Solar Globe Lights: String, Hanging and Stake Styles Compared

Solar globe lights are round-bulb lights charged by a small panel, sold as string lights, hanging globes and garden stakes. Choose a string of round bulbs for a fence or patio, hanging globes for trees and stakes for paths. All of them need a panel in direct sun, and they give a soft glow rather than bright light.

Three kinds of solar globe lights

Solar globe lights come in three main forms, and the right one depends on what you want to outline.

For Christmas, start with the first type, since a strand of warm round bulbs looks festive along a rail. Single globes make a nice winter accent, and a group of three reads better than one on its own.

What G40 and bulb shape mean

G40 on a solar string tells you the bulb is round, but it doesn’t reliably tell you how big. 1000Bulbs lists its G40 lamps at 5 inches across, while Christmas Lights Etc lists the G40 bulbs on one patio string at 40 millimeters, about 1.6 inches. Read the diameter in the specs, since the code alone can mislead.

Not every solar string with visible bulbs has round ones. Brightech’s Ambience Pro solar strand uses S14 bulbs, a more elongated shape sold for the same patio look. If the perfectly round look matters to you, check for a G code rather than trusting the title.

Color is the other label to read. Brightech lists its warm white at 2700K and soft white at 3000K. Warm white suits traditional Christmas greens, and our guide to warm white vs. multicolor solar lights goes through the choice.

Plastic or glass bulbs on a solar string?

Plastic bulbs are the safer choice for a strand that lives outdoors. Wind can knock a string against a post, and a dropped plastic bulb won’t scatter glass across the patio. Brightech describes its Ambience Pro bulbs as shatterproof plastic and says individual bulbs can be replaced.

Replaceable bulbs and panels are worth looking for if you want the set to last. Brightech sells a replacement panel separately, and its bulbs can be swapped one at a time, so a single failed part doesn’t mean throwing out a whole strand. On some strings, the LEDs and wire are one sealed unit, so check before you count on repairs.

Glass bulbs have a nicer clarity, but they weigh more, and they are a bigger worry over a wooden deck or around kids.

Getting a winter charge into solar globe lights

Solar globe lights charge best on a south-facing spot with a clear view of the winter sky, and that spot often isn’t next to the patio. Brightech’s strand has 3 feet of cable between the panel and the first bulb, so look for a longer lead if you need to reach farther.

The U.S. Department of Energy says Denver gets nearly three times more solar energy in June than in December. EnergySage gives 8 to 14 hours of run time on a full charge for solar Christmas lights, with less after cloudy days. Plan on the low end through December.

Give a new set a full day of sun before you judge it. Brightech recommends the same. Keep the panel clear of snow and away from porch lights, since Gama Sonic notes that nearby lights can keep the sensor from switching on. Our do solar Christmas lights work in winter page has more on short days.

Hanging solar globe string lights

Hanging a solar globe string takes a little more planning than a thin fairy-light string, because the bulbs have real weight.

1. Measure your run. Measure the fence or rail first, and allow slack for droop between posts.
2. Set the panel first. Fix it in the sunniest spot within reach of the lead.
3. Hang from hooks or a guide wire. Long spans sag, so add a support every few feet or run a thin guide wire.
4. Hang it after a test. Let it charge on the ground and check that all bulbs light before you climb a ladder.

How to install solar Christmas lights covers panel angle and stakes in more detail, and solar Christmas pathway lights is a better fit if you mainly want to light a walk.

Solar globe lights after the holidays

Solar globe lights are one of the few Christmas buys that make sense all year, since the same strand suits summer evenings on the patio. Longer days also mean longer run times.

If a strand stops working, check the panel switch and battery first. Our solar Christmas lights not working page lists the common causes, and replacing solar light batteries covers the swap. To compare globe strands with the rest of the category, see the best solar Christmas lights.