The 10 Best String Lights
Updated by · How we research
Patio globes, Edison bulbs, solar, smart and indoor fairy strings compared by weather rating, length and power. The Brightown G40 Plug-In is the best value. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A weather rating on string lights usually covers the cord and bulbs, but not always the adapter, controller or battery box, and several makers say those parts must stay dry. That detail decides where a set can hang. This guide is for anyone lighting a patio, pergola, porch, dorm room or bedroom, with plug-in, solar, smart and battery picks.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
A plain Brightown G40 Plug-In now leads this list. It has what matters most on a patio, shatterproof LED globes and a cord sealed against rain, at a price low enough to buy two. The Brightech Ambience Pro stays, now as the white-cord plug-in set with plastic Edison bulbs, and so does the Lampat G40, which fits covered spaces best.
Eight earlier picks were dropped. The DazzBling, ShineTech, Sanjicha, Magictec, Vmanoo, Homestarry and Room Essentials sets no longer turn up among current sellers, and the Y Yuegang flame lamp was never really a string light. New picks cover solar, smart color, indoor fairy and battery strands, and a light curtain.
Three outlets that hung dozens of sets outside, ran garden hoses over them and dropped bulbs on concrete shaped how we judged weather sealing and bulb breakage. We then checked each finalist's rating, safety listing and linking limit, and searched federal recall records for every brand.
April 26, 2021:
Not much has changed in this space since the last time we visited this page, but we did run into a bunch of availability issues surrounding some of our selections, so we stripped them from our list. The options we removed were the Newhouse Lighting Impact Resistant, GDealer WaterDrop, INST Solar Honey Bee and Homeleo Twinkle Star
We added the ShineTech E26 to our list because we liked that it was a replaceable-bulb option (not to mention one that came with a few bulb replacements), and we were fans of the way it supported USB charging as well as solar charging, making it a viable option for indoor use as well as outdoor.
The Sanjicha MLS-D may not be the most breathtaking option on the market, but its price per foot is hard to compete with, which is often a deciding factor for users looking to dress up long lengths of fence. Its 1.8-amp-hour capacity is nothing to write home about, but because these strings feature fewer diodes than other options, it can still keep them running for eight to 10 hours, which seems to be average (or, maybe even a bit better than average) for the category.
The Magictec FD-2 comprises an array of 10, 10-foot strings, and became the first such option to be included on this list. It’s probably not the way to go if you’re looking to add some accent lighting to the top of your fence or eavestrough, but there are alternate applications that they’ll work great for, like dressing up curtains and creating canopies over porches.
The DazzBling Outdoor YJ-312-15 earned its spot with its ability to display two bulb colors simultaneously, enabling you to make them match just right with your decor for the evening. Its Wi-Fi connectivity, Smart Life-app compatibility and shatterproof bulbs didn’t hurt either.
For further simple solutions to help light up your yard, check out our lists of landscape lighting, path lights and outdoor floodlights.
March 03, 2020:
During this round of updates, after removing the Deneve LED Copper, Kekh Photo Clips and Brightown Garden Backyard due to availability issues, we replaced the Oak Leaf Super Bright Rope with the Homestarry Fairy Lights – a similarly designed model with color-changing functionality that helps enhance their whimsical look. We also added several new options to our rankings, including the Room Essentials Clear Globe – an affordably priced choice for users who prefer incandescent light to LED alternatives, the Y Yuegang Outdoor Flame Lamp – a smart-looking set of LED orbs that flicker in a lantern-like manner, and the Newhouse Lighting Impact Resistant – a color-changing string of Edison-like LED bulbs that’s backed by a five year warranty.
Some considerations to string together as you shop:
Length: This consideration is twofold. While the prominent and obvious concern here is making sure that you order a sufficient length of string lights, based on your intended use for the fixtures, it also doesn’t hurt to be mindful of how long each offering’s power cord is.
While offerings like the Y Yuegang Outdoor Flame Lamp are equipped with a 10-foot power cord, allowing users significant reach to the desired start point for their string lights, others like the Room Essentials Clear Globe have only a six-inch lead to their male plug. In situations like this, unless you’re ok with your lighting starting right from an outlet, you’re going to need an extension cord to hook them up, amounting to an extra expense and, often, an eyesore.
Moving back to discussion of total unit length, I won’t insult your intelligence by explaining how to pick a string with a length that exceeds your needs, but for users planning on longer installations, I will mention the value in choosing an option like the Lampat Globe or Newhouse Lighting Impact Resistant that are outfitted with a female outlet at the end of the line, allowing users to daisy chain multiple strings together via end-to-end connections. Solar-powered models like the INST Solar Honey Bee and Vmanoo Flower Blossom also have the advantage of being independently powered, which allows users to decorate their yards with broken sections of lighting, versus one gigantic string.
Control: Although many users will be happy with simple units like the Room Essentials Clear Globe that are limited to turning on and turning off, others will enjoy other options’ fun functionalities that can help add a bit of personality to a space. While models like the Homeleo Twinkle Star and Newhouse Lighting Impact Resistant allow users to adjust their brightness, the Homestarry Fairy Lights and Vmanoo Flower Blossom come with 16 and four color options, respectively. The Y Yuegang Outdoor Flame Lamp can flicker at three different speeds, allowing it to imitate candle light, and is one of several models available with automatic-timed-off functions.
Power Source: While many options in this category are commonly powered by standard, 120-volt wall outlets, others like the INST Solar Honey Bee and GDealer Water Drop depend on solar panels to power their LED bulbs – a nice touch for energy-conscious users and people who don’t have access to many outlets in their backyard. The Homestarry Fairy Lights is powered via USB, which might be fine if you’re planning on powering them with a rechargeable battery pack, for example, but for most people this amounts to a pain and an additional expense in the form of a new USB outlet.
Special Honors
Feit Electric Feit Electric's heavy-duty LED patio sets are sold mostly through home-improvement and warehouse stores. A 48-foot Feit set was the overall winner in a backyard test by Jessica Welling Interiors, which used one outdoors for years. One review noted it has no fuse in the plug. feit.com
Philips Hue Festavia For a full smart-home setup, the Philips Hue Festavia globe set puts color and white light in shatterproof polycarbonate bulbs rated for rain and sun, with a two-year warranty. It costs several times as much as most smart sets, so it's for people who already use Hue lights. philips-hue.com
Where It Hangs Decides The Set
Govee says its adapter must stay dry, and Minetom says the same of its fairy light adapter, so plug those in under cover or into a weatherproof outlet box.
Start with the weather. An IP44 rating means a string shrugs off splashes, which is fine on a covered porch or indoors. IP65 and IP66 mean it's sealed against jets and heavy rain, which is what a set strung across an open yard needs. Read the fine print, though: several makers rate the string but not the adapter, controller or battery box. Govee says its adapter must stay dry, and Minetom says the same of its fairy light adapter, so plug those in under cover or into a weatherproof outlet box.
A safety listing from UL or ETL (Intertek) means a lab has checked the design for shock and fire risk. The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises using only lights marked for outdoor use outside, checking cords for cracks before you hang them and plugging outdoor sets into a GFCI-protected outlet (CPSC). Past recalls of cheap mini lights came down to thin wire, weak plugs and missing fuses, so a fuse in the plug is a plus.
In rain tests by Jessica Welling Interiors, sets with sealed sockets and plastic bulbs held up, while glass bulbs broke when hung or dropped. Bob Vila reviewers dropped bulbs on concrete and sprayed sets with a hose, and they favored shatterproof LED globes for the same reason.
Globe, Edison, Fairy, Curtain: The Types
Globe sets use round G40 bulbs, about 1.5 inches across, and give the classic backyard bistro look. Edison-style S14 sets use pear-shaped bulbs with a visible filament pattern and read more like a cafe. Both come with screw-in bulbs that can be replaced. Fairy lights are tiny LEDs on thin wire, meant for jars, headboards and mantels, and curtain lights hang many fairy strands from one cord to light a whole wall or window.
LED has replaced incandescent for most buyers. LED bulbs use far less power, stay cool and let you link more sets on one outlet. Incandescent glass gives a warmer glow but runs hot and breaks easily, which is why TechGearLab rated its fragile incandescent budget picks lower. Look for a warm white of about 2200 to 2700 Kelvin; cooler white sets can look harsh on a patio.
Solar sets skip the outlet, but they're dimmer and usually run about six to eight hours after a sunny day. SolarReviews notes that short cords and weak winter charging are common complaints. Smart sets from Govee and Philips Hue add color, scenes and voice control, at a much higher price.
Length, Spacing And Hanging
Measure before you buy. Run a piece of twine along the path you want, then add a few feet to reach the outlet. Bob Vila suggests 25 to 50 feet for a small patio and 50 to 100 feet for a space about 12 feet square. Bulb spacing changes the look: bulbs 12 inches apart give a dense glow, 2 feet is a common middle ground, and 3 feet can look sparse.
Check how many sets can be linked end to end. Many incandescent sets stop at three, while LED sets often allow 14 to 20, and some smart sets can't be extended at all. Never chain more than the package allows.
For long spans, run a steel guide wire between posts and clip the cord to it, so the sockets don't carry the weight. Keep plugs off the ground, and take lighter-duty sets down before a hard winter. Jessica Welling Interiors found that commercial-style sets with heavy cords lasted for years outdoors, while thin ones wore out in a season or two.
How we researched this
We compared 16 current string light sets across outdoor globe, Edison, solar, smart, fairy, battery and curtain styles, plus the ten sets on our earlier list. We read the makers' specs, ratings and warranty terms for every finalist, drew on hands-on reviews from Bob Vila, TechGearLab and Jessica Welling Interiors, analyzed owner feedback for patterns, and checked every brand against Consumer Product Safety Commission recall records.
Frequently asked questions
What are the types of string lights?
The main types are globe (G40) and Edison-style (S14) patio sets with screw-in bulbs, fairy lights on thin wire, curtain and net lights, and icicle lights. Each can be plug-in, solar or battery powered, and some are smart sets with app and voice control.
Can I leave string lights up all year?
Only sets built for it. Look for a heavy rubber cord, sealed sockets, plastic bulbs and an IP65 or higher rating, and keep the plug and adapter dry. Take lighter sets down before ice and heavy snow.
Can I use indoor string lights outside?
Not in the open. Sets rated IP44 handle splashes, so they're fine on a covered porch, but rain can reach the adapter or battery box. Outdoors, use a set marked for outdoor use and a GFCI-protected outlet.
How many string light sets can I connect?
Check the package. Many incandescent sets allow three, many LED sets allow 14 to 20, and some smart sets can't be linked at all. Going past the limit can overheat the first set's cord.
Are solar string lights as bright as plug-in ones?
Usually not. Solar sets are dimmer, run about six to eight hours after a sunny day and fade in winter. They're best where there's no outlet nearby.
Are battery fairy lights safe around kids?
Many run on coin cells, which can cause serious injury if a child swallows one. Choose sets with screw-shut battery boxes and keep them out of reach of small children.
