One of the most eco-conscious decisions you can make for your front porch, pathway, or backyard is to buy a set of the best outdoor solar lights. These little (or large) lights can illuminate your walkway or yard without any electricity. The solar panels gather energy from the sun, which charges the battery inside that powers the lights for, generally, up to eight hours. Not only are you able to unlock your front door without scratching up your door with your key, walk down a path without stumbling in the dark, and swim without fear of not being able to see the edge of a pool, these bright little beauties can act as security. If the lights are on, intruders are less likely to approach your home. And these lights can stay on all night if you set them up to do so. How do you know which set of lights is the best for you, though? It depends on what you need the light for. Let’s look at some of the best outdoor solar lights on the market right now.

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BEST OVERALL| SURSUN Solar Lights

SURSUN Solar Lights Outdoor

SURSUN Solar Lights Outdoor

There are good reasons why SURSUN Solar Lights are a bestseller in the industry. First, you get 16 total spiked landscaping solar lights. That’s plenty enough to light most driveways, walkways, or gardens. The light source is an LED light, so they should last years without needing to be replaced. And the solar panel only needs about six to eight hours of sunlight to power your lights for up to 10 hours at night.

These are easy to use, as well. Turn all the lights on at the base of each light, and then slip the plastic cover on. Slide the pipe in, and then pop out the spike, put that on, and it’s ready for you to start poking holes in your yard. The stainless-steel material resists corrosion, and the lights are waterproof and weatherproof. Come rain or snow, these lights will continue to work and look great. So, if you’re enjoying your hot tub on a warm winter’s evening, these lights will illuminate the space around you.

These pathway solar lights are brighter than you may expect from solar lights. They effectively illuminate any area you need them to, and they leave a pretty star-like design on the surface of your yard, driveway, or sidewalk. As is the case with most solar lights, the more sunlight the solar panel gets results in brighter light from the bulbs. However, even just a small amount of sun can get your lights glowing, albeit a bit dimmer, to help light your path. The SURSUN Solar Lights have an MSRP of $41.99, but be sure to check the current SURSUN Solar Lights Outdoor here.

BEST DESIGN | Litom Solar Lights

Litom Solar Lights Outdoor

Litom Solar Lights Outdoor

Most people think of solar lights as just those small pathway spiked lights, but the Litom Solar Lights are a totally different type of light, even though it has several similarities. It uses solar energy to power the light source, so no electricity is needed. The lights used are long-lasting LEDs, so you won’t have to worry about burned out bulbs for quite a long time. And this light is totally waterproof, so it’s made for the outdoors.

The biggest difference to the pathway lights is that this is a single unit that provides a flood of light. The solar panel is positioned on top of the light, so there are no extra components of this light – it’s an all-in-one piece. You simply choose a place where you want to install it, hang it up, and then let it do its job. It provides a large area of illumination, making it a good choice for lighting near your garage or driveway, out in your backyard where your pets roam, or anywhere else, really.

It has three modes of operation, which makes a big difference in how you might use this light. There’s the sensor mode, which will only provide light when it detects motion. When it does, you get super bright light from the source, which could be a good security measure. The dim light sensor mode keeps the light on when there’s no motion, but it’s a bit dim. Once someone moves near the light, the super bright light switches on. Finally, there’s the medium light mode. As soon as the sun sets, the light comes on at a medium level of brightness and stays there. The MSRP of the Litom Solar Lights is $49.99, but be sure to check the current Litom Solar Lights here.

EASIEST TO USE | Maggift 12 Pack Solar Pathway Lights

Maggift 12 Pack Solar Pathway Lights

Maggift 12 Pack Solar Pathway Lights

When you want solar lights for your outdoor areas that are easy enough a kid can install them, you might want to look into the Maggift 12 Pack Solar Pathway Lights. These are a familiar design, and the black spiked pathway lights look great next to any landscaped yard or driveway. Just switch the tab to “on” and piece each of the dozen lights together – it’ll likely take you less than 10 minutes to do. Then pick out the spots you want to install them.

Driving the spikes into the ground is easy enough that you can task your children with the job. The only word of caution is that you should remove them when mowing your lawn or using power trimming tools. You can even space these out farther than you might expect because each light equals 2 lumens. Although the manufacturer suggests at least six hours of charging time, these lights charge quickly, and they continuously light your yard or path for up to 10 hours.

The LED lights should last you a long while, so you will likely want to replace the whole light before you’ll need to replace any bulbs. The illumination creates a pretty pattern on the surface around each light and spreads out about 6 inches in each direction. Not only do these look great, they provide enough light to make it safe for you to walk a path at night. The Maggift 12-pack Solar Pathway Lights has an MSRP of $20.99, but be sure to check the current Maggift 12 Pack Solar Pathway Lights here.

MOST VERSATILE | URPOWER Solar Lights

URPOWER Solar Lights 8 LED Wireless Waterproof Motion Sensor Outdoor Light

URPOWER Solar Lights 8 LED Wireless Waterproof Motion Sensor Outdoor Light

Solar lights are typically made with one job in mind, such as lighting a path or working as a motion-detection light, but the URPOWER Solar Lights are much more versatile than that. Rather than being a one-trick pony, this four-pack of lights can work to illuminate a path along a staircase or work as floodlights in your backyard. You could also use these to add light to an otherwise dark area of your outdoor area.

There’s nothing to put together with these lights. Just use the included key to “unlock” the light, and then use the included screws to install the lights wherever you want them. After a bit of sun, about seven hours’ worth, the light will be bright throughout the night. These are motion detecting lights, so they’ll only turn on when motion is sensed. This allows your solar light to work throughout the night without losing power – up to 12 hours. The light stays on for 30 seconds after motion is sensed.

The URPOWER solar lights are water- and heatproof, so they’ll stand up under the most weather. The light is surprisingly bright, and that’s thanks to the eight LED lights, rather than just four. Some lights offer 12 LEDs, but then they don’t last as long. These floodlights are great for use in almost any area outdoors you can think of, and they’re especially helpful on stairs and near pools for added safety. The MSRP is $69.99 for the URPOWER Solar Lights, but be sure to check the current URPOWER Solar Lights here.

BARGAIN BUY | Bolansi Solar String Light

Bolansi Solar String Light

Bolansi Solar String Light

If you’re looking for the least expensive solar light option out there, consider the Bolansi Solar String Light. You get 20 feet of tiny fairy lights that will add fun ambiance to any patio or porch. What you need to keep in mind is that these solar lights are not meant to actually illuminate an area. These lights are meant as decoration. The 30 little lights will give some illumination, but not enough to light a path, for example.

The bubble globe lights are adorable and they’re practically weatherproof. They’re waterproof and they can take high temperatures which makes them safe to place around a pool. You can string these up in your trees, bushes, along an umbrella, or even tossed into the grass of your backyard to give it a little extra decoration of light for backyard events. Like other solar lights, these require about eight hours of sunlight to charge, and then you should get about eight to 10 hours of continuous light.

These aren’t the biggest lights, though. Each one is about 1 inch in diameter, so you may want to buy a couple strings of lights. Also, these come in a variety of colors, including blue, pink, purple, white, multicolor, and warm white. The MSRP of the Bolansi Solar String Light is $41.99, but be sure to check the current Bolansi Solar String Light here.

BOTTOM LINE

When it comes to choosing the best outdoor solar lights, you have plenty of choices, depending on what you want the lights for. Whether you’re looking for lights to just decorate your backyard, light a path, or to use as security lighting, these solar lights will do the job. All the lights here will work well to absorb sunlight throughout the day, and then keep your outdoor areas illuminated for up to 10 hours. Plus, all of the lights are affordable. And the best part? No electricity needed. Now, to really amp up your beautiful backyard space, check out our Best Bluetooth Speakers right here!