Best Outdoor String Lights

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String lights are sold on length and bulb count, but the choices that affect how the balcony feels are bulb shape and colour temperature. G40 is the round globe, roughly golf-ball sized, giving an even glow that reads as festive; ST38 is the small Edison shape with a visible filament, which looks more restrained and throws a slightly warmer pool of light. Colour temperature matters more than either: 2200K is the deep amber of a filament bulb and is what makes an outdoor space feel warm at night, while anything approaching 3000K starts to look like indoor lighting moved outside. Insist on shatterproof plastic bulbs rather than glass for a balcony, since one dropped glass bulb over a railing is a problem for whoever is below. Length should be measured as a route, not a distance, because you lose a surprising amount to the sag between fixing points and the run back to a socket; a 50 foot set covers a typical balcony perimeter with sag to spare, and the 100 to 300 foot sets are for wrapping a larger terrace or running along a fence. Check the weather rating explicitly and note that many sets rate the string but not the plug, which then needs to sit under cover. Dimmability and a remote are genuinely useful rather than gimmicks here, and if you want the lights to come on by themselves, confirm whether a timer is built in or expects a separate smart plug.