Best Outdoor String Lights

Heather Clouse
Written by
Last update:

The best outdoor string lights add an elegant touch to your outdoor space. If you are not aware, modern outdoor string lights have more features and benefits which makes the decision difficult.

And, as you will discover below, many of the best outdoor string lights in the market are solar powered, which makes things even easier for you. Let’s start to take a good look at your options.

NameCategoryProduct
Enbrighten 37790Best OverallEnbrighten 37790
String LightsBudget PickString Lights
Outdoor Patio String LightsUpgrade PickOutdoor Patio String Lights

1. Enbrighten 37790

Our rating: 9 / 10

Enbrighten 37790

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Great for poolside, indoors and outdoors
  • Easy to set up
  • Stylish
  • Comes at a great price with high quality bulbs
  • Vintage, timeless look
  • 120V and remote control
  • Customizable setting with 8 modes
  • Built with premium, lead-free bulbs that never burn out
  • 2 year warranty.

Cons:

  • Not the best for decorations where you need bright lights
  • Lamp holder is not as easy to work for changing bulbs
  • Bulbs are not compatible with LED dimmer switches
  • Requires a little work to put up

120V.

This warm white wire string light is made of LED lights which are long lasting and energy efficient so I can save over 50% of energy. It comes with 8 functions of customization such as bright-dim, flash, auto, etc.

They are crafted with top quality, waterproof, heat and cold resistant, commercial grade, and you will enjoy your wonderful time with these lights in any occasions. Moreover, each string light is about 9 feet for giving you a perfect length of lighting.

2. Brightown 25Ft G40 Globe String Lights

Our rating: 9 / 10

Brightown 25Ft G40 Globe String Lights

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • All Clear Bulbs for aBrightWhite Glow
  • No Hot Spots
  • The Lights are Decorative and Functional
  • Multiple Modes, Timers and Switch Positions
  • Eco Friendly

Cons:

  • You have to bend over to turn them off.
  • Some of the lights flicker, but you can just remove those.
  • Some of the lights are dim, but you can tap them lightly and they will be strong again.

The Brightown solar string lights are a great addition to any outdoor space. They come on automatically and switch off automatically, and you can use the controls to turn them on or off or dim them.

These lights are beautiful for evening parties and family gatherings, but they can also be used for day-time parties by turning them all the way down.

These lights are “Clear LED” so they have a beautiful bright white glow to them. These are the same lights you see at your favorite stores like Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, Bed Bath and Beyond etc.

3. Outdoor Patio String Lights

Our rating: 9 / 10

Outdoor Patio String Lights

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Waterproof
  • Long Length
  • High quality product
  • Long life expectancy
  • Outstanding customer service
  • Available at multiple lengths
  • Easy to setup

If you enjoy lighting up the outdoors, then you'll love our LED string light picks. We've reviewed outdoor patio string light kits that cover a range of sizes and colors.

The waterproof outdoor string light kits that we've included come with a variety of features depending on what you need them for and how much you're willing to spend.

We've also included a loop light kit for those smaller lighting applications that a classic string light kit might not work for. Any one of these five options is just the ticket for adding an extra dose of beauty to your porch, patio, landscape, garden, or bistro.

4. Brightech Ambience Pro

Our rating: 8 / 10

Brightech Ambience Pro

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • 12 Hours of brightness
  • Waterproof
  • Stylish
  • Uses only 11W of electricity

Patio, Balcony or Porch.

These great looking, waterproof, extremely energy efficient outdoor string lights are an absolute score for your home.

They span up to 48 feet, and are rated for up to 12 hours of use. I wasn’t able to find any other lights on the market that provide 12 hours of brightness. Furthermore, they’re using less than 12 watts of power, a pretty awesome feat.

5. Twinkle Star 12 Stars 138 LED Curtain String Lights

Our rating: 8 / 10

Twinkle Star 12 Stars 138 LED Curtain String Lights

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Wonderfully festive string lights for the holidays
  • The lights are very bright and can be seen even during the day
  • The timer function is a great added bonus
  • It can work as a window curtain thanks to its 12-inch length
  • An 8-mode flashing option is included that creates a wonderful festive ambiance
  • It’s battery operated (3 AA batteries not included)
  • The manufacturer also offers a replacement or full refund if you’re not completely satisfied

These Twinkle Star lights are the perfect outdoor lights for this holiday season. They are inexpensive with a medium-high quality. These lights come with a flashing option and a timer function. Plus, they have an 8-mode flashing option that creates a wonderful festive ambiance.

These lights are battery operated, so they need batteries. It comes with the battery holder, a timer, and a power adapter. Just connect it and plug it into a wall socket.

These lights can work as a window curtain thanks to their 12-inch length. They are super convenient and can be placed even inside a room.

6. ZHONGXIN Outdoor Patio String Lights

Our rating: 8 / 10

ZHONGXIN Outdoor Patio String Lights

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Great price
  • Comes with a remote
  • Lights up a large space
  • Connectable
  • Can be used both indoors and out
  • Dimmable lights

This is a colorful string light set with small sized, warm white bulbs. The lights can be used both inside and outside. The string includes a wireless remote control and separate warm white LED bulbs.

If you’re looking to brighten up a small outdoor space or to illuminate a patio or deck, this 10 bulb string is great. They’re durable and weather-resistant, have a long power cord, and are simple to install. The bulbs have a good light output and are easily replaceable.

7. String Lights

Our rating: 8 / 10

String Lights

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Varying colors with different tone bulbs to choose from
  • Long cord length
  • High-quality glass bulbs
  • Easy installation

E27 Edison Bulbs for Patio, Garden and more.

These globe string lights are both beautiful and practical!

The wand design allows them to be placed in more places too – up the sides of a roof, on the front of a big wagon for carolers or even to highlight the Christmas Tree!

8. Lalapao 2 Pack Solar String Lights 72ft 22m 200 LED 8 Modes Solar Powered Xmas Outdoor Lights Waterproof Starry Christmas Fairy Lights

Our rating: 8 / 10

Lalapao 2 Pack Solar String Lights 72ft 22m 200 LED 8 Modes Solar Powered Xmas Outdoor Lights Waterproof Starry Christmas Fairy Lights

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Creative design that is sure to add ambient lighting to any area you place them
  • The lights can be set to any number of variations
  • Long battery life thanks to the rechargeable batteries
  • The possibility to run without sun due to the battery powered option
  • Easy to use
  • Decorative and functional
  • Can be used indoors or out

Cons:

  • No on/off switch
  • Weights a little more than similar products
  • Only available in white
  • The buttons are a tad more difficult to press, but once you get used to them, It’s no problem at all

This solar string lights set from Lalapao is great for decorating your house and yard during the holiday season. Whether you’re looking for a decorative string of lights for the Thanksgiving table or Christmas, you’ll love these lights for their fun design and functionality.

The lights come with a 4-mode operation button under a protective waterproof lid. Press the button to change the different light modes and to check the battery life.

The lights are illuminated without any batteries and with the sun energy, continually emits a bright light and a romantic atmosphere. Once you connect the usb cable, it can be charged by the home solar energy or from the computer.

9. 59FT 100 LED Fairy Globe String Lights

Our rating: 8 / 10

59FT 100 LED Fairy Globe String Lights

Check Price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Nice Combination of Color
  • Super Bright
  • Available with 100 and 200 bulbs
  • Airtight Resistant
  • Long Distance
  • Great For Holidays
  • With Remote And Timer

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Bulbs Have Been Reported To Fail

These water resistant landscape lights will make your backyard stand out anywhere. The package comes with 59ft of lights that connect together to create one long line of beautiful lights.

This string of lights can light up anything. They’re perfect for your garden, patio, deck, special events, weddings, holidays, etc… They’re completely waterproof, so enjoy them all year long!

You can easily connect more strings together by purchasing power supplies and the short cable extension. The extension can be plugged into a regular outlet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the best outdoor string lights?

This is a question that gets asked a lot since they’re key to creating an outdoor space at night. There are many different ways to define the best, but with the wide array of choices out there, you’re likely to prefer a different style than someone else. With that being said, I’ll tell you which ones I like the most.

For general illumination of my outdoor patio, I like wide angle floodlights sitting on the ground. I use a mixture of Philips Hue and RBG’s

For creating ambient lighting, I love using bistro lights.

For under cabinets, I’ve got some Ikea dioder dots.

What are the best outdoor LED lights?

While all LED bulbs on the market are low-energy using light, a few come with impressive durability ratings and extra features like dimming and rain sensors. You'll find an overwhelming selection of options, and having a few key features in mind will guide you to the best outdoor string lights for stair and pathway lighting.

Do outdoor string lights attract bugs?

Actually, it's the lights that attract the bugs.

If it's windy, they will blow around and they will attract bugs. You can't help having bugs near them if they're outside.

But with mosquitoes, the little buggers have a habit of swarming houses and yards in the evening looking for hosts. Light attracts them. At least it does here in Houston. I can't speak about other places. We have these lights outside and have more mosquitoes than before.

How do you string lights on a patio?

Outdoor string lights are versatile because they can be placed inside or outside, and they’re highly customizable, though that can also be a drawback. String lights can be hung along a porch rail, horizontally from the porch roof over the porch swing, and vertically from a tree or around patio furniture supports. When tautly strung, it’s easy to customize the lights to precisely where you want and need them.

Then again, string lights are also the most prone to tangling of all the outdoor lighting options, and it can take some patience to untangle them. Thankfully, covering your wire is the best way to keep it from getting tangled, and eventually it won’t tangle at all. Using string lights isn’t a project for those with low patience.

Conclusion

We like to make things happen for you as fast as possible, whether it is a patio, garden, or an outdoor business. In this article we will discuss everything that you will need to choose the best string light for patio setups, garden party, or outdoor business. What you should be looking for, how you can install the lights yourself, some creative ideas to make the most out of the lights, etc. All this and much more online for you to enjoy.

Our Recommendation

NameCategoryProduct
Enbrighten 37790Best OverallEnbrighten 37790
String LightsBudget PickString Lights
Outdoor Patio String LightsUpgrade PickOutdoor Patio String Lights