Lots of hail in Colorado this year"¦such a great feeling knowing that lol the money we spent on 5 strings of lights, did not have to be replaced. They not only provide great outdoor ambiance, but they are shatterproof and sturdy.

good product

My first impression upon picking up the box was how much weight they had to them. 3 ¾ pounds to be exact. Up to this point my only reference to café lighting was a set I had seen that was very lite weight; like a string of Christmas lights with a very thin plastic globe. I didn't get the same sense of quality as I immediately did with GE's LED version, (although, the others may have been intended for indoor use and thus, would naturally be lighter weight).

While at my workbench, I removed the twist ties and began unrolling the cord. The end light flopped down pretty hard on the garage floor. It took a pretty bad hit and I wondered if the globe was cracked or if the bulb was damaged. I inspected for damage and saw nothing, plugged them into a power strip and they all worked just fine. As thick as the globes are, nothing short of major trauma is going to break these, which is good because in the process of installing them, they took quite a beating being dragged across the deck and all.

At 24 feet, the string of 12 lights perfectly navigated our upstairs balcony above the patio deck. Distancing between bulbs was two feet and each bulb is easily hung by a small nail, or, the lights can be hung from a cable which can be strung through the mounting holes.

As rock hard as the bulbs are I wondered if the illumination would be restricted by the thickness of the plastic. It wasn't. The bulbs have great clarity but aren't so bright that they kill the mood of an outdoor gathering.

I especially like that the open end of the light cord can be sealed with an attached snap-cap. Don't know how tight it is in a hard rain but it will work to keep water out.

Pros: Construction, illumination, simple installation

Cons: Not a bad thing but the Cord is commercial grade and somewhat rigid. Will install best on a warm day.

It would be good if these were offered with green and / or brown cords.

Conclusion: I'm very impressed by the high quality and the overall illumination the lights provide. I'm assuming the longevity and energy savings of LED bulbs will offer high performance for a long long time.

Full disclosure: I received a set of these complimentary in exchange for an impartial review.

This string of lights is so attractive. The bulbs are really solid and have a unique and interesting appearance. The light they give off fully illuminates the area where they are hung and are exactly what I needed. Excellent quality and appear to be a commercial grade product that I expect will last for a long time. I am glad I decided to spend the money for these and would definitely buy again.

We bought several string to light up our backyard. We had puppies and needed to see throughout night to take them out. We purchased a timer to have them come on at dusk and off at dawn, so they have been on every night, all night, for 5 years. We only have about 4 out of 8 strings with burnt out bulbs. We wish you could replace bulbs as they go out but love them so much are willing to purchase new strings. These things last thru EVERYTHING.