String lights

Inside, a low-voltage or rechargeable LED string light is enough and needs no installation work. Outside, you need a model designed for damp conditions, with a suitable protection rating, a protected power supply and a cable long enough to reach the socket.

Which string light should you choose for indoors or outdoors?

Three points decide the choice before any purchase: exposure to water, the presence of a socket and the distance to cover. An indoor string light hung on a wall cannot handle what a facade string light is asked to do. Everything else, length, light colour, bulb size, comes after.

Indoor string light: bedroom, living room, headboard

In a bedroom, a string light often replaces the bedside lamp: a fine cord above the bed, closely spaced bulbs, a warm light. A wall string light for the bedroom attaches to small hooks, without drilling deep, and plugs into a nearby socket or runs on a battery. The living room and hallway can take more visible models, with exposed bulbs.

Outdoor LED string light: yard, terrace, balcony

Outside, the string light must be rated for outdoor use. Measure the run to the socket before choosing the length, and keep the power supply under cover. String lights for the garden and terrace are strung between two posts or along a railing, with a support cable if the span is long.

Which IP protection rating should you choose for an outdoor string light?

The IP rating gives two pieces of information: resistance to dust and resistance to water. For a covered terrace, an IP44 model is suitable. For a facade, a shrub or a railing exposed to rain, aim for IP65. In every case, the power supply stays sheltered from splashes.

Outdoor string light: what the IP rating changes

IP44 protects against water splashes from any direction: that covers a terrace under an awning, a pergola, a sheltered balcony. IP65 adds protection against water jets: that is the benchmark for a hedge, a gate or a gutter. IP44-protected LED string lights and IP65 LED string lights are not interchangeable, and a transformer placed on the ground undoes the precaution of even the best-protected model.

Outdoor LED string light: which light colour?

On a terrace, a warm light around 2,200 to 2,700 K keeps the mood of an evening meal. A more neutral white, around 3,000 to 4,000 K, lights a path or steps better, with a cooler rendering. LED string lights give off little heat, which matters when the string light stays on for several hours.

How do you create festoon lighting with a string light?

A festoon string light is strung in soft lines above a table or along a pergola, with exposed bulbs spaced evenly. Measure the length between fixing points before choosing, and keep a cable long enough to reach the socket.

Outdoor festoon string light: height and spacing

Above a table, allow about 2 m to 2.20 m from the ground so as not to get in guests' way and to keep the bulbs in view. Between two bulbs, even spacing makes the look: close together for continuous light, wider apart for distinct points of light. A support cable tensioned first, with the string light attached to it afterwards, prevents sagging in the middle of the span.

Festoon string light for terrace, pergola or marquee

On a pergola or a marquee, the string light is fixed to the structure, never to the stretched canvas alone. Festoon-style string lights with an E27 base take large visible bulbs; 220 V LED string lights plug directly into a protected socket, with no transformer to house in the dry.

Which string light for Christmas and for Halloween?

For a tree, a low-consumption LED string light gives off little heat and is easy to distribute through the branches. On a facade or a balcony, choose an outdoor model protected against damp. For Halloween, string lights with coloured bulbs or lamps work indoors as well as on a covered terrace.

Christmas string light: tree, facade, window

On a tree, start at the bottom, winding around the trunk, then work upwards: the string light holds better and the light spreads without gaps. A Christmas string light for outdoors is chosen with a suitable IP rating and a cable that reaches the socket without crossing the walkway. The number of light points matters more than the stated length when judging actual coverage.

Halloween string light: indoor, outdoor

For Halloween, coloured bulbs and tinted lamps do the job on a window, a porch or a low wall. Outside, keep connections sheltered and prefer a model designed for damp conditions. A wall string light you can put up moves from one room to another depending on the occasion.

LED string light: which base, which light colour and which length?

The base determines the bulb: E27 for large visible bulbs, E14 for slimmer formats. String lights with integrated LEDs cannot be replaced and use little power. The cable length decides what you can cover between two fixing points.

E27, E14 or integrated LED base: what it changes

The E27 base takes standard screw bulbs: you choose the light colour, replace a burnt-out bulb, change the mood without buying a new string light. E14 offers the same principle in a smaller size, with closely spaced bulbs. The integrated LED cannot be replaced, but it gives even light and needs no maintenance. 24 V low-voltage string lights follow the same principle, with a transformer to keep in the dry.

Light bulbs and bulb string light: building a set

A string light with bulbs pairs well with decorative bulbs placed on a piece of furniture or a windowsill. Mix sizes rather than colour temperatures: two different whites in the same room are immediately noticeable. For a matching pendant or ceiling light, take a look at our lighting catalogue.

How do you install and hang a string light safely?

A string light is strung on hooks, screw eyes or a support cable, never on a heat source. Connections and the power supply stay sheltered from water. For a staircase or a wall, fix at hand height and check that the remaining length reaches the socket.

Wall string light: bedroom and staircase

On a wall, adhesive hooks are enough for a lightweight model; a screw eye or wall plug becomes necessary as soon as the string light is tensioned. On a staircase, the handrail serves as a guide: staircase string lights are fixed along the handrail, out of the footpath. A bedroom string light is placed higher than the headboard, to avoid any contact at night.

Fixings, extensions and lengths: mistakes to avoid

The extension lead left in the grass, the transformer under a gutter and the string light stretched over a radiator are the three recurring mistakes. Plan the total length, socket included, before stringing: a string light that is too short forces you to move the fixings. If the span exceeds a few metres, a support cable takes the weight and the string light does not sag in the middle.

Solar string light or mains string light: which to choose?

A solar string light goes where no socket reaches: the panel charges during the day and the light comes on at dusk. On a terrace with a socket, a mains model gives a more consistent output. Rechargeable versions suit corners with no cable and no direct sun.

Outdoor solar string light: use and limits

The panel must receive daylight, without shade cast by a wall or a tree: that is the operating condition. In winter or in overcast weather, battery life drops. Solar-powered models and solar LED string lights avoid pull cords and extension leads, which makes hanging easier on a hedge or a gate.

Rechargeable LED string light: for places without a socket

A rechargeable string light goes on a bedside table, a low wall or in a staircase with no nearby socket, then recharges according to the supplied model. Battery life depends on the battery and the number of light points switched on. Rechargeable string lights also suit a rental, where you do not want to drill.

To settle your choice, keep in mind the room, the presence of a socket and exposure to water: the rest follows. The full selection of string lights can be browsed by use, and all our lighting lets you match the string light to the rest of the room. Secure payment, tracked delivery, returns and Designix customer service: you order the length and colour that fit, and adjust on receipt.

Frequently asked questions about string lights