15 m outdoor festoon lights

Plan a solid anchor point at each end and a clearance height of around 2.20 m above the ground: the 15m festoon lights outdoor string stretches from a facade to a tree or along an arbor. Its visible warm-light bulbs illuminate the table and faces without flooding the garden. To see how this format compares with the others, browse all Designix lighting.

What kind of light do 15m festoon lights give?

15m festoon lights give a warm, even light, with visible bulbs that illuminate without glare. Hang them above a table or along a pergola to extend the evening: they light the plates and the faces, not the whole garden surface.

A warm light to extend evenings outdoors

As a rule, ambient string lights are chosen around 2200 to 2700 kelvins, the so-called warm white range that leans toward amber. The result stays soft, without a bluish halo, and pairs well with wood, stone and plants. If you are looking for that effect on a balcony, an awning or a courtyard, compare the string lights available and their light colour before deciding.

Visible bulbs or integrated LEDs: what changes on a terrace

A string with exposed sockets takes screw-in bulbs: you choose the colour, you replace a burnt-out bulb, you change the look by switching from a round shape to a teardrop shape. A model with integrated LED modules is not repaired the same way, but requires no assembly. In both cases, check the maximum load indicated on the cable before changing a bulb, and look at the LED string lights for everyday use.

Where to hang 15m festoon lights in the garden?

They are strung across a terrace, between a facade and a tree, or along an arbor, at a height that lets guests pass without touching them. A solid anchor point at each end is enough: the 15 m length covers long spans in a garden.

Above the table, between the house and the tree

The simplest span runs from a facade wall to a trunk or post, at around 2.20 to 2.50 m from the ground at the lowest point. Sit at the table to judge: the string should stay above eye level, without being stuck to the pergola ceiling. A span of more than six to eight metres benefits from an intermediate support point, otherwise the cable sags and pulls on the fixings.

Pergola, arbor, privacy screen: the right anchor points

On a pergola, screw hooks into the beams, never into a gutter or a thin board. On an arbor, metal posts take clamps or carabiners. A privacy screen and a hedge can support a string that runs high, provided the cable is kept away from the foliage. The outdoor string lights catalogue gathers the formats suited to these setups.

15m festoon lights or 10 m: which length to choose?

The 15 m suits large terraces, gardens and reception tables where the light must run from one end to the other. The 10 m is enough on a balcony, a small terrace or a narrow pergola. Better a slightly longer length than too short: a cable can be guided, a taut cable does not stretch.

15m festoon lights

The 15 m is the format for outdoor meals: it allows a run back and forth above a large table or a full crossing of a terrace. Count the actual distance between your two fixings, not the floor area, and add the drop if you plan a low point. The festoon light collection gathers models of this type.

10m festoon lights

On a narrow pergola or a balcony, the 10 m avoids the excess cable that has to be coiled somewhere. It remains relevant if your two anchor points are close and if the string mainly serves as a marker above the table. For a garden without a socket, look instead at a solar string light with no connection.

Which outdoor E27 bulb to choose for outdoor string lights?

Choose an E27 bulb designed for outdoor use, LED and warm white, whose voltage matches that of the string. Check the IP rating of the bulb and the maximum load indicated on the cable. A base well oriented downwards limits water in the socket.

Outdoor E27 bulb: LED or incandescent

An outdoor E27 LED bulb heats little, which matters when the socket stays powered for several hours and rain reaches the socket. Incandescent gives a sought-after amber tint, but consumes more and heats up. In both cases, the shape matters: a round or teardrop bulb diffuses widely, an exposed-filament bulb gives a bright point. IP44 LED string lights generally accept this type of screw-in bulb.

Base, voltage and cable load: the checks before screwing in

Three checks before mounting: the voltage indicated on the string matches that of the bulb, the number of bulbs does not exceed the cable load, and the socket stays oriented downwards or to the sheltered side. Do not mix very different wattages on the same cable. For this type of setup, the socket festoon light remains the most flexible base.

IP44, IP65, 220 V, 24 V, solar: how to choose string lights that stay outside?

IP44 protects against water splashes and suits under an awning; IP65 withstands rain and dust, for direct exposure. 220 V plugs into a protected outdoor socket, 24 V goes through a transformer, solar avoids any connection but depends on sunlight.

IP rating: what the string really withstands

The first digit concerns solids, the second water. An IP65 string holds up in pouring rain and on an exposed facade; an IP44 must stay sheltered by a pergola roof or an awning. Also check the connectors and the power supply, often less protected than the cable. IP65 LED models are the ones that stay outside without special attention.

Outdoor socket, transformer or solar panel

A 220 V string plugs into a protected outdoor socket, placed within reach of the cable: this is the simplest setup for a fixed terrace. 24 V requires a transformer kept away from water, which calls for a considered location. Solar removes the connection but depends on sunlight, and the rechargeable one is brought inside to recharge. Compare 220 V LED string lights, 24 V LED string lights, solar LED string lights and rechargeable string lights according to your socket and your use.

Large outdoor Christmas string lights: when do festoon lights fit?

15m festoon lights serve all year on a terrace, while large outdoor Christmas string lights are chosen for a specific period and decor. If you are looking for lasting ambient light, festoon is the right format; for seasonal dressing, compare the two.

The case of seasonal decorating

Large outdoor Christmas string lights often aim for a stronger effect: bolder colours, garland upon garland, sometimes flashing. They are put up for a few weeks and then stored. Festoon stays more understated, with warm white bulbs that never date and pair with garden furniture as well as with the facade.

Large length: what changes at installation

The longer the length, the more cable tension becomes the sensitive point: an intermediate support point or a tensioner prevents the string from sagging. Also plan the route of the power cable and where it joins the socket, often the detail that decides the installation. Other hanging solutions exist in the string lights for a garden path or staircase.

How to hang and care for outdoor festoon lights?

Stretch the cable without pulling it taut, with a hook or carabiner at each end and an intermediate point if the span is long. Leave a little slack for the wind. At the end of the season, take down the string, wipe the sockets and store it dry so you find it intact.

Cable tension and fixings that hold in the wind

A cable that is too taut breaks at the first gust or tears out its hook; a cable that is too slack touches heads. Aim for a slight curve, with screw hooks in wood, clamps on a metal post and never a nail. For a long span, a load-bearing cable stretched between the two anchors relieves the string, which then simply hangs.

Cleaning, winter storage and bulb replacement

With the power off, a dry cloth on the sockets is enough to remove dust and insects. Check the connections before plugging back in. If the string stays outside all year, an IP65 model withstands the weather; elsewhere, taking it down at the end of the season extends its life. For other wall uses, see the wall string light and the staircase string light.

Outdoor terrace wall light: how to complement the string lights?

An outdoor terrace wall light provides fixed, directed light near a door or a wall, where the string only creates ambience. The two complement each other: the string for meals and evenings, the wall light for moving around, coming in and lighting the entrance.

What a wall light adds to a string light

The string lights high up, without direction. A wall light places light where the foot lands: service door, wall corner, access step. That is what avoids going back and forth with a torch when the meal ends. Outdoor string lights and wall lights are chosen together for this reason.

Matching the two light sources on a terrace

Keep the same colour family, warm white on both sides, to avoid a white zone next to an amber zone. Place the wall light as grazing light on the wall, not facing the guests, and keep the string as the only source above the table. The rest of the range can be found in our lighting world.

To measure the real span between two anchors, stretch a line from one point to the other and note the useful distance, without counting the fixings. If the distance is large, add an intermediate support point to limit cable sag and spread the load.

Frequently asked questions