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Solar string lights are the soft bulbs you hang along an awning, a caravan annexe or a guy rope. A panel and a battery in the hub charge during the day, then the string glows after dark. They make camp feel finished once the cooking is done.
This guide stays with solar-powered string lights sold in Australia. A 12V LED strip is a separate product: it runs from a vehicle battery or a power station and is built as brighter working light along an awning or a rooftop tent. The notes below come from retailer listings in October 2026. Prices move, and a few pages disagree with themselves on runtime, so every figure is what that listing showed.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Best for | Price band | Where to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| BioLite Solar String 18’ Warm White | Most car campers | A$89.90 | Check price at Snowys |
| BioLite Solar String 18’ Colour | Colour modes for kids | A$94.90-105.86 | Check price at Snowys Check price at Amazon AU |
| BioLite Solar String 44’ White | Larger awnings and annexes | A$143.90 | Check price at Snowys |
| Luci String Solar Lights | Compact string at BCF | A$79.99 | Check price at BCF |
| Dorcy 100 Lumens Solar String Lights | Club-price camp string | A$59.99-89.99 | Check price at Anaconda |
| Mirabella Solar 300 LED Fairy Lights | Cheap decorative solar lights | A$20.00 | Check price at BCF |
| SMY Lighting 4-in-1 Solar Camping String Lights | Long string on a tighter budget | A$39.99 | Check price at Amazon AU |
The picks
BioLite Solar String 18’ Warm White
Who it suits: Most car campers who want a warm glow along a small awning, one side of a tent, or a rooftop-tent ladder, in a case that packs into a storage tub.
Strengths: Snowys lists 20 warm white LEDs in 10 shatterproof bulbs on 18 feet (5.48 metres) of nylon-braided cord. The case weighs 0.320 kg and packs to 12.7 x 12.7 x 5 cm. It is rated IPX4. The spec table lists solar or USB-C charging, 6 to 8 hours on USB-C and 16 hours on solar, USB-C and USB-A outputs, and a torch on the case. The battery is 2000 mAh (7.4 Wh), and brightness is up to 100 lumens. Warranty is 1 year. Snowys listed it at A$89.90, shown as 10% off an RRP of A$99.99, at time of writing (October 2026). A reply on the page says the on/off button is on the case, so that end can sit inside a rooftop tent.
Trade-offs: The description says 20 hours on a charge, and a bullet also says 24-hour runtime. A listed 16-hour solar charge is longer than one Australian day of sun, so charge on USB-C before you leave if you want to start full. The 7.4 Wh battery is only a short phone top-up. The price block said in stock, while the same page said delivery was unavailable. Pickup was listed at Keswick (SA), Brendale (QLD) and the Melrose Park warehouse.
BioLite Solar String 18’ Colour
Who it suits: Families who want that same compact string with colour modes for kids, and who can wait if the local listing is out of stock.
Strengths: Snowys lists the same 5.48 metre cord, 0.320 kg weight, IPX4 rating, up to 100 lumens, 7.4 Wh battery, USB outputs and torch. Charge times match the warm white: 6 to 8 hours on USB-C and 16 hours on solar. The spec table lists 20 RGB LEDs in 10 nodes. Named modes are blue, violet, turquoise, green, pink, cool white and a colour cycle. Snowys listed it at A$94.90, shown as 9% off an RRP of A$104.95. Amazon Australia listed the same supplier code, SSA0102, at A$105.86.
Trade-offs: Snowys showed it out of stock, with a notify-me option. The Amazon listing said dispatch is usually within 4 weeks, and that UK imports may differ from local products. The description mentions 20 hours, a bullet says 15 hours, and another bullet says 20 bulbs while the spec table says 10 nodes.
Check price at Snowys Check price at Amazon AU
BioLite Solar String 44’ White
Who it suits: A larger awning, a family camp or a caravan annexe, where 5.5 metres stops short of the area you sit in.
Strengths: Snowys lists 40 warm white LEDs in 20 shatterproof bulbs on 44 feet (13.4 metres) of cord, up to 140 lumens, IPX4, and a weight of 0.780 kg. The battery is 4000 mAh (14.8 Wh), and the description says it can be detached. Outputs are USB-C and USB-A. USB-C charge time is 3 to 5 hours. Snowys listed it at A$143.90, shown as 10% off an RRP of A$159.99, at time of writing (October 2026).
Trade-offs: The description says about 20 hours on a charge, and a bullet says 40 hours, so plan on the shorter figure. Solar charging is mentioned, but the spec table gives no solar charge time. Packed size is 17.8 x 17.8 x 5.3 cm. The price block said in stock, the page also showed low stock at a store, and delivery was marked unavailable. A colour 44-foot version is listed at the same A$143.90 (RRP A$159.99), and that page showed out of stock.
Check price at Snowys Check price at Snowys
Luci String Solar Lights
Who it suits: Campers comparing a compact solar string at BCF with the BioLite 18-foot warm white.
Strengths: BCF lists a 5.5 metre nylon-braided cord, 10 LED nodes with two LEDs each (20 LEDs), a 16 hour solar charge or 6 to 8 hours on USB, up to 20 hours on a charge, a built-in torch, a 4-LED battery indicator and two hanging clips. The copy describes a USB port for a phone and another port to charge the lights, and calls the set splash-resistant. BCF listed it at A$79.99 at time of writing (October 2026).
Trade-offs: Length and charge times sit close to the BioLite 18-foot warm white, but the codes differ. BCF’s product code is 629069 and the barcode in its page data is 850006103300. Snowys lists supplier code SSA0101 and barcode 850051307302 on the BioLite warm white. BCF lists no IP code, lumen figure or battery size. The page data marked this listing out of stock and as clearance.
Dorcy 100 Lumens Solar Rechargeable String Lights
Who it suits: Car campers who want a short warm-white string with a rainbow mode, especially on an Anaconda Adventure Club price.
Strengths: Anaconda lists a 5.6 metre warm white string, a rainbow mode, USB or solar charging, a 3 hour charge time, and a compact unit the cord wraps around. Dimensions are 6 x 12.5 cm, with a 12 month warranty. The product page showed a regular price of A$89.99 and a Club price of A$59.99. The lanterns category page also showed A$59.99 beside this product. The copy says the lights are available online or in store.
Trade-offs: The page title lists both 100 lumens and 40 lumens, so the brightness figure is unclear. Runtime, a weather rating and a battery size are not listed, and the 3 hour charge does not say whether that is solar or USB. Anaconda’s live page sits behind a queue, so confirm the price and stock at checkout.
Mirabella Solar 300 LED Fairy Lights
Who it suits: A caravan, a backyard or a dressed-up campsite where the panel can sit in the sun all day and you want a lot of tiny warm bulbs.
Strengths: BCF lists 300 warm white LEDs, 8 modes, up to 8 hours of light, 6 metres of lights and a 2 metre lead from the panel to the first bulb. The copy says they are powered entirely by solar, for a campsite, caravan or home. BCF listed them at A$20.00 on a clearance-only page, and the product data marked them in stock, at time of writing (October 2026).
Trade-offs: There is no USB backup in the listing, so a shaded or wet day is a dark night. No weather rating, battery size or weight is published, and clearance stock can sell through. These are decorative fairy lights, without the cased hub, torch and phone port of the BioLite and Luci sets.
SMY Lighting 4-in-1 Solar Camping String Lights
Who it suits: Campers who want a long warm-white string and a remote, and who are happy buying a marketplace brand on Amazon Australia.
Strengths: Amazon Australia listed the 42.6 foot set (about 13 metres) at A$39.99, sold by SMY Lighting. The listing describes 160 warm white LEDs, a 3600 mAh battery, an 8 hour solar charge or a 4 hour USB-C charge, up to 8 hours at full brightness and 18 hours on low, an IP44 rating, a retractable reel and a handle. It lists USB-C phone charging, 3 brightness levels and 5 modes (steady, flash, breathing, SOS, and string plus lamp), plus a remote with 4, 6 and 8 hour timers. Colour temperature is 3000 K. The page showed 4.4 stars from 297 ratings.
Trade-offs: The review summary reports mixed reliability and durability, including sets that failed after little use. The listing warns of a button or coin battery, which is dangerous if a child swallows it, and the specification table also lists an included AAA battery. Keep the remote away from small children. That table mentions app control as well as the remote, while the description focuses on the remote. This is a third-party Amazon listing, not a camping shop you can visit for a swap.
How to choose
Match the length to the camp. About 5.5 metres covers a small awning, one side of a tent or a short guy line. About 13 metres reaches around a family camp or a caravan annexe. Two short sets can split the kitchen and the tent door. Coil the cord as you take it down, because a sea breeze or an afternoon southerly knots a loose string quickly.
Put the panel in the sun, and carry a USB backup. A listed solar charge of 16 hours is longer than a full day of sun anywhere in Australia, so a panel under the awning, beside the car or under a dense gum will not fill the battery. Face it at open sky, and top up on USB at home before a shaded park or a short winter day in the south. Switch the string off at bedtime if tomorrow’s panel will sit in shade. A solar-only fairy light has no second way to charge.
Use the lower runtime, and pack for a shower. Where a listing’s description and bullets disagree, plan on the shorter hours and recheck the page on the day you buy. IPX4 and IP44 are splash ratings for a passing shower. Pack the hub away if rain sets in, and treat a set with no weather rating as fair-weather gear.
Warm white for dinner, colour for a party. Warm white keeps the campground dim for the next site. Colour and rainbow modes suit kids. Flashing modes carry further after dark, so go back to a steady warm light once neighbouring tents are quiet. Keep bulbs and leads off the fire pit and off tent fabric. Cooking and the walk to the toilet still want a lantern or a head torch. Any phone charge from these hubs is a short top-up.
Check who is in the camp, and what is actually in stock. A listing that warns of a button battery means the remote stays off the picnic table when small children are along. Clearance prices can vanish with the stock. Club prices apply only if you are in that retailer’s club. A few of these pages said in stock on the price block and unavailable for delivery further down, so confirm postage before you leave home.
FAQ
Are solar string lights bright enough to cook by?
The brightest figure here is 140 lumens, on the BioLite 44-foot white, and the 18-foot sets are listed at up to 100 lumens. That is light to sit under. Use a lantern on the table for cooking and washing up.
How are solar string lights different from 12V LED strips?
A solar string carries its own panel and battery and hangs as ambient light. A 12V LED strip needs a vehicle battery or a power station and is meant as brighter working light on an awning or rooftop tent. Choose the solar string when you want glow without wiring the car.
Will a solar string charge under the awning?
The bulbs can hang in the shade. The panel needs direct sun, so lead it out to open sky, and use USB charging when the site is under trees or the day is short.
Can these lights charge a phone?
Several list a USB output. The batteries that are actually specified are small, 7.4 Wh and 14.8 Wh on the BioLite 18-foot and 44-foot. Expect a short top-up, not the camp’s power supply.
What does IPX4 mean on a camp light?
IPX4 means splashed water from any direction should not get in. IP44 is in the same splash class. Both suit a light shower. Pack them away for a storm, and keep the case out of standing water.
Is a cheap solar fairy light enough for a camping trip?
The Mirabella set is a lot of tiny bulbs for A$20.00, with a listed run of up to 8 hours if the panel has had sun. The listing has no USB charge and no tough hub. It suits decoration on a caravan or at home more than a trip where the shade changes each day.
