Outdoor hanging lanterns are popular options among those who wish to decorate and illuminate their patios, gardens, and decks with ambient lighting. Available in different styles and sizes, most people feel overwhelmed when shopping for outdoor lanterns.
Beyond the aesthetics of the lanterns, another characteristic that distinguishes one lighting fixture from another is its options for installation and mounting, its source of illumination, and the resilience of its materials.
Here are some of the most important things you need to remember when shopping for these lanterns.
The Benefits of Using Outdoor Lanterns
Before buying outdoor hanging lanterns, you will probably wonder why your home needs outdoor lighting in the first place. With outdoor lantern lights, you can turn your patio or yard into an amusing gathering place for formal affairs or casual conversations.
The lantern of a candle can provide unobtrusive and subdued lighting so it has become appropriate for a wide variety of occasions. You can even use them as extra light during camping trips.
These lanterns can also set the mood for special occasions such as weddings, Halloween parties, or even something as simple as a romantic stroll across your garden.
Outdoor lanterns are also great lighting fixtures due to a number of reasons. Aside from simply providing you and your guests with ambient lighting, they can also provide other benefits that most people appreciate.
With these lanterns, you will not have any problem keeping yourself warm during extra chilly evenings. You can also use them as insect repellents by simply adding soothing citronella candles to their base.
Candles are also more cost-effective than artificial sources of light so the lanterns can actually help you save lots of money in the end.
Types of Outdoor Hanging Lantern
Outdoor lanterns usually refer to enclosed boxes with durable glass side panels and illumination devices in their middle area. These outdoor lights actually got their look from the old-fashioned lanterns that most coachmen used in the past.
The glass panels surrounding their interior light keep oil lights and candles lit no matter how bad the weather gets. Today, most homeowners also prefer using these lights to accentuate the beauty of their gardens because of their stunning look and high decorative value.
The most common types of outdoor lanterns include
- Solar Garden Lanterns
- Candle Lamps and
- Electric Garden Lights
1. Solar Garden Lanterns
Solar garden lanterns are usually hung on metal spikes or poles in the garden. These outdoor hanging lanterns have solar cells on their top so it is best to place them in areas where they can be left exposed to direct sunlight.
You can also affix brackets to either side of your garage or storage shed to hang solar garden lanterns.
2. Candle Lamps
On the other hand, candle lamps are usually made from durable plastic inserts or metal with glass.
Small candles or tea light candles are then inserted into their central box to produce gentle light. These hanging lanterns also have plastic or glass panels that can prevent the wind from blowing out the candles.
While outdoor hanging lanterns that rely on candles for illumination are regarded as the most attractive accents to evening parties, electrical lanterns remain popular because they resemble Christmas lights.
They usually include a series of small lanterns that are tied together on a string. These lanterns bear a close resemblance to old-fashioned carriage lamps.
3. Electric Garden Lights
Electric garden lanterns are available in butterfly or Asian-inspired designs.
Some of them can also produce multi-colored lights for whimsical effects. If you wish to buy this type of lantern, you have to check if they were made for garden use to make sure that they can withstand the elements.
Choosing an Outdoor Lamp or Lantern
Before buying outdoor hanging lanterns, you have to consider a number of factors. First, you have to check if an electrical outlet is available near the area where you wish to add the light.
Unless you are planning to use solar or candle models, you will need to consider the added cost of hiring an electrician to add outdoor outlets to your home. Before buying solar lights, you also have to choose an area where you will place them.
Look for an area that is exposed to sunlight so that the solar cells of your outdoor lanterns can charge daily.
Do you intend to use outdoor hanging lanterns as permanent fixtures? Are you planning to use them temporarily for parties and small get-togethers? If you just want to use them for special occasions, candle lanterns may add the ambient lighting you need for such parties.
If you wish to buy a model that you can use on a long-term basis, you have to consider buying solar lanterns.
Aside from being very cost-efficient, these lanterns are also great for illuminating the entrance to your home because they will automatically turn on every night even if you are not at home.
Using Lanterns as Decorations
Most outdoor hanging lanterns were designed to hang from table umbrellas, gutters, or branches of trees.
Some manufacturers even offer wall-mounted sconces, pole mounts, multi-hook stands, or simple hangers that you can use to set up your own ambient lantern lighting.
Simple hanging setups are great options because they can effortlessly complement various lantern designs. However, others also prefer using poles and sconces with elaborate designs to create distinct decorative accents for their homes.
Of course, the design, size, and materials of the lanterns will greatly affect their retail price.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to decorating your home with outdoor lanterns. You can buy ones that are cylindrical, rectangular, or even octagonal in shape.
Depending on the kind of mood you wish to create, you can also use small lanterns with tea light candles or bigger ones that can accommodate pillars or votives.
For added drama, you can also buy models with etched, frosted, tinted, or stained glass sides or silhouettes of birds, dragonflies, and other interesting patterns.
With outdoor hanging lanterns, you can finally beautify your home and keep it well-lit at the same time.
Hi, this is Shelly, An Interior Decorator and Writer passionate about Home Renovation and Decoration. I have written over 100+ articles on different Home Renovation and Decoration topics and have been featured in top publications such as Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, Inc., and more.
