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Festoon lights are some of the most versatile outdoor lights you can buy. These lights come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colours, and depending on the style you buy, they can create many different effects in your garden. So, if you want to decorate your garden for a party, softly illuminate your outdoor dining area, or light up a garden path to prevent injuries and accidents, you’ll be able to find the right festoon lighting for you. Here’s what you need to consider when choosing your perfect festoon lights.
Festoon kits
When you buy festoon lights, you’ll need to buy the right bulbs, strings and cables so you can put everything together and plug your lights into a power source. Choosing all of these items allows you to customise everything about your new lights, but it can also be a hassle. Luckily, you could buy a festoon LED garden lights kit instead. Buying festoon kits means that you can buy everything you need at once, and with Ultra LEDs, you’re still able to customise your lights when ordering a kit.
Colours
One of the main options you’ll need to consider when choosing your perfect festoon lights is the colour of the bulbs. This factor can have a huge impact on the atmosphere your lights will create. For example, if you choose an interesting colour like red or blue, this will create a fun and playful atmosphere that’s great for garden parties – you could even pick multi-coloured or rainbow festoon lights!
However, if you go for warm white festoon lights, which is a popular choice, the soft glow created by these lights will evoke an intimate and romantic atmosphere – fantastic for al fresco dining. Cool white festoon lights are much brighter, which means they could be a great safety feature if you use them to illuminate a dark garden path.
Waterproof rating
Since your festoon lights will be in your garden, they’ll need to be able to withstand a bit of wind and rain. This is why you need to check the IP (Ingress Protection) rating when you’re looking for festoon lights. The IP rating tells you how well an object can resist the intrusion of dust and water, with a higher rating meaning more protection from the elements. If a light is rated IP44, this means it can withstand light rainfall, so this is appropriate if your lights are slightly shielded (e.g., under a pergola). An IP65 light can withstand heavier rain, so if you want to leave your lights in the open, you need to look for a light with this rating or higher.
Solar power
You also need to decide whether you want solar-powered festoon lights. These lights charge up during the day and automatically turn on at night, and since they’re only using energy from the sun, they won’t need to be plugged in. As a result, solar-powered festoon lights are a great low-maintenance and eco-friendly option, but they’re not as bright as regular lights. Therefore, you need to decide what’s more important to you: convenience and being eco-friendly, or having bright lights.
Festoon lights are a fantastic addition to any garden, but there are some things you need to consider before you purchase them for yourself. Make sure you think about the colours, IP rating, kit customisation and energy source before you buy your festoon lights – this will help you make the perfect choice for your garden.