Best Outdoor String Lights for 2024 - CNET

Oct 17, 2024

Article updated on October 13, 2024 at 12:19 PM PDT

Our CNET experts have tested to shed some light on the best string lights for your outdoor space.

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

From small outdoor patios, to huge party-sized yards, outdoor string lights add a sense of coziness and allow you to use your space a little longer than usual by providing light. They look great and some even have great customization options. We've found lights that look great and are safe, too. They could even make a great gift for a tech-loving friend if you've started your holiday shopping.

Outdoor electric lights come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from smart lights to Edison-style bulbs. With that in mind, this guide will run you through the best outdoor string lights on the market, drawing on the expertise of CNET testers who tried out various models to offer you the best recommendations we can.

However, if string lights aren't your thing, you can often get an additional source of light through a fire pit or just source a patio heater if you're more fussed about keeping yourself warm on those summer nights.

Out of all the options we tested, our favorite outdoor string light is the Enbrighten classic LED cafe light. The bulbs themselves feel robust and when bought on at a discount, these bulbs offer great value.

But if you're looking for something else, as we hinted earlier, our list includes both smart and traditional string light options -- including solar powered lights. While most non-smart string lights are going to offer a single color and require you to manually power them on, if you like the look of a "dumb" outdoor string light don't forget you can always plug it into a smart outlet or plug. This will let you schedule times for the lights to turn on and allow you to shut them down from your phone or voice with a smart speaker.

This set has the most attractive bulb of the bunch, in my opinion. The bulbs feel heavier duty than the other options because, rather than being a thin clear plastic shell of a bulb, they're partially filled in to create a visual with inset air bubbles. This added to the look and the feel of the light set and immediately made me feel like they were of superior quality when compared to most of the other units.

Enbrighten also ended up with the third brightest light output per bulb, according to our testing. They were initially the most expensive set I picked up, but they often drop to $30 on Amazon, making them a great value for someone looking for great quality.

The Amazon page lists several models, including smart plugs and dimmers. Enbrighten says these lights have a linkable length of up to 750 feet (about 20 strands total) and a warm, soft light output at 2,700K.

Nanoleaf is known for making some of the best smart lights you can find. In addition to traditional light bulbs, the company offers some really unique wall-mounted lights. Even the "normal" bulbs have a non-traditional shape, and that style carries over to the bulbs of the Nanoleaf Outdoor String Lights.

With a heavy-duty acrylic "bulb" cover, these lights are not only more durable than most, but the shape of the acrylic refracts the light in multiple directions for a beautiful look. With Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Matter all in the mix, you'll have a variety of ways to control your outdoor string lights. While there, I have experienced a disconnect or two in my time with the lights; there is an in-line control box to manage the lights without a phone.

I've been using these lights in my outdoor space for about a while now, and the vivid colors and warm whites are fantastic. The lights get very bright and can also be dimmed to the perfect level for any occasion. Aside from the ability to choose any of the 16 million colors supported by these lights, you can also choose from preset themes to get the perfect ambiance for your patio.

Doubling down on my earlier sentiments, I didn't love any of the solar light options. As far as the options I had to work with, this Hampton Bay set seriously outperformed the competitors. Solar performance still comes at a price, however. These lights were the most expensive per-bulb option on my list — nearly doubling the runner-up at $6 a bulb.

A single strand of these lights won't do much for you if you're looking for a light night hideaway for catching up on your most recent book adventure, but if you don't have any options for hard-wired power, these are still likely your best bet.

Generally, the solar options are outfitted with a dusk-to-dawn sensor that controls their operation, and additionally, Hampton Bay offers a manual override to turn on or off at your discretion. The lithium-ion rechargeable batteries in this set are also replaceable.

If you're truly looking for "value" and not just the cheapest option, I would recommend checking out Magitec. These lights tested as the second brightest bulbs overall, and this particular offering is for a two-pack of these light strands. So double the linear coverage at 96 feet versus the next longest single strand at 48 feet.

Magitec sports all the standard options — hanging hooks, IP65-rated water-resistant seals and shatterproof, dimmable, LED bulbs. We measured these bulbs with a lumen output of about 165 per bulb. Buying 30 total sockets means you're getting close to 5,000 lumens total. That is some serious light output.

These bulbs come out to $2.33 a bulb, which puts them in the lower (cheaper) half of the list overall as far as price goes. Now, based solely on the cost per bulb, Feit Electric comes through as the cheapest in this category at $1.86 a bulb for this 15-bulb strand. Other than its value, this set isn't particularly impressive. The light output on this unit is about 40 lumens per bulb for a total output of approximately 600 lumens — the second lowest for our AC-powered options. These are also some of the only incandescent options we tested. That means more energy is used to run these than the comparable LED options. If you're looking for light coverage on the cheap, this is a good option.

Govee is another fantastic smart light maker with lights for nearly any style. The brand offers a range of outdoor lighting options, including multiple smart outdoor string lights, but here, I'm highlighting an impressive budget solution.

The plastic bulb cover, which is a frosted white when the lights are off, has a more traditional look. These lights may not make a statement during the daytime hours, but at night, you'll have 16 million colors to choose from, including tunable whites. One of my favorite things about Govee lights is the excellent pre-set scenes. These offer everything from fun and active lighting scenes to calm and relaxing options. You can also pick a single color or create your own custom lighting scene.

You can control these lights with the Govee app on your phone, but you won't have Wi-Fi or other smart home connectivity options. Instead, you'll connect to the lights via Bluetooth. This means you won't be able to manage the lights when you aren't home. When you are, you'll be able to set schedules and timers for your lights to automate your evenings a bit easier.

These lights are one of the more expensive per-bulb sets, and their performance overall is just above average. If you're a fan of mood lighting by way of color options, these may be the lights for you. You can control the light colors and modes via the included remote control, or there is also a control button near the plug on the power cord.

The colors look good, and these lights are pretty bright too. I measured these bulbs at about 80 lumens each, and with 18 total lights, that makes for nearly 1,500 lumens per strand, and you can link up to four sets for a total of nearly 6,000 lumens.

I am not a fan of colored lights peeking out from every corner, but for those who are, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better option.

These lights by Anpro, which are aimed at campers, are ones that you'll want to make sure to pack for your outdoor excursion.

To start, they aren't solar-powered, but they do run off a solar-rechargeable 5,000mAh lithium-ion battery. On a full charge, Anpro says you can get over 18 hours of minimum brightness and up to 6 hours of maximum brightness. One nifty perk is that the solar-chargeable battery has two USB ports to charge the battery or charge your phone.

Instead of hanging downward like the traditional Edison-bulb style options, the light capsules are in line with the nylon braided power cord, which is more durable and less prone to tangles than traditional cords.

The lights aren't super bright, at only 120 lumens, but there's enough light, especially in an enclosed tent space, to keep you from tripping over every single thing or person inside the tent with you. They'd offer some nice ambiance in an outdoor space, but again, not enough light to be super helpful for seeing much out in the open.

You can read more about my testing process below, but the main thing you need to know is that these Brightech lights are the brightest of the bunch.

These bulbs topped out at nearly 200 lumens each, about 15% and 30% more light output than the second and third-place bulbs, respectively. At 15 bulbs, you're looking at close to 3,000 lumens for one light strand.The included LED bulbs are made of glass — so they feel durable with a nice weight to them, but they aren't shatterproof like some of the other models. Another aspect of these lights that will attract some people is the fact that the cord attached to these bulbs is white. Most units have a black cord, so some people specifically seek out white ones.

Feit electric incandescent outdoor string lights: Mentioned above as an alternative to the best value pick, Feit Electric offers the cheapest per-bulb offering in our AC-powered outdoor string lights. The only incandescent product we tested, this one scored in the lower half of units for brightness. If you're just looking to cover areas with lights for the bottom dollar, here's your pick.

Real Living Globe LED solar light set: Since they are solar-powered, they're intended to be used outdoors, but they're very small and have the lowest light output of all tested units. Even taking into consideration all 15 bulbs, the total light output would be about a tenth (3 lumens) of what you'd get from the iPhone in your pocket at 30 lumens.

Real Living multicolor solar light set: In comparison to the Real Living set mentioned above, the bulbs are larger but don't seem to be super durable. It is still on solar power, so intended for outdoors, but not bright enough for much use other than decoration. They're four times as bright as the globe set, but at a total of 8 lumens, that phone in your pocket is still more than three times as bright.

Hampton Bay 24-light indoor-outdoor string lights: These lights are fine. They performed at or just below the median in our light output tests. The price is still on the higher side, currently tied as the most expensive AC-powered set.

Patriot Lighting solar cafe outdoor string lights: As I said before, I'm not much of a fan of any of these solar options. The bulbs with this kit do feel a bit more durable than those of the solar category winner, Hampton Bay, but the main power cable is beefier with Hampton Bay. The light output is still fairly low, and the cost per bulb is still a bit more than the AC-powered options with much less light.

Portfolio outdoor LED Edison string lights: Another OK set. The price is average, performance is average to below-average and the durability is so-so. There are better options.

There's a lot of hands-on evaluation that goes into this product category. One of the main reasons for that is the bulbs themselves. It's difficult, if not impossible, to use a product's specs or photos to get a feel for how durable you can expect the bulbs to be. Sometimes you'll get lucky with a "shatterproof" notation in the description, but not always.

Another bulb aspect to consider is the physical connection. Some of these come preinstalled and you can't replace them yourself. Some are preinstalled and can be removed. Most bulbs, in my experience, come packaged separately for you to install yourself. Most of the time, that isn't a problem. Occasionally, since these products all attempt to have a waterproof seal, the bulbs can be difficult to install. A couple of times I found myself gripping and twisting the small bulbs hard enough that I was concerned they might shatter in my hands. None did, but it might be worthwhile to have a pair of gloves on hand if you find yourself in the same situation.

An approximation of our brightness tests. The meter is at a set distance from the unit under test. Rotate and manipulate the product until you find the maximum brightness value. Tough to photo in the dark with no help!

Overall, the main concern with most lights is how much light they put out. In the past, for some of our standard light bulb testing, we've used an integrating sphere. That type of equipment can get you a ton of information for a light source, including brightness in lumens, color rendering index and more. Read more about our light bulb test lab.

For this category, I was specifically interested in brightness. Unfortunately, these string lights can't be tested in our integrating sphere, but with some fancy math wizardry, I changed the calculations we needed from a sphere to a linear path and came up with a workable solution. Using a standard digital light meter, I was able to get an approximation of each bulb's light output in lumens.

Brightness chart for solar and battery powered outdoor string lights.

Looking at the chart above, you can see the brightness of one individual bulb from each strand, as well as the total brightness of the entire strand from the solar and battery-powered options. The Real Living bulbs were dim. Hampton Bay has the brightest individual bulb, while Coleman says the brightest strand in this series overall because of a higher bulb count.

In the AC-powered options shown below, Brightech carries the brightest individual bulb at about 196 lumens. Multiply that by 15 bulbs and you nearly hit 3,000 lumens. Magitec wins brightest overall with 30 bulbs at 165 lumens, for a total of almost 5,000 lumens. To be fair, Magitec offers two strands for the price of one, so one individual strand would be about 2,500 lumens; about 500 less than a single Brightech strand.

Brightness of AC powered outdoor string lights.

Vibe Pixie String Lights were great on a recent camping trip.

As outdoor lights, the hardware should be well-suited to handle the weather conditions outside. However, the range of which the string lights will play a factor in whether they can work where you live or not. Water and dust resistance ratings of IP65, IP67, or IP68 would be best, but IPX4 could work also. The first three will handle we and dusty conditions better than the IPX4 as it is only rated for some light moisture.

The other weather factor to consider is the temperature ranges. If you live in an area that gets to experience all four seasons, then you need to ensure the lights you buy can withstand the changes from freezing winters to blazing hot summers. But if you don't plan to keep the lights up during the more extreme times, then your lights will have fewer hurdles to contend with.

Like most other light bulbs, outdoor sting lights coming various bulb types and styles. Many of the modern outdoor string lights offer LED lighting sources as it increases longevity, reduces energy requirements, and can be much brighter. These lights also don't produce near the heat of the more traditional incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs also can provide a seemingly unlimited range of colors.

As for bulb style, LEDs can also excel here since the light source is so small, it can be fit inside of any size or shape of enclosure. Incandescent bulbs have a wide range of styles, but can be limited in bulb sizes. This is because the smaller the bulb, the smaller the filament inside, and with less filament means less light. However, there is something that's just so soothing about the warm glow of a traditional bulb. But some LED string lights, like the Nanoleaf Smart Outdoor String lights that can offer a similar light as the traditional styles.

Outdoor string lights, like these from Nanoleaf, are a great way to have flexible lighting options for your outdoor spaces.

Once you've figured out the style and light type you want, you'll need to identify how long of a light strand is needed for your space. Outdoor string lights come on many different lengths, and some are even expandable. Measuring the distance between each hanging point from start to finish will give you a good idea of the length needed. Just be sure to add in a few more feet since you'll be measuring in a straight line and when the lights are hung, there will be some drooping between hanging points. So, if you measure 25 feet, you may want to buy closer to 30 feet of lights.

The best way to hang outdoor string lights is by using a light suspension kit. The mistake most people make is using the main power wire to attach as the hanging points. You shouldn't do that since there will be live voltage flowing through that cable, so instead, this kit offers coated wire to attach to the buildings or trees where you want to hang the lights. The lights themselves have hanging hooks or eyes where you can thread the hanging wire through, taking all the tension off the powered wire.

Outdoor string lights can be hung indoors, but the opposite isn't true. There's a specific distinction for outdoor string lights because they normally meet the IP65 rating, meaning they're resistant to water jets at any angle, which is helpful for rain and similar weather conditions. This rating doesn't mean the lights are waterproof or submergible.

Generally speaking, yes. You can think of outdoor string lights the same as the bulbs you'd use inside your house. Some will be incandescent and some will be LED. The incandescent bulbs will normally run much hotter than LED bulbs. Incandescent bulbs also have a significantly shorter lifespan, so while you can leave them on for weeks at a time, you'll need to replace the bulbs much sooner.

Generally speaking, you can think of the bulbs in an outdoor string light set the same way you'd think of the bulbs you'd use inside your house. Some will be incandescent and some will be LED. The incandescent bulbs should have a significantly shorter lifespan than their LED counterparts. The included packaging for these should include an estimated lifespan, but LED bulbs are regularly rated at 20 years. In some special cases where advanced features are involved, replacing bulbs may not be an option.

Much of this will depend on how you want to use your lights. If all you care about is being able to turn the lights on, off, and only need or want a single brightness and color, then a regular set of string lights will suit your needs just fine. However, if you would like more flexibility in your outdoor lighting, like the ability to automatically turn the lights on at sunset, adjust brightness, colors, and more, then smart outdoor string lights are the way to go.