant warm ambience to a garden or patio space. Each type varies in durability, energy efficiency, and lifespan. This 99-foot fairy light strand from Twinkle Star is an excellent pick for decorative accent lighting. our process. With glass Edison-style bulbs on a black rubber cable, they have a classic look suited to a range of decor styles. You can get these lights in warm white, cool white, or blue. Its inconvenient to take the string lights down every time theres inclement weather in the forecast. You can link up to 750 feet of these lights to one outlet, giving you enough length to decorate a large outdoor space. These are tiny little specks of LED bulbs woven along the surface of a coated copper wire. Bulb Type: Micro LED | Number of Bulbs: 300 | Cord Length: 99 feet | Wattage: Not listed | Power Source: Plug-in, Battery-powered design can be installed anywhere, Comes with remote control and built-in timer. The best outdoor string lights are the Pottery Barn LED String Lights (view at Pottery Barn). These outdoor string lights from Brightown not only look stylish, but they are also a durable and energy-saving option. In general, high-end LED string lights will last for around six to seven seasonsor two to three years if you use them year-round. This is the second Brightown pick that made it into our lineup. These string lights are one of the priciest picks on our list, but given that LED bulbs use less electricity, are impact-resistant, and can be left outside year-round, we think they are well worth the investment. The Feit lights survived both the rainstorm and our drop test and kept working. Each G40 bulb provides 40 lumens of light with a 2,200K color temperature for a warm wash of light. Each bulb uses only 1 watt of energy for beautiful outdoor lighting without a huge electric bill. What sets them apart is their appearance, which will transform your patio or backyard into a cozy space perfect for outdoor dinner parties and other gatherings. Each socket on the string has its own clip, and we hooked them to clotheslines to form an overhead grid pattern. These are impressive solid acrylic LED bulbs, and because theyre billed as shatterproof, we tested that claim by dropping them from head height to the concrete patio below. These solar string lights are advertised as needing 6 hours of direct sunlight to power the bulbs for 6 hours of illumination, but in our experience, they emitted light for at least 10 hours on a single solar charge. Whats the best way to hang and secure outdoor string lights? We Tested the Best Indoor Christmas LightsHere Are Our Favorites, We Tested the Best Outdoor Solar Lights to Illuminate Your Property, The 8 Best Outdoor Floodlights for Home Safety, Brightech Ambience Pro Solar Outdoor String Lights Need No Outlets, After 124 Hours of Testing, Here Are Our 9 Favorite Night Lights of 2022, Here Are the Best Light Bulbs for Every Room, The Best Cordless Lamps for Outlet-Free Lighting, Illuminate Your Home With the Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights, Here Are the Best Bug Zappers to Rid Your Home and Yard of Pesky Insects, The 8 Best Floor Lamps of 2022 to Brighten a Room, The Best Light Bulbs for Bathrooms That Eliminate Glares and Shadows. The only downsideswhich depend on perspectiveare the widely spaced sockets (3 feet apart) and the fact that hooks are needed for hanging the string lights on a structure as we did. Theyre better suited as groupings to create a pleasing effect. The Enbrighten string lights have 16 color choices that create up to 120 possible combinations, adding a pop of color to any outdoor space. By Glenda Taylor and Jasmine Harding | Updated Jul 1, 2022 11:32 AM. For the ones advertised as being waterproof, we left them out in a rainstorm or (for those under the umbrella and covered patio) sprayed them with water. With those logistics out of the way, you might want to hang outdoor string lights between trees or posts in your yard. And the strand comes with a remote control, so you can easily turn the lights on and off. We cut 4-inch pieces of baling wire and used those to attach each socket to the metal bars of the arch. Read our, Pottery Barn LED String Lights at Pottery Barn, Home Accents Holiday 300 Mini Lights Set at Amazon, Hampton Bay Indoor/Outdoor String Light at Home Depot, SUNTHIN LED Outdoor String Lights at Amazon, Addlon Outdoor String Lights, 2 Pack at Amazon, Koopower Outdoor Battery Fairy Lights at Amazon, Brightown Outdoor String Lights at Amazon, Best Overall: The LED plastic bulbs are shatterproof and energy-saving. These features make the Pottery Barn LED String Lights our top pickand it doesn't hurt that they're beautiful, drape nicely, and even look stylish when they're not on. The 48-foot weatherproof strand features 24 Edison-style bulbs. We researched and tested dozens of options to find the best ones, evaluating them on durability, brightness, andease of use. Once hung, they had a lovely drape effect and exceptional light qualitybright enough to illuminate the space while still providing just the right ambiance for watching a movie on an outdoor screen. Appropriate for permanent outdoor installation. Many string lights can be used with a dimmer, or they include a remote control that allows you to control various lighting effects. These inexpensive outdoor string lights give off a warm white light. The acrylic globes are as clear as glass, and the LED filaments emit a warm, goldish-yellow luminosity. Outdoor string lights can brighten a backyard, Twinkle Star 300 LED 99 FT Copper Wire String Lights, Brightown LED G40 Outdoor String Lights 50FT, Brightech Ambience Pro Waterproof Solar LED Lights, OxyLED 2 Pack Battery Operated LED String Lights, Banord 102FT Dimmable LED Outdoor String Lights, Feit Electric 710090 48ft LED String Light, LED, incandescent, solar, or battery-operated bulbs, Brightech Ambience Pro - Waterproof Solar LED Lights, Enbrighten LED Color Changing String Lights, 11 Ways to Make the Most of Your Towns Curbside Cleanup Day, 13 Breathtaking Ideas for Backyard String Lights, The Most Affordable Ways to Fence in a Yard. Since we hung them on a covered patio ceiling, they were somewhat protected by a rainstorm that affected most of the other sets we tested. The bulbs are incandescent and come with crystal-clear glass globes. For instance, if your patio is 20 feet wide and you want the lights to zigzag across it three times, youll need at least 60 feet of light. Hampton Bay 24-Light Indoor/Outdoor 48 ft. These bulbs are generally more subtle, providing gentle background lighting. Not only can they be hung anywhere because they dont require an electrical outlet, but we also found them still glowing brightly the next morning. Be sure to check whether your lights are weather-proof before hanging themsome lights can withstand rain, snow, and more, while others should be kept out of direct exposure to the weather. Although we tested just one strand, users can connect up to 12 strands of lightenough to illuminate a large area. We were also able to dim the lights to a soft golden glow, which created an intimate romantic effect. These solar string lights weathered a rainstorm without any problems and then lit up the following evening. Brightown Outdoor String Lights, What to Look for in Outdoor String Lights. We scrolled through the lighting modes using the remote, but we didnt care for the flashing strobe effect that seemed better suited to a dance party than the calm outdoor ambience we desired. Bulbs around 2,700K have a cozy, warm white color with a yellow hue, while bulbs over 5,000K offer stark, crisp lighting with a blue hue.
These inexpensive string lights provide 68 feet of lighted length with 300 mini glass bulbs, all attached to a green wire. No problem! Small bulbs are a good pick for small outdoor spaces; they wont overpower a space or other outdoor decorations. With a waterproof and weather-resistant design, these sturdy outdoor string lights are suitable for year-round use. Enhance the mood for any season or holiday with this set of color-changing string lights. Weather-resistant lights can handle direct exposure to water and feature watertight seals to protect their interior parts from accumulating moisture and causing safety issues. 