My lights arrived charged and ready to go! I purchased them because my daughter has them and loves them. I love how they light up her campsite. They are soft warm and really make the campsite cozy. They hang very easily the storage is compact making packing them a breeze and they even have a phone charger which we may use as an additional charger to the one we already have. I will be bringing my new lights to Maine with me soon and plan on using them on the deck of our vacation home for our wedding!