These are super. We have the auto set on the lights so they come on when it gets dark. The solar receptors do not sit in direct sun but it is still sufficient energy to illuminate for the duration of time we need (through the evening, early night). The blue is a medium shade and does not look necessarily like Christmas lights, which we like as they will be up all the time. The strands are dark as shown. The “bubble effect” is pretty when illuminated and there is a blinker option if desired.