You put a lot of thought into the design of your interior home environment. It makes sense that you should put just as much thought into your home’s exterior environment, as well. After all, creating a seamless transition between the two allows you to bring a bit of nature indoors and a bit of comfort outdoors. Choosing the right outdoor lighting is one of the easiest ways to stylishly enhance your exterior space, create ambiance and properly illuminate an area, all while complementing your personal style. Decorative outdoor hanging lights, in particular, help provide functional illumination while imbuing entertainment areas with a sense of warmth and comfort. Let’s take a look at some of the different types of outdoor hanging lights and their unique benefits.

The Right Outdoor Hanging Light for You

When it comes to decorative outdoor hanging lights, you have a few great options from which to choose:

Outdoor Chandeliers

Chandeliers, made specifically for outdoor use, are perfect for bringing that grand, bold and beautiful interior look to the outdoors. They are great pieces for providing decorative accent (and showing off your unique personality) in covered outdoor spaces like porches and cabanas. The use of chandeliers brings functional illumination, along with a sense of coziness, to your favorite entertaining areas.

Outdoor Pendants and Outdoor Hanging Lanterns

While chandeliers grab attention, pendant lighting and lanterns have a more subtle way of drawing attention to specific areas of your outdoor space. This type of lighting gives specificity – think pendants next to the bar or a string of hanging lanterns around the pool. With the large variety of styles in which outdoor hanging lights are available, they are the ideal fixtures to brighten certain areas while adding your own creative twist.

Things to Consider When Looking for Outdoor Hanging Lights

UL Rating: Damp, Wet, Marine Grade

Not to overstate the obvious, but water and electricity don’t go well together. As such, UL Ratings are there to let you know where lights can be safely installed and used. Only lighting fixtures marked “Suitable for Damp Locations” or “Suitable for Wet Locations” can be used in damp locations. Outdoor damp-rated fixtures can only be used in covered, fully protected locations that are not directly exposed to water, including covered patios and covered porches. Only lighting marked “Suitable for Wet Locations” can be used in wet locations, including patios, open-air decks, uncovered porches, and gazebos. UL Marine Grade is a step above Damp and Wet location rated and ensures products have been tested for use in harsh marine environments where vibration, shock and salt-spray corrosion, among other harsh conditions, may exist.

What is your outdoor style?

Just like they do for interiors, lighting manufacturers design hanging lights for the outdoors in a variety of styles from which you can choose. Whether your home fits into a traditional, transitional, or modern style, you’re certain to find exactly what you’re looking for. Popular trends include shades in warehouse and farmhouse styles, industrial casings with interior candles and globes, and glass that’s been either seeded or hammered.

Where is the fixture going to be used and what function will it serve?

Entertaining

When you’re looking to serve drinks at a bar or play outdoor games, hanging lanterns work great. They offer focused illumination to a particular space so you can ensure your task is well lit.

Dining

An outdoor dining area is the perfect space to light with a bold chandelier that disperses light evenly over the dining table. It’ll also serve as a great conversation piece for your guests.

Cooking

Cooking outdoors is one of the great joys that comes with having a patio or deck. Outdoor hanging lights serve as an ideal way to light both food prep areas and grills.

Lounge Area

A chandelier, supported by other types of pendant lighting, is an ideal way to thoroughly light a lounge area. This is particularly true if there are activities taking place, or if there’s additional seating around the perimeter of the lounge.

Porch or Patio

Not unlike a lounge area, a covered porch or patio can be a vast space that requires multiple lighting sources. Both chandeliers and hanging pendant lights work well in these spaces.

5 Decorative Outdoor Hanging Lights You’ll Love

Now that you’ve got some things to consider when looking for your new outdoor hanging lights, here are a few specific lighting options to get you excited as you start shopping.    

Clouds 4 Light LED Chandelier by Justice Design Group

If you’re looking for a clean, soft-contemporary chandelier for your covered porch or cabana, Clouds is an ideal choice. Featuring neutral color tones and a 360-degree ball swivel at the canopy, this piece will add abundant style and a warm ambient glow to your space. Dimmable and suitable for wet locations.

Canary Wharf 3 Light Chandelier by Troy Lighting

If your style leans more towards rustic industrial vintage, look no further than the Canary Wharf. Crafted from hand-worked iron and hand-crafted aluminum, it features a detailed center stem with threaded tubing. This chandelier will most certainly grab the attention of your guests with its clear, pressed glass shades that create a refracted, crystal-like appearance. Suitable for damp locations.

Troy Lighting Dana Point Outdoor Hanging Lantern

Liven up the entry, exit, pool or patio area with the Dana Point outdoor lantern by Troy Lighting. Featuring a traditional look with modern accents, this simple open box lantern staple is handmade from cast metal. Its traditional candelabra style is an ideal way to bring some personality to a natural, outdoor space. Suitable for wet locations.

Clouds Monolith LED Linear Suspension Light by Justice Design Group

Linear suspension lighting is a great way to provide abundant downlighting over an outdoor space and create an atmosphere typical of indoor areas. The Clouds Monolith by Justice Design Group builds off of a symmetrical and minimalist metal frame and its linear shade, which outlines a Clouds resin diffuser, allows abundant LED light to pour out over the space around it. Suitable for wet locations.

Walker Hill Outdoor Hanging Lantern by EGLO

Allow a wide pool of brilliant light to illuminate your porch, patio or gazebo with the Walker Hill lantern. A boxy steel frame, cylinder glass shade and single socket make for the perfect accent light source. Done in a transitional style, it’s certain to complement your outdoor design narrative. Suitable for wet locations.

When you put thought into adequately lighting your exterior environment, you get to reap all of the rewards of doing so. With the right outdoor hanging lights, you can enjoy relaxing with your family and entertaining your friends, in style, any time you want.