Running costs for festoons have been dramatically lowered by the use of LED technology, which requires much smaller amounts of power to create much more brightness – so your electricity bill isn’t impacted nearly as much as it once would have been! In fact, festoon lights can be completely free of electricity costs if they are intended to be used outdoors if you choose solar powered ones, which simply need the solar panel to be in the sun for a few hours, and they will run all evening.

4lite Festoon 20m Outdoor IP44 Lighting - Screwfix

Make sure all lamps are facing downwards, or a maximum of 45 degrees when used in external environments, this helps assist weather resistance. Some options, as you'll discover, come with spare bulbs included, while some do not. As well as this, some options require that replacement bulbs be bought from the exact same brand or retailer. For this reason, it is always advisable to read the product descriptions and details carefully, and if in doubt, enquire with the retailer or manufacturer. Are festoon lights waterproof? Having surveyed a fair few options out there, we would say that, generally speaking, most festoon lights are water-resistant to the degree required for use outdoors. However, it is worth noting that most are not entirely waterproof, so flooding or direct submersion underwater would not likely be covered. What is festoon lighting? LED Golf Ball lamps are becoming increasingly popular for long term installations and are highly recommended when using Festoons.Go for something a little different with this wonderful festoon light cluster from Oliver Bonas. Your outdoor dinner setting will never look better, with this rustic light centrepiece there to illuminate your next garden party or alfresco occasion. There are five bulbs with eight flashing settings or a simple steady glow to keep the ambiance at just the right level too.

20 Festoon White LED Lights | Dunelm

When weighing up how bright you'd like your festoon light ideas to be, ask yourself what kind of vibe you're keen to curate. For some people, a dimmer or more dispersed lighting set-up might be better, particularly if you want romance, ambience or intimacy. That said, some options might prove a little too dim for the task at hand. For example, if you're hosting in the daytime and it's a little overcast, the solar options might not cut it. Of course, solar choices are kind on the environment. Have a penchant for sun-powered garden accessories? Go ahead and explore our guide on the best solar lights.Still looking for the perfect festoon lights to suit your garden? These are the retailers we would recommend heading to first to secure your lights: The Festoon is CE approved and does have an IP rating of IP55 with rubber sleeves built into the lampholders for extra protection. Festoon lights first became mainstream in carnival settings and in industrial settings, where there were generators that could create the large amounts of power that they needed. They were not only expensive to buy, but they were also expensive to run, and if a bulb was accidentally broken, it cost a lot to replace. Thankfully, today festoon lights are available to buy at an affordable price, for homes to use both indoors and outdoors – and replacement bulbs are much cheaper too. If you're used to having plenty of guests over for long summer evenings, then the chances are, you've got a relatively spacious garden. If this is the case, you'll want to make sure you can sufficiently illuminate the area you intend to seat your guests in, and pairing festoon lights with the best garden furniture will ensure your get-togethers can continue long into the evening. Finding the right festoon lights for your needs requires a little bit of thought. To help make the hunt that bit easier, we've drawn up three key considerations and answered some questions you might have in mind:

4lite Festoon 20m Outdoor LED IP44 Lighting 40W 165lm

A 20mrubber festoon that has20 lampholders moulded onto the cable with a waterproof joint, with the spacing at metre intervals and a lead in length of 0.5m to the first lampholder.When you want to light up a space with a more festive look and feel, string lighting has always been a great option, with festoon lights offering the highest impact. Their bigger size makes them far more visible than fairy lights, and means that they can be used as a source of ambient light in a space, as well as for decoration.