Shopping edit: 8 fancy fairy lights for an indoor glow

Lights4fun white festoon fairy lights draped in kitchen over open shelving

(Image credit: Lights4fun)

By Niamh Quinn , Annie Collyer 2021-07-29T11:07:16Z

Not just for sprucing up student accommodation or rented rooms, fairy lights make a lovely addition to any home. Especially great for adding warmth and cosiness, fairy lights – whether string, festoon or whatever else – can bring a sense of happiness to an otherwise simply decorated room. We say to make use of fairy lights in a bedroom or living room, but there's nothing stopping you from winding them around your stair bannisters or draping them around a bathroom mirror.

There's no denying that fairy lights have power when it comes to filling spaces whether big, small or awkwardly sized. To pay homage to their room changing abilities, we have rounded up our pick of the best fairy lights to provide you with some shopping inspiration and ideas of where to put them in your home.

We've got every type of fairy light going, from fairy lights for your bedroom, to indoor fairy lights that can be used outdoors too. With plenty of funky shapes and sizes to choose from, this is your ultimate guide. Eyeing up some festoon lights? These are everywhere at the moment, and not just strung over patios either, as they look just as gorgeous indoors. String lights, on the other hand, are perfect for creating a whimsical feel, adding to that industrial, exposed look that we adore. Keep scrolling to find some of the loveliest indoor fairy lights around.

Visit our garden lighting ideas page if you are searching for outdoor fairy lights. Perhaps you already have some, and you're not sure where to style them? Don't miss out.

The fanciest fairy lights for indoor use

1. KooPower Battery Operated Waterproof Fairy Lights

KooPower Battery Operated Waterproof Fairy Lights
The thing that is special about these Koopower Waterproof Fairy Lights is the fact that they're flexible. The clear, plastic string is super easy to bend and blend into a scene and has a subtle charm. The adjustable brightness feature adds to this effect and ensures a cosy ambience with a warm lighting tone. Also, of course, they're waterproof so these are well worth consideration for outdoors. Drape, hang or wrap them wherever you fancy, inside or out. The battery box, although not waterproof, has three modes: steady, flash and off. There are 100 warm LEDs, while they don't come with batteries included.

Indoor/outdoor? Both
Length of cable: 5m - 50m
Number of bulbs: 20-45

2. Lights4fun white festoon lights

Lights4fun white festoon lights draped in kitchen over open shelving — Click the image to shop these fairy lights.

Lights4fun white festoon lights
Lights4fun is our go-to place for festoon lights, and the Warm White LED Connectable Festoon Lights are our best pick. We love the white cable option as they make great bedroom fairy lights – the thick cable doesn't look too harsh. With these fairy lights you can pick the bulb colour, string colour and the length you want too, so you can create the perfect set of fairy lights for your space. They are mains operated, so make sure you have a spare plug socket nearby, and you can use them outdoor, too.

Indoor/outdoor? Both
Length of cable: 5m-50m
Number of bulbs: 20-45

3. Dunelm String of Pearl Lit Garland

Indoor/outdoor? Indoor
Cable length: 180cm in total

4. Lights4fun Warm White LED Juliet Rose Fairy Lights

Lights4fun Warm White LED Juliet Rose Fairy Lights draped around bed with grey headboard — *Click the image to shop these fairy lights.*

Lights4fun Warm White LED Juliet Rose Fairy Lights
These Rose Fairy Lights look gorgeous turned on or off. Wind them through your bed frame to add texture and a lovely romantic look, or hang them from the ceiling and let them dangle down a wall. The wire is clear so easy to hide, they are a lovely soft cream colour and when lit glow a lovely warm white. Though they can't be used outdoors, just a note, though they will make a statement wherever you place them in your home. They are also very romantic.

Indoor/outdoor? Indoor
Length of cable: 3.8m
Number of bulbs? 20

5. John Lewis & Partners Beach Hut Lights, L1.65m John Lewis & Partners Beach Hut Lights, L1.65m John Lewis & Partners Beach Hut Lights, L1.65m John Lewis & Partners Beach Hut Lights

Indoor/outdoor? Indoor
Length of cable: 1.65m
Number of bulbs? 10

6. Lights4fun 10 Multi Coloured Micro Fairy USB Lights

10 Multi Coloured Micro Fairy USB Lights draped over a desk and plugged into a laptop — *Click the image to shop these micro fairy lights.*

Trying to find some fairy lights for a smaller space? If you struggle to free up a plug socket, and you always forget to buy batteries, then you should consider USB fairy lights. Power them through a USB connection, perhaps through a laptop or desktop.

Indoor/outdoor? Both
Length of cable: 1m
Number of bulbs? 10

7. Lights4fun Warm White LED Curtain Light

Curtain fairy lights are all over Pinterest and Instagram at the moment and we can see why. They are perfect for creating a feature wall and adding an instant cosy glow to a room.

Indoor/outdoor? Indoor
Length of cable: 1m
Number of bulbs: 80

8. little home at John Lewis Peg Clip Line Lights

Indoor/outdoor? Indoor
Cable length: 2.6m
Number of lights: 16

How to choose the best fairy lights

Battery or mains-operated?
This is important to consider – battery-operated fairy lights allow you the flexibility of displaying them away from a socket.

Warm or cool light?
This is all about what you prefer – cool light suits more contemporary, Scandi schemes; warm light is better for traditional, cosy spaces.

String length
The fairy lights you're checking out might look like a bargain, but if they're only a metre long, you might want to move on to a more generous length.

Waterproof?
We've included a combination of fairy lights here, for both indoor and outdoor use, while others are just for outdoors. For the best outdoor fairy lights to use at Christmas time, see our other guide.

Where to buy fairy lights?

Shop more lovely indoor fairy lights below. Click through to see each brand's range of fairy lights and shop for this purchase right now, with ease.