The Winners of Our Best Solar Lights Tests

Oct 18, 2024

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We tested 27 top solar lights to find the best string lights, path lights, motion-sensor spotlights, and more.

Michelle Rostamian is a freelance writer specializing in home decor, kitchen, wellness, and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared in many publications including Real Simple, Allure, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Byrdie, The Zoe Report, W Magazine, Mashable, USA Today, Retail Me Not. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.

Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics that range from film and beauty to science and the automobile industry. Her plant biology degree has a focus on sustainable agriculture, and she's an expert on growing your own food, environmental sciences, and all topics relating to houseplants.

In This Article

Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson

Brightening up your outdoor living area can drastically improve the way it looks, and it might even inspire you to spend more time outside. One great way to illuminate your outdoor space is with solar lights.

Sarah Jameson, marketing director of Green Building Elements, says, "Solar lights, compared to low voltage and line voltage outdoor lights, are safer and more DIY-friendly since there's little to no wiring required at all. In most cases, there is no need to bring in an electrician to install it."

With batteries that charge via solar panels, the best outdoor solar lights can help your household lower its carbon footprint. And because the market for solar lights has boomed as clean energy becomes more popular, there are tons of options, ensuring that you can find lights that are perfect for your home.

To find the best solar lights, we evaluated each model based on design, brightness, durability, and value.

If you're looking for a durable spotlight that stands up to water and offers motion-sensing options, this is a smart choice.

The lights are more functional than stylish.

The AloftSun Solar Motion Sensor Lights come in a pack of two and have a water protection rating of IP68, which is one of the highest ratings. In our tests, the lights stood up to pouring water and did not break when we dropped a golf ball on them from about 6 feet away.

The lights have an automatic on and off mode, meaning they'll shut off when it's light out so they can charge up in the sun and then turn back on in the evening as the sun goes down. Plus, the lights can detect motion within a 33-foot range.

Choose from three lighting modes including a dim, continuous light without motion-sensing for 12 hours; a medium-bright, continuous light for six hours; or a bright, motion-sensing light. We found switching between modes a bit challenging at first, but it became much easier with time.

We felt the design of the lights was quite basic and not a very stylish option, but they do get the job done. We also felt the cool white color of the light is a little cooler than some might prefer for home use. However, the lights are expected to last for 40,000 or more hours, providing a good value for the cost and features.

Product Details: Number of lights included: Two | Dimensions (of single light): 5.43 x 11.81 x 4.33 inches | Water Protection Rating: IP68 | Lighting Color: Cold white | Battery Type: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery | Battery Life: 12 hours

For soft, pleasing light and shatterproof bulbs, these string lights are the way to go.

Multiple strands of lights cannot be connected together; each requires its own solar panel. But you can hang more than one strand next to each other.

Solar lights come in a variety of styles, including string lights. The Brightech lights measure 27 feet long and feature 12 S14-size LED bulbs spaced 20 inches apart, making for 20 feet of lighting total. The LED bulbs are expected to last 20,000 hours while the solar panel has a life of about two and a half years.

The solar string lights are meant to be durable, with their shatterproof material and Brightech's WeatherTite technology. While no official waterproof rating is given, this technology is designed to help the lights handle 50 mile-per-hour winds along with rain and snow. They're also resistant to temperatures as hot as 122°.

The bulbs are made of plastic, but we didn't think they felt or looked cheap, and they showed no damage after our durability tests (though the removable solar panel did move). The lights also still worked after stowing them in the freezer, making us confident that these lights can withstand winter conditions.

We found the lights give off a soft, clear light that makes them ideal for decorating a patio. The design is sleek and simple and quite similar to non-solar string lights. However, the strands can't be connected to one another since each needs its own solar panel to charge. You can hang up multiple strings next to each other to give the appearance of them being connected, though.

Product Details: Number of Lights Included: 12 bulbs | Dimensions (of single light): 1.75 x 1 x 3.25 inches | Water Protection Rating: No rating given | Lighting Color: Soft white | Battery Type: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery | Battery Life: Five to six hours

If you'd like a sturdy motion-sensing solar light, our testers found this to be one of the best in this category.

The two "eye-shaped" lights resemble binoculars, which some may not love.

The Linkind spotlights come with an IP67 rating, meaning they're waterproof and resistant to dust particles. A 90-degree beam angle creates a more focused spotlight, and the spotlight head rotates 90 degrees vertically and 180 degrees horizontally, giving you more control over where the light shines.

The lights have two modes. The first is a lower brightness (about half power) that switches to a brighter light for 10 seconds when motion is detected. Once motion stops, the light dims itself. The second mode keeps the light off when there's no motion then switches to a bright light for 25 seconds when motion is detected.

We didn't notice a big difference between dim-light and bright-light modes. Setup involves assembling three pieces, including screwing the light into the base. Once assembled, we found the light to be simple and streamlined. However, it did remind us of a pair of binoculars, which we didn't love.

The lights are sturdy, though, and are a good option for a security light or for illuminating sidewalks. We appreciate that the light and the solar panel are located on one unit, so the panel is less obvious.

The light stood up quite well to our water and golf ball tests, but flashed three times before turning off after we placed it in the freezer. With this in mind, we'd recommend bringing these lights indoors in winter if your location experiences freezing temperatures.

Product Details: Number of Lights Included: Two | Dimensions (of single light): 6.26 x 3.94 x 11.4 inches | Water Protection Rating: IP67 | Lighting Color: Cool white | Battery Type: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery | Battery Life: Six to 12 hours

If you simply want a no-frills spotlight, this solar light set provides great value for its features.

The solar panel sticks up from this light, a look which some may not like.

For a simple spotlight, consider the Urpower Outdoor Solar Lights. Its three pieces are easy to assemble and can either be staked into the ground or mounted onto a wall with the included screws. You can choose either high- or low-light mode, making this a simple solar light to operate.

We found the low-light mode quite dim, meaning we weren't able to read with just that light setting alone. The high setting, on the other hand, provided plenty of light for reading, making us confident that this setting would adequately illuminate your yard.

The light is easy to use, but it doesn't offer much in the way of aesthetics. The solar panel sticks up and away from the light. The solar panel is adjustable by 150 degrees though, and the spotlight itself is adjustable by up to 90 degrees, providing more flexibility.

Its IP65 rating means it is a water-resistant solar light option. We observed no damage to either the light or the solar panel when we subjected them to water and golf ball tests. Post-freezer, the lights still worked as well. Ultimately, we found these to be a good deal for their price and practicality.

Product Details: Number of Lights Included: Two | Dimensions (of single light): 6.1 x 4.76 x 10.55 inches | Water Protection Rating: IP65 | Lighting Color: Cool white | Battery Type: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery | Battery Life: Eight to 10 hours

We were able to easily install it in less than 20 minutes, and it provided enough light to brighten a porch at night.

It’s not as bright as a security light.

For a wall-mounted option, we loved the Winston Porter lantern. With its simple, modern look, it complements many outdoor aesthetics and it provided cozy, ambient lighting during our testing. Since this solar light is wall mounted, there was some light installation required.

However, it took us less than 20 minutes to attach it to a wall using a screwdriver, a drill, and a level. The instructions stated that after assembly, it could take up to two days for it to generate enough solar energy to power the light, but we found that an afternoon in direct sunlight was sufficient.

We did experience some wind and rain during the testing period, and the light was unaffected by the weather. We appreciated that we could remove the light fixture itself from the mount if the weather was severe. While it didn’t light up our yard like a security light would, it provided sufficient lighting to see on a porch at night.

Product Details: Number of Lights Included: One | Dimensions (of single light): 7.5 x 5.5 x 7 inches | Water Protection Rating: Weatherproof | Lighting Color: Warm | Battery Type: Lithium-ion battery pack | Battery Life: 10 hours

The panels are made with frosted glass for an elevated look.

The glass shattered when testers dropped a golf ball on it from a height of six feet, so you'll want to protect the light if there's a threat of hail.

The Kemeco Solar Post Light looks like traditional lamp post with the energy benefits of solar power. It comes in black or white, giving you style options. The light is weather resistant, standing up well to our water tests, though the exact level of water resistance isn't given by the manufacturer.

The frame is made from aluminum and frosted glass, which gives it its attractive appearance. However, the glass did not stand up to our golf ball test, with the glass shattering after impact. The solar panels did not shatter. With this in mind, we recommend covering the light if hail is in your local weather forecast.

We thought the lights gave off a beautiful glow, which was bright enough to read by. Keep in mind that this lamp doesn't include any additional features, making it a stylish yet very basic option. The lantern is top heavy, so you'll need to properly secure it to a post. But the style and functionality will be worth it.

Product Details: Number of Lights Included: One | Dimensions (of single light): 8.8 x 8.8 x 18.1 inches | Water Protection Rating: Not listed | Lighting Color: Gentle warm white | Battery Type: Three Ni-MH rechargeable batteries | Battery Life: Eight hours

These solar lights are perfect for those looking for a soft, ambient outdoor lighting option. They're also available in seven colors.

These don't give off bright light, so you won't get high visibility with them.

Adding ambient lighting to a patio or deck is simple with these solar string lights. Available in a pack of two, the Brightown lights are 33 feet long and have 100 LED bulbs. The bulbs light up in all directions and give off a pure white glow.

While the lights aren't bright enough for reading—they only illuminated an area within one foot during testing—they're a great choice for accent lighting. No installation is required for the lights themselves, other than hanging them up. We found it simple to install the solar panel onto the stake provided.

The lights have eight different modes (combination, waves, sequential, slow glow, chasing/flash, slow fade, twinkle, and steady), providing plenty of ambient lighting options to choose from. While we tested the pure white lights, the set is also available in blue, warm white, green, purple, orange, and multicolor.

They can stay illuminated for up to 10 hours, and you can set them to turn on and off automatically or use the manual power switch. During testing, we subjected the lights to our water, freezer, and golf ball tests—and they passed all three. They turned on upon impact with the golf ball, but turned off afterward and worked as usual.

Product Details: Number of Lights Included: Two strings | Dimensions (of single light): 33-foot string | Water Protection Rating: IP65 | Lighting Color: Pure white (six other colors also available) | Battery Type: Ni-MH AA rechargeable battery | Battery Life: Eight to 10 hours

These in-ground lights sit flush with your terrain for a minimalist look that is barely noticeable during daytime.

The lights aren't very bright, so you may need to purchase more than one set of lights if you want more illumination.

For simple lights that sit flush with the ground, the Rayolon Solar Ground Lights are a great option. Their warm lighting is perfect for lighting walkways with basic illumination at night, and the lights virtually disappear during the day thanks to their minimalist design.

The lights are meant to sit flush with the ground, though you may notice the silver rim around the light if you place them in the grass. These are rated as IP65, or deemed water resistant to splashes. The lights held up well during our golf ball and water tests, although they wouldn't stay on for as long after the freezer test.

The lights provide a nice ambient look, but you may need to purchase more than four to provide enough lighting for a longer path or sidewalk. There are sets of eight and 12 available, giving you some options. You'll just need to assemble three pieces for these lights, including a base—we found it easy to get them up and running.

Product Details: Number of Lights Included: Four | Dimensions (of single light): 1.86 x 1.94 x 2.05 inches | Water Protection Rating: IP65 | Lighting Color: Warm | Battery Type: Ni-MH rechargeable battery | Battery Life: Six to 10 hours

Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson

These lights are great for adding a whimsical, decorative accent to gardens or planters.

They are only intended for accent lighting versus fully illuminating an area for visibility.

The Tonulax Solar Garden Lights come in a two-pack, each pack comes with eight bulbs. The bulbs are attached to flexible, heavy-duty iron wires that sway in the breeze, offering a fun and decorative element to your outdoor area.

Setup involves nothing more than attaching the stake to the bottom on the light base and flipping the solar light panel down. We found operating the lights simple and straightforward, as there's only one on/off button. Plus, they turn on automatically when it's dark and off when it's light.

The lights produce a warm yellow color and have a waterproof rating of IP65. We didn't experience any issues with durability even when tested during conditions like high wind, rain, and sun exposure. One thing to note is that the brightness and color of the light is not adjustable.

These solar lights also didn't necessarily help us see better—they more so served as fun accents that cast a nice glow on our outdoor planters.

Product Details: Number of Lights Included: Eight | Dimensions (of single light): 9 x 9 x 28 inches | Water Protection Rating: IP65 | Lighting Color: Warm white | Battery Type: Ni-MH rechargeable battery | Battery Life: 20 hours

These lights can be placed on metal, stone, or wood, making them ideal for subtle lighting to help you safely walk in low-light conditions.

These work best when the spacing is adjusted for your desired brightness, which may require measuring and testing to get right.

If you're looking for lighting for your stairs, fence, balcony, pathways, deck, or garden beds, these are a good option. The lights can be placed on a variety of surfaces including metal, stone, and wood, and they provide an aesthetically pleasing glow for staying safe in low-light conditions.

While the lights have intuitive installation, we found you’ll have to test and measure the spacing between the lights to get the desired level of brightness. Setup involves putting two-sided tape on the backside of the light, drilling two pilot holes, then drilling screws on the top of each light.

These lights have no controls—they simply come on at dusk and shut off at dawn, slowly dimming as it gets lighter outside. They produce a warm white color that we found bright enough to light up the deck for entertaining, though we do wish we had the option to turn them off.

Product Details: Number of Lights Included: 16 or 20 | Dimensions (of single light): 3.46 x 1.77 x 1.85 inches | Water Protection Rating: IP44 | Lighting Color: Warm white | Battery Type: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery | Battery Life: Not listed

These lights provide sufficient brightness for navigating a sidewalk and have an adjustable height for tailored lighting coverage.

The lights should be brought inside during freezing temperatures.

These lights are great for creating a welcoming and safe environment in a garden or along a path, particularly for those who appreciate a blend of modern and traditional design elements. Each light has three parts: the stake, the pole shaft, and the light fixture (though the pole shaft could be left out if you wanted a shorter light).

The lights have no controls—they simply charge via a small solar panel on top of each light and have a sensor that turns them on and off automatically. While they don't have adjustable brightness, color, or temperature, we found they offer a good balance of cozy, ambient lighting that’s bright enough to navigate through.

They illuminate paths and nearby landscaping while lending visual interest and dimension to your space. The matte black components are sleek and modern while the vintage-style bulb and seeded glass are traditional, making the lights adaptable to a variety of home styles. And they look particularly good against mulch and red brick.

The lights can withstand a mixture of cooler overnight temps and extreme heat and humidity, though they should be brought inside during freezing weather, so they’re not completely weatherproof. During testing we didn't notice any scratches, warping, rusting, or dimming—they even remained sturdy when faced with fiddling toddlers.

Product Details: Number of Lights Included: 4 | Dimensions (of single light): 31.61 x 4.61 inches | Water Protection Rating: Not listed | Lighting Color: Warm white | Battery type: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery| Battery Life: Not listed

We chose the AloftSun Solar Motion Sensor Outdoor Lights as the overall best solar lights for their durability, water resistance, and motion-sensing capabilities. If you're looking for a set of string lights, we loved the Brightech Ambience Pro Solar Powered Outdoor String Lights, because they held up to water and freezing temperatures.

At our testing lab in Des Moines, Iowa, we put 27 outdoor solar lights to the test. We assembled them, sprinkled them with water, dropped a golf ball on them (from 6 feet away onto the light and from 4 feet onto the solar panel), and even stashed them in the freezer for an hour to see how well they held up to cold temperatures.

We carefully evaluated each light on its setup process, features, overall design, brightness, durability, and overall value. We ranked each light in each of these categories on a scale of one to five and used these insights to compile this list. We also timed how long the lights stayed on from dusk to dawn.

In addition to lab testing, we also continued to use the top-performing solar lights at our homes to determine how they held up over time to regular use.

There are a few types of solar lights, and they all vary in how they're installed. Pathway lights usually have stakes that you stick into the dirt next to your driveway or sidewalk. Some solar lights that can be mounted, like the Winston Porter Krimhilde Solar Powered Mounted Lantern.

If you're looking for a more decorative, you can find string lights and Mason jar lanterns powered by solar energy. Others use solar lighting for its portability. "[P]eople who enjoy camping outdoors typically opt for solar-powered lanterns and bulbs as they are portable and self-sustaining for their power," Jameson says.

"Technically, solar lights require rechargeable batteries to act as storage for the electrical energy collected from the sun," Jameson says. Rechargeable batteries don't last forever, so there's a good chance you might need to replace them at some point.

Many of the solar lights on this list use rechargeable AA or AAA batteries, which are easily available for purchase online. Since the batteries can simply be swapped out down the line, you won't need to replace the entire light fixture.

Some solar lights have small panels on each individual light, while others have a single external panel that powers the entire set. You might prefer the latter if you want to use the lights under a porch or covered patio; you'll be able to give the solar panel direct sunlight while keeping the lights where you want them.

We also found that lights with larger solar panels can sometimes have a less aesthetically pleasing look, so make sure you feel good about the size and location of the panel before purchasing.

Most of the solar lights on this list are water-resistant, like the AloftSun Motion Sensor Solar Landscape Spotlights, which means they repel water to some extent. (This is different from waterproof, which means a product doesn't allow any water to pass through.)

These lights will be fine in normal rain and snow showers, but you may want to bring them inside during heavy downpours combined with wind. You'll often see the water protection listed as an IP rating, an international standard that looks like "IP45."

The first number indicates how well the item is protected against solid objects like dust, and the second number indicates how well it's protected against liquids. The former ranges from zero to six and the latter ranges from zero to eight. The higher the number, the more protected it is.

Some solar lights have on/off switches, timers, or motion sensors. More advanced models like the Brightown Outdoor Solar String Lights offer different light settings like a slow fade or twinkle. Before purchasing a solar light, ask yourself exactly what you need so you can find one that best suits your needs.

The 4 Aogist Solar Ground Lights are easy to assemble, provide adequate brightness, and still performed properly after the water and freezer test. However, one of the spokes fell off after the golf ball test. It has a basic design, and for the price, eight lights for under $40 is an affordable option.

The 6 Pro Series VI Solar Path Lights offer an elegant look to light your pathway. After the light and water test, the lights still worked. However, because of the price, we didn't feel that the performance or design justified the high price tag.

The Ring Solar Pathlights provided incredibly bright light, and the system as a whole was quite durable. However, a Ring Bridge and a smartphone app are required to connect it to Alexa, and we weren't able to get the app working properly during testing. If you have the time and patience to devote to setup—and you already own other Ring accessories—this could be a great fit for your home.

The Terrain Flameless Solar Tiki Torch produces a warm, flame-like flicker, was easy to set up and operate, and remained sturdy in a variety of weather conditions. Where it fell short was functionality—the torches didn't stand straight on the posts, and we found them to be purely decorative.

The Hampton Bay Sandstone White Faux Rock LED Solar Light produces a warm white light and is compact, and non-obstructive. However, we found that it's best suited for decorative purposes in a garden, as the solar functionality and light output may not meet expectations for practical lighting needs.

Outdoor solar lights work best when they have access to direct sunlight to charge for multiple hours during the day, which is how the manufacturers calculate battery life and runtime. They will work on cloudy days or in areas with indirect light, but you might notice that they aren't quite as bright or long-lasting.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, solar lights work well in most parts of the United States, as long as the panels have access to enough sunlight. Pay attention to how much sunlight your yard gets, and use that to manage your expectations for how bright the lights will be and how long they'll last into the evening.

You'll also want to pay attention to the manufacturer's guidelines for water exposure and use in freezing temperatures; you may need to bring the lights inside during inclement weather for protection.

In addition to giving you a sense of security and better visibility come nighttime, solar lights use renewable energy. "Given that solar lights do not require electricity and are not connected to the power grid, it is very sustainable and is even a cost-effective way of lighting your home without bringing up the electricity bill," Jameson says.

This article was written by Brittany VanDerBill, a freelance lifestyle and travel writer whose work has been published with several Dotdash Meredith brands. She began writing for Dotdash Meredith in 2021, covering a variety of topics, including pets, clothing, and product guides. The article was later updated by Michelle Rostamian, a freelance writer and editor with over a decade of experience writing about home, lifestyle, and wellness products.

To find the best solar lights, VanDerBill and Rostamian researched a variety of options like style, installation, lighting type, and more. They compared their research to the testing insights we recorded when evaluating the outdoor solar lights. VanDerBill also consulted Sarah Jameson of Green Building Elements.

Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.