Amazon’s festoon lights are a great way to add ambience to your garden (Image: Eve Rowlands/Amazon)
Now that summer is in touching distance, keen gardeners are probably in the midst of sprucing up their outdoor space. With blooms planted, lawns flourishing in the sun and the patio or decking in place (complete with new furniture), the one thing any outdoor space may be needing is light for the night-time.
One small yet impactful addition I made to my garden last year after a full renovation was a set of solar string lights from Amazon. These lights utterly transformed the space come evening, adding a touch of whimsy both day and night and proved much nicer than standard wall attachments.
While my exact lights are no longer available on Amazon, I’ve found a similar set for £34.99. The btfarm 23M/75FT Solar Festoon Lights Outdoor boast a waterproof design capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions without affecting the bulbs.
Having had mine – which are very similar to this make – up for the past year, I can vouch for their durability. These lights have weathered Welsh storms, intense heatwaves and frost, and they’re still in prime condition.
The festoon lights come with 30 (+3 extra) bulbs and span 23 metres, making them ideal for decorating a large outdoor area. Crafted from robust shatterproof LED plastic bulbs, the string lights lend a charming touch to any seating area and offer just the right amount of illumination without being overly bright at night, reports Devon Live.
Eve Rowlands loves the Amazon solar lights she got for her garden, which was the finishing touch to her new build garden renovation (Image: Eve Rowlands)
The lights, designed to create an intimate and warm ambience, offer four distinct lighting modes: constant light, slow flash, fast flash, and pulsating light mode, all with a 2700K warm glow. For added convenience, there’s an option to purchase a version that includes a remote control, allowing you to switch modes from the comfort of indoors for a small extra charge.
These solar-powered lights are a breeze to install and operate, drawing energy directly from the sun. Just position the 1800mah high-capacity rechargeable battery and light sensor in a sunny area—or mount it on a wall—and they’re good to go.
With just eight hours of solar charging, they can illuminate any outdoor space for 8-12 hours. And if the weather turns gloomy, there’s the option to power up the battery via USB.
For those looking for more light and longer operating times, it might be worth exploring mains powered options. Smart Garden’s Vintage festoon lights are £25 from Argos, while B&Q’s acclaimed 23ft festoon string lights come in at £49.99. With a 7m cable length, these are great for slightly larger spaces. You can also string multiple sets together and only need one plug with their nifty connecting features.
Dunelm also offers a selection of mains powered LED lights priced at £30.
The btfarm 23M/75FT Solar Festoon Lights are a great way to spruce up your garden and add some ambience (Image: Amazon)
Customers who’ve sought to enhance their gardens or patios with these Amazon lights, however, have been quick to share their thoughts in some glowing testimonials on Amazon.
One happy gardener said: “I absolutely love these solar lights, definitely lift the ambience of our outdoor space. We have had them up for over 8 months and they are like new. The remote control is simple to use and remembers what setting it’s on, you only press once and that’s it. The lights have lasted well, build quality seems good.”
While they did note that “the bulbs are not huge”, they found them to “provide enough light, really good value for money.”
Echoing this sentiment, another customer remarked: “I’ve had [these lights] for a few months now and I am still super happy with these lights. They work really good and are beautiful and bright.
“These garden solar LED lights are fantastic!” exclaimed a delighted customer. “They charge well, even on cloudy days, and provide bright, beautiful lighting throughout the night. Easy to install and weather-resistant, they add a great ambience to my garden. Perfect for paths, patios, or decorative lighting. Highly recommend!”.
While the product boasts five star reviews about its all-night illumination, not everyone found the battery life met their expectations; one buyer shared: “Good lights and very bright but they don’t stay on for that long. I have had previous solar lights that stay on for 6 hours plus but these seem to go off a lot sooner.”
Some people would have welcomed a little extra brightness too, with one user commenting: “One small criticism is they could be a wee bit brighter on top setting, but I’m being a bit picky as they are solar!”
The solar festoon lights are £34.99 on Amazon.