Style

Of course, the whole point of choosing to decorate with string lights is to look good. Maybe you want to add some flare to a particular region of your home or property. Maybe you want to impress your neighbors with awesome holiday decorations. Maybe you literally need the light and thought string lights looked better than a lamp, chandelier, fixture, or anything else. Whatever the case, string lights are supposed to provide a certain amount of decoration. The aspect of your string lights that will have the biggest impact on aesthetic value is going to be the bulb shape that you choose. Globe and Edison bulbs will give you a more classically beautiful look. The candle-like C bulb is the traditional Christmas lights. You can probably find more unique and funky shapes to suit your decorative needs. You will also need to consider spacing. Spacing will depend largely on the purpose of your string lights. If each bulb is too close together, it may look cramped, and your string lights will not always be able to serve the purpose of a good decoration, especially for a small space, unless you have a specific look in mind that requires closely spaced lights on a string. If each light is too far apart on the string, it may not provide enough light. The brightness of the lights will also affect spacing. LED lights, for example, do not always need to be too close together because they are bright and can cover a lot of ground.

Effectiveness

Spacing and aesthetic is not the only thing that matters when it comes to brightness. Brightness also affects how much light your bulbs will provide. LED lights are going to pretty bright. Clear bulbs will also provide a lot of light, and you may also like the look of the interior filament that is visible if you choose clear finishes, especially if you get an Edison bulb. If you are going for a more subtle look, then you might want to consider satin or pearl finishes, which often diffuse the light a little bit.

Materias & Constructionl

The two main choices for the material of your bulbs is going to be glass and acrylic. While glass bulbs are definitely cheaper, acrylic bulbs tend to last longer. All the best glass bulbs will be made out relatively strong and reliable glass. Therefore, as long as you are willing to be careful with you string lights in order to treat them well, glass bulbs can last just as long as acrylic bulbs for a much lower price, especially if you want to keep your string lights indoors. Additionally, the appearance of the glass bulbs are very iconic, so you might be drawn to the traditional look of glass bulbs. However, acrylic bulbs come with a particular advantage when you choose to get colored lights. The color on glass lights in simply painted onto the glass and the paint is going to chip over time. The color of acrylic lights is infused into the material, so your colors will remain bright and vivid for a very long time. If you want the modern, bright, and colorful look, then you should stick with acrylic bulbs. Some bulbs are also made out of plastic. These might be cheap, but they will very rarely give you the elegant aesthetic that you probably want your string lights to provide.

Length

If the string lights are not long enough, then they will look very awkward covering only part of the area that you wanted them to cover. As a result, you might have to buy a second set of the same type of string lights in order to fix the problem, which might be a waste of your money if you had the choice to just order one set of slightly longer string lights. Additionally, depending on how well you decorate or on how well you hide the fact that one set of string lights was not enough, it can actually look a little bit awkward to use two sets of string lights. Therefore, you need to make sure that you take measurements and buy string lights that are several feet longer than the measurements you took. After all, string lights that are too long are definitely better than string lights that are too short. Additionally, you probably will not pull the string completely taut because most people want them to hang or drape loosely in natural looking arcs. If you are not pulling your lights taut, then you definitely need an extra two to six feet of wire in order make sure they fit.

Wire

As you probably know, the string that the lights are attached to is not actually a string. It is usually the wire that conducts the electricity to make the lights work. The best wires will have to be insulated well in order to support a lot of usage and wattage. They will also protect your lights from damage, especially if you are hanging them outside. However, these well-insulated wires may be more expensive. Therefore, if you know that you will only be getting minimal use out of your lights in an area where your lights will not be particularly exposed to the elements, then you do not need to invest in the best quality wires. Instead, wires designed for moderate to normal light usage should do the trick for you. For example, if you just want fairy lights to hang in a bedroom, then you do not need the thickest and most durable wire. The color of the wire may also make a difference. You do not want a wire color that ruins the aesthetic of the lights. If the lights are turned on, the color will likely be difficult to notice, but the lights are not always on. Additionally, if the lights are turned on when there is another strong light source available, the color of the wire still might be noticeable. Black or white wiring is always pretty safe. Dark green is also pretty popular. Many fairy lights come with a gold or copper wire, so make sure you are okay with that type of coloring.

Adjustability

You may be interested in string lights where you can change the color or the brightness, depending on the occasion. Plenty of the best string lights will not have this feature, but it is a clear advantage if they do. If you think you want your string lights to serve multiple purposes and multiple times of day, then adjustability might be a priority for you.

Safety & Safety Hazards

All the best string lights are relatively safe. They should not short circuit on you and start a serious fire. However, some can burn you. If you are worried about burns, then you can choose an LED option. LED lights will be cool to the touch, even when they are turned on. Therefore, you can hang them pretty low down, and you will never have to worry about someone brushing up against the lights and being burned as a result. Another safety feature that should keep in mind is durability. If glass bulbs are breaking on you, then you do not want glass shards cutting your skin. Therefore, if you like glass, make sure to choose a reliable type of glass.