Verdict

This long , weatherproof string of candle electric-light bulb is idealistic for providing light and colourful effects along fences and fascias , or even when thread across a roof . With 80 lantern circulate over 24 metres of cable , the Twinkly C9 Bulbs leave a surprising amount of twinkle to outside spaces , and can deliver incredible , punchy colours in a wide variety of customisable gist . They ’re a little expensive , but they find well made , and perform with material panache .

Pros

Cons

Key Features

Introduction

If you ’re reckon for a string of light to add merry sunshine , or all - yr color to a stretch of your habitation or garden , the Twinkly C9 Bulbs should be near the top of your list . Available in two lengths boast either 40 or 80 singly controlled multicolour lamps , this Inner Light set is perfect for crystallize long stretches of facia or fencing , or for weaving to and fro across an outdoor or indoor distance .

I ’m testing the longer , 24.4 metre ( 80 feet ) variation of the Twinkly C9 Bulbs , which has 80 lanterns : the half - length version has half the bulb , so both feature a light about every 33 cm . The cosmic string is weatherproof , and each lantern has a small plastic clip to assist with mounting it .

Design and Features

For those not in the know , C9 electric-light bulb are the larger of two normally used ornamental cd lights . While string of these would conventionally have had replaceable incandescent bulbs , these day they have lead imitation . The longer circle of Twinkly C9 Bulbs has 80 non - replaceable lamp , each of which is illuminated by an light-emitting diode light that can expose more than 16 million people of colour . Each medulla oblongata has a faceted ‘ pine cone ’ finish , lend them a ornamental effect , and impart white light some subtle calico fringes .

Twinkly has given each of the bulb holders a small charge card magazine . While this can only protract a few millimetres , it ’s enough to contain onto a guidebook telegram , or possibly even a fragile fascia board or gutter , get to it easier to go these lights along the side of a sign or shed . Alternatively , you could string them in a zigzag above a room or outside blank space , again using a guide telegram if needed .

At the end of the Twinkly C9 Bulbs ’ cablegram you ’ll ascertain a for good attached control with a single push button . This in turning connects to a supplied power adaptor via a weatherproof locking annulus . The adapter itself is IP44 rated , have in mind it ’s all right for damp environments like a shed or cellar , but it should n’t be exposed straight to liquid . The relaxation of the stage set is full weatherproofed .

A single bulb lit white, with the faceted cover splitting out some blues and greens

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Out of the box , these lights have a simple pattern that sees a wave of white lights pass down the string . To get anything more out of them , you ’ll necessitate the Twinkly app . This ab initio connects via Bluetooth , but ideally you ’ll then add the C9 Bulbs to your wireless web , allowing you to keep in line them from anywhere . If there ’s no sign in your garden , the beamish controller can act as an access peak , leave you to still master the lights from a distance with Wi - Fi .

The Twinkly C9 Bulbs are intended to be used as a long string , so the Twinkly app initially offer only one - dimensional effects that play along the solidification ’s duration . However , in my small garden I had to go them three clock time across the same length of fence .

This would n’t have been too big if I had left it as was , but the beamish app has a function feature that helps it work out exactly where each bulb actually is . Guided by the app , you point your phone camera at the light while they scud , until they all show green . Once the app understood the bulbs ’ true positions , it offered me a range of two - dimensional force , really helping unlock the lights ’ potentiality .

A single bulb lit white, with the faceted cover splitting out some blues and greens

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

With the Twinkly C9 Bulbs set up , you could utilize the app to pasture Twinkly ’s range of effects , and also download any featured or seasonal ones . you’re able to even habituate the FX Wizard to create your own , starting from scratch , an be figure , or a GIF Indian file . Once you ’ve pick out and applied an effect it ’s store in the restrainer ’s memory , after which you may use the button on the accountant to pedal through stored force .

Once the controller ’s memory is full you have to off effects to bring news ones , but you could only delete event in reverse order . That ’s a tad frustrating if you need to remove the first upshot in the waiting line , as you have to delete everything and then lead off again .

While the Twinkly app is good , there are at least a couple of ways it could be improved . The scheduling keep is very canonical , supporting just a exclusive on and off time to be practice each day . You ca n’t , for exercise , limit the lights to get along on in the sunrise and evenings during the week , and all day at the weekend . You ca n’t fade effects in or out , and you ca n’t even determine the effect to habituate – the lights default to the most recent one . However , with support for Alexa , HomeKit and Google Home , you could add the Twinkly C9 Bulbs to smart base subprogram .

A single bulb lit white, with the faceted cover splitting out some blues and greens

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Performance

I was slightly surprised by just how powerful the Twinkly C9 Bulbs lights are . turn down to about 10 % brightness , they were just good to discreetly add colorful fun to my garden , without turning the lawn into a light-headed show . Only when I came to take photos of the installation did I agnize it was n’t peculiarly impressive .

Turning the brightness back up cure that trouble . At anything above about half power , these lights were plenty powerful enough to make an telling Christmas display .

At full power they were bright enough to be extremely visible during moderately brilliant autumn day .

A single bulb lit white, with the faceted cover splitting out some blues and greens

Even more impressive , however , was the intensity of their colours . During the day , the lantern ’ faceted plastic seems to trammel day , debase the LED ’ hue . At dark there ’s no such job , and the lightbulb emit pure , saturated colour that can be truly remarkable .

The Twinkly C9 Bulbs are n’t really dull enough for some of Twinkly ’s more sophisticated 2D effects , but most are still impressive . I found that was particularly true for those where item-by-item bulbs shift colour rather than turning off , although one - dimensional chase effects did of course work well . I softly criticised theTwinkly Clusterfor the fact its lights sometimes appear to step , rather than move smoothly , between multiple shades . There was no such consequence here .

you could , if you desire , adjust the bulbs to show a solid colour . Some of the gist are also more subtle , such as the static Red and Orange River prove here .

A single bulb lit white, with the faceted cover splitting out some blues and greens

At full luminousness , set to pure ashen , this Seth consumed a maximum of 41 watts .

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Should you buy it?

This long light string offer brilliant bulb with powerful colour , exalt with effects via the Twinkly app . It ’s idealistic for house fascias , sheds , fence and other outdoor or covered areas .

These lightness ’ feature mean they ’re moderately expensive . If you do n’t need their quality , you could expend a lot less .

Final Thoughts

The Twinkly C9 Bulbs are simply a keen circle of outdoor lights . Weatherproof , vivid , and intensely colourful , they ’re a great manner to liven up the edges of a star sign , shed or garden . My experience intimate that a single set would be enough for a small urban garden , but if you require to create bigger or more sophisticated effects , you may use the app to group and coordinate multiple set of Twinkly C9 Bulbs , or other Twinkly Inner Light . Perfect for Christmas , or just for cheer up the garden with a big splash of colour .

Trusted Score

How we test

Unlike other sites , we prove every fresh light we review soundly over an extended menstruation of time . We apply industry standard tests to compare feature properly . We ’ll always tell you what we get hold . We never , ever , admit money to review a Cartesian product .

chance out more about how we test in ourethics policy .

FAQs

Traditionally , C9 bulbs are bigger , and typically hopeful than C7 bulbs , but they may apply more push . Twinkly does n’t make a C7 equivalent to its C9 Bulbs product .

If you ’ve got an existing string of C9 igniter medulla , you could retrofit them with LED lights . It ’s unlikely to be cost - effective , though . You also would n’t get the same effects that are available with a advanced sassy string , such as the Twinkly C9 Bulbs .

Test Data

Full Specs

Close up of a single light, showing the small clip on the base

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Close up of a single light, showing the small clip on the base

Close up of a single light, showing the small clip on the base

Android screenshot collage showing available effects, the main control page, and the mapped layout of the bulbs

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Android screenshot collage showing available effects, the main control page, and the mapped layout of the bulbs

Android screenshot collage showing available effects, the main control page, and the mapped layout of the bulbs

Weaker illumination at night - the bulbs are on about 10% power

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Weaker illumination at night - the bulbs are on about 10% power

Weaker illumination at night - the bulbs are on about 10% power

Illuminating a fence at night, mostly in greens and pinks

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Illuminating a fence at night, mostly in greens and pinks

Illuminating a fence at night, mostly in greens and pinks

Three lights on a fence, illuminated white, showing a small amount of diffraction from the faceted plastic

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Three lights on a fence, illuminated white, showing a small amount of diffraction from the faceted plastic

Three lights on a fence, illuminated white, showing a small amount of diffraction from the faceted plastic

Illuminating a fence at night in a rainbow

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Illuminating a fence at night in a rainbow

Illuminating a fence at night in a rainbow

Illuminating a fence at night, mostly in blues and pinks

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Illuminating a fence at night, mostly in blues and pinks

Illuminating a fence at night, mostly in blues and pinks

Illuminating a fence at night in reds

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Illuminating a fence at night in reds

Illuminating a fence at night in reds

A single bulb lit white, with the faceted cover splitting out some blues and greens

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

A single bulb lit white, with the faceted cover splitting out some blues and greens

Close up of a single light, showing the small clip on the base

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Close up of a single light, showing the small clip on the base

Android screenshot collage showing available effects, the main control page, and the mapped layout of the bulbs

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Android screenshot collage showing available effects, the main control page, and the mapped layout of the bulbs

Weaker illumination at night - the bulbs are on about 10% power

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Weaker illumination at night - the bulbs are on about 10% power

Illuminating a fence at night, mostly in greens and pinks

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Illuminating a fence at night, mostly in greens and pinks

Three lights on a fence, illuminated white, showing a small amount of diffraction from the faceted plastic

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Three lights on a fence, illuminated white, showing a small amount of diffraction from the faceted plastic

Illuminating a fence at night in a rainbow

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Illuminating a fence at night in a rainbow

Illuminating a fence at night, mostly in blues and pinks

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Illuminating a fence at night, mostly in blues and pinks

Illuminating a fence at night in reds

Image credit: Trusted Reviews

Illuminating a fence at night in reds