The holiday is coming closer and you are looking for a way to make your porch and garden look more festive. Yes, string lights are the way to go.
Check out these 6 best patio string lights for your DIY project.
Here are the best patio string lights you can buy in 2024:
- Best Multi-Use Light: Brightown 25Ft G40 Globe String Lights
- Most Romantic: TaoTronics 33ft 100 LED String Lights TT-SL036
- Best Dimmable Blubs: Lemontec Commercial Grade Outdoor String Lights
- Beautiful Shapes: MILEXING Christmas Lights, Snowflake String Lights
- Perfect For Party: Koopower 36ft 100 LED Battery Operated String Lights
- Best Solar String Light: SUPSOO Solar Christmas Lights,72FT 200 LED 8 Mode Solar String Lights
| Top 6 Best Patio String Lights | ||
|---|---|---|
Best Multi-Use Light | Brightown 25Ft G40 Globe String Lights | |
Most Romantic | TaoTronics 33ft 100 LED String Lights TT-SL036 | |
Best Dimmable Blubs | Lemontec Commercial Grade Outdoor String Lights | |
Beautiful Shapes | MILEXING Christmas Lights, Snowflake String Lights | |
Perfect For Party | Koopower 36ft 100 LED Battery Operated String Lights | |
Best Solar String Light | SUPSOO Solar Christmas Lights,72FT 200 LED 8 Mode Solar String Lights | |
Best Multi-Use Light: Brightown 25Ft G40 Globe String Lights
- Long lifespan
- Suitable for indoor/outdoor
- Versatility
- Waterproof
- It is time-consuming to install
The brightown USA offers the ultimate solution for garden decoration, gatherings, and birthday parties. The string lights are 25 ft long with 25 warm-white incandescent bulbs. Each bulb is connected with a candelabra (E12) socket base.
What’s more, you can connect multiple strings to brighten up a much bigger area. This product is suitable for both indoor and outdoor. It is Ip44 waterproof, working perfectly under normal weather conditions.
The installing process is quite challenging since you have to unscrew each bulb.
| Brightown 25Ft G40 Globe String Lights Specifications | |
|---|---|
Power source | Corded electric |
Color | Warm white |
Materials | Glass |
Highlight features | P44 waterproof 48 hours of continuous working Candelabra (E12) socket base |
Brightown 25Ft G40 Globe String Lights is the best option for multiple occasions, whether it is a simple family gathering or big wedding party.
Most Romantic: TaoTronics 33ft 100 LED String Lights TT-SL036
- Eco-friendly
- Convenient
- Most romantic
- Durable
- 10 levels of brightness
- The remote is hard to use.
If you specifically look for something cozy and romantic, here it is. This 33ft string lights offer flexible copper wire that can be easily molded into a different shape. That means you can decorate furniture, plants, staircase, balconies and more.
This unit comes with 24-key remote control. It helps you to adjust the brightness and switch to different lighting modes. However, you need to directly point the remote to the sensor otherwise it won’t work.
The string lights are waterproof, ideal to use in any outdoor areas such as patios, garden or balcony.
| TaoTronics 33ft 100 LED String Lights TT-SL036 Specifications | |
|---|---|
| #product_specs_2 |
TaoTronics 33ft 100 LED String Lights TT-SL036 is a great idea for a romantic dinner party or warm cozy balcony.
Best Dimmable Blubs: Lemontec Commercial Grade Outdoor String Lights
- Affordable price
- Great quality bulbs
- Blubs are in the good distance apart
- Perfectly dimmable
- Thick wire
- Quite heavy
Lemontec Commercial Grade Outdoor String Lights promise to bring a whole new look vibe. This heavy-duty unit features 15 perfectly dimmable light bulb. The industrial-grade strand is 48 ft long, enough to lighten up your café or garden.
If you love warm yellow-white light, you will certainly fall for Lemontec. You can put a dimmer switch on and control how bright the light is. Plus, this light string comes at a reasonable price.
The distance between bulbs is practical, giving you plenty of light. It is also waterproof and easy to install.
| Lemontec Commercial Grade Outdoor String Lights Specifications | |
|---|---|
Power source | Corded electric |
Color | Warm white-yellow |
Materials | |
Highlight features | Waterproof ETL-listed-compliance to North American safety standards |
Lemontec Commercial Grade Outdoor String Lights are a versatile and reasonably priced option to decorate your porches, nighttime celebrations or romantic dinner.
Beautiful Shapes: MILEXING Christmas Lights, Snowflake String Lights
- Safe to use
- Convenient
- Snowflake-shaped bulbs
- Batteries box is not waterproof
For winter and Christmas decorations, I highly recommend MILEXING Snowflake string lights. This unit is powered by 3 AA batteries, which means you never have to worry about the socket location.
The batteries-powered string light is also safe to use since there is no chance to encounter any high-voltage hazards.
The Milexing features 2 light modes: steady or flash. It comes with 40 snowflake-shaped LED bulbs, delivering enough light inside or outside.
Any cons? Yes, the batteries box is not waterproof.
| MILEXING Christmas Lights, Snowflake String Lights Specifications | |
|---|---|
Power source | 3 AA Battery |
Color | Warm White |
Materials | |
Highlight features | IP44 waterproof Exclude any high-voltage safety hazards |
MILEXING Christmas Lights, Snowflake String Light is a solid, energy-saving unit. It is a guarantee for festive and cozy decoration.
Perfect For Party: Koopower 36ft 100 LED Battery Operated String Lights
- 8 light effects
- Smart operation
- Perfect for party decoration
- Reasonable price
- Low maintenance
- None
Koopower isn’t just another battery-powered string light. This 36 ft string features 100 LED bulbs. Without electric sockets, this unit runs on battery, emitting warm white light.
It comes with many wonderful features. The timing program, for example, allows you to set 6 hours on or 18 hours off. There are 8 different modes, such as in wave, slow fade, twinkle, and chasing.
The KooPower is dust-resistant and waterproof. It will be a perfect option for holidays and other celebrations.
| Koopower 36ft 100 LED Battery Operated String Lights Specifications | |
|---|---|
Power source | Battery-operated |
Color | Warm white |
Materials | |
Highlight features | Timer 8 lightning modes. Memory function IP65 waterproof |
Koopower 36ft 100 LED Battery Operated String Lights, featuring a handful of cool features, is a must-have item for this Christmas.
Best Solar String Light: SUPSOO Solar Christmas Lights,72FT 200 LED 8 Mode Solar String Lights
- Environment-friendly
- 8 lighting modes
- Easy to install
- Weatherproof
- Energy-efficient
- The light is quite dim.
Have you ever considered an environment-friendly string light? Supsoo is the leading manufacturer in solar-powered string lights.
This 72 ft string features 200 light bulbs with 2 switch buttons. It also comes with 8 lighting effects, such as steady or light fading.
Especially, the Supsoo string lights are solar-powered. That means you don’t need to pay extra for electricity or battery for power. With a fully charged solar panel, the lights can run all night for 8 to 12 hours.
This is an IP65 weather-proof string. It can withstand hot summer, snow, rain and even storm.
The only downside is the light. Some people comment that it isn’t bright enough.
| SUPSOO Solar Christmas Lights,72FT 200 LED 8 Mode Solar String Lights Specifications | |
|---|---|
Power source | Solar |
Color | Warm White |
Materials | |
Highlight features | 8 lightning functions Waterproof IP65 72ft long No electricity or battery needed |
SUPSOO Solar Christmas Lights,72FT 200 LED 8 Mode Solar String Lights to bring great value for the money. It is environment-friendly and ideal for both indoor/outdoor decorations.
How To Choose The Best Patio String Lights?
When it comes to the best string lights, there are a few factors you need to consider.
Power Source
- The power source is the most important factor, especially when you intend to set up the light outdoor. There are 3 types of power sources: electricity, battery and solar.
- If you use electricity-power string lights, make sure that you can access to a nearby socket. If electricity isn’t the option, batteries-powered and solar-powered units are available too.
- For solar-powered units, you need to make sure that the solar panel is exposed to the sun enough during the day.
Lighting Effects
- If you want to settle for steady light, go for it. However, if you want to add some personal touch to outdoor/indoor lighting, lighting effects are essential.
- Some strings are dimmable, others can twinkle or glow.
Bulb Type
- Bulbs come with a wide range of types and shapes. The most durable one is no doubt LED type. Many people prefer this type also because it is energy-saving.
- For those who love vintage light, Edison-style bulbs are the way to go. You also need to decide whether you want glass blubs or plastic ones since the former is much more durable.
FAQs
Do patio string lights attract bugs?
If you ever have dinner outdoor, you probably know the dilemma. Turning the porch lights on, you bath into a cozy, romantic vibe. However, the risk is you attract every insect with the neighborhood.
That is porch lights, how about string lights. Do they attract bugs? Sadly yes, some string lights adopt incandescent bulbs – the traditional type is known for being bug-friendly.
But incandescent bulbs aren’t the only ones to blame. The list continues with CFL, halogen globes and (some of) LEDs. If your string lights adopt any of those bulbs, the possibility to share table dinner with bugs is inevitable.
What color porch light keeps bugs away?
Michael Justic, an ecologist from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has just published his summer-long experiment. The experiment’s focus is on which bulb type attracts the most insects.
To his surprise, the warm-colored LED light attracts the least amount of insects. Not only that, the yellow-hued LEDs are shown to outweigh bug lights. From now, it is pretty safe for us to assume that yellow light helps to keep the bug away.
Don’t get me wrong. Yellow light isn’t bug repellent. White light doesn’t attract them either. Essentially, bugs can’t see light as we do, but they sense the wavelengths of different light as well as color temperature.
Plus, ecologists also explain that flying insects mistake white light for the moon, which bugs use to navigate their way.
So if you want to get rid of most of the flying insects and bugs in your porch, make sure you use yellow-hued lights.
How many strings do I need for a patio light?
String lights undoubtedly provide a cozy ambiance and enough glow when a day turns to dusk. They are versatile when it comes to decorating edges, trees, column or banisters. You can also hang them over your garden or porch.
To measure the length of string lights needed, it is essential to decide where you will need them. I recommend you using twine as a measurement.
If you want to hang the string over a place, stretch the twine from one point to the other. Remember to measure the length from the hanging point to the electricity socket too.
For columns and trees, simply wrap the twine around once and then multiply it by how many times you wind the string around.
When you get the total length, divide the number by the length of a single string, you will find out how many strings you need to buy.
How do you string lights on a tree?
Whether it is Christmas, Easter or Halloween, trees decorated with light strings always bring a certain festive vibe and cozy ambiance. What sounds better than bathing yourself in a snuggly garden with glowing lights?
This DIY project is super fun and easy to do. Below I will guide you through simple steps to tackle it.
Preparation
Choose a tree you want to decorate. Fortunately, string lights are compatible with most types of trees. Christmas trees, evergreens, palm trees, and yucca are my go-to options. If this is your first time, find bare leafless trunks to start with since they offer a supreme framework for light strings.
For tree decoration, it is essential to pick the right light. You will see incandescent string lights look ridiculous in this project. The best option is LED lights. They are durable and energy-saving too.
How about the light color? If you don’t want to attract bugs, better go for the warm yellow light. However, warm white light does provide a nice glow. This color is so universal and suitable for any time in a year. You should decide on one type of lighting only, either all warm or all cool white.
Budget: Depending on the size of the tree, you only need one string or more. The cost will fall into $10 -$50.
Other materials: You will need a ladder, outdoor extension cord and plant tape (optional)
How to do
Test the light strands: You need to do this step before wrapping them around the tree.
Wrap the light strings around the tree, starting from the base. You probably need an outdoor extension cord and GFCI protection to prevent shock hazards. You can also secure the string by wrapping it around the base a few times.
Moving the string upward each time you wind. Check the distance between each wrap. Make sure that you keep a consistent distance. Use a ladder if you want to move to higher branches.
Last but not least, use planting tape to secure the strings. Never you metal wire since it could create a shock hazard.
To make it easier for you to follow. Here is a video on how to string lights on a tree
How many lights do you need for a 7ft tree?
The rule of thumb is for every foot and a half of tree I use around 100 lights. That means for a 7ft tree, the number of lights you need is around 400 to 700.
Do you start at the top or bottom when putting lights on a Christmas tree?
There has been a long discussion and even debate back in the day on this question. The reason why people debated where to start when put lights on a Christmas tree is quite clear for me. It works both ways!
However, it seems to me that when you start from the top, you will not lean on the lower branches as you go.
Should I keep my porch light on all night?
Apart from being an environment-friendly human being, I think that leaving the porch light on all night when you are away for a few days, for example, is a waste of money. Yes, you can leave the porch light on in some cases. If your friends plan to come over late, when you are at home (so that you can turn it off the next morning) or when the kids are at home.
Conclusion
The best patio string lights will bring the holiday vibe to your porch, add some warmth and cozy mode to the outdoor part. Romantic dinner, sweet family gatherings, and simply pleasant-looking front yard are the benefits you will get from string lights. Happy holiday!
Harry RamosI’m Harry Ramos, who's crazy about all things green. I’m here to share some experience in my gardening adventure and how to choose the best products for your garden. Let's dig in, get our hands dirty, and celebrate the simple, earthy pleasures of the garden together!
