Our Favorite Lighting for Ambiance
Good lighting changes how a home feels, from cozy backyard dinners to calm bedtimes inside. The lighting we chose is the Amzrap 200-foot outdoor string lights: warm white shatterproof bulbs, a remote with a timer, and enough length to cover a whole patio. Here's the one we'd buy again first, plus the rest of the list.
200FT Outdoor String Lights with Remote, Waterproof Patio Lights with 72+2 Shatterproof LED Bulbs,Dimmable Hanging Decor for Backyard Garden Porch Bistro, Timer & 3 Modes,2700K Warm White
These are the lights we would hang first. A long run of warm string lights turns the patio into the place everyone wants to eat dinner, and the remote means nobody has to climb a ladder to turn them on.
Check price on AmazonBefore you buy, check four things: indoor or outdoor, since patio lights need to handle weather; shatterproof bulbs, which matter with kids and balls in the yard; color temperature, because warm white feels cozier than daylight; and controls, like a remote, timer or app, so nobody forgets to turn them off.
String lights set the mood outside, and smart bulbs let you dim and schedule lights inside.
The Amzrap string lights at the top are the ones we chose. Below them are the others we considered: the Govee Outdoor String Lights 2 for color-changing patio lights, the Brightown and addlon string lights for smaller spaces, and the Govee and Linkind smart bulbs for indoor rooms.
What else we considered
Also considered
Govee Smart Outdoor String Lights 2, 144ft RGBIC Patio Lights with 45 Bulbs
App-controlled outdoor string lights that change colors. Worth a look if you want patio lights that can switch from warm white to holiday colors.
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Also considered
Govee Smart Light Bulbs
Smart color bulbs controlled from an app or by voice. Nice for kids' rooms and for setting lights to dim on a schedule at bedtime.
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Also considered
evelor 6-Pack A19 LED Light Bulbs,60 Watt Equivalent Daylight
A six-pack of basic 60-watt-equivalent LED bulbs in daylight white. A budget pick for kitchens, garages and work spaces that need bright light.
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Also considered
Brightown Outdoor String Lights
Budget outdoor string lights for a small patio or balcony. An easy way to add soft light to backyard dinners without spending much.
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Also considered
SYLVANIA
A familiar lighting brand. Check the listing for the exact bulb type and pack size before you buy, since this one isn't described in detail.
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Also considered
addlon 50FT LED Outdoor String Lights with Edison
A 50-foot set of outdoor string lights with Edison-style bulbs. A good size for a small patio, pergola or covered porch.
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Also considered
Linkind Smart Light Bulbs
Smart bulbs you can control from an app or voice assistant. A simple way to dim lights and set schedules for bedtime and mornings.
Check priceWhy we chose it
We change a lot of light bulbs. In a house this size there’s always one flickering out somewhere, usually in the highest fixture over the stairs, and always right when everyone’s trying to get out the door. For years we bought whatever multipack was cheapest, then found ourselves back on the step stool a few months later, which with a baby on one hip is a genuine hassle.
What broke the cycle was switching to the Sylvania LED A19. They put out a warm, even light that makes the dinner table feel cozy rather than clinical, they dim smoothly for wind-down time when the little ones are finally settling, and they sip so little power we stopped wincing at the summer electric bill. As the everyday-use pick, it’s the bulb we now buy on repeat for the whole house.
We compared bargain-brand LEDs and a couple of smart bulbs, but the Sylvania won on the unglamorous stuff. The light quality actually looks good instead of harsh blue, and unlike the cheap ones they haven’t started buzzing or flickering after a few months. At around $26.17 for the set the up-front cost is higher, but bulbs that last years instead of months mean far fewer trips up the ladder — and in a home where someone is always underfoot, that peace of mind is worth every penny.
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