Tried those solar string lights everyone raves about, they fizzled out after 3 months

I got a 48-foot set from Amazon for $35, hung them up along my patio pergola in June, and by September half the bulbs were dead or flickering like crazy. Anybody have a brand of solar lights that actually survive more than one season?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_simon1mo ago

Honestly, I think you're probably just buying the wrong ones or not putting them in the right spot. Solar lights need direct sun for at least 6-7 hours a day to hold a charge, no shade at all. I've had a cheap set from Harbor Freight for two years now and they still work fine because I mounted them on a south-facing fence with zero trees overhead. People blame the product but half the time it's user error with placement or the battery not getting enough juice. Also, a lot of those Amazon ones come with garbage rechargeable batteries that you can swap out for like $8 after a season, so it's not really dead-dead. Ngl, I'm tired of everyone trashing solar lights when they just don't understand they're not magic, they're like plants-they need sun to live.

morgan_bailey931mo agoMost Upvoted

What about all the cloudy days though? If you get a week of rain in the summer do your Harbor Freight ones just give up for those nights or are they still putting out a little light?

wendyk561mo ago

Oh man, the plant comparison is cute but not quite right either. Solar panels actually work better in cold weather, so a cloudy 50 degree day can still charge them decently. It's the heat that kills the batteries over time, not the lack of sun.