Solar fairy lights buying guide
Updated: 22 October 2026
You are on amazon.co.uk with two tabs open, one string sold in metres and another sold in feet, both called waterproof. By the end of this solar fairy lights buying guide you should be able to separate lit length from the lead, read the wire, and tell an IP code from a slogan. The sets on our [solar fairy lights comparison](/hub/garden-decor/solar-fairy-lights) sit between £6.59 and £12.99. A higher price inside that band still does not buy a guaranteed December evening. Length, wire, cell size and the weather line are the checks on this page.
You are on amazon.co.uk with two tabs open, one string sold in metres and another sold in feet, both called waterproof.
You are on amazon.co.uk with two tabs open, one string sold in metres and another sold in feet, both called waterproof. By the end of this solar fairy lights buying guide you should be able to separate lit length from the lead, read the wire, and tell an IP code from a slogan. The sets on our solar fairy lights comparison sit between £6.59 and £12.99. A higher price inside that band still does not buy a guaranteed December evening. Length, wire, cell size and the weather line are the checks on this page.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Lit length | Wire | Weather claim | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  bitjam bitjam 6 m rubber string | 6 m, 60 LEDs, 2 m lead | Rubber | IP65 claimed | 8.1 | about £6.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  btfarm btfarm 2 × 8 m strings | 16 m total, 160 LEDs | Copper and plastic | Waterproof, no IP code | 7.8 | about £8.55 | View offer |
 Kolpop Kolpop 24 m PVC string | 24 m, 240 LEDs | PVC | IP65, all parts | 8.6 | about £12.99 | View offer |
On this page
Lit length and the lead
A 5 m copper strand and a 24 m PVC run are different jobs. cshare is 5 m and 50 LEDs at £6.59. bitjam is 6 m and 60 LEDs at £6.99, plus a stated 2 m lead. Kolpop is 24 m and 240 LEDs at £12.99.
The lead is the unlit piece that lets the panel escape the foliage. On the btfarm copper two-pack, each string is 6 m of lights plus a 2 m lead, and the title total of 12 m is the lit length, not 14 m of sparkle. If you already know the checks and want one listing matched to a hedge or a tub, use best solar fairy lights.
Copper, rubber, or PVC
Copper bends around a twig and kinks if you pull it like a washing line. That is the wire on cshare, on both btfarm copper strings, on Lezonic, and on the GCCATE three-pack. Which? has tugged at the point where the cable enters the charger, calling that the common break on solar fairy lights.
Rubber or PVC is the sturdier sheath when the listing names it. bitjam states rubber and claims IP65. Kolpop states PVC and claims IP65 on all parts. The 8 m btfarm pair is listed as copper and plastic. Choose copper for a shrub, and the named rubber or PVC when the run is long.
Cell size and where the panel sits
Stated cells in this set are 1,200 mAh on Kolpop, or 800 mAh on the 6 m btfarm copper pack, on Lezonic, and on GCCATE. bitjam, cshare, the 8 m btfarm pair, and HHMTAKA do not print a milliamp-hour figure. White Stores treats 1,200 mAh as a useful floor for mixed British days. That is a retailer’s rule of thumb, not a British Standard.
The panel has to see open sky. A hedge that shades the sensor will leave the string dark however large the cell is printed. The switch has to be on for the auto charge these listings describe. A string that fades in November belongs on solar fairy lights in winter.
IP65 and the word waterproof
IP65, in IEC 60529 and BS EN 60529, means dust-tight and protected against water jets. It does not mean the string can sit in a pond or a water butt. Kolpop claims IP65 on all parts. bitjam, the 6 m btfarm copper pack, Lezonic, and GCCATE claim IP65.
Waterproof with no code is a different sentence. The 8 m btfarm pair and cshare use that word and do not give an IP number. HHMTAKA says light rain, again with no code. Memory is often claimed, and UK reviews sometimes say the last mode does not stick.
What to check before you order
Read the specification table against the title before you add anything to the basket. Lezonic’s title says 240 LEDs and 80 ft. The bullet says 120 LEDs and 40 ft of lights plus a 6 ft lead, and Number of Lights is 120. Treat that as unfinished information, not as a free extra 120 LEDs. A two-pack is two separate strings with their own panels, and UK reviews on the two-packs include one string dead. That is a pattern worth knowing. It is not a failure percentage. Match the lit length, the named wire, and any IP code before you order.
Common questions
How long a string do I need for a small tree versus a fence?
A small shrub is a 5 m or 6 m job. cshare is 5 m with 50 LEDs, and bitjam is 6 m with 60 LEDs plus a 2 m lead. A long hedge is Kolpop’s stated 24 m and 240 LEDs. A single fence bay of about 1.8 m does not need the whole 24 m reel. Measure the object, then the lit length.
Is the lead part of the lit length?
No. Where a lead is stated, it is the unlit cable from the panel to the first LED. bitjam and both btfarm packs describe about 2 m of lead. Kolpop does not state a separate lead, so do not plan on two spare metres. The lead is how you park the panel in sun.
Is copper better than rubber or PVC?
Copper bends and hides, and it kinks if you pull it tight. Rubber on bitjam and PVC on Kolpop are the sheaths those listings name for a fence that will be handled. Choose copper for a shrub you shape by hand. Choose the stated rubber or PVC sheath when the run is long.
What does IP65 mean, and is waterproof the same thing?
IP65 means dust-tight and protected against water jets. It does not mean you can immerse the string. Waterproof with no code, on the 8 m btfarm pair and on cshare, is not an IP65 rating. HHMTAKA only claims light rain. If the page names no code, you do not have IP65.
Is 800 mAh enough in Britain, or do I want 1,200 mAh stated?
Kolpop is the only set here that states 1,200 mAh. Three others state 800 mAh, and four state nothing. White Stores uses 1,200 mAh as a shop rule of thumb, not as a test of these cells. A printed 800 mAh still beats a blank, and neither figure guarantees an 8–14 hour night in November.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for electrical safety, product safety and waste electricals. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings on 20 October 2026. This is not a lab test.
- GOV.UK, Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, SI 2016/1101 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First, outdoor lighting (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First, Christmas lights (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, recycling batteries and electricals (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, WEEE scope, decorative lighting (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- White Stores, garden lighting (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Festive Lights, solar troubleshooting (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Which?, solar garden lights (retrieved 20 October 2026)