With summer approaching, homeowners with outdoor spaces dream of a beautiful garden perfect for entertaining. However, transforming a blank canvas or overgrown area can feel daunting. An easy solution is adding lighting, such as festoon lights, to create a whimsical touch that makes sitting outside after dark a joy.
One shopper shared their experience: adding a lengthy set to their new-build garden last year completely transformed the space at night without breaking the bank. While their exact Amazon set is no longer available, a great alternative is now on sale: the Lepro Solar Festoon Lights, reduced to £27.99 from £34.99.
Features of the Lepro Solar Festoon Lights
This 25ft string of lights includes 25 LED bulbs with four flash modes. Being solar-powered, they run on solar energy and automatically turn on at dusk, eliminating the need for switches or indoor plugs. The lights are ideal for various garden sizes.
For cloudy UK days, the solar panel detaches for indoor USB charging. The rounded bulbs emit a soft, warm white glow, perfect for creating ambience on patios or decking without overpowering the space. They are reportedly completely waterproof and built to last, earning a 4.3-star rating from over 4,300 Amazon reviews.
Alternative Options
For those wanting to illuminate foliage, the Smart Solar LED Firefly String Lights from Robert Dyas (£12.99) offer 100 delicate bulbs with flashing and static modes. Alternatively, the Habitat Warm White Festoon Solar Lights (£15) cover just under 20ft, making them a budget-friendly pick for smaller patios or pergolas.
Customer Reviews
The Lepro lights have proven popular among garden lovers. One reviewer said: 'These are fab lights. They look bright and make sitting outside in the evenings a pleasure. Good quality and once they've had some sun, they stay on for hours. They do come on in winter but just don't stay on so long.'
Another customer remarked: 'These lights were bought for me 2 years ago, and have worked perfectly since. Upon renovating a garden, I recently bought an additional set to complement the existing set, and they are brilliant as expected. I can say that with confidence because the original set, 2 years later, is still working perfectly, still bright and remains illuminated all the way through the night (in summer).'
A third fan praised the lights as 'very durable and weather proof', adding: 'Lovely very bright warm coloured lights - much brighter than what I had before, didn't realise solar lights could ever be that bright. The bulbs themselves were smaller than I expected; they are about an inch in diameter, but still nice. Note the bulbs are quite fragile. I managed to smash one when I was putting it up, but thankfully, there was a spare in the pack. Adding to review a few months on - I love these lights - they are really lovely, the perfect brightness and give off amazing warm light for hours longer than my last set of lights, even on cloudy days! Best buy on Amazon yet.'
Criticisms
Some customers were disappointed with the fragile bulbs, with a few smashing one during setup. Others wished for a remote control for the lights, with one person deducting a star for this reason: 'Definitely recommend and would be a 5 if it came with a remote or on/off timer and the cable/wire from solar panel to first bulb was longer.'
Despite these minor issues, most reviewers love the brightness and atmosphere. One concluded: 'I absolutely love these lights and frequently get asked where they're from. I was after decent-sized bulbs, not the smaller ones that look like Christmas lights. These do not disappoint. Even on a cloudy day, they will come on in the evening. After a charge from the USB, they are SUPER bright, so that option is really handy if you're planning on having people over for a gathering. Otherwise, the solar panels charge it just fine. Some have commented on there being no remote controls, but honestly, you don't need them. Turn on.. let it charge.. auto turns on at night. Don't see the issue! Fantastic product and would recommend to others.'
