The 7 Best Outdoor Solar Lights of 2023, Tested by Experts

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Elevate your home, backyard, or campsite with the right outdoor lighting.

Good lighting can change how we feel in any situation. Whether it's dining out, hanging with friends under a backyard gazebo, or chilling around the campfire under the stars, the right lighting can make all the difference. Thankfully, upgrading your home's outdoor lighting setup is relatively easy and doesn't have to cost a fortune.

Outdoor solar lights are a great way to give your home more curb appeal, elevate the look of your patio, or even keep tabs on your front yard after dark. Whether you need a permanently installed, motion-activated floodlight, smartphone-powered pathway lighting, or portable string lights that can move when you need them, there's probably an outdoor solar lighting solution for you. We tested and researched dozens of models to bring you the best outdoor solar lights worth buying in 2022.

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Some solar lights are meant to be pretty, some are purely functional. Sunforce's 82153 Triple-head Solar Motion Light falls into the latter camp. It's a beast of an outdoor motion floodlight designed to blanket your lawn, driveway, pool, or backyard with 1,000 lumens of bright white light. Swiveling lamp heads and two user-adjustable settings (light duration and detection sensitivity) allow for dialing in the exact coverage you need. The high-end, amorphous solar panels charge the unit in any daylight conditions, not just direct sunlight. What we especially love is the price. At less than $50, it's one of the best bang-for-your-buck outdoor solar floodlights we’ve seen.

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The right path lighting can add a ton of curb appeal to any home. Hampton Bay's Solar Landscape Path Lights boast a simple, elegant aesthetic that easily brightens any front yard. With a 3000K color temperature rating, the LED lights deliver a warm, welcoming, "just right" glow that's not too bright and not too dim. They’re weather-resistant, rust-resistant, and turn on automatically at dusk and last for eight hours, so they’re basically maintenance-free. Just stake them and forget them. Plus, they’re a bargain at around $9 per light.

No one likes fumbling up and down steps in the dark. Ring remedies the situation with its Simple Lighting Solar LED Deck Step Light. Each solar light shines 50 lumens of neutral white light over any outdoor staircase. They’re incredibly versatile with the ability to be motion-activated or controlled via the Ring smartphone app. That means they also integrate seamlessly with Ring's ecosystem of smart products, including doorbells, cameras, and other smart lights. On the downside, they should be installed to receive direct sunlight which might be challenging or impossible, depending on your home's layout.

Nothing solidifies a "proper" outdoor party like tiki torches. But open flames and lamp oil and inebriated party guests don't always mix. TomCare's Solar Flickering Torch Stakes are safer, cheaper in the long run, and feature a flickering electric "flame" effect that's realistic enough to fool anybody. With an IP65 rating, they’re waterproof and designed to run in almost any weather conditions. The built-in mini solar panels keep them flickering for up to 10 hours in the summer (weather-dependent). Plus, because they simply stake into the ground, there's zero installation required, so they can travel with you for camping trips, beach parties, or game nights at the neighbor's house.

There's no denying that fairy lights add a certain something to any backyard party or campsite. BesLowe's Solar Fairy String Lights are ultra-portable, so they pack up easily to go wherever you need them. Each strand is generously sized at 72 feet long with 200 individual LED twinkle lights. A button on the back of the solar panel cycles through various lighting modes (waves, fireflies, twinkle, fading, etc.), so you can dial in the exact ambiance you want. Unlike most other outdoor solar lights, these are 100% waterproof, so you can "set them and forget them" without worrying they might get ruined in the rain. We also like that they’re available in three lighting colors: Warm White, Daylight White, and Multicolor.

If fairy lights aren't your thing, Brightech's Ambiance Pro Solar Powered Outdoor String Lights deliver the same ambiance with a twist. The Edison-inspired bulbs offer a vintage-inspired aesthetic with a 3000K soft white illumination that's warm and inviting. With a 27-foot length, waterproof construction, and six-hour max run-time, they’re perfect for semi-permanent backyard installations. Brightech also offers a jumbo-sized, 48-foot version for larger setups. On the downside, the mediocre solar panels mean they charge much slower in indirect sunlight.

Disk lights are a great alternative to traditional stake lights for illuminating your home's pathways. These Solar Garden LED Disk Lights stake directly into the ground and sit almost flush, so they’re unobtrusive and blend seamlessly into any landscape. By removing the stakes, they can also sit directly on bricks, stone, staircases, or any other hard surface. The oversized solar panel provides up to 10 hours of run time with a full day's charge. The stainless steel body can support more than 200 pounds, so you never need to worry about cracking. Coupled with an IP65-rated waterproof construction, they’ll last for years with zero maintenance. They’re also among the cheapest outdoor solar lights on this list at less than $4 per disk.

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We researched and personally tested dozens of outdoor solar lights, including permanent and portable options. We considered everything from the build quality and brightness to the price and ease of installation. While it's hard to pick one perfect model for each category, the list above represents our honest picks of the best outdoor solar lights to consider in 2022.

Outdoor solar lights are available in three main types: Timer-controlled, motion-activated, and dusk-to-dawn. The best models offer more than one of these modes. It's worth considering which is best for you based on your lighting needs. Timer-controlled solar lights provide the most control because you determine when the light turns on and off. As the name implies, motion-activated models only turn on when they detect movement, whether it be a person, an animal, or a vehicle. These are often best for security-focused lights, like a floodlight to illuminate your front porch or backyard. Dusk-to-dawn lights are usually best for ambient or decorative lighting in pathways or gardens.

Brightness is measured in lumens. Without getting too technical, the higher the number, the brighter the light. Ambient solar lights work best at modest ratings around 50-100 lumens. For spotlights and floodlights (i.e., functional lighting), brighter is almost always better. Most floodlights rank somewhere between 500-1000 lumens. Anything more is likely to be too bright unless you have an especially large area to illuminate.

One benefit of solar lighting is that it's much easier to install than traditional, hardwired fixtures. In most cases, outdoor solar lights can be installed in minutes with minimal tools and no electrical expertise. In some cases, a few screws or industrial adhesive strips (usually included with any new outdoor solar lighting kit) are all that's required. Consider your own lighting needs, including whether you want a permanent solution or a semi-permanent option that allows you to move your new lights if need be.

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Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South Africa, and survived a near-miss great white shark attack in Mexico. His travel advice has appeared on the websites for Forbes, Travel + Leisure, CNET, and National Geographic. He loves the great outdoors and good bourbon, and (usually) calls Tulsa, Oklahoma home. Mike also enjoys speaking in the third person.

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