Battery-powered outdoor lighting does away with the unpredictability of solar panels (you’ll never need to worry about cloud cover leaving you in the dark!). Battery-powered string lights are ideal for covered porches and patios where setting up solar panels would be impractical.

They are extremely portable — even more so than solar-powered string lights. So feel free to move them around your backyard or take them on the road as you please.

Brightech Ambience Pro 24.5 ft Outdoor USB Powered Edison String Lights

Check Price
If you’ve taken a look around your patio and decided that plug-in or solar lighting won’t work, these USB-powered lights are certainly worth a try.

Each strand measures 24.5 feet long and contains 10 LED Edison bulbs. The bulbs are surprisingly bright and feature easy-to-hang bases.

Since these lights connect to a USB power pack (which must be purchased separately), there’s no need to worry about replacing single-use batteries. As long as you have a fully charged power pack on hand, you can use these string lights literally anywhere.

11. Curtain

Curtain string lights are the bigger, more dramatic cousins of icicle lights. They feature dangling strands of bulbs that are several feet long.

While less versatile than other forms of outdoor lighting, curtain lights offer a look that’s hard to recreate.

Hang curtain lights around the perimeter of your patio or backyard fence. You can combine these string lights with fabric panels or decorative toile for a soft ethereal glow.

The Holiday Aisle Mini Curtain String Lights

Check Price
No matter what your current outdoor lighting setup looks like, these curtain lights are a great way to take it to the next level.

These mini curtain string lights feature 150 basic bulbs spread across a 5.5-foot strand. You can connect up to 3 strands together using a single outlet.