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The best outdoor patio lanterns for creating outdoor ambiance

HappySprout Contributor
By

You have your patio furniture and table. It’s time to spend some time outdoors, but you aren’t sure what’s missing. Small details provide a simple finish for your outdoor space so you have the finished design look you’ll want to use again and again. With our top choices for outdoor patio lights, your patio will receivethe finished look you crave. Here’s our best-of list.

Patio lights offer a gentle glow or full light depending on your needs. These lights on our list provide a variety of design styles to ensure your lighting matches your decor perfectly. Let’s find your next patio light, so you can enjoy your space and wow your guests. Browse these top-rated patio lanterns available online.

TomCare Flickering Flame Solar Lantern

Best Overall

If you love outdoor hanging lanterns for your patio, you'll love these. They feature a completely enclosed glass and metal lantern with a realistic flickering light similar to placing lit candles all around. They're solar and come on automatically at dusk, providing a warm white light perfect for evening gatherings.

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Gigalumi Hanging Solar Mason Jar

Best Value

With a rustic mason jar design, this six-pack offers plenty of light coverage for your patio. These lanterns feature solar-powered micro-string lights and come on automatically at dusk. You can hang them up or sit them on a flat surface for use, and the wide solar panel helps gather power, even on cloudy days. They provide up to eight hours of light overnight.

Esgarden Hanging Solar Lanterns

Best Solar

This 12-inch solar lantern not only provides light, but it has a fun visual effect as the light feeds through the metal pattern. It's suitable to hang or stand, depending on your needs, and comes on automatically at dusk for convenience. Waterproof and corrosion-resistant, it also provides a warm white light for up eight hours on a full charge.

Bright Zea Vintage Candle Lantern

Best Battery-powered

These outdoor candle lanterns for your patio provide a traditional look with flickering candle effects and convenient timer features. The lanterns use batteries and feature steady-on and timer modes. The housing is rust-resistant, and you can hang them up or stand them on a table. Turn this model to timer mode and it will glow for six hours and turn off automatically/turn back on at the same time every day.

Patio lights provide a magical atmosphere and allow you to use your outdoor space even as the sun goes down. The hanging outdoor lanterns for the patio will enable you to maximize your design, and our list’s options are a wonderful place to start. Maintain a stylish patio by finishing off your decor with flair and the perfect lighting.

Good, better, best: The perfect gas grill for your outdoor kitchen
Scott Harris
By Scott Harris
December 26, 2021
best outdoor gas grill woman grilling outside

Grills these days do a lot more than cook Independence Day hot dogs. Viewed as a more flavorful and healthful alternative to some other, more conventional cooking methods, grilling is the centerpiece of many a culinary adventure, from the everyday to the downright fancy.

Does any of that sound appealing? You may be ready to make a long-term investment in a heavy-duty gas grill. A solid gas grill is easy and economical to use, stands up to wear and tear over time, is fairly simple to use and maintain, and can provide the kind of flexibility and functionality you need in an everyday cooking space.

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5 outdoor lighting tips we learned from experience so you didn’t have to
Kiera Baron
By Kiera Baron
December 21, 2021
Hanging outdoor lights

One of the most exciting parts about setting up an outdoor space is designing the lighting in a way that makes it not only beautiful to look at but enjoyable to spend time in. The types of lights and where you place them will depend on what your space looks like. Even in an urban apartment or home, you can accentuate balconies and patios with lights that make summer evenings feel a bit more magical — but how do you know what to choose? It’s natural to make mistakes the first time around, like buying bulbs that are too large or a lamp with a cord when you don’t have an outlet. Luckily, we’ve got a few outdoor lighting tips up our sleeve to help you forgo some of those initial hiccups.

Different types of lights you can use
First thing’s first: it’s important to assess your space and consider the different types of lighting you can use for it. If you’ve got a deck with stairs, you can utilize things like lights placed under the steps to illuminate them or rail lights to keep the night extra safe. These lights are usually subtle, so you don’t have to worry about them overpowering the area.

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A complete guide to the best lights to choose for your greenhouse
Kiera Baron
By Kiera Baron
December 19, 2021
Houseplants under grow lights

Just like growing houseplants indoors, growing plants in a greenhouse requires specific care and a suitable environment. Even though the greenhouse will have some light from the sun coming in, the glass panes are often filtered in some kind of way to prevent your plant’s leaves from scorching. Enter grow lights. They’re used most commonly in darker spaces or during colder months; however, they're greatly beneficial to your greenhouse plants and help ensure that the plants are getting the light they need to thrive.

Can you have an indoor greenhouse?
Absolutely! Indoor greenhouses are revered for how sustainable and inexpensive they can be. An indoor greenhouse with lights can be installed anywhere in the home where you have the space, and it’s a perfect place to grow things like fruits, herbs, and veggies indoors. If you’re only planning to grow a couple herbs, you can get something as small as a tabletop greenhouse! It will fit a few plants, won’t take up too much space, and will add to the aesthetic of a room while letting you grow plants in a unique way.

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