Solar lights are a great way of adding beautiful ambient light to 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
- Signature Garden Solar Garden Lights
- GIGALUMI Solar Pathway Lights (Our Top Pick)
- Nekteck Solar Lights
- Hoont Bright Outdoor LED Spotlight/Solar Powered Light
- URPOWER Solar Lights
- Sunforce LED Triple Head Solar Motion Light
- CrazyFire Solar Lantern Lights
- Sterno Home Solar LED Street Light
Our Top Pick for the Best Solar Light
Our top pick for the best solar light is the GIGALUMI Solar Pathway Lights.
This super stylish set of 6 garden lights are made from high-quality stainless steel and their beautiful brown 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.
These lights may have the solar panel integrated into the light’s housing or it may be a separate panel. Some manufacturers design their 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 nighttime use. Most 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. However, if you still find they are not bright enough, placing 2 or even 3 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 measured by lumens, which measure the level of power produced by the light. The output of light can vary considerably from light to light. Some lights can produce about 15-20 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 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 Sunforce LED Triple Head Solar Motion Light, which has 3 adjustable lights and provides a very strong light source.
Ultimately, the brightness of the 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. However, 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 light every day, remember to replace the battery regularly.
Battery life depends on the strength of the battery, and some batteries can last from 4-6 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 bright and harsher light to a softer glow. Some 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 1-2-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 are your goals, then it is a good idea to place 1 or 2 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 4 tips:
- Take the protective screen off lights before you use them.
- Charge batteries for 2 or 3 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 – Reviews
1. Signature Garden Solar Garden Lights
This pack of stylish silver Signature Garden Solar 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. 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 lights are very easy to assemble and install with no wiring required. These lights automatically turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn. Signature Garden also offers a 100% lifetime replacement guarantee.
Pros
- Good value for money
- Good quality
- Pack of 6
- Sturdy
- Nice attractive light
- Exceptional customer service
Cons
- Light output not very strong
2. GIGALUMI Solar Pathway Lights
This super stylish set of 6 GIGALUMI Solar Pathway 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 brown 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 brown 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 Lights
For a strong source of light with 260 lumens of power output, the Nekteck Solar Lights are 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 6-10 hours depending on their exposure to direct sunlight.
You can even choose a set that provides a warm white light or a cool white light and a 2-pack or a 4-pack.
The lights are made from a durable weather-resistant IP66 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 Nekteck solar lights highlights is that they can be adjusted to 180°, (90° for the solar panel and 90° for the light’s head). There is also a choice of 2 modes: a high/bright light mode or a dim light mode.
To get the highest performance out of the solar lights, remember to remove the protective film before using the lights and place them 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
- Solar panel need to absorb a lot of sunlight otherwise it doesn’t hold a charge very well
4. Hoont Bright Outdoor LED Spotlight/Solar Powered Light
The Hoont Bright Outdoor LED Spotlight/Solar Powered Light 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 Solar Lights
This 4-pack of URPOWER 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° 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 2 lighting modes to choose from high light mode and 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. Sunforce LED Triple Head Solar Motion Light
The Sunforce LED Triple Head Solar Motion Light is uniquely designed, with 3 adjustable heads that not only give you extra lighting power but 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 1000 lumens of super bright light, so they are ideal for lighting up your pool, deck, entranceway, or driveway.
The light has a 3-position light switch. Solar lights are a great way of adding beautiful ambient light to 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 10 seconds to a 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. The unit needs to be adjusted directly towards the area where the motion will be detected.
Also, make sure that the batteries are fully charged before using the light. The solar light comes with 3 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, a solar charging panel, and a 15-feet 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. CrazyFire Solar Lantern Lights
These stunning beautiful antique-style CrazyFire Solar Lantern Lights will add a magical ambiance to your garden. As the two lights come with durable hanging clamps, circular rings, and ground stakes, you can hang the lanterns from a tree branch to create glimmering lights among the foliage, hang a lantern in your entranceway to greet your guests, or insert the lights into the ground to illuminate a pathway.
Suitable for use in any type of weather, the lantern’s housing is made from durable and waterproof ABS plastic. Its high-efficiency solar panel can provide lighting up to 10-12 hours after being charged for 8-10 hours in the sun. The lantern comes with 8 color modes: monochrome, red, green, blue, yellow, purple, cyan, and white, which can be automatically switched on and each color cycle lasts for 15 seconds.
Not only do these lanterns create a colorful display but the outside patterned design makes the inside light look like real dancing flames.
Pros
- Ideal for lighting small areas
- Comes with hanging clamps, circular rings, and ground stakes
- Stunningly beautiful design
- Pretty light looks like realistic dancing flames
- Eight color modes
- Durable and waterproof design
Cons
- Not ideal for lighting large areas
- Not very bright
8. Sterno Home Solar LED Street Light
The Sterno Home Solar LED Street Light will make an elegant addition to your home and garden. The sturdy 76-inch post is made from weather-resistant, rust-resistant black aluminum and the panels are real glass.
It is easy to install and there is no electrical wiring to set up.
This upgraded classic-style street light uses a 60-lumen LED bulb which creates a vibrant warm glow that shines through the stylish beveled glass panes.
For long-lasting illumination, the 4 energy-efficient amorphous solar panels run on 3 AA batteries and when the batteries are charged up in the full sun, the street light can provide lighting for up to 8 hours. The street light comes with wood and cement screws, so you can install the light at the entrance to a driveway, on a deck, or near a pergola in the back garden.
Pros
- Beautiful design
- Good white light
- Dual lights
- Durable
- Easy to assemble
Cons
- Expensive
- Limited brightness
Our Top Pick for the Best Solar Light
Our top pick for the best solar light is the GIGALUMI Solar Pathway Lights.
This super stylish set of 6 garden lights are made from high-quality stainless steel and their beautiful brown 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
