Last Updated: June 5, 2022
Camping string lights add a touch of ambiance to your campsite and makes it feel more lively and magical.
If you are an avid night camper, you will surely love our list of the best camping string lights that will illuminate your camp every time and for special moments than just using a lantern.
There are a variety of string lights on the market, and below we have handpicked a few best ones so that you can find the perfect set for your needs.
Let’s dive in!
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13 Best Camping String Lights
- No products found. – Best Overall
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- No products found. – Best Energy Efficient
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- No products found. – Best Battery Powered
- No products found. – Best LED Rope Light
- No products found. – Best For Camp Decoration
- No products found. – Best Solar
- No products found. – Best Solar And USB
- No products found. – Best To Illuminate Small Area
- No products found. – Best To Illuminate Large Area
- No products found. – Best For Fun And Party
- No products found. – Best For Romantic Evenings
Sunthin LED Outdoor String Light – Best Overall
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If you often go camping, this durable string of 16 LED lights will give you a hassle-free performance of up to 30,000 hours with solid weather protection.
With this 48 feet long string light, you can set the perfect ambiance for any indoor or outdoor celebrations by hanging the LED light bulbs on the patio, in your backyard, garden, and campsite.
The light bulbs are waterproof and shatterproof, unlike other string light bulbs.
This outdoor camping gear comes with special weather-resistant sockets and enhanced sealing to decorate your campsite even in extreme temperatures.
While this highly efficient LED string glows soothingly with enough illumination, you can also adjust the brightness level with a SUNTHIN dimmer to create a charming vibe for every occasion.
With a color temperature of 2700K, these bulbs emit warm white light, which is not completely yellow and not completely white but in the middle.
This money-saving and energy-saving 48 feet camping light is a must-have accessory for avid creative campers like you.
What we liked
- Waterproof and shatterproof
- Bulbs are made of plastic
- Perfect for all weather
- Easy to install
- Bulbs are easy to replace
- Warm white light, easy on eyes
- It comes with a spare bulb
What we didn’t like
- To adjust the brightness level, you will have to buy Sunthin dimmer as it is not included in the package
- Packaging is not great, the wires come tangled, and you will need to spend some time untangling them
Magictec LED Shatterproof String Lights – Best Budget
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Cast beautiful lighting spell anywhere with the Magictec outdoor string lights made of premium wiring materials.
Be it your backyard, patio, poolside, or extreme outdoor camping, get this value pack of two 48ft heavy-duty cords with 15 weatherproof LED bulbs in each.
You can easily hang these string lights on the wall or drape them around trees in the yard or your campsite through the built-in loops without any extra tools or equipment.
Whether you are camping outside in heavy rain or snowfall, this practical set of outdoor string lights will keep you comfortable with its warm cozy illumination and expert-tested durability against adverse weather.
Brighten up any area by linking the end-to-end connector of the Magictec heavy-duty string with any standard plug.
What we liked
- Weatherproof and shatterproof
- Durable and lightweight
- Built-in loops to hang the lights from a thin rope, zip ties, or hooks
- Gives nice warm brightness
What we didn’t like
- The bulbs are dimmable, but you will have to buy a dimmer switch for that
Baxstel LED Outdoor Camping String Lights – Best Energy Efficient
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Get this shatterproof outdoor string light to decorate your night campsite or any outdoor celebrations in challenging weather or heavy rain.
When we talk about the best string light for camping, it has to be as durable and practical as these string lights with 48ft flexible cord, and 16 Edison style LED bulbs that you can confidently use outdoor and on extreme adventures.
Doubting its power consumption? Light up any space for a longer duration with these energy-saving bulbs, which consume only 30w per string and still stay cool to be touched with bare hands.
Besides brightening up any ambiance, you can also dim the glow to create a cozy environment in seconds.
Just plug in the cord’s end-to-end connector to double your outdoor adventure fun.
What we liked
- Durable, weatherproof, and shatterproof
- Easy to install and has a good build quality
- Consumes less energy
- Has a connecting port to connect multiple strings
- Emits soothing warm white light
What we didn’t like
- The cords are a bit thick
- Does not have an option to dim the lights
Enbrighten Vintage Seasons Camping String Lights – Best Premium
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Brighten up any space indoors or outdoor camping spots with the Enbrighten Vintage Season LED warm light that will instantly set the perfect mood for you to chill and relax just the way you want.
Smitten already? Get this color-changing string light to add a festive glow to your night camping memories.
This camping LED string light allows you to select between 16 assorted color modes to create a stunning combination of 120 warm colors at a time with easy remote control.
The 24ft durable string comes with 12 impact-resistant Edison bulbs that you can install outdoor to decorate the patio, lawn, or balcony, and even carry them to light up your campsite without any fear of damage from dropping or weather elements.
What we liked
- Easy to set colors based on the mood
- Perfect for year-round occasions and weather
- You can easily cover a large area by connecting strings together
- Select 2 colors at a time to light up your camp
- Change the color setting and adjuster timer from remote
- Lightweight, durable, made of good quality material
What we didn’t like
- Some vintage light colors are not bright
- The remote may start to malfunction after a year or two
Coleman Battery Operated LED Camping String Lights – Best Battery Powered
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Deck up any space and your outdoor tent by hanging this beautiful Coleman string of tiny lanterns powered by 3AA-cell batteries.
Lighting this lantern string on your balcony, patio, or even in distant camping spots will instantly create a charming vibe to cheer up your every moment, especially if you are camping solo.
The best part is you can stretch the string to 6ft, featuring 10 miniature classic Coleman lanterns that emit a pleasant white glow for up to 20 hours.
This portable lantern string light is exclusively battery-operated with no hassles of frequent replacement, as the LED lanterns bright more on less power consumption and last longer.
Take home this quality and durable LED string light backed by Coleman’s exclusive warranty and never camp in a dull way again.
What we liked
- Can withstand heavy rain
- Easy to install and store
- Brightens the camp sufficiently to cook and read or simply sit under the light after dark and share stories with the group
- Battery lasts throughout the night
What we didn’t like
- They are too bright for hanging inside the tent
Power Practical Luminoodle – Best LED Rope Light
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What can be more convenient than carrying this Luminoodle LED light rope to light up your campsite, use it as an instant lantern, or drape it around safely for specific purposes?
This unique lantern-string unit is a perfect choice for neat backpackers to save more space for other camping essentials.
Besides illuminating your campsite with a warm vibe, you can also use this practical LED string light to decorate your room for festive lighting or stuff it into the included pouch to use as a portable lantern during emergencies.
Get this 5ft USB-powered Luminoodle that oodles 180 lumens of warm white light which you can adjust at your convenience.
Due to such versatilities and durability to withstand any weather condition.
What we liked
- Convenient, lightweight, and portable
- Easy to use, and store
- Weatherproof string lights
- Emits warm white light, bright enough for everyday use
- Has magnets sliders so you can stick it to the metal surface
- Comes with zip-ties to hang from tree branches or wrap around your body while hiking at night
- Use it as a lantern when walking or strolling around your campsite after dark
- Goes easy on batteries. Doesn’t suck battery power. Can last for 2.5 hours on a 4000 mAH battery.
What we didn’t like
- It does not come with a battery pack
- You need to keep it connected to the battery pack to keep it lit.
- You can not adjust the brightness as per your needs
Fitybow Battery Operated LED Rope Lights – Best For Decoration
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These Fitybow LED rope lights can be molded or styled into any shape to amp up the decor of celebrations or your tent and campsite at night.
This 40ft string of 120 LED lights comes with remote control, which allows you to set 8 different lighting modes like steady, combination, chasing/flash, twinkle/flash, slo glo, in wave, sequential, and slow fade.
Plus, you can set the timer to start the light automatically. The lights stay on for 6 hours, and then it shuts off for 18 hours.
You can also adjust the brightness from the remote control as per your need or occasion.
Apart from decorating your home, carry these portable battery-operated string lights to camp even on rainy days, assured by the brand’s easy replacement and refund for 12 months after the date of purchase.
What we liked
- Gives warm white light
- Easy to set up and use
- You can control the brightness and the light modes from remote
- Weatherproof string lights
- Use it for fun, decorations, camping, etc
- These string lights come in different color light options
What we didn’t like
- The timer resets if you shut off the lights manually
- The battery compartment is not waterproof. It may get damaged if left out in heavy rain
MPOWERD Solar Powered Luci String Lights – Best Solar
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If you like neatly folded untangled wires, then this camping string light is for you. These lights are solar-powered, so they don’t require any batteries. You can simply charge it in sun with the solar panel at the top of the unit or use a USB cable for fast charging.
They have a built-in hanging hook, so they’re easy to hang wherever you want.
This compact and lightweight MPOWERED Luci string light will instantly brighten your ambiance by providing 100 lumens across its 18ft cord and 20 LED bulbs.
You can adjust the brightness to low, medium, or high as per your need by simply clicking on the button.
You can consider packing this camping light for its space-saving design and unmatched efficiency in illuminating your campsite for up to 5 hours on a single charge.
Whether it’s about lighting up your tent or charging your smartphone, you can do it all with this one compact unit.
It uses 16 hours of solar power to get fully charged, but if you are in a hurry, you can simply charge it with a USB cable in just 6 hours.
What impresses us most about this solar camping string light is its collapsible base storage, which adds more convenience for neat backpackers like you and us.
What we liked
- Compact, lightweight, and water-resistant
- Recharges via solar or USB cable
- Easy to adjust the brightness
- Soft warm white light
- Charge your smartphone with this unit
- Has battery indicator
What we didn’t like
- The battery life is not very impressive. It gets discharged in a couple of hours
- The solar panel takes more than 2 days to charge this unit fully
- Not ideal for heavy rain
Brightown Solar String Lights For Outdoors – Best Solar And USB
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Looking for an energy-saving durable string light to camp creatively even in challenging weather?
Go as you like it with the Brightown solar string light to cast an instant charming ambiance anywhere with an assured lasting performance.
This 29ft solar string light features 25 shatter and weatherproof LED bulbs you can confidently carry on extreme outdoor adventures for consistent lighting under any weather or damp climate.
Besides a solid performance, you get dual-charging options via the sun through a built-in 180-degree adjustable flexing panel that lasts up to 16 hours on 4 – 8 hours of solar charge and USB charging in case of insufficient sunlight.
These string lights are easy to install without an outlet and have 4 lighting modes to help you create a fabulous impression for every occasion.
What we liked
- Comes with an in-built battery in case of insufficient sunlight
- Durable, waterproof, and shatterproof
- Has 4 light modes
- You can easily rotate the solar panel up to 180 degrees based on the sun’s movement without moving the whole setup
- The lights turn on automatically when it gets dark
What we didn’t like
- Does not have a port to connect strands
- There is no replacement bulb available for these lights
- A few bulbs do flicker after a couple of month’s use
- Not ideal for heavy rain, water gets into the bulb
Brightech Ambience Pro String Lights – Best To Illuminate Small Area
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Transform ordinary camping into glamping with the Brightech Ambience Pro camping string lights that you can use in place of a lantern to sufficiently illuminate your tent and the campsite.
All you need is a battery pack that you use to charge your smartphone or laptop, plug in the USB port of this string light, and set the perfect mood with its white light with a color temperature of 3000K.
It decently illuminates the surroundings to help you comfortably walk around and between the tents without tipping over and even cook with ease.
Besides an impressive illumination coverage, the Ambience Pro series string light is even hurricane tested with commercial-grade insulation and shatterproof plastic bulbs that you can confidently use while camping in extreme conditions without any fear of weather damage to the lights.
So, ditch the lantern-canister weight next time you go camping to beautifully illuminate your campsite with this 24 feet battery-powered string light that comes with 10 LED bulbs.
However, if you want to illuminate a large area buying two of these to connect them together is not the solution because it does not have a port to connect strands.
They provide ample light to see everything around you and keep animals away. Plus, they’re really easy to set up – just plug them in and hang them wherever you need them.
What we liked
- Waterproof & shatterproof
- Blubs are made of plastic
- Perfect for all weather conditions
- Lightweight and easy to install
- It keeps the campsite illuminated for about 8 hours when connected to a battery pack
- Comes with 3 years of warranty
What we didn’t like
- The lights are not soft warm, they are much brighter
- It does not have a port to connect strands if you buy more than one to illuminate a large area
GUDDL Outdoor String Lights – Best To Illuminate Large Area
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Create a cozy ambiance every time you night camp with these twinkling GUDDL outdoor string lights oozing a warm white glow.
You can easily install this 25ft cord of 25 bulbs by a hanging hook on each socket to beautifully decorate any celebrations at home or your camping tent and its surroundings at night.
This convenient and practical outdoor string light is weatherproof, so you don’t need to worry if it’s raining outside.
Just leave it twinkling out there while you enjoy the relaxing view from inside.
Each golf-size bulb radiates 25 lumens of warm white light to create the perfect soothing ambiance for every occasion or anywhere you like it.
So yes, this outdoor camping gear gets our thumbs up for its impressive performance, durability, and a guarantee of 12 months and 3 months for both string lights and light bulbs, respectively.
What we liked
- Easy to hang, store, and reuse without worrying about sorting out the tangled wire
- It emits soft warm white light, which is easy on the eyes
- Perfect for any weather condition when camping
- Strands have end-to-end connectivity
- The package includes 2 spare bulbs
- Comes with 12 month’s warranty
What we didn’t like
- The bulbs are made of thin glass. They break easily. You will need to be extra careful during portability, hanging them and storing them.
- The bulbs become very hot in a couple of minutes, so make sure you do not touch them with bare hands and let them cool down before storing.
Minetom LED Mini Globe String Lights – Best For Fun And Party
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Minetom will definitely woo your creative bug for its pretty cool multi-color settings coupled into a single string.
These outdoor camping string lights measure 33 feet long with 100 mini LED globe lights that will instantly liven up any atmosphere with a mood-enhancing warm glow.
You can also set from normal white mode to multi-colored lighting and adjust the brightness to 5 different levels with an included multi-functional remote.
The Minetom string light is UL listed being a sustainable and hazard-free product that you can safely use to brighten up your kid’s room and create a perfect ambiance for outdoor night camping.
Powering up this USB-enabled string light is easy via your laptop, phone, or best plug-in to a power bank for uninterrupted performance.
What we liked
- Easy to adjust the light modes with remote
- Use any USB socket to light the bulbs
- You can manually adjust the lights if you forget to bring the remote to the campsite
- The brightness does not hurt the eyes
What we didn’t like
- They are not waterproof, and the built looks fragile
- The remote may malfunction sometimes
KeShi Solar Star Camping String Lights – Best For Romantic Evenings
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Get these twinkling solar star string lights to create a sparkling party effect anywhere, even on a remote camping location solo or with your gang.
All you need to do is put the solar panel in direct sunlight and spread the 40ft string of 100 LED bulbs in the area you want to light up.
These little lights will start twinkling automatically after the dark for up to 8 – 12 hours on a single charge.
This means powering up this string light requires no batteries and hassles of replacement.
If you believe in eco-friendly camping, get this energy-efficient string light to decorate your tent and campsite and make the Insta world jealous of your radiating moments.
These starry lights are also heat and weather-resistant and have a lifespan of up to 30,000 hours, backed by the company’s 30-day money-back and easy 2 years replacement.
What we liked
- Waterproof LED lights
- Easy to install and use
- Give soft warm white light
- Automatically turns on when it gets dark
- Has 8 different light settings
- Comes with easy 2 years of replacement
What we didn’t like
- The wires get tangled easily, and you can expect some stars to fall off when untangling the wire
- The lights are not very bright but do a good job of keeping the campsite lit in the dark
- The star edges are not very smooth
Things To Consider When Buying Camping String Lights
Length
When it comes to the length of string lights, you’ve got options. You can get a single strand or choose multiple strands in different lengths and colors.
The first step in choosing the length of your string lights is to determine how much space you have to work with.
If you’re looking to decorate a small area, such as above the dinner table or your camping tent, then you can choose the shortest string length available so that they don’t get tangled up with furniture and plants.
If you want to cover a larger area from the tree to your cooking station, dinner table, and camping tent, you’ll need to get longer string lights.
You also need to think about where you’ll be placing your string lights. If your campsite has many trees or bushes taller than the average person’s height, then it may be better for you to get longer strings so that they don’t block an important view or create shadows.
You should also consider how much light coverage you need from your string lights before choosing their length based on how many bulbs they include per strand.
Also, remember that the longer strands will have more bulbs, so they will consume more power. So choose accordingly.
Brightness
To understand the brightness of string lights, you need to look at the color temperature or lumens (any one of these will be mentioned when you select the string lights).
The picture below will give you a better understanding of the brightness of each light based on color temperature.
The sweet spot is between 2500K – 2700K (degrees Kelvin) color temperature which gives a soothing warm white light and are easy on the eyes.
For camping, 2500K – 2700K color temperature string lights will be perfect for you to enjoy your time with friends or family and even if you are camping solo.
Here’s another picture that depicts how soothing warm white light will look like:
This color temperature will be sufficient to light up your camp, help you with cooking/barbecuing, reading, and having a delightful well-lit dinner.
The more bulbs you have in a strand, the brighter the area will be.
If you have planned an after-dinner party you can buy a multi-color string light and set the colors as per your mood. The best one for this purpose is No products found..
If you want string lights for safety reasons like lighting up a pathway or walkway at night, then consider buying ones with a higher level of brightness. No products found. will be perfect for these types of situations.
Durable & Weatherproof
It s no brainer that the camping string lights should be durable, that is, the blubs and wires should be made of good quality material so that it does not get damaged under harsh weather conditions.
Some wires and plastic bulbs melt in hot weather and the cheap quality wires will have cracks in them after a couple of uses.
So make sure that you choose good-quality string lights with thick strands and plastic blubs that are weatherproof and shatterproof.
Easy To Install & Store
The strings lights should be easy to install by either hanging them from the hooks or zip-ties and store without dealing with tangled wires.
Some string lights have great storing boxes like No products found. which has a compartmentalized space for storing every little lantern light neatly, so that it’s ready for next use.
We tend to ignore these small things but when it comes to increasing the lifespan of string lights, storing them properly plays an important role.
Power Source
The power source is another factor to consider when camping. You can either go with solar-powered string lights, battery-operated string lights, or corded electric string lights based on your needs.
Solar-powered String Lights
Solar-powered lights are great because they don’t require electricity or batteries. They will turn on automatically when it gets dark.
If you want to keep your campsite lit throughout the night, these lights will be an excellent option for you.
If you are camping in summer, then solar-powered string lights will be a perfect option for you.
The best part is you do not have to carry around an extra device that requires fuel or batteries just like regular flashlights do.
No products found. comes with an in-built battery and gives you an option to recharge via USB port, so if you run out of juice, simply plug them into the battery pack to recharge it.
Solar lights are also very easy to install since all you have to do is stake them down with tent stakes or mount them on trees or other objects using straps or clips so that they will stay in place.
Battery Operated String Lights
If you want something lightweight that’s easy to hang up anywhere without too much trouble, then battery-powered LED string lights are also good options for you.
All you need is some AA batteries (based on the string lights you choose) or a battery pack so that you can control when your string lights come on and off.
Some string lights also work if you connect the USB to your laptop or mobile or any electronic device with a USB port in it.
The only thing is to make sure that you have enough batteries or that your battery pack is fully charged so that you do not run out of power.
The disadvantage of battery-operated string lights is you can not keep them on throughout the night or they will drain all the power.
Corded Electric String Lights
As the name suggests, corded string lights will need electric power to work.
If you are RV camping or tent camping and have a portable generator with you, you can definitely go with these.
Electric string lights have more options – you can connect multiple strands to the string lights to increase the length, change the color of lights, set different modes to suit the mood, and operate it through the remote when you are too tired to get up.
With these string lights, it is essential to check if they are waterproof and can withstand the elements while still working perfectly.
You should also look at how easy it is to install them and whether or not they come with stakes so that you don’t have to worry about hammering nails into trees.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color light is best for camping?
Your choice of colors for camping string lights will depend on whether you wish to spend quality moments solo, with loved ones, or want to spark some wild party moments.
For solo camping or camping with loved ones, I prefer warm white light of color lights of temperature between 2500K – 2700K.
If you are camping with friends or your gang, you can choose something more party type like No products found. which emits warm white light and will help while barbecuing and multi-color lights for the party.
But for cozy camping in the dark, nothing matches the comfort of warm white lights that brighten up the surroundings and instantly elevate your mood.
However, if you want to add some quirky lighting to your tent decor, get No products found. color-changing string lights with adjustable modes to suit your mood.
Can I keep string lights on all night at the campsite?
Most LED string lights are weatherproof and shatterproof with energy-saving bulbs that glow decently on less power consumption.
So while you can leave them on all night, it’s better to turn them off to conserve energy, prevent sparking a hazard (if something goes wrong with the circuit or if the wire gets chewed by animals at night or early morning) or to simply be considerate towards the fellow campers who want to enjoy the starry nights but are unable to do so because of the brightness coming from your campsite.
Consider using string lights with a timer or use solar-powered string lights so that is switches off automatically.
How long do string lights last?
A high-quality LED string light will give a lasting performance for up to 5 years, even if you use them often for outdoor decoration.
For filament string lights, you can expect them to last for 6 months only.
How high should I hang string lights?
String lights are fun to decorate, only if you hang them correctly at a perfect height of up to 8 – 10 feet above the ground to allow enough lighting and keep it safe from the prying hands of guests and children.
Final Thoughts
There are so many factors that go into choosing the best camping string lights.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to replace old string lights or an expert looking to add more to your arsenal, these camping lights are the perfect way to add fun and ambiance to your tent, campsite, or backyard.
We have put together a list of options for you to choose from, so hopefully, we have made that job easier for you.
If you have any suggestions, write to us in the comments.
Read Next
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About the Author
I am Chhavi Kumari, a digital marketer, blogger & parent of two mischievous rabbits (Cookie & Snow). I have a passion for writing, a love for entertainment and a zeal to learn something new every day. If I were ever to be stranded on an island, I would probably have a pet bunny.
