The 10 Best Outdoor Solar Lights to Make Your Yard Shimmer (And Keep You from Tripping)
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From a dark path leading to your front door to some much-needed illumination in your backyard, outdoor light is key. But dealing with odd batteries or pesky outdoor wires is not. That’s why the best outdoor solar lights can help shine a light on the situation. Self-powered by sunlight, these ingenious lighting options will keep your outdoor space well-lit without the fuss. From path lights to string lights to elegant lanterns, we’ve found the best solar-powered options.
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The 10 Best Outdoor Solar Lights at a Glance
How We Chose the Best Outdoor Solar Lights
To pick the best solar lights, we began by researching top-rated and recommended options, prioritizing their brightness (both in terms of reviews and their listed lumens), a water resistance rating of IP65 rating or higher (a strong signal of their ability to withstand the elements over time), and the ability to fully charge with less than 12 hours of sunlight.
We also awarded bonus points to lights that had additional features like color changing options, remote controls or any smart features. Once we had our finalists, we vetted them to feature a variety of styles, including string lights and wall-mounted models.
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1. Beau Jardin Solar Pathway Lights
Both stylish and easy to use, these path lights are perfect for illuminating your walkway. This pack of eight lights have a cool etched glass exterior, rust-resistant stainless steel exterior and a simple bell shape. When lit, they create a pretty light pattern on the ground, and you can choose between white and color-changing settings.
Assembly is easy—just plop a stake into the ground—though some reviewers note that the stake itself can be a bit flimsy, so you may want to use a trowel to help loosen the dirt first. The lights themselves are powered by a 10 lumens panel, but there’s also a backup battery in case the sun isn’t bright enough that day.
2. Mainstays Solar-Powered LED Spotlight
While not the most attractive of the bunch, these bright spotlights are ideal for brightening up a driveway or path without breaking the bank. With a whopping 100 lumens of brightness, you can opt for a bright, warm or color-changing light output. You do have to turn on the switch manually, but the lights themselves are so bright that you'll only need a few of these lights to get the job done.
“Wow! If you have a dark driveway, walkway or anyplace you need a bright light, this one will be like a lighthouse to guide you,” says one reviewer.
3. Brightech Solar-Powered Outdoor String Lights
You can string these lights just about everywhere in your backyard—no long outdoor extension cords required! At 48 feet long, one string covers a decent amount of area and is fully charged by a solar panel that you can stake into the ground or clip onto a fence. The panel is good for up to 1,000 charge cycles, and the 15 lights themselves are shatterproof, windproof, waterproof and temperature resistant from -4 degrees F to 122 degrees F. With that kind of durable construction, you'll create a twinkly ambiance—and be able to enjoy it for the long haul (a relief, since many outdoor solar lights seem to putter out after just a few months' use).
4. Hampton Bay Outdoor Solar Rock Spot Light
Need some sneaky illumination on your path or driveway? These cute little solar-powered “rocks” will do the trick. Made of durable polymeric for a rock-like appearance, you’ll barely notice these until they’re gleaming during the night. You can adjust the spot head to the perfect angle, and each night the energy-efficient LEDs will automatically turn on at dusk. Plus, at $5 at pop you can snag as many as you need for cheap.
5. Ring Solar Pathlight
If you love your Ring video doorbell, you’ll be a fan of these innovative pathlights. You connect the lights to your home’s Wi-Fi using a Ring Bridge, allowing you to control and change the lighting or set routines through your smartphone or an Echo device. The innovative “Dusk to Dawn” setting will keep lamps dimly lit at night, but will shine brightly when they detect motion. It’s both energy saving and although you need a separate subscription to use it, it can be worth it for the smart home fanatic.
6. Nupostai Bright Solar Pathway Lights
These colorful lights will bring the party to any pathway. The auto color-changing mode will change from hues of purples to oranges to blues throughout the night while projecting a sunflower pattern on the ground—or you can opt for a warm white light if you’re feeling less festive. The lights themselves are IP67 waterproof and rustproof for longevity during all the seasons, and there’s an external switch if you ever need to shut them off for the night.
7. ASMAD Solar Garden Lights
If you want to zhuzh up the flowers lining your walkway and illuminate the night, these bulbous solar lights are a winner. Looking like fireflies in the night, they sway lightly with the wind and add just enough light to see where you’re walking at night. Each bouquet comes with six LED bulbs that charge throughout the day with the included solar panel. With an IP65 waterproof rating, they’re good for most weather conditions to keep shining on.
8. Lamps Plus Crusso Solar Pillar Light
Looking like the top of a lamp post, these pillar solar lights would look great atop a stone fence or in front of a door. At 20 inches high, they’re quite large and shine a 150-lumen light that can be controlled via the included remote control to swap from white to yellow to natural to red light. Each light has several discreet solar panels on top that are barely noticeable in daylight, and they have IP65 waterproof rating to withstand moderate rain and snow.
9. Jade Solar Wall Lights
If you’re in need of some additional lights to brighten the exterior of your home without pesky wires and complex installation, this is a great alternative. (Think beyond the entryway, too: They’re great for adding to a patio wall or fence.) These Jade Solar Wall lights have an elegant matte black frame that are made of weather-resistant aluminum. When lit, the warm white light provides a soft glow with a dappled light effect thanks to the water glass panels. Plus, it comes in a set of two.
10. Energizer LED Solar Pathway Lights
If there happens to be a cloudy day, these solar lights will still shine on, thanks to the included single AA battery, which is continuously recharged by solar panels. That means that if it didn’t get enough sunlight that day, there should still be enough juice left to keep powering it for the night. The 15-lumen lamps have a classic lantern shape and are easy to assemble and stake into the ground. They can run for eight to 12 hours, according to the brand, depending on how well charged the battery is. With metal and glass construction and an IP65 water-resistance rating, they’re also quite durable.
What to Consider When Shopping for Outdoor Solar Lights
Before choosing outdoor solar lights to illuminate your pathways, driveway or patio, there are a few things to consider.
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Why You Should Trust Us
PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.
