by Product Review Lad |
Last Updated: October 30, 2020 Enjoying the garden after the sun goes down can be one of the most relaxing ways to spend a night, especially when surrounded by friends and family. A way to create a cosy atmosphere for your evening under that star is through the correct lighting. After trying a variety of solutions I think this is best achieved with festoon lights. Festoon lighting can bring an elegant and stylish design to any outdoor area.
As well as being great for a relaxing evening in the garden, festoon lights
make great additions to a barbecue, garden party, wedding venue, as well as indoor decor especially a bedroom or hallway.
You may think that these lights may be slightly expensive but this isn’t the case. None of these will break the bank to buy or run. The 4 sets of festoon lights i’m going to show you are all LED powered, meaning they are bright, efficiency and have a low power rating.
All of the lights reviewed are not suitable to be left outside where they can get rained on as they will be likely to short circuit. If being kept and used outside then cover from rain should be provided. The perfect place for these lights is in a summer house, under a gazebo or underneath the eaves of a building.
**Note** – A quick hello to anyone reading this, I’m Alastair AKA Product Review Lad. I started this site to help people choose the best products to buy, and hopefully what you’re about to read will aid you in your choice. This page includes affiliate links to the likes of Amazon, which if you make a purchase I qualify to earn a (typically small) commission. Don’t worry as this won’t cost you anything, the likes of Amazon pay any commissions. Thank you in advance for your support as this helps Product Review Lad to create the best reviews.
Now for the review.
Battery Powered Festoon Light review
1. Tomshine 80 LED Globe String Lights
For outside use, these string lights are best. They have an IP 44 rating, meaning they are protected from solid objects over 1mm in size and are splash-proof. These lights come with 80 LEDs inside spherical shaped bulbs, enhancing the elegance of their design. The lights have a 32.8ft (10m) length, and light spacing of 4.9in resulting in good lighting density for outdoor and indoor use.
These lights come with a remote control which can operate to around 23ft (7m), although the manufacturer claims 50-65ft (15-20m). The remote comes with a useful timer function which switches the light on for approximately 6 hours and then off for 18. Additionally, the remote will also control the 8 lighting effects;
- Wave
- Sequential
- Slow Glow
- Flash
- Slow Fade
- Twinkle (an alternate flash setting)
- Steady on
- Always on
The three AA batteries which power the lights will last for approximately 40-50 hours per charge, depending on battery brand. When getting towards the end of a charge the lights will start to dim and you may want to switch the batteries then.
Summary – Excellent quality good value
2. Yihong 50 LED 16.4ft Fairly Lights
These festoon lights are equal to Tomshine in my opinion, they have the same IP rating, lighting effects, timer and remote. These lights are shorter at 16.4ft (5m) and have 50 micro LEDs. These micro LEDs really separate the two products, if you don’t want bulb lights and want a minimalist design Yihong’s fairy lights are perfect. A final huge positive is that you get 4 sets of fairy lights all at a very low price.
Summary – Great value good quality
3. BlueFly Battery Powered Fairly Lights
These lights are styled the same as the Tomshine, in fact, it is extremely hard to differentiate between the two. The only differences I can find between the two are;
| Tomshine | Bluefly | |
| Length (ft) | 32.8 | 22.9 |
| No. LEDs | 80 | 50 |
| LED separation (in) | 4.9 | 4 |
| Bulb size (in) | 0.66 | 0.75 |
The reason Tomshine ranks higher than Bluefly comes down to cost, and Bluefly doesn’t quite cut it.
Summary – Great quality average price
4. Green Click Photo Clip Lights
These lights are something completely different from the rest and don’t really come in 4th place. I wanted to include these lights as I think they really stand out. They have a unique design which can be used to hold photos without a frame. The product comes with 40 warm white LEDs, spans 18ft (5.5m) and has a light spacing of 3.9in.
These lights come with the same 8 light effects as the other products reviewed, but has a different remote which has improved timer settings. Instead of having a single setting, on for 6 hours then off for 18. These lights have options for 2, 4, 6 or 8 hour periods of light. Along with the improved remote control, these lights also come with a 60-hour life per set of batteries.
A final positive to these festoon lights is that when purchasing you have a choice of two products. The first is a 40 LED option and the second 20 LEDs, this is perfect for tailoring to your needs.
Summary – Amazing quality and good price
Thank you for reading, if you have any comments or feedback please contact me via my contact form.
Product Review Lad
FAQs
What is Festoon Lighting?
Festoon lights are a traditional styled light which typically has a large light bulb although this has changed in more recent years. Their power sources can vary with battery festoon lights becoming some of the most popular in modern times.
Can Battery Festoon Lights be used Outdoors?
Some battery festoon lights can be used outdoors, while others it isn’t advisable. If you use this outside try and protect them from rain as their IP ratings are lower than desired. The Tomshine lights are best suited to outside used from the battery festoon lights reviewed.
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