Solar lights are a great way of adding beautiful ambient light around your home and garden. They can provide illumination for pathways and driveways, project light onto a special garden feature, add a festive feeling around the pool, or provide security lighting as a safety precaution against intruders.
The 8 Best Solar Lights
- SolarGlow Garden Lights
- GIGALUMI Solar Lights 6-pack (Our Top Pick)
- NekTeck Spotlight
- Hoont Spotlight
- UrPower Security Solar Light
- Sun Force Motion Sensor Solar Light
- SolarDuke Hanging Solar Light Lantern
- Victorian Solar Lamp
Our Top Pick for the Best Solar Light
GIGALUMI Stainless Steel Solar Garden Lights
This super stylish set of six garden lights are made from high-quality stainless steel and their beautiful bronze finish will make them a stunning feature in your garden.
While also creating a relaxing ambiance that will make your garden the envy of the neighborhood, their soft white glow and unique lighting patterns create an amazing illumination display. They will also make perfect gifts for friends or family.
Check the price on AmazonHow Do Solar Powered Lights Work?
Solar power is fast becoming the preferred energy source for many households as it can save you money as opposed to using expensive grid electricity. Solar lights are super smart devices that catch the sunlight in their solar panels and their rechargeable batteries power the LED lights when the sun goes down.
Solar lights may have the solar panel integrated into the light’s housing or it may be a separate panel. Some manufacturers design their solar lights to be placed into the ground or mounted on a wall or a roof.
To get the best lighting effect, you should place your solar light in an area where it can gather the most sunlight during the day so that it can soak up the energy and store it up for night time use. Most solar lights require 8-10 hours to fully charge and give you the strongest illumination.
Types of Solar Powered Lights
Choosing the right type of solar light for your home and garden depends on the area that needs illumination.
1. Garden Lights
Garden solar lights are ideal for entertaining and as a decorative feature that will provide a warm ambient glow among plant beds or for illuminating paths or walkways. They can be free-standing, be placed into the ground, or they may look like an elegant lamp post.
Garden lights may not provide super bright light, so if you are looking for a stronger source of light that still looks beautiful at the same time, you can buy a spotlight that is designed to direct bright light onto stairs or a driveway. To get the best effect from your solar light, place a few of them along a pathway or driveway.
2. Spotlights
Spotlights can provide light that is equivalent to a 40-watt incandescent bulb, but if you still find they are not bright enough, placing two or even three in the places that need light the most, will provide the best coverage.
Spotlights can also be placed in the garden, with the beam of light directed at a tree or another landscape feature that you want to draw attention to.
3. Motion-sensing Security Solar Lights
Some solar lights can also double up as a motion sensor to dissuade intruders, so they are ideal for front doors, an entranceway, driveways, the stoop outside your apartment, or anywhere around your home that has dark areas that need illumination. Motion sensing solar lights can either be freestanding or they can be mounted on a wall or roof.
How to Choose the Best Solar-powered Light For Your Home
1. Brightness
Most solar-powered lights use LED bulbs that are measured by lumens, which measures the level of power that is produced by the light. The output of light can vary considerably from light to light. Some solar lights can produce about 15 to 20 lumens, which generates a soft light that gives off a warm amber glow, while other solar lights can produce a much higher lumen rating up to 787, which creates a brighter (and more harsher) light.
Garden areas may require a lower level of brightness to give off ambient light, while driveways, walkways around your home, and swimming pools may require a stronger light. A stronger light is especially important if you want to use the light for security purposes. Some lights have multiple LED lights, like the Sun Force Solar Motion Sensor Solar Light that has three adjustable lights and provides a very strong source of light.
Ultimately, the brightness of the solar light depends on the brightness of the sun and the amount of daylight it is exposed to, as well as the quality of the photovoltaic cells in the solar panel and the size of the LED bulb.
Cost is an important factor and solar lights that use higher-quality photovoltaic cells and larger LED bulbs can cost more, but they tend to produce more light over a greater distance.
2. Batteries
Some solar lights come with lithium-ion batteries, which give you the ability to recharge the batteries when needed. To get the best battery life, recharge the batteries fully before you use them. If you are going to be using your solar light every day, remember to replace the battery regularly. Battery life depends on the strength of the battery, and some batteries can last from 4 to 6 hours and a maximum of 9 hours.
3. Settings
Most solar lights have only one setting like a manual on/off switch, while others have an automatic switch off, so it can switch itself off at dawn and on again at dusk.
Another handy feature is an adjustable brightness (dimming) switch that allows you to adjust the light from a bright and harsher light to a softer glow. Some solar lights allow you to adjust the direction of the light to wherever you need the light the most.
4. Lighting Range
The lighting range of a solar light can be from 1 to 2 feet up to 10 feet depending on the manufacturer’s design. Most standard garden lights may only shed light for a few feet, so if illumination and security is your goal, then it is a good idea to place one or two solar lights close together or in strategic positions around your property.
Solar Light Tips
In order to get the best performance out of your solar light, here are four tips:
- Take the protective screen off lights before you use them.
- Charge batteries for two or three sunny days before turning the lights on for the first time.
- Place the lights in an area where they can receive maximum sun exposure.
- Clean the lights regularly as dirt or grime can build which decreases their lighting capacity.
8 Best Solar Lights – Product Reviews
1. SolarGlow Garden Lights
This pack of stylish silver solar lights from SolarGlow Garden Lights contains 6 solar lights that are made from strong stainless steel and durable waterproof ABS plastic, so they are designed to endure all kinds of weather. The lights have the solar panel securely integrated into the lid, and with 15 lumens of lighting power, they will add a subtle glow to your garden or pathway. To get the best lighting quality at night, place the lights in direct sunlight.
The solar lights are very easy to assemble and install with no wiring required, and they also have an “on and off” switch for when you want to store them away. SolarGlow also offers a 100% lifetime replacement guarantee.
Pros
- Good value for money
- Good quality
- Pack of six
- Sturdy
- Nice attractive light
- Exceptional customer service
Cons
- Light output not very strong
2. GIGALUMI Solar Lights 6-pack
These super stylish set of six GIGALUMI Solar Lights will make an attractive feature in your garden, while also providing a super bright warm white light for illumination of pathways or among the foliage in your garden.
The lights are made from high-quality weather-resistant stainless steel with an elegant bronze metal finish. You will be amazed as the advanced tier ripple glass lens cover casts a vivid and attractive pattern on the ground.
Each light can provide very good lighting for up to 10 hours on a full battery charge. You can just set and forget as they automatically turn on at night or in low light conditions and then switch off at dawn.
The solar lights come ready to be assembled with ground spikes, stakes and rechargeable batteries.
Pros
- Very good value for money
- High quality
- Beautiful stainless steel design with an elegant bronze finish
- Advanced tier ripple glass lens cover casts a vivid and attractive pattern
- Holds solar power very well
- Good source of light
Cons
- Not ideal for lighting large areas
3. Nekteck Solar Powered Garden Spotlight Set
For a strong source of light with 200 Lumens of power output, the Nekteck Solar Powered Garden Spotlight Set is a great choice. If you want to accentuate a particular garden feature or need an extra source of light for your driveway, the Nekteck solar lights will provide you with a bright warm light for 6 to 10 hours depending on their exposure to direct sunlight. You can even choose a set that provides white light or party-style multi-colored lights.
The lights are made from durable and weather-resistant reflective plastic housing and the solar panels are extra-large to absorb more light, which means they can stay brighter for longer. You can put them into the ground or mount them up on a wall.
One of the highlights of the spotlight duo is that they can be adjusted to 180 degrees, (90 degrees for the solar panel and 90 degrees for the light’s head). There is also a choice of two modes: high/bright light mode or dim light mode.
To get the highest performance out of the solar lights, remember to remove the protective film before using the light and place in a position where they can gather the most sun. Also, the effectiveness of the light may be affected by wintry or rainy conditions due to the solar light’s weather sensitivity.
Pros
- Ideal for lighting a small area
- Very good value for money
- Attractive bright light
- Very good design
- Adjustable
- Can be placed in the ground or wall-mounted
Cons
- Lights do not hold the charge very well
4. Hoont Solar Spotlight
The Hoont Solar Powered LED Spotlight is the perfect choice for lighting up those dark areas around your property like walkways, a porch or even illuminating a flagpole or your new landscaping.
This fully adjustable light is the ideal choice for a house or an apartment as you can either mount it on a wall or a fence, and it is the perfect choice if you are renting as you can stick the spike into the ground.
With a solid matte black plastic construction, the spotlight can withstand all weather conditions. The solar light has an integrated solar panel and 4 super bright LED bulbs that produce 200 lumens of power for up to 9 hours on a full charge, and a maximum of 50,000 hours over its lifetime.
You can adjust the spotlight and the solar panel to your desired angle where you need the most illumination and to get the best sun exposure. The light is powered by a strong AA rechargeable battery and there is an “auto-on and auto-off” button to conserve battery life.
Pros
- Affordable
- Solid construction
- Wall-mounted or in-ground installation
- Very bright light
- Adjustable
- Easy to install
Cons
- Not ideal for lighting large areas
5. URPOWER Wireless Solar Lights (4-pack)
This four-pack of URPOWER Wireless Solar Lights combines the latest infrared technology to bring you a super bright white light combined with a motion sensor that is ideal for all your lighting and security needs. With a new upgraded design, an extra-large solar panel and strong LED lights that have a lifespan of 5 years, these solar lights can provide you with light for up to 12 hours, and a maximum of 50,000 hours.
The motion sensor can detect movement up to 10 feet at a 120-degree angle, and once it detects any motion the bright light will be activated. The sensor turns off after 10 seconds, and the light turns off 30 seconds after the motion has stopped.
The lights have a fully automated on and off switch, and two lighting modes to choose from high light mode & dim light mode.
To get the best results from the solar light and motion sensor, install the lights so that they face south and make sure they absorb the sunlight directly and charge the batteries before turning the lights on for the first time.
Pros
- Good value for money
- Very bright light
- Reliable motion sensor
- Solid construction
- Two lighting modes
- Wireless
Cons
- Not ideal for installing on brickwork.
- Batteries lose charge quickly
6. Sun Force Motion Sensor Solar Light
The Sun Force motion sensor solar light is uniquely designed, with three adjustable heads that not only give you extra lighting power, but they can be adjusted to point in the direction where you need the most light around your property. Each head contains 150 LED lights that can produce up to 787.5 lumens of super bright light, so they are ideal for lighting up your pool, deck, entranceway or driveway.
The light has a three-position light switch (On Solar lights are a great way of adding beautiful ambient light around your home and garden. They can provide illumination for pathways and driveways, project light onto a special garden feature, add a festive feeling around the pool, or provide security lighting as a safety precaution against intruders. It has On-Off, and fully adjustable settings, so you can set the duration of the illumination from ten seconds to one minute. The solar panel has an adjustable base that allows it to be used on both flat surfaces and angled locations.
To get the best performance out of the light and motion sensor, the solar panel needs to be placed where it can capture the most sunlight, and the unit needs to be adjusted directly towards the area where motion will be detected.
Also, make sure that the batteries are fully charged before using the light. The solar light comes with three rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, a solar charging panel, and a 15-foot cable.
Pros
- Ideal for small to medium areas
- Very bright light
- Three pivoting heads
- Adjustable illumination settings
- Good detection range
Cons
- Expensive
- Requires some installation
- Batteries can lose charge easily
- Motion sensor has a limited range
7. SolarDuke Hanging Solar Light Lantern
This stunning SolarDuke Hanging solar light lantern will add a special magical soft warm light to your garden. You can hang the lantern from a tree branch to create a magical ambiance among the foliage, place in on the ground alongside a pathway, or hang it in your entranceway to greet your guests.
The light stands at 8.6 inches and its housing is made from corrosion-resistant metal and each plastic panel features a hummingbird silhouette design. You can choose the clear light setting or switch to the flash mode and be amazed as the LED light bathes your garden in beautiful rainbow shades.
As well as transforming your garden into a colorful wonderland, the SolarDuke solar light is a great choice as a gift for your friends and family.
Pros
- Ideal for lighting small areas
- Beautiful design
- Pretty light
- Choice of seven different colors
- Well made
- Corrosion-resistant
Cons
- Not ideal for lighting large areas
- Not very bright
8. Gama Sonic Victorian Lamp Post Solar Light
The Gama Sonic Victorian-style Lamp Post Solar Light with double hanging lamp heads will make an elegant addition to your home and garden. The lamp post stands at 90 inches tall and it is made from rust-resistant cast-aluminum with a black powder-coated finish.
It is easy to install and there is no electrical wiring to set up, all you have to do is secure the post to a concrete surface with the included bolts.
Both of the lamp heads contain a bulb that produces 200 lumens of power, which creates a soft white glow that shines through the stylish beveled glass panes.
You can adjust the brightness of the solar light to conserve battery life by switching the brightness mode from high to low, depending on your lighting needs. The Gama Sonic’s patented cone reflector gives an overall light dispersal and the monocrystalline silicon solar panel is protected by weather-resistant tempered glass, which is very easy to clean.
Pros
- Beautiful design
- Good white light
- Dual lights
- Durable
- Easy to assemble
Cons
- Expensive
- Limited brightness
Our Top Pick for the Best Solar Light
GIGALUMI Stainless Steel Solar Garden Lights
This super stylish set of six garden lights are made from high-quality stainless steel and their beautiful bronze finish will make them a stunning feature in your garden.
While also creating a relaxing ambiance that will make your garden the envy of the neighborhood, their soft white glow and unique lighting patterns create an amazing illumination display. They will also make perfect gifts for friends or family.
Check the price on Amazon
