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So I bought these solar hanging lights last year because my patio looked boring at night. Just dark basically. I wanted something that didn’t require me to run electric lines or pay to have an electrician come out because that’s expensive. My neighbor had some and they looked kind of cool so I ordered a set online.
They came in like three days and I was excited. Opened the box and they were pretty cheap feeling honestly. Like plastic everything. But they looked okay hanging there. I hung them from my pergola and went to bed thinking cool I’m done.
Night came and they were so dim I could barely see them. Like barely glowing. I was annoyed because they looked fine in the pictures online. I thought they were broken or dead or something.
Turns out and this is the dumb part, they were brand new so the battery was totally dead and needed like a full day of charging in the sun before they worked. I didn’t read the instructions because I never do. The next night they were way better. Still not super bright but better. Good enough for sitting outside and having a drink and feeling like you’re in some cool outdoor space.
That was like a year ago and honestly they’re still working fine. Not perfect but they do the job. Here’s what I learned about solar hanging lights.
They’re basically lights on strings that run on solar power which is the point
So you got your solar panel on top of one of the lights usually. During the day it charges a battery. At night the battery powers the lights to glow. The whole thing hangs from trees or a pergola or whatever you got.
They’re great because you don’t need to run electric lines. You don’t need an electrician. You don’t need to pay electric bills for them. You just hang them and forget it basically. They charge during the day and glow at night.
The downside is they’re not as bright as real electric lights. Like if you’re expecting patio light brightness you’ll be disappointed. They’re more ambiance lights. They glow. It’s nice. But it’s not like you’re reading a book under them. It’s more like background lighting that makes your space look better.
They come in different styles. Some are just a string with little bulbs. Some have bigger lantern things. Some have different colored lights like warm white or colored. Some flash or have modes. Prices are all over the place. Cheap ones are garbage. Decent ones are okay. Expensive ones are nice but honestly I don’t think you need to spend crazy money.
Where you hang them matters a lot
Hang them in a spot that gets actual sun during the day. Not partial shade. Real sun. Full sun basically. If you hang them under a tree they won’t charge enough and they’ll be even dimmer at night.
Hang them somewhere you can see them from where you sit. Like my pergola is over my patio so when I sit outside I’m looking up at them. Makes sense.
Don’t hang them in a spot where they get rained on constantly like right next to a gutter or something because water will eventually get in and kill them. I hang mine pretty protected under the pergola roof so they don’t get hammered by rain.
Make sure they’re hung secure. Use good hooks or whatever. You don’t want them falling on someone’s head. That would suck.
If you have trees that will drop leaves or sap on them, that sucks because they get gross and you have to clean them like once a month which is annoying but whatever.
Hang them where you actually want light. Don’t hang them facing a wall. Hang them so the glow spreads out and lights up your space.
Brightness is not great so don’t expect magic
Like I said they’re dim. Not terrible. But dim compared to electric lights. If you’re expecting to see details clearly you’ll be disappointed. If you’re expecting ambiance and mood lighting you’ll be happy.
The cheap ones I got first are dimmer. The nicer ones people buy are a bit brighter. But even the nice ones aren’t bright. It’s just how solar works. Smaller panel means less power stored. Less power means dimmer light.
Some have different brightness settings or modes which is kind of cool. Mine don’t have that. They just turn on at dusk and glow until like midnight and then turn off. That’s fine.
If you need actual lighting to see things you need real electric lights. If you want your patio to look nice at night these work.
Color matters too. Warm white looks nice and natural. Cool white looks harsh. Colored lights are fun sometimes but get old fast. I’d go warm white honestly.
Hang them in trees which looks sick
I hung mine on my pergola but you can hang them in trees and they look really cool. Like strung up in the branches. Just looks nice you know. Makes everything feel fancy even though they’re cheap.
Just don’t hang them in trees that drop a ton of stuff because then you’re constantly cleaning them which is annoying. But if you got the space and trees that don’t dump debris on everything it looks awesome.
Wrap them around the tree trunk or drape them across branches. String them side to side between two trees. There’s lots of ways to hang them. Make it look good.
Just make sure they get sun during the day. That’s the main thing.
The battery dies eventually so whatever
These lights have rechargeable batteries inside and batteries die. Usually takes a few years. Three or four years maybe. Then the light won’t hold a charge and you gotta replace it.
You can buy new lights for like thirty or forty bucks usually so it’s not the end of the world. Some people try to replace just the battery but honestly for that price you might as well get new lights.
Don’t leave them out in freezing weather constantly because cold is bad for batteries. I bring mine in during winter which is annoying but worth it to keep them working.
You gotta actually use them or they suck
If you buy them and then don’t hang them they obviously won’t work. Seems dumb but people buy stuff and let it sit.
If you hang them but they’re in shade they won’t charge right. You gotta actually put them in sun.
If you never turn them on because you forget about them or whatever then obviously they don’t work.
Like my neighbor bought them same time I did and never actually hung them. Just left them in a box. Complained to me they didn’t work. I was like dude you didn’t hang them. He was being dumb.
So actually use them and put them in the right spot or don’t waste your money.
Cleaning them is annoying but necessary
Like I mentioned before dust and pollen and leaves pile on the solar panel. You gotta wipe them off sometimes or they get dimmer.
Every month or so I wipe mine with a soft cloth. Takes like five minutes per light string. Just gentle wipe. Don’t scrub.
If you hang them in trees you’ll clean them way more often because stuff falls on them constantly. Sap is the worst because it sticks.
Use warm water and like a tiny bit of dish soap if they’re really gross. Gentle wipe. That’s it.
Different styles and colors exist
Some are lantern style lights which look nicer. Some are just little bulbs on a string which is fine. Some have warm white which looks good. Some have colored lights like red or blue which is kind of fun.
Bigger bulbs look cooler but are more expensive. Smaller bulbs are cheaper but look more delicate.
Some have like a thousand different settings and modes and colors. Honestly that seems like overkill. Simple ones work fine.
Battery powered ones that you charge inside are a thing. Those are different from solar. Solar is easier because you don’t have to remember to charge them.
Price varies a lot and cheap ones are usually bad
I bought cheap ones first and they were disappointing. Thirty bucks for like twenty lights. Barely glowed.
Mid range ones are like fifty to seventy bucks and way better. Brighter. Better quality. Last longer.
Expensive ones are a hundred plus bucks and look nicer but honestly I don’t think you need to go that high.
Go mid range basically. Spend like sixty bucks. Don’t cheap out because you’ll hate them. But don’t spend crazy money either because it’s just hanging lights.
Read reviews before you buy because some brands are garbage and some are decent. People will tell you if they suck.
They’re fun for parties and stuff
I had people over last summer and everyone was like oh cool lights. Made the patio feel fancy basically. They’re good for that. Makes everything look better at night.
String them up for a party. They make the space look nice. People like it.
Just don’t expect them to light up a whole party area or anything. They’re mood lighting. They help.
Overall they’re worth it if you set them up right
If you hang them in sun and actually use them and set them up in a decent looking way they’re pretty cool. Not expensive. Make your space look better at night. They work.
If you expect them to be as bright as real lights or put them in shade or just forget about them then you’ll hate them.
Just be realistic about what they do and you’ll be fine.
Summary
Solar hanging lights are lamps you hang from trees or pergolas that charge from sun and glow at night. They’re cheaper than running electric lines and look nice in yards and patios. Buy decent ones though because cheap ones are garbage. Hang them somewhere with sun. Don’t expect them to be as bright as real electricity. They work fine for ambiance.
