Outdoor Solar Lights

Inexpensive, easy, and green. What's not to love?

Let's cut to the chase, you're here to shop for outdoor solar lights and we're here to help:

An Introduction to Solar Lighting

There are so many good reasons to install solar lights outdoors. And we’re sure it was one of those reasons that brought you here. Solar lighting uses solar power which is harnessed during the day by a solar panel, usually built into the top cover of the lamp or spotlight. That solar panel charges an internal rechargeable battery during the sunlit part of the day, and around dusk when the sun sets, a sensor on the lamp alerts it to turn on. Most solar lights will last 8-10 hours on a full charge, which effectively keeps them on all night, and then around dawn, the internal sensor will once again alert the lamp to turn off and start charging again.

This technology is ideal for the outdoors because it can be made quite sturdy, and because being outdoors, the devices will be most likely to be in direct sunlight. The technology has come a long way, and nowadays a solar light can fully charge in a day, no matter whether it is summer or winter.

The Benefits of Outdoor Solar Lights

There are many reasons why you would pick outdoor solar lights over regular wired lighting. The two biggest reasons are cost and ease of use, which is surprising since you would think the “green” nature of these products would be their biggest selling points.

But nope. If you’ve ever tried to install and maintain a wired lighting system in your yard, you will understand. Such a system is costly, and it take hours and hours of running wires, sealing connectors, and installing fixtures to get it set up. And if that is not costly or time consuming enough for you, then there’s more. Regular outdoor lighting requires maintenance in the form of wiring checks, and lightbulb replacements, plus there is a fixed yearly cost for the electricity needed to run the system.

So it is no surprise that solar lighting has become so popular outdoors. There is no wiring to speak of, so installation just consists of staking the lights where you want them, or at most mounting them to a wall or post. Also, the lack of wiring allows the lamps to be better sealed which means they last longer. Their use of power-saving LEDs means there are no lightbulbs to change. They’re usually inexpensive to begin with, and since they run off solar power, once your buy the lamps, there are no recurring costs! They will more than pay for themselves.

So what’s not to like?

The Downsides of Solar-Powered Lighting

Well, just like with anything there are some definite downsides to solar lights. The biggest downside is that they are nowhere near as bright as their wired counterparts. This is a matter of course, as they have a lot less energy available than any device hooked up to the grid. So if you need enough light outdoors to play games or read or have dinner, then solar lighting probably won’t work.

They’re more than sufficient however to light paths and walkways, porches, and the edges of gardens. The newer spotlights are even bright enough to aim at trees for elegant lighting effects, and the specialty lights make great decorative pieces.

Another downside is that since they run off rechargeable batteries, their performance will deteriorate over time, and at some point you will have to replace the batteries. This is a hassle, but a small one since most solar lights these days use simple AA rechargeable batteries that you can pick up online or at any store.

So that’s about it. Hopefully we’ve given you enough information to make a decision. Now get out there and shop!

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