Are Bistro Lights (String Lights) Right For Me?
Are you considering lighting features for your yard or outdoor space? There are a lot of options to choose from. Spotlights and post lights, well lights and solar-powered portable lights, up lights and downlights, and outdoor light shows, A popular option you may want to consider are bistro lights, also known as string lights. Bistro lights offer a range of versatility as far as their capacity to illuminate as well as how they can be used. There are some options where bistro lights aren’t as ideal. We’ll walk you through some of the advantages and disadvantages of bistro lights to help make your lighting decision light work.
The Advantages of Bistro Lights
One of the benefits of bistro lights is how versatile they are in terms of how and where you can position them. For example, they are often used over pergolas, arbors, or various other canopy structures to provide overhanging light. One of the benefits of this setup is that it provides abundant lighting directly overhead but doesn’t require a fixed wiring connection as may be necessary with fan/light setups.
Another benefit to using bistro lights is that they offer a variety of aesthetic effects. They can be hung in or around vegetation to enhance the vegetation itself. Lighting can also be featured as a shower effect along the side of a wall or trellis; bistro lights can also achieve this effect when strung overhead of a pergola or draped over the side of a pergola or arbor. Bistro lights can also be used to light up other features, such as water features such as fountains and waterfalls, to create a unique pattern that you may not be able to achieve with other lighting options such as spotlights or submerged lighting.
Another popular method of using bistro lights is to use them for lighting paths and entranceways. They can be used adjacent to a footpath, elevated slightly along with posts, to create immediate lighting along a walking surface. Bistro lighting can also be draped along with structures adjacent to or covering a path, such as balconies, overhangs, posts, or arbors, to create overhead lighting; this is another great opportunity to incorporate vegetation, particularly trees, into your lighting design. It can also be draped across an entranceway, along a deck railing, or around a pool to illuminate a specific area while also making certain spaces more visible for safety measures.
Lastly, bistro lights come in a range of design, color, and bulb options. There are Edison-type bulbs that use an incandescent bulb to create an antique, soft, warm glow that provides intimate but not-too-bright lighting great for overhead lighting on long, warm summer nights. Colored bulbs are also available for a fun atmosphere or to change with each holiday and season.
Bistro Lighting Drawbacks and Considerations
Although bistro lights are a great lighting option for a variety of functions and designs, it doesn’t mean that they will meet your every lighting need. Here are some considerations before investing in string lights.
Some bistro lights, particularly LED lights, will have a higher upfront cost than other lighting options. Depending on how much lighting you need, this may not be the most economical option. That being said, LED lights are more energy-efficient, so you will break even down the road. If you use your lights regularly, then LED may be for you. If you only entertain occasionally, then they may not be the greatest investment. Also, since LEDs are a bit brighter than other lighting options, they need to be positioned carefully to not create a nuisance, and our technicians are trained to install bistro so it is not offensive.
Finally, for situations where a lot of lighting is needed, particularly to illuminate specific structures or to cover large distances, bistro lights might not be the most practical option. For longer footpaths, posts or well lights can be more safely wired for efficient electrical connection without potential breakage of the string light wiring. While bistro lighting can be energy-efficient, it is used more as an intimate light source rather than for maximum illumination. To illuminate a specific area, using floodlights or spotlights, as uplighting or downlighting, will maximize illumination.
The Light For Any Occasion
Although bistro lights are a great lighting option for a variety of functions and designs, it doesn’t mean that they will meet your every lighting need. Here are some considerations before investing in string lights.
Some bistro lights, particularly LED lights, will have a higher upfront cost than other lighting options. Depending on how much lighting you need, this may not be the most economical option. That being said, LED lights are more energy-efficient, so you will break even down the road. If you use your lights regularly, then LED may be for you. If you only entertain occasionally, then they may not be the greatest investment. Also, since LEDs are a bit brighter than other lighting options, they need to be positioned carefully to not create a nuisance, and our technicians are trained to install bistro so it is not offensive.
Finally, for situations where a lot of lighting is needed, particularly to illuminate specific structures or to cover large distances, bistro lights might not be the most practical option. For longer footpaths, posts or well lights can be more safely wired for efficient electrical connection without potential breakage of the string light wiring. While bistro lighting can be energy-efficient, it is used more as an intimate light source rather than for maximum illumination. To illuminate a specific area, using floodlights or spotlights, as uplighting or downlighting, will maximize illumination.