A Renter’s Guide to Outdoor Lighting

I’ve had a few connected sections of these string lights hanging around the perimeter of my backyard for three full years now — through beating sun, strong winds, pouring rain, and even some snow. There was one necessary replacement after a squirrel chewed through the wire, and I generally replace a small handful of dead or broken bulbs at the beginning of each summer with new ones from areplacement pack. But other than that, they’ve been going strong the entire time, providing my main source of light back there.

I didn’t test these lights myself (or the ones below, for that matter) — but each comes highly recommended by a Strategist staffer. Deals editorSam Dalyhas owned these for a few years. She lives in Austin, Texas, and keeps them up year round too. “They’re durable! We had a crazy hail storm a few weeks ago and only one bulb broke,” she says. “They really throw a lot of light, despite not having too many bulbs on the string. And none of the bulbs have burned out yet.”

For his part, senior writerMichael Zhaobought these string lights at Costco two summers ago and has yet to replace a single bulb. “They are made of sturdy materials, and the light has a cozy character to it, even if it’s a bit bright for the ambiance I’m trying to cultivate on my porch,” he says. “I ended up putting them on an outdoor dimmer, though, and that’s been perfect.”

These solar string lights from Biolite are meant for camping. While I don’t think they look quite as nice as regular string lights, they’d be an excellent solution if you’re struggling to illuminate a space without a power source. Even though the bulbs are much smaller, they’re still very bright at their highest setting (there are three levels in total).

They’re not the easiest in the world to string up just anywhere. The housing, which contains the solar panel that charges them, needs to stay attached. This means the case goes wherever the lights go and needs to sit on the ground or on a surface. But if you find the right spot (I can see them being especially helpful in smaller, more enclosed spaces, like a balcony) they work well.

I bought the Zafferano — the undisputed restaurant table lamp of choice for several years — as a kind of benchmark. It’s on the pricier side, but after a couple of months of living with it, I’ve become supremely attached. I actually leave it on my kitchen island day in and day out, where it also provides useful illumination. Then I take it outside when I’m hanging, cooking, and eating. (To be clear, none of these table lamps live outside permanently, but the Zafferano is the only one that I use regularly inside, too.)

I love the design. The Newsee and Pooky below are trying to mimic a traditional table lamp with a shade, whereas this one has its own thing going on. It’s fantastically bright given its size and disseminates light far outward since the top isn’t covered, probably its most genius detail. It’s dimmable — not by set levels, but variably up and down, which you control by keeping your finger pressed on the “on” button. The light itself is pleasantly warm at every level, the base is super-sturdy, and the charge lasts at least 13 hours.

Pooky’s lamp is just a bit less expensive than the Pina Pro, and if you like the look of a more traditional “shade,” it’s a great bet. The color choices of the body are lovely. It has the same dimmable mechanism as the Pina Pro, and the light itself is pleasant (though it’s not quite as warm or bright overall). The base is sturdy (it’s even a bit heavier than the Pina Pro), and the charge lasts eight hours.

I decided to call these in since contributorTessa Kauppilawrote about how she likes them asindoor cordless lamps. They looked, to me, hearty enough to be taken outside when the occasion called for it, and I wanted a much cheaper option than the two above to compare.

Well, you get what you pay for. These look a bit cheaper, namely because you can see the bulbs studded inside underneath the “shade.” There are three settings that change the temperature of the light, which you control by tapping the top. The warmest is quite nice, but also the only one I would ever use. (On the opposite end of the spectrum is a setting that is so blue-white, I truly can’t fathom why someone would pick it, and the middle color is fine, but still a bit on the cool side for my liking.)

These come in a set of two, which is useful; while I wouldn’t use these on my grill table, putting them both on a dinner table is cute. They feel sturdy and the charge lasts at least eight hours.

This lantern is not especially bright — but it does produce an appealing glow, especially for the price. For that reason (and because its size would be cumbersome on a dinner table), I like to stick it on side tables in the corners of areas that are already relatively well-lit otherwise. It invites people over more than it assists inseeing. It’s battery-operated, which I like. Rechargeable lights are easy to use, certainly, but they require keeping track of their respective cords and docks.

I tested a few different stake-style lights. One was expensive and, I found, a bit too finicky (the solar panel didn’t absorb light as well as my favorite cheaper option, and the parts didn’t feel as solid as I would have liked). Another, meant for camping, worked well — but didn’t translate particularly well to a bigger backyard.

But then there were these pathway lights. I was actually pretty convinced they would be duds, just based on the price — but they’ve been in my yard for over a month now, through an extreme heat wave and quite a bit of rain, and are still glowing as strong as the day I got them. They turn off during the day automatically to recharge and turn on again once dusk hits. They’re low to the ground, so they’re not disseminating light all around them — but they’re decently bright. They would certainly light an actual pathway well, though I opted to stick them in the more robust patches of greenery I have to illuminate that area better than it was lit before.

Strategist senior editorJen Troliohad been eyeing this lamp to put under the umbrella that covers her outdoor table and mentioned it to me. I called it in to test myself, and I love it. I hang mine on the huge tree in my yard, which sits on the far and darkest side of the space. It brings in an actually helpful amount of light. (There are three light levels, and I prefer the brightest, since mine is in a fully open space, but Trolio might use a dimmer one in a covered area.) During the few larger gatherings I’ve had since I got it, people have gravitated toward it and can see one another well when standing nearby. Plus the fully rounded globe shape is modern and cool; it looks like the moon from far away.

The thick rope it hangs from is incredibly sturdy and durable (and on the longer side compared to most others I’ve seen in my research) — but it can also be tied to a shorter length if you’re like Trolio and want to hang it from lower down.

It has lasted me many nights in a row (24 hours when it’s fully charged) and can withstand rain (I don’t leave it outside permanently, but I did one wet night and it was totally fine).

My only small knock is that since it’s on the larger side, and so globular, it’s ever-so-slightly annoying to charge: You have to find a space for it on your counter or floor, and you have to situate it so that it doesn’t roll around as you plug it in.

This inexpensive option from Amazon also has a small soft handle for hanging. It comes with a remote that lets you cycle through a bunch of colors, which is fun — though none are terribly bright, including the neutral white and yellow hues. I like this one to set a fun party mood, but I wouldn’t rely on it solely to light up an outdoor area. It’s lightweight, and the charge lasts around six hours.