This guide will help you pick the right type of lights for your garden.
Choosing the right lighting for your garden can add atmosphere and depth to it.
Or maybe you want to create silhouettes and shadow effects on trees, stones or steps using spotlights.
It could also be that you just need good floodlights as lighting for the backyard.
Terms you should know
Lumens
Lumens is the unit used to measure the light output of a lamp. High lumen flood and security lights give out well over 1000 Lumens.
Smaller lights used for creating a nice ambiance may give about a 10-24 Lumens output.
Sometimes the light output is also measured in watts.
Ampere Hour
Ampere-hours are used to measure the capacity of a battery in battery-powered lights. It is measured in milliampere-hours(mAh). Lamps with a high lumen output might give you a short amount of on-time even though you have a high capacity (mAh) battery. So it is easier to just look at the on-time of the light.
On-Time
On-Time is the time a battery-powered light will stay lid without needing recharging.
Light Color Temperatures
The light color is measured in Kelvin (K). When you select the right color of the lights it will help set the mood you want in your garden.
If a light has color temperatures over 5000 K the color is called a “cold light color” these are bluish in colour, while lower color temperature lights (2700–3000 K) are called “warm color lights”.
LED
A type of light bulb that uses very little power.
LEDs have many benefits over incandescent sources of light, including lower energy intake, longer lifetime, enhanced physical robustness, smaller size
What to look for when in a solar LED garden light
The first thing to look for when choosing a solar-powered garden light is the light output. Consider if you just want to create a
Solar Panels
Next, you should look at the spot where you want to place the light. If the light is in a constant shadow, you might want a light with a separate/remote solar panel. Or maybe you should get a cable-powered one.
Sometimes it is not so easy to hide a remote solar panel in your garden so it looks nice.
A larger solar panel on
Battery Life
On most of the lights, you will see the on-time given for every
The on-time is usually around 8 to 12 hours, and you need to decide if this is enough for your needs.
The on-time that manufacturers give are usually best-case scenarios. And you might find that in real life it is not as high.
Auto Dusk-till-dawn sensor
Most solar-powered garden lights will have a dusk-till-dawn sensor, but a few of them will require you to manually turn them on and off. So remember to check this before you buy it.
IP water rating
IP stands for Ingress Protection. This certification tells you how resistant the light fitting is to water, dust and heat. Outdoor lights should have a minimum IP rating of IP44.
Possibel IP ratings range from PI00 to IP68 as the best.
Warranty
Examine the length of time the manufacturers guarantee before you purchase. The longer the guarantee, the more positive they are in the quality of their product and the longer it is most likely to last.
Picking the right type of light
The following garden lighting guide will hopefully help you find the best lighting type for your needs.
Solar-powered lighting
Solar-powered lights don’t need any wiring as they keep energy in a battery, which is used once the sun goes down. Due to improvements in innovation, solar lights are now more effective and last longer than they did just a few years ago, so there’s no need to buy any to keep in reserve or fret about whether they’ll last long into the night.
Solar-powered batteries only need change if they stop working. Before you
Spotlights For Your Garden
Garden spotlights are fantastic at accomplishing the atmosphere and depth in your garden you want. Typically used for lighting features within your garden to enhance the look of trees, fountains and statues. When picking garden area lights it’s important to think about the height of the things and what you are trying to attain.
Taller objects such as walls and larger trees usually need lights that have higher lumen outputs such as the more powerful spotlights.
See our recommended spotlights here.
Underwater Garden Pond and Pool Lights
Underwater lighting can be used both underwater and out of the water. This gives it excellent adaptability as it can be utilized to light undersea functions as well as being used on the edges of ponds to light waterside features. As the lights are all low 12 voltage, they are totally safe for both aquatic life, plants and yourself.
Deck Lights & Step Lights
Decking lights & Step Lights are not just attractive to look at, they are also really important as a security addition. But their main feature is probably to light up the path for you in a subtle and beautiful manner. Some of them come with adjustable light angles.
Have a look at our Solar Deck Lights Top 4 recommendations to get some inspiration.
String Lights
Hanging lights outdoors evokes embellishing for the holidays, but with a whole host of economical LED string lights to choose from, it can actually be hard to pick the one you like the most. They are offered in sizes from the smallest fairy lights to softball-shaped globe lights to full-blown Chinese lanterns.
String lights are a terrific method to provide illumination and a nice atmosphere for your deck or patio. You can run them along a banister to help brighten the stairs or weave them around flowerpots to create a fairyland feel.
See our Solar Powered String Lights Review for the string lights we
Garden Lanterns
Chinese Lanterns
Garden lanterns are normally battery-powered, however, they can be powered by solar or candlelights. They hang from posts, hooks, trees, or even on strings, as in the case of some Chinese lanterns. They frequently have unique cool styles that match the function they are meant to be used for.
Flood Lights
Solar flood lights are a type of solar energy lights which are held through a large (primarily) adjustable panel placed towards objects or a location. Additionally, these are great as affordable constant lighting, specifically for the outside areas. They can be utilized for things like flags, signs, near the swimming pool or in driveways, backyards or pathways. These lights can even be used for security purposes as well.
See our solar floodlight recommendations in this review: The Best Solar Powered Flood Light
