Net lights for bushes: measure the hedge, then buy the mesh
The only spec that matters is the mesh dimension, and it is the one people never check. Here is how to measure, and where net lights stop working.
By Sawyer V. · Published
Net lights exist to solve one problem: wrapping a hedge by hand takes an hour and never looks even. Draping a pre-formed mesh over it takes two minutes and looks the same every year. That is a genuinely good trade, and it only works if the mesh matches the shape.
The spec that decides everything is the published mesh dimension, in feet, and it is the one people skip past on the way to the bulb count.
Wreath & Watt earns a commission on qualifying purchases made through the Amazon links on this page. It costs you nothing and it does not change the order of the picks — here is exactly how we are funded.
How to measure before you buy
Take two measurements with a tape, not by eye. The first is the run: how far the hedge extends along the bed. The second is the drape: from where the mesh will sit at the back, over the top, down to where you want it to stop at the front. That second number is almost always larger than people guess, because a shrub is a curve, not a wall.
| Set | Mesh size | LEDs | Connection limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 LED net | 15 ft x 5 ft | 300 | Not published |
| 300 LED connectable net | 14.8 ft x 5 ft | 300 | 2 sets end to end |
A 5 ft mesh dimension is the drape, not the height of the shrub. Over a 3 ft shrub, 5 ft of mesh covers the front, the top and part of the back — which is what you want.
Source: Manufacturer listings on Amazon.com, retrieved 2026-09-04.
The arithmetic
- Hedge run: 26 ft
- One 15 ft x 5 ft net covers 15 ft of run
- 26 ft / 15 ft = 1.7 sets, round up to 2
- Check the connection limit: 2 sets is the published maximum on the connectable set
A 26-foot hedge takes two nets, which is exactly the published connection limit. A 40-foot hedge needs a second outlet.
Where net lights are the wrong product
A net is a rectangle. It works on anything that is broadly rectangular from the front: a hedge line, a low boxwood run, a bed of shrubs along a wall. It works badly on a single round shrub, where the mesh bunches at the sides and the corners hang loose, and it is genuinely poor on a conical evergreen, where there is no way to lay a rectangle over a cone without folding it.
For a round or conical shrub, wrapping a mini string by hand really is the better answer, and the lights calculator will tell you how many strings to buy for the height.
Fixing a net so it stays put
The failure mode is wind, and the fix is at the back. Anchor the rear edge of the mesh to the base of the shrub with landscape staples or a few ground stakes rather than relying on the foliage to hold it. A net that lifts at the back on the first windy night ends up as a tangle in the bed, and getting it back on a wet shrub in December is a miserable job.
Nets and storage
Nets do not go on reels — the mesh is the point and it cannot be wound. Fold them the way you would fold a sheet, in the same direction every year, and put each one in its own labeled bag so you are not unpicking two nets in the dark next November. Our full approach is in the storage system.
Our picks for this
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No imageNet lights, 300 LED, 15 ft x 5 ft mesh, warm white15 ft x 5 ft mesh, 300 LEDs | Hedges and long bush runs | 6.8/ 10 | Check price #ad · Disclosure |
| 2 | No imageNet lights, 300 LED, 14.8 ft x 5 ft mesh, connectable14.8 ft x 5 ft, connect two sets max | Two-panel hedge runs | 6.5/ 10 | Check price #ad · Disclosure |
Scores are our own weighting of published manufacturer specifications, explained in full on how we research. They are not test results. We have not tested these products.
The picks, in detail
#1 — Hedges and long bush runs
Net lights, 300 LED, 15 ft x 5 ft mesh, warm white
15 ft x 5 ft mesh, 300 LEDs
6.8
/ 10
Measure the hedge, then buy the mesh. Net lights are the one product where the published dimensions are the whole decision.
Published specifications
- LEDs
- 300
- Mesh size
- 15 ft x 5 ft
- Modes
- 8
- Weather
- Listed as waterproof; IP rating not published by the manufacturer
Our scoring
- Published specs
- 8 / 10
- Coverage
- 9 / 10
- Weather tolerance
- 6 / 10
- Serviceability
- 4 / 10
Good
- Mesh dimensions are published, which is the only spec that tells you whether it covers your hedge
- One net does the work of wrapping three or four strings by hand
Watch out
- A 15 x 5 mesh drapes badly over a round shrub — it is built for a hedge line
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B0D7HLJW2M), retrieved 2026-09-04.
#2 — Two-panel hedge runs
Net lights, 300 LED, 14.8 ft x 5 ft mesh, connectable
14.8 ft x 5 ft, connect two sets max
6.5
/ 10
Nearly identical to our other net pick. Choose on which mesh size fits, and note the two-set connection limit.
Published specifications
- LEDs
- 300
- Mesh size
- 14.8 ft x 5 ft
- Modes
- 8
- Connectable
- Maximum 2 sets end to end
Our scoring
- Published specs
- 8 / 10
- Coverage
- 8 / 10
- Weather tolerance
- 6 / 10
- Serviceability
- 4 / 10
Good
- Publishes its connection limit, which most net lights leave you to discover
Watch out
- Two sets is a hard ceiling — a long hedge needs a second outlet
Specs from the Amazon listing (ASIN B094NBB584), retrieved 2026-09-04.
Questions
›What size net lights do I need for a hedge?
Measure the run along the bed and the drape from back to front over the top. Match the run to the mesh's long dimension and round up on the number of sets, then check the published connection limit before assuming they will all run from one outlet.
›Can you connect net lights end to end?
Some sets publish a limit and some do not publish one at all. One of the sets here states a maximum of two sets end to end. Where no limit is published, treat it as one set per outlet rather than assuming.
›Do net lights work on a round bush?
Poorly. A net is a rectangle and a round shrub is not, so the mesh bunches at the sides. For round or conical shrubs, hand-wrapping a mini string gives a much better result.
Sources
- 300 LED net light listing (ASIN B0D7HLJW2M) — 15 ft x 5 ft mesh, 300 LEDs, 8 modes
- Connectable 300 LED net listing (ASIN B094NBB584) — 14.8 ft x 5 ft mesh, 2-set connection limit
We have not tested these products. Every figure above comes from a published manufacturer specification or from arithmetic shown on this page, and anything a maker does not publish is printed as unavailable rather than estimated. How that works, and what we will not claim, is set out on how we research.