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String lights are a fantastic way to make any space feel warm and cozy, and are an incredibly popular way to light bedrooms, patios, and other spaces in the home. String lights are also a fantastic way to light a campsite or outdoor area, creating a gentle welcoming light.
LED string lights are safe for use in natural areas, because they create light without heat, and are light, versatile, and easy to hang or drape anywhere.
The next time you want to add more glam to your camping trip, string lights are an excellent choice, and here are some of our top picks for outdoor string lights for camping.
Best Outdoor and Camping String Lights Reviews
Brightech Ambience Pro Camping Lights
The Brightech Ambience Pro Camping Lights are designed for the outdoors, with a waterproof, shatterproof construction. These LED lights don’t get hot to the touch, give enough light to cook by, and are USB powered, so you can charge them with a power bank or any other charging device. This commercial-grade, Edison-style strand of string lights gives you warm, white light anywhere you go.
The Brightech Ambience Pro Camping Lights are USB powered, so they can be plugged into any standard power bank for hours of light. These commercial-grade bulbs are waterproof, weatherproof, and shatterproof, so they can endure tough conditions outdoors without breaking.
Each strand is 24.5 feet long, with 10 Edison-style lights placed 20 inches apart. The strand has 17 feet of lights, and 6.5 feet of bare cord for plugging in. You can choose between 2700k Warm White or 3000k Soft White colors, and these string lights are backed by a 3-year warranty.
- Beautiful warm Edison-style lights
- Waterproof, shatter proof, and weatherproof
- Convenient USB power
- Long string of lights
- 3-year warranty
- Relatively expensive
- May be a bit large and cumbersome for backpacking
SUPSOO Solar Christmas Lights
These wonderful string lights are solar powered, with a long 72-foot strand of lights long enough to light an entire camp site for hours every night. They have 8 different lighting functions to give you whatever ambience you want to create. These lights are IP65 waterproof rated to withstand weather and come with a convenient staking system for automatic solar recharging by day.
The Solar Christmas Lights from SUPSOO come with a compact solar panel and stake system, so you can set up your lights anywhere. The long, 72 foot strand of lights gives you endless options for choosing your lighting levels, and you can enjoy 8 lighting functions, including combination, waves, sequential, slo-glo, chasing/flash, slow fade, twinkle/flash, and steady on.
The smart memory function saves your most recent light settings, so there’s no need to reset them every night. These lights are waterproof with an IP65 rating and can easily be used indoors or outdoors. Each strand has 200 LED lights, and you can choose between blue light, multicolored, soft warm white, or white.
- Easy to install solar panel with ground stake
- Long string of 200 lights can be used in a
- Waterproof for outdoor or indoor use
- Eight different lighting functions
- Memory function remembers your most recent light settings
- Comes on automatically at night
- Lights last for hours
- May not be very durable
Koopower 36ft 100 LED Battery Operated String Lights with Timer
The compact Koopower 36ft 100 LED Battery Operated String Lights pack down small and light, for a perfect source of light in a tent or at a campsite. These LED lights have a timer function, 8 lighting functions, and weigh just over 10 ounces, for versatile, beautiful light anywhere.
The Koopower 36ft 100 LED Battery Operated String Lights are waterproof with an IP65 rating, so they are perfect for indoor or outdoor use. The 36 foot strand has 100 warm white LEDs and requires 3AA batteries. These lights have 8 function modes, including combination, steady on, slow fade, waves, slo-glo, chasing/flash, sequential, or twinkle/flash.
Smart memory restores your last settings when you turn on the light, so you don’t have to reset them every time. They also have a timer function, so you can simply turn on the timer to enjoy an automatic 6 hours on and 18 hours off, which may be helpful at a dark campsite. This strand of lights is small and compact, easy to carry while hiking, biking, or camping.
- Battery-powered lights don’t need to be plugged in
- Eight different lighting modes
- Automatic lighting timer
- Smart memory restores your most recent setting
- Waterproof
- Compact and lightweight
- Battery pack is not waterproof, and should be protected from wet and damp conditions
FXUS Battery Operated USB 2 in 1 String Lights
These pretty globe string lights are 2-in-1. They can be powered by 3AA batteries, or by USB, so you can still have light if you run out of batteries. The waterproof plastic globes are durable and create a pleasing light, and these lights have multiple lighting modes, and are dimmable, so you can create the perfect ambience at your campsite or anywhere else. They also come with a remote control for incredible convenience.
The Battery Operated USB 2 in 1 String Lights by FXUS are incredibly convenient and versatile. The plastic globes are waterproof and shatterproof, and produce a pleasing, soft light. This strand of light can be powered by USB or with the battery pack, and you can switch power modes at any time, so you don’t need to carry a ton of batteries with you.
It has eight lighting functions including combination, waves, sequential, slo-glo, chasing/flash, slow fade, twinkle/flash, and steady on. These lights are also dimmable, so you can adjust the brightness, and a timer.
These lights store your most used settings, so you don’t need to reset them when you turn them on, and copper wire makes them easy to hang anywhere. They also come with a convenient remote control, so you can adjust your lights while still tucked into your sleeping bag. This 40 foot strand of lights has 100 LED lights, available in colored or warm white light, and is backed by a one year warranty.
- Battery or USB powered lights
- Waterproof and shatterproof
- Multiple lighting modes, dimmable, and timer settings
- Smart memory stores your most recent settings
- Remote control
- 1-year warranty
- May consume batteries fairly quickly
Fairy Lights, 66ft 200 LED Outdoor String Lights
This lightweight copper strand of 200 LED lights is battery powered and can be easily wrapped or folded into a variety of shapes or hung nearly anywhere. They are waterproof and high temperature resistant and have a remote control with a variety of lighting functions. These fairy lights are compact and lightweight but produce a lot of warm light.
The 66ft 200 LED Outdoor String Lights are a long strand with a lot of light but weighs less than 4 ounces. They take 3 AA batteries, and have eight lighting functions, including combination, waves sequential, slo-glo, chasing/flash, slow fade, twinkle/flash, and steady on. You can also dim these lights or use a 6 hour timer.
They come with a remote control so you can control the lights from inside your sleeping bag. The copper strand is lightweight and flexible, with 4 inches between lights, so you can either hang them, wrap them around objects, or fold them into shapes. They come in warm white, blue, or multicolored strands.
- Battery-powered fairy lights
- Long strand of 66 feet with 200 lights
- Lightweight bendable foldable copper strand
- Eight lighting functions
- Dimmable and timer function
- Remote control
- Waterproof and weather resistant
- May be difficult to untangle if they get tangled
XINKAITE String Lights, Waterproof LED String Lights
This tiny strand of string lights is battery powered and ultra-compact, perfect for gently lighting a small area like the inside of a tent, a tabletop, or a bedside without requiring electricity or taking up any space in a pack. They are waterproof and weather resistant, small enough to tuck into a pocket, and create a gentle ambient light anywhere you need it.
The String Lights, Waterproof LED String Lights is a small 9.8 foot strand of fairy lights on ultra-thin silver wire. It has 30 LED lights that provide a gentle light just where it’s needed. This strand of light weighs just 1.5 ounces, so it’s ultra-portable for hiking, camping, backpacking, or other outdoor adventures. They are waterproof and cool to the touch, so they can be used indoors or outdoors. They require 3AA batteries, and come in white, warm white, blue, green, orange, pink, purple, red, or RGB colors.
- Ultra-compact and lightweight fairy lights
- Provide gentle glow
- Waterproof and suitable for indoor or outdoor use
- Doesn’t produce a lot of light for cooking or reading
What to Consider When Choosing Outdoor String Lights for Camping
Generally speaking, modern LED lights give you a fantastic range of options for light color, lighting functions, and power supplies, at an affordable price. Here are some of the top things to keep in mind:
Source of Electricity
Our top choices for the best outdoor string lights provide a wide range of power sources. You can decide whether you want to use battery power, solar power, or USB to power your lights.
Depending on your outdoor activities, it’s a good idea to choose camping string lights that give you power options, particularly if your lights are battery powered. For a long camping or hiking trip, you may not want to carry a lot of backup batteries with you, and yet you don’t want to run out of electricity for your lights. For longer outdoor adventures, choose lights that give you more than one option.
Waterproof Rating
All our best camping string lights are waterproof, but typically that doesn’t mean that the battery pack or power supply is also waterproof. You may need to protect the cable connection from water by keeping the battery pack in a sheltered spot, waterproof bag, or other alternative.
Timing Function
Many LED string lights have a timer function, and this can be a great feature when camping. Not only will your lights shut off automatically after a set time, and thereby save power, but you can also set your lights to come on at a certain time, which may make it easier to find your campsite after an evening hike.
Remote Control
Okay, a remote control isn’t necessary and may seem like a luxury for ultralight camping or backpacking. But the ability to control the lights from inside your tent, hammock, or sleeping bag without getting up can be incredibly convenient and put the “glam” in glamping.
Final Conclusion: Best Camping String Lights
Our best overall pick for camping string lights are the FXUS Battery Operated USB 2-in-1 String Lights. These lights have everything we are looking for in camping string lights: they create a charming warm light, the strand is long enough to light a substantial area, they are IP65 waterproof and shatterproof, and they have a remote control with eight lighting modes, a timer, and dimming.
We love that these lights can be battery or USB powered, so you have alternatives, and the strand is lightweight and easy to transport and hang.
Best for a Large Campsite or Long Trip
If you are creating a home-away-from-home outdoors, then you can’t go wrong with the SUPSOO Solar Christmas lights. This strand of string lights is long enough to light a wide area, or double back on itself to make brighter light where needed.
The solar panel stakes securely in the ground, and these string lights are IP65 waterproof and rugged, so you can set them up once and not worry about light or power for your whole trip. They will shine for 8-12 hours on a single charge, have eight different lighting modes, and are incredibly easy to use.
