Solar power is great for decorative outdoor lighting. Whether it’s strung around your campsite or glowing on your patio, the fact that you don’t need a power source other than the sun makes solar string lights a practical, affordable option for illuminating an outdoor space. You only need to glimpse at Instagram to see how photogenic solar string lights can make your camp or garden as it creates a nice ambient glow and makes an area look special.
Outdoor solar lights generally work by charging an internal battery through a small solar panel during daylight hours which then powers the lights when it gets dark. A sensor will switch them on automatically when darkness falls or they can be triggered by nearby movement. The brightness of the light depends on the capacity of the battery, the number of LEDs in the lights and, of course, how much the sun has been shining during the day, although a lesser amount of power is captured when it's overcast too. Although they won’t burn as brightly or as long during the winter, when there’s less sun, a string of outdoor lights can’t fail to add some sparkle to your backyard, garden or camp. Here are the ones we’d recommend.
Brightown 29FT Solar String Lights Outdoor G40 Patio Lights
Bright, long-lasting and durable
Although the big clear bulbs look vulnerable, they are made of shatterproof plastic and have longer energy-saving LED bulbs for more illumination. The adjustable solar panel will give 16 hours of light after 4-8 hours of sunlight or you can fall back on USB charging. Four modes - quick flash, steady light, slow flash and pulsating light - are available and they turn on automatically after sunset and off at dawn.
Brightech Ambience Pro - Waterproof, Solar Powered Outdoor String Lights
Stylish string with mountable panel
There are 12 lights on this 27 ft string (48ft also available) and they last 5-6 hours when fully charged. The Italian Café style bulbs are shatterproof and waterproof and built to survive many years outdoors. Handily, you can place the solar panel anywhere with the included stake and clip to maximize the amount of sunlight you capture.
Dephen Solar String Lights Moroccan Ball Multicolor 15ft 20LED Globe Fairy String Lights
Colorful lights with simple settings
These 20 LED globes across a 15ft string will bring celebratory color to any outdoor space. The rechargeable battery will work for up to 10 hours after a 6-8 hour charge during the day. Fully waterproof, they are also easy to operate with two switches, one turns them on and off, the other is for steady or flashing lights. They turn on automatically at dusk.
MPOWERD Luci Solar String Lights
Cool, portable string with a power bank
These are built for backpackers. The 20 lights are strung across an 18ft cord which wraps around the round solar panel and integrated 2000 mag li-ion battery. You should get up to 20 hours of light on a single charge and you can also use the battery as a power bank to charge up a phone or use the external flashlight. Lightweight and compact, there are clips and a secondary cord on the base for easy hanging.
Bottom line
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A string of outdoor solar lights will give your camp or garden a cozy ambience and a special shimmer at night. They are so easy to hang up and use without having to worry about electricity or wires that it would be almost rude to leave your outdoor space unilluminated. Our recommended lights for most uses are the Brightown 29FT Solar String Lights Outdoor G40 Patio Lights. They are durable, reliable and surprisingly bright. We can see them becoming a fixture of your garden or something you always pack when car camping with friends and family.
For portable outdoor solar lights for backpacking, we like the MPOWERD Luci Solar String Lights. Any doubts you might have about whether you need to take fairy lights on a trip disappear when they can also work as a power bank and a torch and pack up so neatly.
