Long after dusk, path lights make it possible to continue enjoying the outdoors. Solar pathway lights are an affordable and environmentally friendly substitute for wired lighting when you need to add lighting to your driveway, walkway, front door, or other outdoor areas. If you’re looking for the best solar path lights, keep reading for our 9 top advice and suggestions.
What To Consider Before Choosing The Best Solar Lights For Walkway
Simple to use, inexpensive—especially considering they don’t use any electricity—and offering some level of security, solar path lights are a great option for outdoor lighting.
Their design, the caliber of the materials used to make them, and whether or not they come with extra features like remote control operation or a flickering effect is where the biggest differences lie. Before selecting a set, think about the following elements.
- Charge: The majority of available options feature LED (light-emitting diode) lighting, which has a propensity to hold its charge for a longer period of time and shine brighter than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. The manufacturer’s specs usually include the runtime when fully charged.
- Color: However, colored lights in shades like red, green, and blue are another fun option to take into consideration. Solar-powered sets typically emit a soft white or amber-colored light. Amber lights are one of the options, and they typically use less energy and last longer than their white-light counterparts.
- Brightness: Although there are more powerful options available, the typical solar path light produces an impact comparable to a 40-watt bulb. Lumens are units used to measure brightness. Lumen levels range from 1 to 30, with higher numbers indicating brighter lights in solar panel lights.
- Quality: Given that solar path lights will be exposed to the elements for several weeks or months, the quality of the materials used in their construction may be the most important factor to take into account. The plastic light housing is susceptible to cracking over time, whereas metal housing typically lasts longer.
- Design: There are numerous styles of solar path lighting available. There is a light available that will suit your taste, whether you favor traditional Craftsman styles, a more Victorian feel, or ethereal-looking orbs. Consider choosing motion-activated lights or lights that flicker like candles for a more high-tech lighting solution.
Best Solar Lights For Walkway
Best Long-lasting: Beau Jardin 8 Pack Solar Pathway Lights
In our ranking of long-lasting walkway lighting, the Beau Jardin Solar Pathway Lights take the top spot. They have thick glass light shades that are arranged in an appealing diamond pattern and are made of rust-resistant steel.
When night falls, the lights begin to flicker to life, emitting a bright white glow that makes an attractive pattern on the ground. The outcome is magical. The Beau Jardin lights are true dusk-to-dawn lights because they are still in operation when the sun rises the following day.
Pros
- High-quality materials
- Create an attractive light pattern
- Remain lit until dawn
Cons
- Spike stuck on the ground when the light was removed
Premium Choice: Homeimpro Garden Solar Lights
An elegant soft-glowing half-moon design that emits warm white light with a yellow tint, a Ni-MH 1.2V/AA600mah battery, a 2V 80mA solar panel, and single solar LED light are all included in the set.
Stainless steel in the form of a crescent and glass with an IP44 waterproof rating makes up the construction. It withstands wind, rain, and frost well, and the collapsible pieces are simple to transport anywhere for installation as outdoor solar path lights or indoor plant lights.
Pros
- High battery capacity
- Beautiful design
- Total height of 40 inches
- The soft, warm white glow
- Collapsible design
- IP44 waterproof rating
- 6-hour timer
Cons
- Missing information
- Not the brightest option
- Costly
Best Anti-glare Effects: Sunwind Solar Bollard Lights
To withstand the elements outdoors, the silver-colored Sunwind Solar Bollard Lights are constructed of durable stainless steel and waterproof plastic. The entire fixture, including the stake, is 15.7 inches long and emits 6 lumens. A higher rating equals whiter lighting. The temperature is indicated by the letter K on the Kelvin color scale.
Pros
- Built-in light and motion sensors
- Durable stainless steel
- Decent amount of light
- Elegant design
- Non-glaring effect
- 6-pack package
Cons
- Lights could be brighter
Best Aesthetics: Urpower Solar Lights
For your garden or sidewalk, it comes in white light or warm white light effect with a soft golden glow. It’s one of the best solar garden path lights on Amazon thanks to the black and bronze design, which has wonderful cutouts and artwork and creates lovely shadow patterns on the surroundings at night.
Despite producing 7 lumens of respectable light and sensing motion for safety, the majority of owners use this product primarily for decorative purposes.
Pros
- Beautiful artwork and golden glow
- Great price-performance ratio
- Available in white and warm white lights
- Auto on/off function
- Height of 19.7 inches
Cons
- Some parts don’t fit easily
- Misleading pictures
Best For Brightest Light: Tomcare Solar Lights
With a 43-inch adjustable height, they are the tallest lights we have reviewed. Before inserting the stakes and turning on the power button on the side of this flame torch, buyers also receive two extenders measuring 12 inches that are connected to the base.
The lights are powered by an integrated rechargeable 2200mAh battery, which needs to be charged in direct sunlight for 8 hours to provide up to 10 hours of operation.
Pros
- Flickering flames effect
- Height of 43 inches
- Long runtime
- Energy-efficient
- Durable battery
- Reliable customer service
Cons
- Some products malfunction
- Flimsy plastic
Best Value: Gardenbliss Solar Lights
It has NiMH rechargeable batteries that are already installed and turn on the lights automatically at night. To access the battery compartment under the lid, users must twist the lens and lid apart.
It is made of ABS plastic and has a double-seal panel that makes it completely waterproof and weatherproof. Even in the rain or snow, according to owners, solar lights can be charged.
Pros
- All-weather double-seal
- Designed in the USA
- Great customer support
- Affordable
- Adjustable height
- Pack of 10
- Quick set up
Cons
- Low brightness
- Low-quality batteries
Best For Small Areas: Azirier Solar Lights
It has an exterior made of hard plastic and an adjustable height of 12 inches. The plastic stakes are concealed inside the tubes. In order to automate operations, press the on/off button after removing the green isolator tab for initial use.
For this model, a full charge of the included battery for 10 hours of lighting requires six hours of sun exposure.
Pros
- Reasonable price
- 12 lights with creative patterns
- 12-inch adjustable height
- Short charging time
- Sturdy plastic
Cons
- Non-replaceable components
- Low illumination
Best Affordable: Maggift 6 Lumen Solar Powered Pathway Lights
The Maggift lights are made of plastic rather than metal and glass, but their thick, sturdy plastic housing and their see-through plastic shades are as transparent as glass. They might have fooled you into thinking they were plastic if you hadn’t actually handled them.
Since the ground was hard when we tested these lights, we were extra cautious when setting them into the ground to ensure the plastic posts wouldn’t break. However, none of them cracked.
Pros
- Attractive price point
- See-through plastic shades look like glass
- Stay on all night
Cons
- Not as bright as some
Best Appearance: Gigalumi 8 Pack Solar Pathway Lights
The Gigalumi Solar Pathway Lights look great both during the day and at night, and we think their deep bronze metal color of them is the ideal match for their clear glass shades. The glass shades’ intricate pattern casts dozens of tiny light sources that radiate outward in a circle, illuminating the ground in the shape of a starburst.
Pros
- Striking bronze color
- Attractive light pattern
- Dusk-to-dawn illumination
Cons
- Would be nice to have higher lumens for greater light spread