If you’re looking to illuminate a specific area—whether it be your house, driveway, landscaping, or pool—the Urpower Outdoor Solar Spotlights are an excellent choice. In our testing, the automatic dusk-to-dawn lights remained on for 7 hours and 46 minutes on a full charge. They put out an impressive 200 lumens of light on the highest mode (there’s also a low setting). The lights themselves can be adjusted up to 90 degrees to direct the light where it's most needed, while the solar panel can be angled up to 150 degrees, so you can face it where it will receive the most sunlight during the day. Testers 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. Solar powered lights are both simpler and safer to install as you'll have the freedom to put your lights wherever you want without the restraint of having to plug into a mains outlet.

Simply put, an IP rating is a measure of how waterproof or weather-resistant an item is. This is especially important for outdoor solar lights, as they're going to be exposed to various weather conditions and elements. Why You Should Get It: If you'd like a sturdy motion-sensing solar light, our testers found this to be one of the best solar lights in this category. Solar-powered landscape lights can be used to make specific outdoor features such as trees, fountains, or statues look their best during the hours of darkness. Though these are marketed as dusk-to-dawn lights, the manufacturer doesn’t specify exactly how long they should stay on—and we found they had the shortest operating time out of all those on our list, at just 4 hours and 15 minutes. But if you’re just looking to light the way for comings and goings at night, this is likely more than enough time.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. Overall, these are the best solar lights if you're looking for ambient patio lighting. The solar panel can be installed via a stake in the ground, and the angle can be adjusted up to 120 degrees to receive the most sunlight possible. The lights received high marks in all our durability tests, and boast an impressive IP65 weather-resistance rating. Solar lights can be as bright as traditional lights, but their brightness may vary depending on several factors, including the quality of the solar panel, the battery capacity, and the type of bulb installed.

In addition to choosing the right solar lights, if you’re in a coastal area, it is also important to regularly clean and maintain them to prevent the build-up of salt and other corrosive materials. Regular cleaning can help extend the lifespan of the light fixtures and ensure that they continue to provide effective and efficient lighting for your outdoor space. When you see an IP rating with an X in it, this means the product does not offer protection for that category. For example, IPX4 means the device is protected from water splashes in all directions, but not from dust and debris. We loved the “moody lighting” these lights emitted but noted they were bright enough to read by only when the lights were gathered together and not strung out. Also, these did not stay lit as long as the others we tested (6 hours total). If you are mostly using them for decor or entertaining purposes, this shouldn’t be an issue. And although you can’t connect multiple strands together (as we hoped!), there is a 48-foot strand available if you have the space.Why You Should Get It: These in-ground lights sit flush with your terrain for a minimalist look that is barely noticeable during daytime. With batteries that charge via solar panels throughout the day, solar lights can effectively help your household lower its carbon footprint. Installation is easy, because there are no wires to contend with 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 the lights that are perfect for your home. This set of garden lights comes with a large solar panel, which is a little bigger than an A4 sheet of paper (twice as big as most others we tested).

Solar lights do not emit any greenhouse gases or other pollutants, making them an environmentally friendly lighting option. If they also have a motion sensor, they won’t contribute to light pollution, helping to reduce the impact on natural ecosystems.

We found the lights give off a soft, clear, pleasing 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 of lights 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. Solar power technology has advanced significantly in recent years, and as a result, a wide variety of lighting styles can now be powered by solar energy. Here are some of the most common styles of lighting that can be solar-powered: There is a huge variety of lighting styles that can be powered by solar energy, from small pathway lights to large floodlights. Solar-powered lighting is a great choice for those looking for an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly lighting option for their outdoor space. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, solar lights work well in most parts of the United States. As long as the solar panels have access to enough sunlight, the lights will work well.