The Best Outdoor Solar Lights

The Best Outdoor Solar Lights

Outdoor solar lighting is the new frontier. If you haven't gotten on board yet, it's time to do so. Solar lights are incredibly easy to install, and they're also maintenance-free (unlike traditional outdoor lighting). Also, because these lights work by converting electricity into sunlight, they're the most eco-friendly choice, by far, when it comes to lighting your yard. And on top of that, using outdoor solar lighting can really help you save on energy costs. So what are you waiting for? Here are the best solar lighting products to choose from, grouped by category.

LITOM Solar Landscape Spotlights

Brighten Up Your Life

Solar landscape lighting has never been so streamlined.
Best Spotlights

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Easy to install, ultra-bright, and blissfully maintenance-free, the LITOM Solar Landscape Spotlights can be used for a wide variety of purposes, from lighting up your fence line or pathway to the front door, to illuminating your garden, porch, or even your entire lawn. Conveniently, these high-powered LED solar spotlights automatically run from dusk until dawn, and there are two lighting modes so that you can fully customize your brightness level. Offering versatile placement options, these lights are also made from tough, waterproof plastic that’s built to stand the test of time.

Pros:

  • A wide variety of uses
  • Automatically run from dusk until dawn
  • Made from high-impact ABS plastic that’s waterproof and heat-resistant
  • Two brightness modes
  • Multiple installation options

Cons:

  • The instructions need to be edited for clarity

Viboos Solar Ground Lights

Let These Lights Be Your Guides

This lighting system produces a mighty powerful burst of light.
Best Ground Lights

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The Viboos Solar Ground Lights provide picture-perfect lighting for your outdoor space. You can place these nifty lights along your walkway, in your garden, or anywhere else you need ample ground lighting. The sleekly designed disc shape makes for an attractive addition to your yard, and these lights are a cinch to install. All you have to do is turn the switch under the cap and push the stake into the soil. Also, unlike many other types of outdoor solar lighting, these lights consist of 8 LED lights, as opposed to the usual 6 LEDs. You’ll simply love the ambiance they create.

Pros:

  • Sleek disc shape
  • Made of weather-resistant stainless steel
  • High power efficiency (8 LEDs)
  • Auto shutoff function
  • Minimal assembly

Cons:

  • These might be a tad too bright if you’re looking for a low, warm light

Urpower Solar Lights

Maximum Illumination

A unique (and efficient) solution for all your outdoor lighting needs.
Best Wall Lights

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The super-reliable Urpower Solar Lights use the sun’s power to effectively illuminate your front porch, walkway, yard, or anywhere you put them, providing 50 lumens of glowing light. In a thoughtfully convenient touch, these fully adjustable lights are designed to be able to stick into the ground or mounted on the wall, depending on your space. And, they have a handy automated switch that turns on at night and off at sunrise.

Pros:

  • Fully adjustable light and solar panel
  • Very bright (50 lumens each; 200 in total)
  • Waterproof and weather-resistant
  • 180-degree vertical adjustment for the panel and 90-degree vertical adjustment for the lamp head
  • You can install them in the ground or mount them on the wall
  • Automated switch
  • Excellent value

Cons:

  • A little clunky-looking

Maggift Solar Pathway Lights

More Thoughtfully Designed Than Most

This light's design casts a lovely decorative shadow, as opposed to a basic stream of light.
Best Decorative

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Why go with basic white lights when you could get the Maggift Solar Pathway Lights? These decorative solar lights create an intricate, cool-looking shadow pattern on the ground, adding a unique flair to your yard, driveway, walkway, or garden. Handily, these lights work well no matter the weather, be it snowy or rainy, and they last for up to eight hours at night. Also, there’s no wiring or tricky installation required.

Pros:

  • Attractive design
  • Creates a striking shadow pattern
  • Weather-resistant
  • Will last for eight hours or more at night
  • Installation is a breeze — you simply push the stake into the soil and turn the switch

Cons:

  • These are definitely designed to be more decorative, so if you’re looking for something super-bright, this isn’t the right product

Walensee Solar Lights

Set a Festive Backyard Mood

There's nothing like solar-powered tiki torches to get the party started.
Best Torch Lights

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Whether you’re having a dinner party for several or a romantic evening for two, the Walensee Solar Lights will instantly take your backyard from drab to fab. This is mostly thanks to their striking flame design, which casts a lovely, mood-enhancing glow. These solar-powered torch lights collect energy from the sun by day and then automatically turn on at dusk, lasting throughout the night (they stay illuminated for 12 hours, in fact). They’re also weatherproof, easy to set up, and very durable.

Pros:

  • They cast a warm, just-bright-enough glow
  • Cool dancing flames design
  • Durable and weather-proof
  • No wiring required; set-up is simple
  • The built-in rechargeable battery lasts for as long as 12 hours
  • There’s an extra pipe included, so you can adjust the height as needed

Cons:

  • On the pricey end

Frequently Asked Questions

How do solar lights actually work?

Solar lights generate power from the sunlight by day, and then they release this power at night, in essence, converting sunlight into electricity. This electricity is stored in rechargeable batteries, which you can then turn on when it gets dark. Some outdoor solar lights are self-contained units, meaning that you only have to place the lights in the sun for them to charge; others have a separate solar panel, so you only need to place the panel in the sun.

What are the benefits of outdoor solar lighting?

Outdoor solar lights are cost-efficient since they don’t require any digging or complex wiring. They’re also eco-friendly, of course, since they convert energy from sunlight, thereby reducing your carbon footprint. And, solar lights are versatile and easy to install.

What are some uses for outdoor solar lighting?

You can use outdoor solar lights to brighten your garden, to illuminate a walkway or porch, as security lights, or as lamp posts, just to name a few.