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Solar lights are becoming increasingly popular because of their benefits. From saving on wiring costs and energy bills to ease of use, they offer great value whilst keeping cost minimal.
Not long ago, we reviewed some highly sought after outdoor solar motion lights. In this article, we’ll take a look at some other outdoor solar lights but our main focus won’t be on motion detection ability.
Let’s have a look at some of our top picks.
#1. Best Outdoor Solar Lights – Auzev 5000mAh Outdoor Solar Lights
Three things make the Auzev 5000mAh Outdoor Solar Lights appealing to people. They are its impressive battery capacity, remote control function, and the fact that it has three lighting modes, not to mention the motion detection feature.
Whilst the motion detection feature isn’t our top priority, in this case, it makes this outdoor solar light worth the small amount you’ll spend on it.
Did we even mention that it’s energy-efficient and has a 1000 lumens rating alongside the IP65 waterproof rating?
Read Full Review
#2. Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Solar Light – Vivii Motion Sensor Solar Lights
You’ve probably read our review of this outdoor solar light with one of the finest motion detection ability and build quality we’ve seen.
If you haven’t, hop over to this page to know why it’s our top pick for the best outdoor motion sensing solar light.
For a tip of the iceberg, it’s build quality is top-notch, has a good PIR motion detector, an impressive coverage distance, etc.
Read Full Review
Buying Outdoor Solar Lights: Step Up Guide
There are a thousand and one different outdoor solar light styles and designs in the market. This wide variety makes it a little bit tough for one to pick something that suits them.
In this buying guide, we took a look at the important things you should know before buying a solar light.
Installation Location
This is arguably the first thing you should consider when you’re about to purchase a new outdoor solar light.
Do you want to light up walkways, stairways, the lawn, the fence or the front door/porch?
What about a bright light shining down the street?
Picking an installation location is important since it helps you determine which type of light to buy. Furthermore, it also helps you to choose which light will fit your chosen location perfectly.
If you want a solar light with motion sensor capability, you shouldn’t miss figuring out installation location.
The Type of Light
There are four categories of solar lights. They include the garden lights, path lights, spotlights, and of course, the motion-sensing lights. Let’s look at their distinctive features.
Garden Lights
These are the lights specifically designed to decorate and add some sort of ambiance to the environment. Imagine having colorful garden lights shining around your pergola surrounded by a well-cut lawn and beautiful flowers with music playing from an outdoor speaker and your pellet grill making delicious chicken.
Garden lights aren’t known to be bright but they give just about enough light to illuminate the environment.
Path Lights
As the name implies, path lights are typically designed to be installed beside walkways. These are brighter than the garden lights and illuminates the paths and their surroundings.
There are different models of path lights available. Some are mounted on the ground while the others are mounted on a stake which is shipped along with them. The stakes give them support.
Properly installed path lights add a lot of finesse to the landscape.
Spotlights
Spotlights refer to lights that project a high beam of light to a particular spot or region.
It is most important for illuminating areas of your property where there are trees.
The Motion Sensing lights can either be a garden light, a path light, or a spotlight. As you probably know, motion sensor lights turn on when they detect motion.
You may also come across terms such as
- Wall solar lights which refer to solar lights that are wall-mounted.
- String solar lights that refer to lights that are strung up and hung across a given spot. They are sometimes used for decoration.
Brightness
How bright is the light you want to install? Brightness is important because one bright outdoor solar light might just be what you need instead of 4 dim-bright lights.
It all boils down to the place you want to illuminate.
Coverage Area
Coverage area refers to how far the rays of light from your outdoor solar light can go.
Fortunately, most outdoor solar lights are designed to have a minimum coverage area of about 3m.
Some can extend farther than that but this boils down to the number of bulbs/LEDs that the light has as well as its lumen capacity.
Battery Capacity
Battery capacity is yet another important factor to consider when shopping for outdoor solar lights. The solar panels store energy derived from the sun in the batteries.
If the battery capacity is small, then the light won’t shine for long at night. On the other hand, if the light comes with a large battery, then it can last through the night.
Fortunately for us, most of the outdoor solar lights on the market come with large battery packs of about 2000mAh.
It may not be the largest but it will last since the light will come with a limited number of LEDs that can judiciously use the available energy.
You’ll also come across battery packs with 600mAh of power. It’s certainly small, but with smaller LEDs that require less power as well as the ability to dim the brightness of the light, this type of light, surprisingly, lasts long.
Lifespan
If you want to buy an outdoor solar light every year, you’re welcome to skip this part. But if not, then you should be wary of the lifespan of the outdoor solar light you’re about to buy.
Some lights are advertised as having the ability to withstand 50,000 hours of constant use. That’s a pretty long period of time when converted to hours and you turn the light on for about 8 hours each day.
We aren’t saying this claim is impossible or untrue, however, it wouldn’t hurt to look at the opinion of others who have used it before you.
Ease of Installation/Maintenance
There might need to change dead battery packs or worn out LEDs. If the need arises, will it be an arduous task or a walk in the park? Can you reposition the light if you want to?
These are a few questions that should be at the back of your mind when you’re planning to buy your outdoor solar light.
Will it have motion sensors?
Having an outdoor solar light with motion detection sensors can come in handy for security purposes. It’s not a must-have for everyone but it wouldn’t hurt if your light comes with it.
Waterproof and Heatproof rating
Lastly, you should also bear in mind to check the waterproof and heatproof ratings of the light.
It is important because the light will be mounted outdoors and as such, it will be susceptible to becoming affected by the weather.
Fortunately, most, if not all of the outdoor solar lights we came across in the course of this review are highly rated to withstand both heat and weather changes.
Outdoor Solar Lights Review
In this section, you’ll find our expert opinion some of the best outdoor solar lights available on the market.
#1. Best Outdoor Solar Light – Auzev 5000mAh Outdoor Solar Lights
Battery Capacity: 5000mAh
Lumen Rating: 1000lm
Features: Dimmable function, 3 different modes, remote control option, easy installation, large battery size, 1000 lm, sports 66 LEDs, motion sensor capable.
Our top pick for the day is the Auzev 5000mAh Outdoor Solar Lights. Auzev is not a household name but that doesn’t make their products any less than known brands in the market.
As we mentioned earlier, we choose this outdoor light for a variety of reasons.
First, it’s darn affordable, costing no more than ten cups of coffee – depending on your location. Secondly, it comes with a remote control function. And lastly, it is compact sized yet has a 5000mAh battery to store energy.
The Auzev 5000mAh Outdoor Solar Lights sports a design that can make it pass as a floodlight. It features 66 LEDs, all shining brightly like a diamond.
At the touch of a button on the remote control, you can switch between the three modes available on the light. Fortunately, if you buy more than one of this light, you can use one remote for the three of them. Cool, right?
Let us not fail to mention that it is designed to also serve as a motion detection light. The modes include
- A Dim Light Sensor Mode 1 – In this mode, the light will serve as a motion detection light. It shines dimly and only becomes bright when people come within its detection range.
- Full Light Sensor Mode 2 – The light shines brightly here for about 15 seconds when motion is detected and goes off immediately. This is important for people who want to use the light as an outdoor motion light.
- Middle Light Mode 3 – The light shines fully continuously.
The 5000mAh battery is large enough to deliver more than 8 hours of constant light to the LEDs. It takes the solar panels on the lampshade about 6 – 8 hours to charge fully.
We love the adjustable design of the light although it doesn’t turn sideways, only up or down. In addition to that, we like the fact that the light can detect motion for a distance of up to 20ft.
With the IP65 toughness rating, the likelihood of the light being damaged by climatic factors is slim.
Is the Auzev 5000mAh Outdoor Solar Lights worth it? Yes, it is!
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#2. Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Solar Light – Vivii Motion Sensor Solar Lights
Battery Capacity: 3600mAh
Lumen Rating: 600lm
Features: Large battery size, easy to install, waterproof, dedicated motion detection sensor, can last for up to 12 hours, and the motion-activated bright light mode only.
In our previous post about outdoor motion-sensing lights, we picked the Vivii Motion Sensor Solar Lights as the fairest of them all. It’s not surprising to see that it made this list again with its title.
We don’t intend to talk much about this simple, easy to install outdoor light with a 3600mAh battery capacity, an 800-lumen rating, and good PIR motion detection function of up to 26ft.
What’s more?
It can last about 12 hours with its recharge cycle taking only about 7 hours.
The only thing we would have loved to see on this outdoor solar light is multiple modes.
With multi modes to choose from, you can even save more energy since its current mode is the full bright sensor mode which lights up for the 20s when motion is detected and then goes off after motion is no longer detected.
If you’ve not read our full review of this awesome light, read it here.
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#3. Best For Large Coverage – LEDMO 200W Outdoor Solar Street Light
Battery Capacity: 39,000mAh
Lumen Rating: 10,000lm
Features: remote-controlled with long-distance, very bright light, 32W solar panel, auto light sensor, large 39,000mAh battery, 20 hours working time takes 8 hours to charge the battery, good light coverage distance, 400 LEDs.
If you want one light to shine on all of your property, this has got to be it. The LEDMO 200W Outdoor Solar Street Light comes with 400 LEDs which give it the ability to shine as brightly as possible.
It draws enough energy from the sun via its 32W solar panel which is connected to the main light via a cable. This makes it possible to install the solar panel in a location where it can get optimum light and install the lamp where it’s needed.
The 32W solar panel stores its energy in the 39,000mAh battery which gives more than 20 hours of light if it’s fully charged and set to the half lighting mode.
When the lighting mode is set to full, the LEDMO gives out almost 10,000lm bright light with a color temperature of 6500K.
It doesn’t even flinch in the face of harsh weather conditions, thanks to the ABS and aluminum materials used for making it. The IP67 waterproof rating is a testament to the top-notch quality of this outdoor solar light.
As we mentioned earlier, the LEDMO 200W Outdoor Solar Street Light comes with remote control. This remote can turn on the light from a distance of about 25ft.
With the remote, you can cycle through the two modes the light has. There’s an Auto on and off mode as well as an in-built photoelectric sensor.
Installation can be a little bit tricky at first, but it’s certainly doable for a newbie DIY enthusiast. It comes with a mount for installing on a flat surface. So if you intend to install it on a round pole, you’ll have a lot of work on your hands.
In addition to that, we don’t like the fact that this light can only be controlled via the remote. The remote appears to be cheaply made and if it eventually gets damaged, turning on this light will be one hell of a task.
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#4. Hikeren IP65 Waterproof Solar Lights
Battery Capacity: 4400mAh
Lumen Rating: 440lm
Features: 4400mAh battery, 30 LEDs with lighting time of 18hours after 8 hours charge, weatherproof rating, solar panel separated from the lampshade, multiple installations
If the LEDMO 200W Outdoor Solar Street Light we reviewed above doesn’t appeal to you, this Hikeren IP65 Waterproof Solar Lights will probably appeal to you.
However, if you like the remote control feature on the former, you won’t be comfortable using this one.
It shares the same design with the LEDMO although there are major similarities. The Hikeren light has 30 LEDs that draw their power from the 4400mAh battery pack the solar panel is fitted with.
In the same vein, the battery pack is charged by the solar panel which stands alone and is connected to the lamp via a 3m cord. The battery takes about 7 hours to charge fully and can last for up to 18 hours.
As we mentioned earlier, this type of cord is useful for installing the light in tight corners and installing the solar panel in places where they can receive ample sunlight.
The 30 LEDs are on this solar light are bright enough to make you momentarily blind if you stare at it for 10 seconds and look away to a dark place.
With respect to its quality, it’s top-notch and of course, Hikeren ensures that you get a light that has an IP65 waterproof rating.
In contrast to the LEDMO we reviewed above, the Hikeren IP65 Waterproof Solar Lights comes with a control switch – something that is missing on the LEDMO which is controlled via remote.
On the other hand, this light lacks the motion detection ability as well as the ability to choose between modes. However, these aren’t a must-have except, of course, you need the motion detection feature.
In the absence of motion detection, the light is sensitive to light so it turns off and on automatically day and night.
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#5. Best Wall Mounted – OTHWAY Solar Fence Post Lights
Battery Capacity: 600mAh
Lumen Rating: 12
Features: Compact sized, best for wall mounting/fences, 600mAh battery with 6 hours charging time and 2 years battery life, works for 3 hours, easy to install, has 6 LEDs.
We picked the OTHWAY Solar Fence Post Lights for people who have fences around their property and would rather use smaller lights than the bigger ones/
The OTHWAY Solar Fence Post Lights for is powered by a 600mAh battery which draws its power from the 0.26W solar panel on the lampshade. This solar panel is slanted on the lampshade, thus giving it a good angle to capture sunlight.
It takes the solar panel about 6 hours to charge the 600mAh battery fully and takes the light about 3 to 6 hours to run down. Certainly, this isn’t the best considering the fact that similarly priced models last a tad longer.
There are 6 LEDs that draw their power from the light.
The OTHWAY light is made from ABS plastic material and it certainly feels stronger than it looks. It is, however, not as bright as we expected with its lumen rating at 12lm.
For ease of use, OTHWAY fitted this light with a day/night sensor that automatically turns the light on and off at night and in the day respectively. It comes in handy for people who work long hours and want their light on by the time they pull up in the driveway.
The OTHWAY Solar Fence Post Lights aren’t waterproof. However, they are properly sealed and the chances of having rainwater or water from your sprinkler get into them are slim.
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#6. Best Solar Deck Light – Greluna Solar Wall Lights Outdoor
Battery Capacity: 600mAh
Lumen Rating: 10lm
Features: wall mounted/deck lighting design, the color of light can be changed, 10lm lumen rating, easy installation, comes in a pack of 8, waterproof, 2 usage modes.
For fanciful lights, the Greluna Solar Outdoor Wall Lights is the way to go. This is one outdoor solar light that adds spice to your property when you select the multi-color mode option.
The Greluna Outdoor Solar Wall Lights come with 2 modes that allow users to select between white light and colored lights. Using the colored lights at night in the garden is simply stunning and is fit for use as decoration lights.
They are easy to install and are made from quality ABS materials. In contrast with the OTHWAY Solar Fence Post Lights, this light is waterproof. It’s nicely sealed round.
We didn’t expose the lights to any stress but we came across several customer reviews that made mention of the light’s ability to hold its ground in tough weather conditions.
Let’s talk about the battery. This Grenular Outdoor Solar Wall Light comes with a small solar panel sitting on top of the lampshade.
The solar panel stores the energy it draws from the sun in the 600mAh battery that comes with the unit. It takes about 6 hours to charge the battery fully and about 8 hours for it to run down completely.
There’s no remote control for switching modes. You have to manually switch it on. Let’s not fail to mention that the Greluna Outdoor Solar Wall Lights has the auto turn on and off feature. The light turns off in the morning and comes back on automatically.
A lot of homeowners with swimming pools recommend this outdoor solar light for its unique design, fair price, build quality, and ability to change colors.
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#7. Best Pathway Outdoor Solar Lights – JSOT Solar Walkway Waterproof Deck Lights
Battery Capacity: 600mAh
Lumen Rating: 30lm
Features: compact-sized, easy to install, 30lm for each light in the pack, comes with daylight sensors, automatic on and off feature, can last for up to 9 hours per full charge, made from ABS and stainless steel materials.
The JSOT Solar Walkway Waterproof Deck Lights is yet another wall mounted light that will fit your budget and needs. It’s an easy to install outdoor solar light that shares a few similarities with the OTHWAY Solar Fence Post Lights.
For those of us looking to light up a few spots in our home without necessarily buying more outdoor solar lights than we need, it’ll probably serve for that purpose.
The light comes with a solar panel which is, as usual, situated on top of the lampshade. It charges the 600mAh battery that comes with it. As expected, it takes the battery about 7 hours to charge fully.
With the 7 hours of charge, the light can last for up to 9 hours.
The JSOT Solar Walkway Waterproof Deck Lights is made from a combination of materials including stainless steel, ABS and polycarbonate. It’s not totally weatherproof but it can withstand a good deal of water unless you submerge it in the water.
It has a lumen rating of 30lm and a color temperature of 6500K which is impressive, to say the least.
Some notable features include the auto charging function as well as the day/night sensing function that automatically turns off the light in the day and turns it on at night.
Installing the JSOT outdoor solar light is easy and it takes a few screws here and there to get it fixed. Don’t forget to open the switch at the back before installing it.
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#8. Flickering Flame Outdoor Solar Light – TomCare Flickering Flames Outdoor Solar Torch
Battery Capacity: 2200mAh
Lumen Rating: 30lm
Features: beautiful design, attractive flame light for creating a good ambiance, 2200mAh battery capacity with 8 hours charging time and 12 hours working time, waterproof.
Offering a break away from the standard outdoor solar lights is the TomCare Flickering Flames Outdoor Solar Torch. It is a standing outdoor solar light that can also serve as a garden light.
It’s great for people who want to add a bit of ambiance to their garden. The light features a distinctive flame design that makes it look like it’s burning when in reality, it’s not.
If you’re planning to host a barbeque night on your premises soon, this light should definitely be top on your list of lights for decoration.
It comes with a solar panel situated on top of the lampshade. The solar panel is backed by a 2200mAh battery. It takes the battery about 8 hours to get recharged fully and about 12 hours to run down.
This TomCare Flickering Flames Outdoor Solar Torch has an automatic on and off mode that controls the light. You can also switch it on and off manually by using the control switch.
The light itself measures about 43-inches from the top to the bottom and is easy to install. However, you need to dig up the ground a bit deeper to provide the light with enough stamina to withstand strong winds if you live in a windy area.
Aside from being easy to install, the TomCare Flickering Flames Outdoor Solar Torch is also waterproof. It has an IP65 waterproof rating and will surely stand the test of time, judging by how durable it looks and feels.
If you’re not comfortable choosing this particular model, there are other models some of which can be hanged.
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#9. Best Solar Garden Light – Beau Jardin Outdoor Stake Solar Lights
Battery Capacity: 600mAh
Lumen Rating: 6lm
Features: stainless steel construction, diamond-shaped LED light shines up to 12 hours after charging for 8 hours, backed by a 600mAh battery, easy to install, emits 6500K cool white light.
Our top pick for the best solar garden light is the beautifully designed Beau Jardin Outdoor Stake Solar Lights. It stands out because of how cool and premium it looks.
Mounted on a stake, this outdoor solar light is simple and easy to install as all you mostly need to do is to push the stake deep enough into the ground to keep the light standing.
The light is built from a combination of different materials including stainless steel and ABC. With respect to its durability, it certainly seems top-notch.
As per the design of the light, the solar panel is situated on top of the lampshade. It stores the power it draws from the sun in a 600mAh battery that it’s paired with.
The battery takes about 8 hours to charge fully and can run for up to 12 hours before going off. In addition, the auto on and off feature we’ve seen in most lights is available on this one.
This light sensitivity takes away the stress of having to go and turn on the lights all the time. All you need to do is to switch it on and it takes care of the rest.
Did we mention that the light is bright? It emits 6500K bright light and creates a unique glow, thanks to its diamond-shaped LEDs.
Installing the light is easy and in addition to that, the lights have an IP65 rating and as we mentioned earlier, there’s no doubt the light is waterproof. Give your garden a new look with the Beau Jardin Outdoor Stake Solar Lights.
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#10. Best Outdoor Solar Spotlight – LITOM LED Solar Landscape Spotlights
Battery Capacity: 3600mAh
Lumen Rating: 600lm
Features: 600lm bright light, wide lighting angle, automatic on and off mode, IP67 waterproof rating, dual brightness mode with varying light duration, can be wall-mounted or stuck to the ground with stakes.
Before we draw the curtain on our review of the best outdoor solar lights, let’s take a look at this top of the line solar spotlight – LITOM LED Solar Landscape Spotlights.
Powered by a 3600mAh battery which stores the daily solar energy captured by the solar panel, this light gives off 600lm bright light from its 12 LEDs. It takes the light a minimum of 5 – 8 hours to charge fully and it runs down in 12 hours.
There are two brightness modes to choose from including the Lowlight mode and the high light mode. When in the low light mode, the light stays on for about 12 hours whereas it stays on for about 6 hours on the high light mode.
To control the light modes, you need to press the power button multiple times as described in the user manual. We like the wide-angle of illumination that this light offers. It’s up to 120 degrees and it’s undeniably one of the largest we’ve seen so far.
Installation is very much easy, thanks to the included installation guide and accessories. LITOM offers you the freedom to choose how to install the light.
So you can choose to stake it into the ground or to place it on the wall. The light comes with both ground stakes and wall plugs to aid in installation.
As for the durability, it definitely looks and feels durable although time will tell. It does have an IP67 waterproof rating so you shouldn’t expect anything less than longevity from it.
After installation, you need to turn on the power button and select the desired light mode. We recommend choosing the low-light mode as it offers the longest possible runtime.
The light automatically turns off in the morning and turns back on at night! There’s no better way to illuminate certain areas of your property than with the – LITOM LED Solar Landscape Spotlights.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Outdoor Solar Lights
What should you do after installing your outdoor solar lights?
Crosscheck all the lights you’ve mounted to make sure that they are securely placed and properly covered. If there’s any gap in any part of the light, make sure it is sealed properly, then turn on the light’s switch.
For remote-controlled models, ensure that you test the remote control at different points before installation. But first, you should allow the light to charge.
How long do outdoor solar lights last?
With most outdoor solar lights, you can get a couple of years of dedicated work from it. At least half a decade, to exaggerate minimally.
Why do outdoor solar lights stop working?
Solar lights can stop working for several reasons.
They include defective products direct from the factory as well as products that were exposed to harsh weather conditions.
This is why it’s important to check the durability rating of the outdoor solar light you want to buy.
A light may be marked as waterproof when in reality, it’s not built to withstand much water.
Weak batteries can cause your outdoor solar light to stop working. Some of the batteries are replaceable while the others aren’t. We recommend purchasing a new light instead of trying to replace the battery.
Lastly, outdoor solar lights can stop working if the solar panel is covered by debris or other things.
If there’s an object that casts a huge shade on your outdoor solar light, it’s only a matter of time before it stops working given the lack of energy in the battery.
How do you charge solar lights without the sun?
While we don’t recommend this, small solar lights with small batteries can be charged using light from bright incandescent light bulbs. We don’t recommend using this method as it’s probably slow and can rack up your energy bills if you keep the incandescent light on for a long period.
Do solar lights work in winter?
There’s a great probability that they won’t because of the low amount of sunlight they may receive – that is if they receive any.
In this case, you may need to switch to other options like the electric models.
Should you leave the lights outside in the winter?
This question has two answers.
If your outdoor solar lights are fully weatherproof, then you may leave them outside.
Fortunately enough, many of the outdoor solar lights on the market are designed to survive winter.
On the other hand, decorative lights, especially for the garden, shouldn’t be left outside. Many of them which are fragile will get damaged easily when winter comes knocking.
Final Words
Solar lights give you a lot of advantage over the conventional electric lights. However, they may cost you more than the electric lights when you’re purchasing them for the first time.
We made mention of important things to look out for in this article. If we’re missing anything, we’d appreciate it if you let us know via the comment box below.
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