Solar lights have become a vogue among environmentally conscious people. As we are all aware that the earth is getting warmer and the only way to save this planet is to invest heavily on solar and other renewable energy sources. Now, since we can’t dictate the energy policy of the US government, we can do our bits by migrating from coal-powered outdoor lights to solar lights.

Solar lights have very much become a part of the landscape and outdoor design of late. Believe it or not, outdoor solar lights have a very simple mechanism in place. They have got three main parts – a battery to store the energy, a solar panel to capture solar power and an LED bulb. This is how it works – the solar energy gets converted into electricity by the solar panel and then the electrical energy gets stored into the battery. The LED bulb or the light-emitting diode will then get powered by this electricity at night.

Best 10 Solar Outdoor Lights for Garden

Listed are the best 9 solar garden lights that money can buy. We have inspected these products carefully. So, check out the reviews before making a final decision –

Made by Signature Garden, the Solar Garden Led lamps are ideal for illuminating exterior gardens in an innovative and hassle-free way. In the set, you get 6 pieces of solar garden lights that look elegant and are really easy to set up.

The Led light poles, made of metal have plastic stakes beneath and they can be installed on soil without any hassle. There is no need to hire an electrician either and no accessories are required to get these functional. No wiring is involved either and you will not have to worry about the playful kids or pets getting injured.

Signature Garden 6 Pack Solar Garden Lights are absolutely low maintenance and you need not do much once they are set up. The embedded rechargeable batteries get charged throughout the day and they illuminate in the evening. These elegant LED solar powered light sticks are quite durable too. They are weather resistant and you need not worry about exposure to rain or snowfall. The Rugged ABS plastic build lasts for a long time.

The best part about the Solar Garden Led lamps is the company offers a lifetime replacement warranty. The 15-lumen lamps add to the appeal of your garden in the evening.

Manufactured by ArMax, these LED garden lamps are the ideal means to spruce up the look of your garden at night. The kit includes six pieces of solar powered led lamps with long sticks that can be put into the ground for use at night.

The elegant looking ArMax Solar Pathway Lights Outdoor are absolutely easy to set up. The stakes have sharp ends and you will not have to have any hassle while stamping them into the ground in a nice way. Once the set up is complete, you need not do anything more. There is no wiring or switches to be set up. The units have embedded rechargeable batteries that can be charged at daytime and this will ensure the lamps glowing at night.

You need not worry about safety issues when buying these simple yet enticing looking set of solar garden lights. There is no open sire or switches involved. The light sticks are built ruggedly and they can withstand exposure to inclement weather. You need not bother about snowfall or heavy rain.

ArMax Solar Pathway Lights, once installed, need little to no maintenance. The recharged batteries get fully charged in the day and emit nice light at night time. The hassle-free Money-Back Guarantee makes the deal even sweeter.

Your search for wallet-resistant yet elegant looking solar powered garden/outdoor lights ends with Voona solar outdoor pathway light set. The set includes 8 pieces of matt black finish steel made led light sticks. They can be planted in the garden, driveway or backyard to beautify the looks at night time. The warm white light makes your garden or driveway look ethereal.

The Voona Solar outdoor lights have a rugged body, made of steel, durable plastic can last for a long time. The sticks can also withstand exposure to water, frost, and wind for years. Each unit has an inbuilt 500mAh rechargeable battery. The solar panel absorbs solar energy at daytime and that recharges the battery. The lamp illuminates at night automatically. This ensures as a user you need not do anything other than setting the lights up. You need not hire an electrician to set them up, as it is. Once fully charged, the lamps can illuminate for a period of 8 hours.

The lights require little or no maintenance. These lights are completely safe and you need not worry about any kind of electric shocks or playful pets getting hurt etc. The company offers a 30 days refund policy as well.

Your search for compact yet functional solar outdoor and garden lights ends with Sunwind Solar Garden Lights. The aesthetically designed, durable garden LED lamps to emit warm white light when charged and illuminate your garden, driveway and patio areas. You can set these up without calling an electrician and a few minutes are required.

The set includes 6 solar powered exterior lamps that can be installed on the ground without any technical know-how. The lamp comes equipped with one NIMH AA 400mAh reachable battery. The durable plastic build can last for a long time, giving you peace of mind. When illuminated, the lamps create a beautiful cross pattern lighting effect on the ground. The 5 lumens led lights are soothing on the eyes.

Once you plant the lights on the ground, there is nothing more to be done. During the daytime, the inbuilt batteries will get charged. Once the evening sets in, Sunwind Solar Garden Lights lit up automatically. There is no wiring involved and no risks of electrocution or other risks. You need not worry about the weather as well. The lights do not get affected by exposure to water, moisture or snowfall as such. There is no running cost involved as well.

Made by Sunnest, this set of 12 outdoor solar lamps is ideal for illuminating your backyard garden or driveway. The eco-friendly exterior lamps can be set up without having any technical knowledge, within a few minutes. Once planted on the ground, they start functioning without any intervention after initial setup. All they need is good exposure to sunlight. They emit a cool white light that is easy on the eyes.

After buying and setting up the SUNNEST Solar Garden Lights there is almost no running or maintenance cost involved. You need not think about any damage caused to the lamps from rainfall or snowfall as well. SUNNEST Solar Garden Lights can cope with weather elements without many hassles, year after year. You do not even need to turn these lights on and off, as it is. The embedded rechargeable batteries get charged at daytime and the lamps power on once darkness seeps in. The durable body made up of PP, ABS and Stainless Steel last for very long.

The company offers a risk-free refund or ONE-YEAR replacement for the buyers, which sweetens the deal. For first use, there is a switch that has to be turned on and after that, no manual intervention is required.

Made by Gigalumi, this set of 12 solar garden lights is ideal to illuminate your garden or porch region, without making a huge investment. The lights look simple yet elegant and you will face any difficulty in setting them up. In fact, all you need to do is planting them on the ground securely. The lights illuminate at dusk and go off at dawn, without any manual intervention – all around the year.

Once you buy and set up the solar outdoor lamps, there is no running or additional cost involved. The lamps run by solar energy which is stored in the embedded rechargeable battery. The stored solar energy is used to light up the lamps at night. There is no fuel or emission involved either.

The stainless-steel body of the solar outdoor lamps can last a long time. You need not at all worry about the lamps getting exposed to snow, rain or dust. The lights are also shockproof and you do not face any risk of pets or kids getting electrocuted. The company also offers a 30-day long refund policy for convincing the buyers. Use the lamps for illuminating dark driveway or creating a spotlight effect in a large garden.

When you seek outdoor solar lights that not only illuminate the garden or porch but enhance the appeal of exterior go for the TAKE ME Solar Pathway Lights. Available in a set of 2 solar lamps, it is durable, aesthetically designed and absolutely easy to install. The 7 Lumens lamps exude a warm white glow that looks absolutely soothing. The flowery design pattern makes it ideal as a gift item too.

The lamps can be set up without hiring an electrician. You can do it in a few minutes and once planted on the ground, they will operate without human intervention. The solar panels of these lamps collect solar energy in daytime and the embedded rechargeable battery stores it. The stored energy is later used to light up the lamps at dusk. This goes on- regardless of the season and climate conditions. If the light is fully charged, it will stay illuminated at darkness up to 8 hours.

There is nothing like any power chord or wiring and you can be assured of staying safe from shock or electrocution while using this lamp. It also copes well with weather elements and you can expect it to last for a long-time minus fuss.

Not everyone buys solar outdoor lamps for beautifying the garden or driveway. You may have a large garden or backyard which needs to be well illuminated at night. To evade inflating your energy bills, you can buy the Nekteck Solar Lights Outdoor- 2 pack. This set includes enhanced and latest Solar Lights & Panel with 200 lumen LED lamps. It is enough to keep big gardens or outdoor areas well lit.

Nekteck solar lights can be used in all types of weather. You can use them in winter or monsoon without woes- as it is IP64 rating enabled. The nice thing is unlike typical solar garden lights- it offers 2 lighting modes. Based on the mode selected – it stays on from 6-10 hours when it is fully charged. After the setup is done, you need not do anything else for daily operation- except changing the light mode. In winter, the working hours may be a tad shorter.

The light is versatile as it has Adjustable light angle and can be moved up to 180 degrees. You may put in on the ground or stick the unit to the exterior wall, based on user need. To make the offer more tempting, the brand offers 2-year purchase warranty along with a 90-day money-back offer.

Not everyone buys a solar garden light for enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the house exteriors or porch area. You may want such a light to light up the house exterior well-without adding to the energy bills. You can try out the Hoont 2-in-1 Bright Outdoor LED Solar Spotlight for such needs. It can be used to light up the large outdoor areas like driveways, backyard, garden, etc.

The fully Adjustable Light with Solar Panel makes it easy to light up the exact location you want or absorb maximum solar energy. The LED lamps are long lasting and the average lifespan is 50000 hours. You do not have to think about the lamps getting damaged by rain or snowfall. These lamps are robustly built and operate across all weather conditions. The hardened plastic frame of this lamp does not develop rust and neither does it get corroded easily.



The unit is equipped with a long-lasting Ni-MH1200Mah rechargeable battery which can offer 9 hours of light when fully charged, under ideal conditions. You will need a few minutes to set up this versatile solar lamp. No wiring is required as such and you just have to stick it firmly onto the ground.

We love these lights for their look and durability. Sowsun is a trusted name in solar, and these lights have the look and feel of a substantial light. Most are made from copper or aluminum, as opposed to the plastic you normally see in solar garden lights. The light itself is about standard for these small garden lights. They are about the equivalent of a 10 or 20 watt incandescent bulb.

How Do Solar Garden Lights Work?

The mechanism is pretty simple. Grid electricity is really costly but solar powered garden lights have zero operational costs as we have already explained above. When the sun comes up, the solar panels that come attached to the garden lights, start converting the sun lights into electricity. The electricity will then get stored in the rechargeable batteries and when the sun will go down, the lights will get powered by those rechargeable batteries.

To make the most of your solar garden lights, you need to allow the batteries to get charged for at least 8 to 10 hours under direct sunlight.

How to Choose the Best Solar Garden Lights

There are a number of factors that you need to take into consideration while selecting the right solar garden lights. Here we are going to take a closer look at those aspects so that you can make a better buying decision –

1. Brightness

Lumens are the measuring unit to evaluate the light’s power level. To get a soft and warm glow like effects around the LED bulbs, you will have to purchase 20 lumens solar lights. However, if you are looking for more brightness, you can go up to 787 lumens solar lights.

Now, since here we are talking about garden lights, we should be aiming for 15 to 20 lumens solar lights as they will give off a warm glow. For gardens, most of us don’t even need bright light rather need soft light just to light up the surrounding areas. Strong lights are only needed for security purposes.

Some of the factors that determine the brightness of the garden solar lights are – the size of the LED bulbs, quality of the photovoltaic cells and the amount of sun light the solar panels get. If you need more energy, you will have to invest heavily on premium quality photovoltaic cells.

2. Batteries

lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in most garden solar lights. They offer a decent level of performance. To increase the lifetime of the battery, you will have to make sure that the battery has got fully changed before powering your garden lights with them.

3. Settings

Garden solar lights are available in two popular variants – Automatic (the lights switch itself on at dusk and switch itself off at dawn) and Manual (you will have to use the switch to activate or deactivate the lights). Some garden lights have some got some additional features like – brightness adjustment. This feature can come really handy if you want to have some sort of control over the brightness level.

4. Solar Panel

As of now, monocrystalline and multicrystalline silicon is being used to manufacture solar cells. As much as 90% of all PV production is dominated by crystalline silicon solar cells as they are highly efficient. However, another new technology is making an inroad in the market and that is thin-film cells. These thin-film solar cells are made from amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride and CIGS.

While buying garden solar lights, you need to make sure that the solar panels are not using obsolete technology because that would have a direct impact on the overall performance.

Benefits of Solar Garden Lights

House owners are increasingly opting for garden solar lights to illuminate their backyard and garden as outdoor solar lights don’t have any such huge operating cost. Moreover, you don’t have to waste your time, money and energy on its maintenance. It is almost maintenance free and the best part, it does not have any negative impact on the environment as well.

Here are some more reasons why you need to opt for solar outdoor garden lights –

1. Efficiency

Most solar garden lights use LED bulbs that make them super-efficient compared to incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs consume less energy and that means, you don’t need big batteries to power them up. LED bulbs consume 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs. Another major drawback of incandescent bulbs is that they don’t last long, contains harmful chemicals and gets super-hot very fast. But LED bulbs don’t have such issues.

2. Eco-Friendly

We can’t stress this enough. Garden solar lights are 100% eco-friendly. Your garden will be illuminated by solar power. Forget about the coal power electricity that is ravaging the world by spewing out co2 as a byproduct. You don’t have to be complicit in the crime against humanity. Just opt for solar-powered electricity and save the world.

3. ZERO Operation Cost

Have you ever wondered how much it will cost if you left a 100-watt incandescent light burning 24×7 for a whole year? Well, you don’t have to do all the math. I have got you covered. It will cost you around $150 a year depending on the electricity pricing in your state. Now, switch to solar light and bingo! You have zero operational cost which is a kind of miracle. However, we can’t ignore the fact that the initial cost of owning a solar garden light is a bit high but in the long run, it will help you in one way or the other.

4. Hassle Free Installation

The installation process of solar garden light is less complicated and cumbersome as you don’t have to connect to these lights to the electrical grid. To be honest, I don’t think you even need any experience with electrical equipment at all to get these solar garden lights installed. The installation process is as simple as 1 – 2 – 3. All you have to do is to place the lights and the solar panels in a place that gets ample sunlight and that is all. It will get charged automatically and lit up your frontward, backyard or garden at night. So, simple yet so effective.

5. ZERO Maintenance

Garden solar lights don’t need any kind of maintenance at all. All you have to do is to ensure that the solar panels are getting cleaned on a regular basis. That’s all.

Some Facts About Solar Garden Lights

If you want your garden to stay well lit at night without paying huge amount on your power bill, solar garden light is the best solution. There’s a wide variety of solar garden lights to choose from; copper, steel finishes, durable black plastic bodied etc. Every solar light is simple to install and don’t require much maintenance. It would even give your garden a dramatic effect.

You don’t need a power source on solar lighting. It is virtually maintenance free and very ideal accessory to your garden. Some solar lights use LED white bulbs or colored bulbs. Most solar companies sell garden lights that have unique styles and will surely make your yard stand out from others.

Solar lights have been improved greatly during the last few years. Picking the right one for your garden requires some researching. There are solar lights that you can put in your pathway to your gazebo or just the end of your yard. There are also the landscape lights to give a dramatic effect to your landscape. You can place it anywhere in your yard to accentuate anything that you want. Solar spotlights can be used on a tree, shrub or your floral garden.

There are also the solar stepping stones that you can place along the pathway. They come in circular shapes or square and it lights up at night. Solar rocks can be mixed in with real rocks in your garden to light up a mini-pond or whatever it is you want to light up. Solar security light is handy to your garden especially if it has a motion detector. Solar frog lights are little lights in a shape of a frog, it is ideal to put on your pond.

There are other types of garden lights that would be great for your garden. Make sure that you place them in a sunny area since it needs to recharge during daytime. You should think of a theme for your garden and decide what kind of garden lights would look great on it. It might be advisable to consult a landscape artist or look at garden designs online and see if you find something that you like.

We all have spooky areas in our yard that needs to be lit. Keep in mind that when buying a solar garden light, it needs to be put in a place where it is exposed in direct sunlight. It needed at least 4-6 hours to charge its batteries. Each solar light has a light censor that allows it to turn on at night and turn off at day. Designing your yard with pretty solar lights can take some time.

You can move the lights until you find a great place for it in your garden. There’s even a solar garden light that is especially made for under water. It will be great for your pond. It would take a lot of trial and error until you determine what looks great on your yard. Try to get some advice from experts when it comes to arranging the garden lights to save you time and stress.

Last modified: July 18, 2020