If you buy through our links we may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. This never influences our recommendations.
Feit Electric’s solar string lights show up everywhere from Amazon to Ace Hardware to Lowe’s, and the search volume behind that name tells you people want to know one thing before buying: are these actually any good, or just another string of lights that dies out by October?
Short answer — they’re solid for what they’re built for, which is soft warm-white ambiance, not backyard floodlighting.
| Spec | Feit Electric SL20-10/SOL/V1 |
|---|---|
| Length | 20 ft, 10 sockets spaced 2 ft apart |
| Bulbs included | 11 (10 installed + 1 spare) |
| Brightness | 20 lumens per bulb, 2700K warm white |
| Runtime | Up to 6 hours on a full charge |
| Sensor | Dusk-to-dawn auto on/off |
| Rating | UL Wet Location rated |
| Bulb lifespan | 15,000 hours |
How Bright Is It, Really?
20 lumens a bulb is dim — think candlelight, not porch light. These are made for mood, not for lighting up a dinner table so you can read a menu.
If you want something you can actually see by, this isn’t it. If you want a warm glow along a fence line or wrapped around a pergola post, it’s exactly right.
The 2700K color temperature is the same soft amber you get from an old-school incandescent bulb, which is why these read as cozy instead of clinical.
How the Solar Side Actually Works
A small panel charges a built-in lithium-ion battery during the day, then a dusk-to-dawn sensor flips the lights on automatically once it gets dark.
Feit rates that at up to 6 hours a night on a full charge — worth noting that’s a best-case number. A cloudy stretch or a shorter winter day means less sun hitting the panel, which means less runtime that night.
The panel stakes into the ground or mounts to a wall, so you’ve got some flexibility in where it goes — just make sure wherever you put it actually gets direct sun, not the shady side of the fence six feet from where the lights hang.
Setup and Linking Multiple Sets
No tools required — hang the string with the included clips, stake or mount the panel somewhere sunny, done.
These are linkable, so if 20 feet doesn’t cover your space, you can connect additional sets end to end for a longer run.
They’re wired in parallel, not series, which means one dead bulb doesn’t take the rest of the string down with it — a small detail, but a real annoyance with cheaper string lights that skip it.
UL Wet Location rated means they’re built to handle actual rain, not just a light drizzle, so leaving them up outdoors year-round is genuinely fine.
Pros: Genuinely rain-rated for year-round outdoor use; parallel wiring so one dead bulb won’t kill the string; linkable for longer runs; auto dusk-to-dawn operation, no switch to remember.
Cons: 20 lumens per bulb is decorative-only, not functional lighting; 6-hour runtime is a best-case number that shrinks on cloudy or short winter days; fixed warm-white color, no dimming or color options.
Best for: Anyone who wants low-maintenance ambient lighting for a patio, pergola, or fence line and doesn’t need it to actually illuminate anything.
Feit Electric LED Solar String Light Set
Full details and current price: Feit Electric LED Solar String Light Set on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright are Feit Electric solar string lights?
Each bulb puts out about 20 lumens, which is dim, decorative accent lighting — comparable to candlelight rather than a functional light source.
How long do they stay lit at night?
Up to 6 hours on a full charge, though that number drops on cloudy days or during shorter winter daylight hours when the panel takes in less sun.
Can I leave these outside all winter?
Yes — they’re UL Wet Location rated, meaning they’re built to handle direct rain and stay outside year-round.
Can I connect multiple sets together?
Yes, they’re designed to be linkable so you can join sets end to end for a longer continuous run.
What happens if one bulb burns out?
Nothing to the rest of the string — they’re wired in parallel, so the other bulbs stay lit, and a spare bulb is included in the box.
Final Verdict
Buy these for what they’re actually good at — warm, low-key ambiance that runs itself and holds up outdoors — and you’ll be happy with them. Buy them expecting real illumination and you’ll be disappointed by dinner.