If you are a homeowner, you are pretty aware that very few additions to your home can add both practicality and beauty than outdoor lighting. Outdoor lighting significantly boosts the natural beauty and ambiance of your home. Strategically installed solar pathway lights will seamlessly highlight your property’s architectural features as well as the garden, trees, walkways, and outdoor decor.
What’s more, well-executed outdoor lighting can add security and value to your home, ensuring a significant return on your investment.
When looking to install outdoor lights, the most important factor you’ll need to take into consideration is power options. Simply put, you’ll need to choose between wired garden lights and solar-powered pathway lights. Which begs the question, what are the best solar pathway lights?
The best solar lights for pathways are the Plow & Hearth solar pathway lights, as they put out 50 lumens of light, have a decorative design, are made of stainless steel so very durable, have a pointed end so very easy to push into the ground, and only need 6-8 hours of charging time.
Huge advances have been made in the solar power industry over the past few years, with outdoor lighting arguably the biggest beneficiary. The latest outside solar lighting fixtures not only come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are also highly versatile enough to be installed in nearly all types of settings, including gardens, homes, and commercial systems.
From niche garden installations, high-beam security, and street to pathway lighting, solar-powered pathway lights can meet almost every requirement.
Solar Pathway Light Design
What I really like about solar pathway lights is the availability of light designs they have. There is a wide variety of light designs emitted from the housing that not only provide an eye-catching design but are practical as well. If you see below, here are just a couple of different designs, that I have at my home. The first one is a spiral starlight pattern that is not only decorative but practical along the walkway.
Another outdoor solar light I have is a box pattern that again is very warm and decorative, but it also illuminates the walkway.
These are just a couple of real-life examples that I can show. So pay attention to the design each solar light puts out and choose one that fits your outside needs.
If you are currently looking to install outdoor lighting in your home, you are in the right place! I’m going to discuss the potential benefits of solar lights and I’ll wrap up the article by providing an honest review of some of the best solar outdoor lights on the market.
Benefits of Solar Outdoor Lights
- Safe for the environment: Installing solar lights is arguably the cheapest and easiest way to lower your carbon footprint. These systems are entirely powered by the sun’s natural energy, one of the world’s leading renewable energy sources. And besides using the sun’s green clean energy, solar-powered lights are highly durable, implying that you’ll not have to regularly replace and throw away dead light fixtures. What’s more, the latest solar lights are extremely energy-efficient, requiring the slightest amount of charge to light your yard throughout the night.
- Aesthetics: Solar lighting has tremendously improved over the years, and today’s solar fixtures are classy and attractive. You can always find a particular design that suits your personal taste. And with the flexibility they guarantee in terms of inbuilt panels, you can install them nearly anywhere without having to worry about potentially overloading a circuit or deal with annoying cables.
- Cost-effective: This is arguably the biggest advantage of installing solar-powered outdoor lights. With energy costs on an upward trajectory, you are always looking for effective ways to minimize your energy costs. There are no electrical energy bills associated with using solar! Even though some of the most advanced outdoor solar fixtures can be relatively costly in terms of the upfront cost, the amount of money you save over the years can be quite substantial. What’s more, solar lights are somewhat easier to install and in most cases are something you can easily manage and this eliminates the cost of hiring a professional to install them on your behalf. With the batteries charged directly by the sun, there is no need for any trenching, digging, or wiring as would be the case with regular electrical light installation.
- Zero maintenance: Once installed and perfectly positioned, solar lights are generally maintenance-free. After all, there is no need to inspect or replace any damaged cables or sockets. You only need to carry out occasional checkups by perhaps wiping over the solar collectors to ensure they are not covered in dirt.
- Enhanced safety: While significant strides have been made in limiting the dangers inherent in installing electrical wires outdoors, solar-powered lighting completely eliminates this risk. There are no plug sockets, wiring; simply an incredibly efficient lighting option that doesn’t pose any threat whatsoever to your pets, kids, or wildlife in your yard.
Best Solar Pathway Lights
Plow & Hearth Solar Pathway Lights (Editor’s Choice)
1) Plow & Hearth 50 Lumen Solar Pathway Lights – Plow & Hearth is a trusted brand on the marketing, producing top-notch solar devices that are not only highly durable but efficient and classy. This particular one, is its typical product, boasting numerous eye-catching features that make it a worthwhile addition to your outdoor lighting accessories.
Key features:
- Decent lighting: When it comes to installing outdoor solar lights around your backyard or pathway, you always want an option that comes with multiple lights for optimum illumination. Plow & Hearth pathway lights come with four light fixtures that are perfect for decorative outdoor lighting.
- Weatherproof: These outdoor solar lights are made of robust and high-quality metal and glass, and are therefore durable enough to withstand the outdoor weather.
- Easy installation: Plow & Hearth solar lights can be installed in minutes, and you’ll only need to connect the parts and effortlessly stake into the ground where there is good sunlight. No additional cables or professional workmanship is needed.
- Powerful battery: After converting the sun’s energy into electricity, all solar pathway lights store this energy in the battery. As such, you need a powerful battery that offers extended hours of service. This lighting fixture brings on board six top-notch lithium-ion batteries that offer between eight and ten hours of uninterrupted service.
Best Feature: What distinguishes the Plow & Hearth solar lighting from other fixtures is its unrivaled brightness. With a brightness rating of 50 lumens, which is ten times brighter than standard solar garden lights. The fixtures come equipped with a lampshade reflector that allows light to flood the space, creating amazing shadow patterns on the ground.
Balhvit Solar Pathway Lights
2) Balhvit Glass Outdoor Solar Lights – These incredible solar lights are an easy and affordable way to light up your yard. The unit contains eight bright LED light bulbs that brighten any time they are switched on, perfect for use over your garage door, yard, or shed.
Key features:
- Hassle-free installation: If you are currently having problems installing pathway lights in your yard, then Balhvit glass outdoor lights offer you the easiest way to lighten up your yard. You only need to place the stakes onto the ground and you are done! What’s more, they automatically turn on during nighttime and turn off at dawn for enhanced convenience.
- Enhanced durability: These fixtures are perfect for outdoor weather and can withstand nearly all kinds of weather, thanks to their IP55 weatherproof rating. You won’t have to worry about high temperatures, snow, or rain damaging your outdoor lights.
- Higher efficiency: it boasts light brightness of ten lumens, which is quite commendable. The high-capacity 600mAh rechargeable battery guarantees between ten and twelve hours of service.
Best Feature: Not many outdoor lights come covered by a generous warranty. Balhvit has an 18-month warranty, giving you much-needed peace of mind knowing that it is a high-quality and durable product.
Solpex Solar Pathway Lights
3) Solpex Solar Pathway Outdoor Lights – While Solpex might not be the most popular name in the outdoor lighting industry, this particular product does bring on board several incredible features that make it a decent option. The LED solar lights are made of metal, which not only makes them highly durable, but versatile for any pathway. You can use them to decorate your deck, garden path, driveway, yard, or any other outside spot to brighten up your night.
Key features:
- Easy installation: Just like any other outdoor solar lights out there, Solpex offer easy and effortless installation, so you won’t have to worry about having to deal with dangerous electrical cables and sockets. You only need to remove the isolator tab below the cap and push the stakes into the soil. The pointed ends do make it easy to shove into the ground.
- Durability: The lights are IP44 rated, and this means that they are perfect for any type of weather. The metal surface also features anti-rust coating, further enhancing the fixtures’ durability by preventing regenerative erosion.
- Enhanced reliability: The fixtures include highly dependable batteries that only require 6-8 hours of exposure to direct sunlight to bring you 8-10 of lighting at night.
- Elegant design: Thanks to their metal casing, the brown appearance is suitable for your garden, outdoor lawn, walkway, or driveway.
Best Feature: Not many affordable outdoor lighting fixtures out there offer exciting features. Though relatively cheaper, Solpex comes equipped with nearly all essential features that you would expect from high-end outdoor lights.
Gigalumi Pathway Lights
4) GIGALUMI 12 Pack Solar Outdoor Pathway Lights – You can easily illuminate the front of your home, yard, driveway, or pathway with these fantastic solar lights from GIGALUMI. Arguably the most popular solar lights for most homeowners, these outdoor solar lights will not only look gorgeous and cast a beautiful glow onto your yard but will also serve you for an extended period thanks to their unmatched durability.
Key features:
- Water-resistant: They are specially designed to be water-proof, allowing you to install them in all kinds of outside pathway settings.
- Easy installation: You don’t require any extra wirings or electrical connections to get these lighting fixtures up and running. The pointed ends mean you don’t need to dig any holes to place them in the ground. Just punch through the topsoil and they’re staked in hassle-free.
- Versatility: GIGALUMI solar outdoor lights offer an easy way to decorate and add a delightful glow to your driveway, pathway, balcony, garden, or patio.
Best Feature: As you may have realized, most outdoor solar lights include a six or eight-light pack, which is usually enough to effectively light up your yard. However, GIGALUMI comes equipped with a whopping 12 pack solar path lights for unmatched brightness. It also includes a powerful battery that only needs a minimum of four hours of charging to provide lighting throughout the night.
ExcMark Solar Lights (Budget-Friendly)
5) ExcMark 10 Pack Outdoor Solar Lights – Powerful and stylish, these solar lighting fixtures feature a solid plastic design that is highly durable. It includes 10 lamps at a somewhat affordable price, making a highly attractive option for those looking for a performance-oriented product at an affordable price. It strikes a great balance between price, performance, and aesthetics.
Key features:
- Easy to install: ExcMark solar lights offer a hassle-free installation. With a wireless setup and no cables needed, you can easily finish the installation process in minutes! Just punch them into the ground and they’re set. No holes to dig.
- Robust performance: Each fixture features a rechargeable lithium battery that automatically turns on and off accordingly, offering at least eight hours of service after a single charge.
- Weatherproof: Being an IP44-rated product, these fixtures will function in all kinds of normal weather, ranging from snow, rain to sleet and thunder.
Best Feature: You always want to install outdoor lights that can somehow boost your yard’s aesthetic appeal. These particular lights are not only functional but feature gorgeous designs that will certainly make your pathways attractive. They are a practical accent and will add a unique glow to your outdoor surrounding.
Wrapping up Solar Pathway Lights
The best solar pathway lights will be both decorative to provide a bit of ambiance and outdoor décor to your home and they’ll be practical too.