Best Solar Garden Lights

Using the best solar garden lights to illuminate the pathways around your garden can turn the space into an attractive area after dusk, and it can do so without costing you hundreds in energy bills. Since these lights rely on the sun for their power, they’re a sustainable way to light up your garden and rejuvenate the look of your home. 

You want to pick out waterproof options that can withstand a variety of weather conditions, and having ones that switch on automatically are nice. Since they light up your yard, they can act as a cost-effective security measure by deterring would-be thieves too.

You can compare each review side by side and use my buying guide to help you make your final choice on which of the 10 options is the best solar garden light for your wants and needs. Without further adieu, let’s dive in next. 

Your solar lights should fit the overall feel and look of your garden while providing enough light to safely navigate around during dark hours.

1. Signature Garden Solar Garden Lights – Top Pick

 

If you’re someone who has garden paths lined with phlox and hostas, these are the best solar garden lights you could get. They will cast a cheerful glow on your walkway after dusk to avoid the walkway turning into a tripping hazard, and these lights are just as attractive as they are durable to ensure they last for years at a time. They resist frost, snow, rain, and sleet, so you can easily put them out in all different climate zones and keep them out all year-round without running into a problem with wear and tear. They’re also very easy to install. 

This garden light comes with a lifetime replacement warranty if they should fail, and this starts from the day you purchase them. Each light comes rated for 15-lumens, and this allows you plenty of light to see where you’re going. There are rechargeable batteries that will give you up to eight hours of light per full charge, and they automatically switch on at dusk and off when the sun starts breaking over the horizon. You get six lights in every order, and you can choose from black or silver to fit your decor. 

Benefits:

• Eight hours of light
• Rated at 15 lumens 
• Lifetime replacement warranty 
• Six lights per order 
• Black or silver coloring 
• Easy to install 
• Automatic on/off feature 

Drawbacks:

• Body is a thinner plastic 

2. Claone Solar LED Spotlights – Step-Up Pick

 

If you want a higher brightness to put a spotlight on certain areas of your home, this solar garden light will work out well for you. You get 36 LED arrays per light, and they come built right into the head of the light itself to give you a slightly more compact unit. However, you will need to adjust the light as you see fit, so it can require a little more maintenance on your part. It does have 150°wide-angle illumination, and there are reflector LED solar beads on each light, and this gives you better illumination for a slightly wider spot for each light. 

You can choose from three brightness settings when you pick this garden solar light, and they’ll run between 6 and 12-hours, depending on which setting you choose. They automatically switch to energy-saving mode and turn off at dawn to help the batteries last longer, and they have a waterproof construction that seals the body of the light to help it last longer. The body features a high-strength ABS material that won’t crack or break as the temperature changes if you should drop it, and you can mount it on the wall or insert it into the ground to install it.

Benefits: 

• 36-LED arrays per light 
• Three modes 
• 150° wide-angle illumination 
• Energy-saving mode 
• High-strength ABS plastic 
• Two ways to mount them 
• 30,000-hour working time 

Drawbacks: 

• Stakes are short

3. Solar Step Lights – Mid-End Budget Pick

 

These step lights are pretty, but they’re also budget-friendly, and they can keep your entire family safe when you need to light up your porch, patio, or garden steps after dark. These are a nice eco-friendly solution that work well in any set of stairs, and you can pick from five pretty colors and different pack sizes that allow you to buy as many or as few as you need for your space. This is particularly nice if you have a small space that doesn’t necessarily need a lot of lights to make it safer to navigate after the sun goes down. 

Each of these solar garden lights measure around four-inches by three-inches, and they come designed to be mounted using screws. Once they get between six and eight hours of sunlight, they’ll give you 30-lumens of output per light. When you switch them into automatic mode, they’ll go on at dusk and off at dawn to help conserve energy and be ready to go whenever it gets dark out. They’re also weatherproof, so you can easily mount them in wet areas in your yard without a problem, but you should avoid putting them in temperatures below 14-degrees Fahrenheit. 

Benefits:

• Works on a variety of steps
• Screws to the wall 
• Five colors available 
• Different sizes 
• 30-lumen output 
• Automatic mode 
• Weatherproof design 

Drawbacks:

•  Doesn’t work in cold temperatures 

4. Upgraded Solar String Lights  – Bargain Budget Pick

 

Anyone who wants to add a touch of whimsy to their yard or garden should try the AMIR string lights. They work wonderfully draped over your wall, fence, pergola, or even running up your trellises to help you set a cozy feel for your outdoor space while providing adequate light to move around. Each string of light measures 72-feet long, and they come outfitted with 200 LEDs that are spaced 3.5-inches apart. The lights get held together using a thin copper wire that is virtually invisible, and this makes them seem like they’re floating around your garden. 

You can easily bend the copper wire on these solar garden lights to fit a huge range of shapes and keep them out of your walkway. You can set each string to eight different modes, including waves, fireflies flashing, chasing/flashing, fading, twinkle, steady on, or fading slowly. They’ll automatically switch off at dawn and on at dusk if you choose this mode, and you can pick from eight different colors, including solid colors and multicolored options. You can choose from 100 and 200 LEDs when you order, and they’re all budget-friendly for those who want light but have a tighter budget. 

Benefits: 

• 72-foot strand of lights 
• Copper wire is almost invisible 
• Easy to shape
• Several lighting modes
• Has an automatic on/off setting 
• Several colors available 
• Easy to install 

Drawbacks:

• Goes through batteries if they don’t get enough sunlight

5. Aityvert Solar Flickering Flame Torch – Best For Entertaining

 

Anyone who is looking for walkway edging ideas can try these fun tiki-torch alternatives. They avoid getting soot or fuel over your hands, and you get a faux flame that you can stick all over your yard or garden to create a tropical look and feel. Once you switch these solar garden lights on, you’ll get a flickering 35-lumen glow, and this is very close to the real thing. The lights come rated to throw out light for up to 12-hours, and you can easily adjust the height to between 12.6-inches to 42.9-inches, and this ensures that you see them when you put them by your hedges or garden decor. 

You can set this solar garden light to switch on when the sun goes down and off at dawn automatically, and they come in packs of two or four that allow you to tailor your purchase to your needs. The built-in battery will last up to 12 hours during the summer months and 5 hours in winter after a full charge, and the charging time clocks in at 8 hours. There is no wiring required for this light, and all you have to do is anchor them into the ground. They have an IP65 waterproof rating, and you get 12-months of support when you purchase them. 

Benefits:

• Adjustable heights 
• 35-lumen glow 
• Lights for 12 hours 
• Built-in battery 
• 12-months of support
• IP65 waterproof rating 
• Mimics the look of a tiki torch 

Drawbacks:

• Can get wobbly at taller heights

6. Aogist Solar Ground Lights – Best For Even Ground

 

This is a smaller, flat disk-style solar garden light that works best if you have even ground or very manicured lawns to help give you accent lighting for your walkways or garden beds. They come in an eight-pack with each order, and you get a small 600 mAh battery that can light them for up to eight hours in a row without them getting dim. You’ll get a very sleek stainless steel cap on the top of each solar light for a chic look, and they have a plastic spike on the underside that you drive down into the ground to anchor them firmly in place. 

All you have to do to install this light is switch it on and anchor it into the ground. The solar garden light comes with a sensor built into the design that will switch them on as the sun goes down and back off at dawn. It has an IP65 rating on it, and this means that they’re relatively waterproof and can survive wet or humid environments without a problem. You’ll get continuous illumination on rainy days, and it features a high-strength ABS plastic on the body. It’ll install in 15 to 20 seconds, and you get 24-hour customer support if you have a problem. 

Benefits:

• Eight pack in every order 
• Installs in 20 seconds 
• Sleek stainless steel cap
• IP65 waterproof rating 
• Sits flush to the ground 
• 24-hour customer support 
• Comes with a small battery 

Drawbacks:

• Stakes are a thinner plastic 

7. Ring Solar Steplight – Best For Busy Yards

 

The best solar garden lights can make your yard look cool, but they also have an important safety function attached to them, especially when you routinely entertain and have company over to play group games after the sun goes down. This solar steplight will help you brighten up any stairs that lead to your deck or house, and this ensures that everyone has sure footing while avoiding trips or falls. The lights measure 4-inches by 3.4-inches, so they are on the smaller side. However, they give you 50-lumens of brightness to really light up the steps. 

Each solar garden light comes with a motion sensor built into the design, and this makes it a very versatile product. When they sense movement, they can brighten the lights or switch on, and they can connect to any other Ring products you have in your home to switch on security cameras, video doorbells, or other lights throughout your yard or home. They’re $30.00 each, but you’ll have to invest in a Ring Bridge if you want to connect everything. However, this is optional. You can buy just the lights, a kit with Amazon Echo, or a kit with the Bridge when you order. They also come in two colors. 

Benefits:

• Smaller design 
• 50-lumens 
• Motion sensing technology 
• Can link to any Ring products you have 
• Easy to install
• Two colors available 
• Can get the lights or a kit

Drawbacks:

• More expensive per light 

8. 2-in-1 Waterproof Solar Spotlight – Best For Wet Areas

 

This spotlight-style solar light allows you to highlight specific portions of your yard or garden quickly and easily, and they’re one that is easy to adjust. You get four LED lights in each model with two different brightness settings. The higher brightness settings puts out an impressive 200-lumens to really highlight areas of your yard, and each light has a 200 mAh battery inside that will power the light for up to 10 hours straight without them dimming or going dark on the low setting. It’ll give you six hours of light on the higher setting, as long as the solar panel gets between four and five hours of sunlight a day. 

The lights will switch on automatically at dusk without any input from you, and you can angle the spotlight to 90-degrees and the solar panel to 180-degrees. It comes with a spike for mounting, but you can also put it on the wall easily, and it has a tool-free installation process with it. This product is both heat proof and waterproof with an IP65 rating, and this allows you to use them in extreme weather conditions without them failing. You get lifetime customer service support with a one-year warranty when you purchase them. 

Benefits:

• Four LEDs in each light 
• 200-lumen output 
• Two power settings 
• Can shift the spotlight 80-degrees 
• Heat and waterproof design 
• One-year warranty 
• Easy to install 

Drawbacks:

• High setting drains the battery 

9. Solpex LED Solar Lights – Best For Indoor/Outdoor Use

 

If you want to light up your gravel driveway or the walkway leading straight to your front door, these solar garden lights are perfect. They give you a nice source of light without driving up your energy bills, and they’re easy to install right from the box. They have stakes on the end that you can quickly push into the ground to keep them securely in place wherever you plan to install them. You’ll get a bigger solar cell panel at the top of the light to absorb the sunlight and power the light each night, and it has a double-ring pattern that is very pretty when it brightens up areas in your yard. 

They run on 100% solar energy, and these solar garden lights will automatically switch on when the sun goes down and back off when it comes up in the morning to help preserve energy. It has an easy installation process that requires you to remove the isolator tab, flick the switch, install the spike and pole, and insert it into the ground or into your containers. The lights have an IP44 rating for being waterproof, and they work well in heat, humidity, sleet, snow, and colder temperatures. You get a guarantee when you order these products that you can return them if you’re not 100% satisfied. 

Benefits:

• Bigger solar cell 
• Run on 100% solar energy 
• IP44 waterproof rating 
• Works in colder temperatures
• 100% satisfaction guarantee 
• Easy to install 
• Pretty double-ring design 

Drawbacks:

• Need a ton of sunlight or they’re dim 

10. Sunnest Solar Outdoor Lights – Best For Small Areas

 

The final solar garden light on the list is much smaller at around two-inches in diameter, but they can light up a smaller space without an issue. You get a set up 12 in each order that gives you enough lights to surround a smaller deck or patio or illuminate your container garden. They come with a nail-like design to them that allows you to easily stick them into the ground to secure them, and they can emit either a warm white glow or a bright cool glow when you get them up and running. They feature a durable stainless steel design that resists rust and corrosion with exposure to the elements. 

These solar garden lights come with an IP44 waterproof rating that can withstand rain, sleet, or snow without a problem. When you give them eight hours of sunlight, they can light up for 10 hours without dimming. All you have to do to set them up is pull out the isolator tab, install the parts, and press the stake into the soil. Since you get 12 lights per order, you can easily space them out around your chosen area to create a bright, lighted spot that is safe to walk through after dark. 

Benefits:

• 12 lights per order
• Smaller design 
• Easy to install 
• Runs up to 10 hours 
• IP44 waterproof rating 
• Nail-like design 
• Sharper stakes 

Drawbacks:

• Easy to break

Best Solar Garden Lights Buyer’s Guide 

Now that you’ve seen my top 10 picks for the best solar garden lights, the buying guide will outline everything you need to know and consider when you buy these lights. The goal is to give you everything you need to make an informed decision, so let’s jump in. 

There are hundreds of garden solar lights available, so it pays to take your time and sort through products to ensure you get the best one for your needs. 

How You Use Solar Lights 

A nice advantage to buying and installing the best solar garden lights is that they’re very user-friendly and have a quick installation process. Many styles of lights have minor assembly required like attaching the stake to the bottom of the light before putting it into the ground, and others require no maintenance or work at all once you get them out of the box. 

Solar garden lights just need a sunny spot during the day. To start, decide where you’d like them to go. Stick them in the ground in an area that gets a lot of sunlight. Most of these lights need between six and eight hours of sunlight a day to run properly. Look and see if your lights have an off/on switch or if they’re automatic. If they’re automatic, you’re done. All you have to do is wait for them to come on. If they’re not, you’ll have to manually switch them on and dusk and off at dawn. 

Buying Considerations 

What is and what isn’t important when you pick out the best solar garden lights? Keeping the following in mind will ensure that the lights you pick out are powerful enough to withstand the different climate where you live while still getting enough sunlight to shine bright enough to illuminate your garden. 

Type 

There are three broad categories for solar lights available, and you want to make sure you pick out the right type. Settling on a type from the start will also help you narrow down your search straight away. The three biggest types include: 

• Garden – Garden-style solar lights usually have a softer glow, and you can buy them on strings, to stick in the ground with stakes, or to mount on the wall. You have to place these lights a few feet apart to get the best light quality out of them. 
• Spotlight – Any solar light that claims to be a spotlight has to put out the same amount of light as a 40-watt incandescent bulb.You can put them in your garden, buy they’re better for illuminating round patches of light in your yard or garden. 
• Security – The final category for the best solar garden lights is security. Security solar lights come equipped with motion sensors that flip the lights on when they sense any movement. You usually mount them on the wall, and they put out a slightly more harsh light. Once they don’t sense motion, they’ll switch back off. 

The type of solar light you want will heavily influence what it looks like because the more specific you get, the more the style changes. Consider what you want to use your light for and go from there. 

Lighting Brightness Level 

How bright do you need your solar lights to be? If you get a solar light with a white bulb, it’ll naturally be brighter than one with a yellow-tinted bulb. Think about the area you want to light up. Some lights produce 15 to 20 lumens, but the harshest and brightest lights can go up to 787 lumens. The larger your area is, the more light you’ll need. Take this into consideration and figure out what ambiance you want to go for. This will give you a good idea on your brightness requirements. 

Lighting Settings 

Do you want to manually switch your solar lights on and off every day? If you have a lot of lights, this could be very time-consuming and inconvenient. Check and see if your solar lights will automatically come in when it starts to get dark out and if they’ll go off at dawn. Other important settings for the best solar garden lights include the brightness levels and whether or not it has a motion sensor built into the design. 

Placement 

Do you plan to hang your best solar garden lights on the wall or a lamppost? Maybe you want to stick it in the ground along your walkways to prevent tripping, or you want to put them around your kid’s playground set so they can play after dusk. Look and see if your solar lights come with any recommended placements or mounting hardware. Try to match this with your preferred placement to narrow down your options. 

IP Rank

One of the final things to consider when you pick out the best solar garden lights is the IP ranking. This tells you how waterproof and weatherproof a product is. The higher the ranking, the more durable your new light set will be. It’ll be able to seal out moisture much better than a setup with a low IP ranking attached to it. This can save you money because you won’t spend so much trying to replace shorted out ones. 

Picking out your solar lights should be a fun project, and you can easily find one that matches your decor and the ambiance you want to achieve. 

Bottom Line 

The best solar garden lights will illuminate your gardens and pathways to make it safe for you to walk around them after dark. It can take some research to find the best option, but my top 10 solar light review list and the short buyer’s guide can help guide you through the shopping process to find the best option available on the current market.