Solar Bulb String Lights

A run of small bulbs on a slim cable, charged by a panel you stake into a border or clip to a fence. There is no plug and no timer to set. The panel takes the sun through the day and the lights come on by themselves once it gets dark.

The bulbs are spaced along the run so the light reads as a line rather than a glare, which is what makes a garden feel finished rather than floodlit. Warm white gives the softer, candle-toned look. Cold white is crisper and reads more modern.

Details

• Choose 3.5m with 10 bulbs, or 5m with 20 bulbs
• Warm white or cold white
• Solar powered at 4.5V, no wiring and no outlet needed
• Around 8 to 10 hours of light from a full day of charge
• ABS body, rated IP65 for rain and spray
• On, off and mode switch on the panel

Where to put it

Along a fence, through a hedge, around a pergola, or above a table. The one thing that matters is the panel: it needs several hours of direct sun, so keep it out of the shadow of the house or a tree, or the lights will fade early in the evening.

Charging

Give it a full day in the sun before the first evening you use it. Runtime drops in winter and after overcast days, which is normal for anything solar rather than a fault.