Brightech Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights review

You need string lights. Whether you warp them around trees, hang them above your deck for alfresco dining, or string them along a fence, they immediately upgrade any outdoor space. Brightech's Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights are the best solar string lights on the market. The bulbs give off a gorgeous warm, vintage glow and they are strung on a thick rubberized cord for added durability. Whether there’s heavy rain, or the temperature drops to below freezing, these will endure no matter your climate. 

Many LED solar string lights are on the market, but as you will see in our Brightech Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights review, these should be your go-to for everyday use. We tested the 27-foot strand that includes 12 LED bulbs and we were very impressed by the overall performance. They last for as long as advertised before needing to recharge and will serve the purpose of transforming your backyard in the evenings.

• Check out the best solar lights
• Here’s how to best place solar lights

Brightech Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights Review: Price and availability

Brightech’s Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights are available in two sizes from Amazon; 27ft and 47ft, which cost $34.99 and $59.99 respectively. The 27ft model is also available to buy from Walmart for $29.99. They are available in a black finish.  

Brightech Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights Review: Design

Brightech's Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights are designed to fit with a variety of aesthetics. The lights themselves give off a warm, vintage glow, yet the black rubberized cord they're strung on gives them a modern feel. However, because of how thick and black the strand is, these look better strung than, say, against a wall or wrapped around a tree. You'll notice the cord. 

The bulbs themselves are made of glass which I appreciated, as many LED bulbs are plastic, but these are encased in silicone to give them durability. The lights are spaced out nicely, but at about 20 inches between bulbs, some might think too much. Also, keep in mind that you'll have a more significant gap at one point if you connect sets. Not a deal-breaker to me and easy to rectify with some creative hanging, but something to be aware of. If a bulb does get damaged, it’s worth noting that replacement bulbs aren’t readily available, however.

Brightech Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights Review: Setup

Alright, now for the not-great part. Installation is labor-intensive, although I find that to be the case with all string lights. Before you start stringing or wrapping or however you're installing, figure out where you're putting the solar panel. You can either clip it onto something such as a fence post, railing, or even awning, or you can stake it in the ground. Determining the solar panel's position will guide how you string or wrap the rest of the lights and make the task easier. 

As the lights are strung on a heavy-duty rubberized cord, it wasn't as easy to bend and wrap as some of the other string light options we’ve tested, but with some patience, it's doable. Each light also comes with a handy hook that you could place over a nail or guide a wire through to help when hanging. Keep in mind that if you are joining two strands of lights, though, there will be a bit of wire overlap — something to remember when planning how you want to string them up, especially if you're picky about how the lights are spaced.

Brightech Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights Review: Lighting performance

Brightech's Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights gives off a gorgeous vintage feeling with its illumination. Every time I see them switched on, I feel like I'm sitting outside a cafe at night with friends, sipping cocktails and talking about anything and everything. 

These lights are bright, but they're made for ambiance — don't expect them to light up your yard. However, if you find them to be too bright for purpose, you can attach a dimmer to them. 

The lights switched themselves on reliably at dusk, and they stayed on pretty consistently for about six hours under a variety of conditions. This was the case come rain or shine; these lights handled heavy rainfall as well as freezing temperatures and were still fully operational. You could turn the power button off once they’re fully charged if you wanted to wait until later in the evening to turn them on, say if you have a gathering that doesn't start until later.

Brightech Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights Review: Durability 

Strung on a thick, rubberized black cord, with each light encased in silicone, Brightech's Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights feel durable from the moment you take them out of the box. They stood up to a number of tests throughout my month-long evaluation of them. The set went through two severe rainstorms, one tropical storm, spent some time getting soaked in a shower and four hours in the freezer and was no worse for wear. No water got into the bulbs, none of them broke, and while the strand, of course, swayed in the wind, it remained in place. 

The lights also consistently came on at dusk, even after a mostly cloudy day and on a rainy night. Brightech says to expect the solar panel to last about 2.5 years, and the company does provide a 2-year warranty. 

Brightech Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights Review: Verdict

We recommend buying these. While they can get pricey, especially if you need more than one strand, they are beautiful. Wrap them around your trees for the holidays, string them along a fence or hang them above your alfresco dining tablescape to instantly upgrade your outdoor space. Made to last, Brightech's Ambience Pro LED Outdoor String Lights are the best solar string lights on the market. 

Compared to the AMIR Upgraded Solar String Lights, which we also tested, these are more expensive, but they’re more reliable and will have a bigger impact on your yard.