Landscaping can make or break a property, not to mention it’s a fun activity to design the outside area of your house. If you’ve got a centerpiece that deserves some attention, maybe a giant shrub shaped into a unicorn or a massive sculpture of your favorite celebrity, then it’s time to think about investing in some solar spotlights. Or, if you’re more of the understated garden type, outdoor solar spotlights can still be an excellent way to illuminate the pathway during the night or make your garden look nice and welcoming with some warm white lights.
Solar spotlights charge up during the day and release all their saved up energy after dark. This eliminates the extra hassle of cords and switches which come with most garden lights. You can set them to automatic so they turn on, turn off and charge without you having to do a thing. That makes them the ultimate accessory for people who don’t have much time to landscape and garden.
Let us light up your life and garden with our top outdoor solar spotlight, which is the URPOWER Solar Lights. You’ll get two lights with this purchase, and here are a few reasons why we’ve chosen them as our favorite:
- They’re highly weather resistant.
- You can choose from a low light level and high light level so you can tailor them to what ambiance you want.
- Both, the solar panel and light head, are adjustable so you can maximize the efficiency of the light.
Best Outdoor Solar Spotlights – Comparison Table
Best Outdoor Solar Spotlights – Reviews
URPOWERs third generation of outdoor spotlights is both rechargeable and adjustable with little to no installation process.
You get a pack of two and you can choose between cool white, warm white, and multicolored to tailor them to your design preferences. They stick right on the ground or you can mount them to the wall. They are easy to place almost anywhere around your property, whether it be around the pathway, the garage, or deck.
Fully waterproof, as well as heat and frost resistant, they can survive almost any weather. Moreover, the charge time is only 4-5 hours so they should be able to charge comfortably every day.
There are two lighting modes, high and low, so you don’t have to be blinded by your lights if you don’t want to be. You can adjust the light angle to spotlight exactly what you want to be illuminated, as well as the solar panel angle to get the optimum sun exposure.
- Weather and wind-resistant.
- You can adjust the solar panel 180 degrees and the light head 90 degrees.
- Two light settings to tailor to your preference.
- Made from plastic which is not the most durable material.
- One user received their lights broken and previously used.
InnoGear Upgraded Solar Lights have had just that – an upgrade. Now with separate adjustable light heads and panels, you can adjust both components independently to get the best sun exposure without running your light placement.
There are two lighting modes: high, which can be used for 4-6 hours on a full charge; and low, which can be used for 8-12 hours on a full charge.
The solar panel is made from monocrystalline silicon, enabling it to charge much faster than other solar spotlights on the market. Either stick these lights in your garden grass or mount them on the walls with the included screws.
Perfect for any placement in your garden, these solar lights are fully waterproof and heatproof, allowing them to withstand any weather conditions your area throws at them. Each light produces 200 lumens, sure to brighten even the darkest of properties.
In this pack you’ll get four lights, making it excellent value for money.
- Comes in either white or warm white colors.
- Larger solar panels than some others on the market.
- Great value for money.
- Not the best customer service.
- A few lights faltered after a few weeks.
Magictec has created its solar spotlights with water and heatproof ABS materials. This gives them the ability to withstand even the most extreme weather conditions, including storms and snow.
Not only durable but they are also made with premium quality materials to ensure the highest quality. Each light includes four bright LED bulbs, producing 200 lumens in total.
You get two lights within this pack and they can be easily placed in the ground without any tools or wiring system. The battery is able to illuminate your yard for 6-9 hours after a full charge, making this excellent value for money.
The lighting direction can be adjusted by 90 degrees. The solar panel can be rotated 180 degrees to angle it right towards the sun. Your light will come on when the sensor realizes it’s dark enough, and turn itself off when the sun starts coming up.
There are two brightness modes and you can choose between warm white, cool white, and RGB colored.
- Great light for creating ambiance.
- High quality and durable.
- One user stated they work well even in continuous rain.
- The warm white color is more amber/orange.
- Shorter stakes than other lights on this list.
Solar Light Mart has created the perfect solution for wanting a nicely lit garden without having to pay the extra electricity bills.
This light used the latest high-power CREE LED lights that claim they are 60-100 times brighter than any other premium solar spotlights on the market.
The independent solar panel is easily hidden behind a tree or in a bush, if you want it out the way, and connects to a string of two bright spotlights. Each cast aluminum spotlight is equipped with a special magnifying lens to magnify the light. this makes them much brighter than some other models. The light has the potential to run for 7-12 hours on a full charge, depending on how sunny it was that day.
The whole light is waterproof, including the connector to the solar panel, as well as heat and frost resistant. You can either mount your lights onto a wall or stake them in the ground without worrying about placing them in direct sunlight.
As the solar panel is remote and larger than other models it can be placed wherever the sun hits most without having to disrupt your light placement.
- Larger solar panel for improved performance.
- Cast aluminum makes for an extremely durable body.
- Have a nice soft white color.
- More expensive than other lights on this list.
- Some users received faulty items.
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These cool white solar spotlights from LITOM use twelve LEDs with a total of 600 lumens and a wider 120-degree lighting angle, which is much brighter than other models on the market that often only use 4-6 LED lights.
The solar panel can be adjusted 90 degrees to get the maximum efficiency of the sunlight. You can either stick the lights straight into soft ground or mount them onto the walls with the screws included. This makes them perfect for anywhere in your garden that needs illumination. You’ll get two lights which are frost-resistant, heat-resistant, and waterproof.
The lights can be adjusted 120 degrees with a maximum working time of twelve hours, however, this is only on low lighting mode. Charging time is 4-5 hours in bright sunlight, but on a cloudy day it can take up to 6-8 hours.
Along with the lights and screws, you’ll also get wall plugs included so you don’t damage your walls.
- Energy-saving lights.
- Great illumination with 12 LED lights.
- Have a durable feel to the lights and stakes.
- Only come in cool white.
- One reviewer experienced intermittent flickering lights.
Best Outdoor Solar Spotlights Buyer’s Guide
Outdoor lights purpose
Begin by thinking about what you want the lights to do for your garden. Is it purely for aesthetic purposes? Perhaps you have a barbeque coming up and need your garden to be nice and illuminated.
Or are you looking to get solar spotlights to improve your security? An illuminated house is much safer and less appealing to burglars, making spotlights an excellent and affordable option security measure. If this is the case, the run time will mean much more to you than to people who are looking to make their garden look lovely.
Price for outdoor solar spotlights
The price of the solar spotlights you’re considering plays a big part in the decision of whether to get them or not. You may think that each light is a great value, but think to yourself how many are you going to need? Chances are you’re wanting more than one light to light up your house or walkway with, so consider looking for multipacks. Often people want ten or more lights around their property, so the price is a big factor to not overlook.
Lumens and color
This will all depend on your personal preference and whether you prefer cool-toned whites or warmer tones, or whether you want a multicolored disco ball shining over your garden.
Lumens also determine how bright a light is going to be – the higher the lumen, the brighter the lights will be. Some people like a more understated, soft glow, whereas others want their house seen from space. If you’re one of these people, good luck and go for lights offering a higher number of lumens.
Run time & charge time
When choosing your light, knowing how long it’s going to stay on for is essential. Imagine having a late-night garden party and suddenly all the lights go off. It would quickly dampen the mood of all of the guests, wouldn’t it? This is why it’s important to check the run times when choosing the right spotlight for you.
With solar lights, the charge time is another thing to look at. In order to fully charge, it must receive its full charge time worth of sun. Otherwise, it’ll be a complete guessing game as to when the lights are going to leave you in the dark. If the charge time for a spotlight is 8 hours and where you live only typically gets 6 hours worth of bright sunlight per day, these lights are most likely not going to get their full charge and reach their full potential in the nighttime.
A good rule of thumb when choosing your new solar spotlights is to look for longer run times but shorter charge times. That way you’re less likely to be disappointed by your lights running out of charge during an otherwise nice memory.
Durability
The material used for your solar spotlights is very important, but so is the IP ratings. The main test for the durability of solar spotlights is how weatherproof they are. Do they hold up in extreme conditions such as snow and storms?
The IP rating is the best way to get an idea of how weather-resistant the light is, as it applies to water and dust resistance. Each rating consists of two numbers, the first applying to dust and the second applying to water. The higher the numbers, the higher the resistance.
Lights made of metal and glass are generally more durable than models made of plastic, because the former materials tend to last longer, especially when considering staked spotlights. A plastic stake in heavy wind is much more likely to snap and cause disappointment than a metal one. So, take into consideration the materials used when looking for your new spotlight.
Solar Spotlights Frequently Asked Questions
How many lumens should a solar light be?
This is all dependent on how bright you want your garden lights to be. Do you want your whole house lit up, or is it just to light the pathway to your door?
You can get solar spotlights ranging from 50 to 1500 lumens, and sometimes even more. The higher number of lumens means the brighter the light will be, so decide on your personal preference and go from there.
Is there a difference between a spotlight and a floodlight?
Yes, a spotlight is a focused beam of light, intended to highlight a feature in your garden or front yard. There will be shadows around your spotlights, adding a bit of a mystery to the area.
Floodlights are meant to flood the area with light, as much as possible, so you don’t miss anything.
What are the best places to add solar spotlights?
The best use of solar spotlights is in places where electricity is hard to pull to, or spots you want to be highlighted in your landscape. Here are just a few examples:
- spotlight a tree or two
- create focal points in your around outdoor statues, or flower planters
- want to light up a path to the house? Yep! Use some solar lights.
- do you have an interesting landscaping feature? Shine the spotlight on it.
- do you like using flags for different occasions throughout the year? Try solar spotlights for your garden flags
Why are my solar spotlights not working
Solar lights have a rechargeable solar battery that eventually needs to be changed. That’s the first thing I would check if your spotlights stop working.
You also need to make sure your solar spotlights are in the sun for enough hours to fully charge.
Adriana Copaceanu is a passionate nature lover living in the country on her dream property where she grows vegetables, lavender, and wildflowers that she shares with the wildlife they attract. When she's not in the garden, she loves spending time with her chickens and planning her next nature project. Check out her books below:
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