Being technical by nature this review is aimed at people who want details not described in most of the other reviews. I bought two sets of these light for a new, backyard pergola. Having read other reviews I was fully aware that these lights would not be as bright as hard-wired (110v) string lights. They are intended to provide low-level, mood/conversation lighting under my 14 x 17 pergola.
First, it’s important to point out that the advertised length of 27 ft. represents the entire length of the product. More than 1/3 of that is the span of wire between the solar panel and the first light, which is 9.5 ft. I will attempt to include a diagram (picture) with this review that shows all the measurements related to this product. Also, the advertised distance between each bulb is 20 inches when in fact is 18.5 inches. There are 12 bulbs and total distance from bulb 1 to bulb 12 is 17 ft.
Each bulb socket has a small hole on its end. The hole makes it convenient for hanging the lights and using an S-hook works really well. The wiring seems pretty solid and the quality overall is nice. The biggest unknown for me living in the hot desert will be seeing how well the product stands up to intense sun and heat. The first fail point is likely to be the battery. The advertised battery is a single, 1500mah, type 18650, 3.7V. It’s sealed inside the solar panel. I’d prefer if it was replaceable although there is male/female twist-connection between the panel and the sting of lights so at least the solar panel/battery unit can be replaced if need be.
To mount the solar panel, which does not weigh very much at all, you have the option of using a stake (for ground mounting) or a large clip. The clip is plastic, fairly strong and well built. Although it does fit on my 2 x 4 pergola framing (actually 1.2 in.), due to the potential for very strong winds, I plan to forgo both of those mounting options and will develop my own to attach the solar panel to the top of the pergola.
Overall I'm happy with the quality and the product works as expected.
put these lights under my Grill Gazebo with the solar panel on the roof of it. Now I can grill at night without needing to carry a flashlight to see how my dinner is looking. So far these lights have lasted through two Nor'easters with 50+ MPH winds and Snow/Rain. And they look amazing!!
I've had 3 strands up in my gazebo for a couple of weeks, and I couldn't be happier. The solar collectors are small & easy to assemble and mount with the big clips, and the distance between the bulbs allows for a scalloped effect, which I wanted. I used 1-inch vinyl hooks to hang them for a loose casual feel. My gazebo is 12' x 12' with a 12-inch wide lattice border around the top. I hung the lights 19 inches apart from the top of the lattice with every other bulb hanging down. I let the remaining bulbs (at the end of each strand) hang straight down at the corners for a casual effect down each post.
Originally, I ordered 3 strands at $59.99 each because I wasn't sure how much coverage I was going to get once I strung them up. I did the math ahead of time, but I wasn't sure how they were going to look until I got them up (i.e. scalloped v. straight across), so I waited on a fourth strand. Two weeks later when I went back to place a reorder, I was surprised to see that the price was now $74.99. That's a $15 increase in 2 weeks. Nevertheless, I think that these lights are a great product and will last a while, so I went ahead and ordered a fourth strand, which were also shipped by Brightech like the first three. There is a price point that most people won't pay for DIY outdoor lighting, no matter how good it is and regardless of seasonal demand.
Quality-wise, these are great. The light is a true warm white, and the brightness is comfortable for outdoor dining. It's enough light to see what you're doing, but less than interior room lighting & very pretty from a distance. The collectors do a good job of powering the lights. I hung mine on the eastern and southern sides of my gazebo. The collectors sit underneath the slatted roof of my gazebo with most of the collector surfaces exposed to direct sunlight. They still get enough juice to power them up at dusk. The connections are solid and the wire is one solid cord (not two twisted together). The round café globes are made of durable plastic and are slightly smaller than the traditional round glass globes, but not minis. No assembly, except for the simple clamp hookup. They have to charge outside for a day before they will light up. Each globe housing has a 1/4" hole at the top for hanging.
Nice lights! If there is a question about how many strands you'll need, order over rather than under because the price seems to go up with reorders. If it weren't for the price increase, I'd give these lights 5 stars.
Great lights... I would buy again. Just right for our porch. Recommend. Would like to know where I might get replacement bulbs... Just in case.
These were so fun to have on our off grid camping trip. I thought they were broken at first, until I read the direction(s) ;). After a full day of charge, with the switch flipped to on, they automatically came on and stayed on until after we went to bed. The only reason I am giving them a 4 is because you need to remember to turn them on in order for them to charge. So if you shut them off at night and forget to turn them on in the morning, you won't have a full charge. That said, I did that one night and they lasted again well into the evening. A great purchase and I even opted to use them when plugged back in because they are plastic, so I don't have to worry about breaking them when hanging them up.
Feature Product
- ITALIAN CAFE STYLE G40 PATIO LIGHTS TRANSFORM YOUR YARD INTO AN OUTSIDE RETREAT: Brightech's solar powered pergola lights create ambience where you can sit back and enjoy the eve. Bright enough to grill and eat, without being overpowering, these lights give off a warm, nostalgic glow so that you can come home after a busy day and enjoy your very own retreat.
- LED SOLAR MARKET LIGHTING FOR YOUR EXTERIOR SPACE; CLIP OR STAKE PANEL INSTALL: These heavy duty deck string lights use solar power so you don't need an outdoor outlet and you save money on electricity! Install by attaching with a clip (e.g. to pergola roof) or a stake in the ground. They put out 3,000K warm white light and the life is up to 20,000 hours. A full charges takes 6 hours of sunlight, and suffices for at least 5 hours; bulbs stay cool, always.
- COMMERCIAL GRADE WEATHERPROOF GAZEBO LIGHTS FOR YOUR BALCONY / BACK YARD: Built With Brightech's heavy duty WeatherTite Technology so as to withstand extreme temperatures, rain, wind, and damp climates. Customer reviews say they've withstood winds up to 50MPH and lots of rain. These 2 inch bulbs are made out of strong plastic shells to avoid breakage. Install once - easily - and leave up year round.
- BEST VINTAGE EDISON BULB STRAND LIGHTS FOR WEDDINGS, BIRTHDAYS & PARTIES: Install as a scalloped carnival canopy over your terrace to set the mood for an elegant reception or a friendly BBQ. These Solar Powered heavy duty LED string lights will create the perfect atmosphere for a . Each strand is 27 feet long with 12 G40 bulbs spaced 20 inches apart (the lighted portion is 20 feet). There are 6 feet between the solar panel and the first bulb.
- SATISFACTION GUARANTEED WARRANTY ON BACKYARD STRING LIGHTS: We proudly stand behind all of our products 100% and offer a full 3 year warranty. We are committed to making sure you love your purchase, so if for any reason you are not satisfied, please contact us and we will make things right. (Purchases from AmazonWarehouseDeals or any other third party seller do not qualify for our warranty)
Description
Stylishly illumine your after-dark outdoor dining - while saving on your power bill - with Brightech's Solar Ambience LED G40 String Lights. These tech-savvy light sets (12 bulbs per strand) mimic the classic look of flickering, exposed filament bulbs without any of the high cost associated with incandescent lighting. The LED bulbs look warm yet stay cool. They never generate heat. Best of all, they last around 20,000 hours, and they imbue a soft, nostalgic glow to campers and backyard gardens alike.
The LEDs in this 26-foot strand use only 1 Watt per bulb, for a total of 12 watts per set. We make our bulbs out of durable plastic shells. They will not shatter like ordinary glass bulbs, and can be displayed with complete confidence that they won't break. The bulbs measure 2 inches in diameter. A generous 20 inches of space in between bulbs gives you room to decorate on a garden roof, across a gazebo, or in an open-air bistro. The total length of the strand is approximately 26 feet across, 18 feet for the spread of the bulbs, and 8 feet for the cord extending to the solar panel.
Color temperature of 3,000 Kelvin provides soft, pleasant mood lighting that's just right for a romantic dinner al fresco.
These lights are so nice and exactly what I wanted! When unboxing I was pleasantly surprised by how heavy they were, they definitely seem to be sturdy. The solar panel is a really nice size and I love that the panel came with a large clip. I clipped the panel on to the end of my deck and hung the lights along the soffet using some little clip hooks. They look amazing and give off the perfect amount of warm light without being too bright. And the length is not too short like some solar strings are. Highly recommend!
So far so good! It’s been about 2 weeks since I’ve hung these.... so far they are great! They stay lit from about 8:00 when it gets dark, and stay lit till at least 1:30am... I haven’t stayed awake long enough to see how long they really last lol. I have no electrical outlets outside so these have been perfect. I have a porch that’s about 18’ long and 9’ deep, and I’m usung 2 strands of these. My porch faces southeast, and the solar panels are positioned facing south... I have deep gables over the porch and a another house very close on that same side, so I was really worried about getting enough solar charge, but no issues so far. I imagine if you have better exposure these may be even brighter! Mine are definitely mood lighting... but that’s perfect for me. They only thing is the color... it’s almost a neon tone... whith a green tint. But that’s also compared to other folks’ hard wired porch lights and a couple little solar ground lights I have out in the yard. It’s not a warm yellow or even cool white... not sure what to call it lol.. but now that I’ve have the porch furnished, it works really well and I love it.
We are extremely pleased with these lights! They do exactly what is stated and what we wanted. They turn on automatically at dusk and stay on for at least 6 hours; they provide a lovely amount of illumination over some chairs in our garden. You wouldn't choose them to read under, but they're perfect on nice evenings when its pleasant to sit outside.
The build quality is excellent and appears to be very sturdy, including the water-tight screw connector between the solar/battery panel and the light string. The lights themselves and the connecting cable inspire trust without being too heavy looking.
The provided instructions are simple but very accurate. As noted on those instructions, these only charge when the panel is turned ON, then we just leave it in that ON state permanently. The mounting options are quite good, except the spring clip only allows east-west orientation of the panel. I've offered a suggestion to BrighTech how that could be improved. It was pretty easy to figure out a very solid option that would give the preferred south-facing orientation in our situation.
I was impressed with how quickly BrighTech responded to my suggestion and a question. If we decide to do a multi-colored strand for holiday lights, I will be very confident if it comes from BrighTech.
So far so good. I’ve been using these for about a month, first while car camping and then in our yard. While camping I made sure to keep the solar panels in the sun all day and the lights would last all night until dawn. At home, the solar panels are under a tree and getting almost no sun during the day (it’s temporary) and yet we’re getting a few hours of light from them each night anyway.
My clever son noticed that the solar panels can unscrew from the light strings, so a person who is on top of their game can move the solar panels to charge in direct sunlight during the day and reattach them to the light strings when needed.
I would say the only downside to these is that they are a bit heavy and bulky for packing for camping, but then I doubt that is the intended use for them. They are not super bright, which you don’t expect from solar lights generally, but give off a generous ambient glow. It’s important to remember to switch the lights to ON for charging.
Altogether, we’re happy with these so far.
UPDATED 2/4/18
AWESOME! customer service. Responded within 24-hours and had new lights in my mailbox by the end of that week. COMPLETELY SATISFIED!
Was very happy when received and installed but after 6 months, do not light up. Were under an awning with little or no exposure to elements. Just stopped working one day. No idea how to fix. Would be nice if if there was an option to plug in to test if the solar panel went bad or completed dead. Contacting seller & will update review with response.
0 comments:
Post a Comment