Landscaping

6 Best Solar Landscape Lighting Kits

Solar power technology has come on leaps and bounds in recent decades, meaning there’s now no better way to light up your garden than by harnessing the power of the sun. These days, solar landscape lighting kits glow brighter, last longer, and are increasingly well equipped to stand up to the elements.

In fact, the customer is quite spoiled for choice when it comes to solar garden lights. You can choose between traditional lantern designs, ambiance-creating fairy lights, strong spot beams with a modern edge, and plenty more. Whatever you opt for in the end, you’ll be enjoying swift, safe, wire-free set up, and resting easy knowing that you’re lighting up your backyard in an environmentally friendly way.

Today, we’ll be surveying six of the best solar landscape lighting kits on the market, looking at designs to suit all tastes, and balancing factors such as price, durability, brightness, and more.

AloftSun Solar Motion

solar spot lights

We start with a brand that regularly top testers’ lists for best garden solar lamps.

The AloftSun Solar Motion lights are designed to detect motion within a 33 foot range, making them great for security as well as ease of access. What’s more, they come with three different lighting modes, allowing you to pick from a purely motion sensitive light, a constant, mid-brightness glow, or a dim light that then brightens when motion is sensed.

AloftSun also excel when it comes to durability in the face of tough weather conditions. The lights come with impressively high waterproof ratings and can stand up to freezing temperatures, dusty conditions, and high heat. They also boast high-end solar panel technology, meaning that a day of charging should easily power them for 10 hours or more, depending on the setting you choose.

With 30 LED bulbs, these are also some of the brightest lamps on our list, casting a clean, white beam. Some users have noted that the light itself could be a little softer, but if you’re looking for something that lights up the garden thoroughly, these are a good bet.

They can either be staked directly into the ground or secured to a wall using the accompanying bracket, with an adjustable lamp angle making it easier to position the beam in the direction you want it.

At $29.99 for a pair, they’re also competitively priced.

Home Zone Security Solar Wall Lanterns

For those looking for a traditional, hanging lantern design, this offering from Home Zone is well worth considering.

Each lamp comes with a durable aluminum glass casing, retaining the traditional glass aesthetic of an old hanging lantern whilst ensuring that it’s tough enough to stand knocks, scratches and bumps.

These lights are designed to be secured to an external wall via two drill holes and screws, as per the anchoring bracket. The only downside to this is that you’ll need the use of a drill to make the holes in the first place, though the screws are provided.

The lights are driven by rechargeable AA batteries which take power from the solar panel on top. Batteries are included, though replacements can be picked up easily as well.

One major advantage of the Home Zone Solar Wall Lantern is that you can simply hook and unhook it from its wall hanging. This makes it ideal for late night tours of the garden or checking the backyard after hours. Simply take your solar lantern with you to light the way and hang it back up once you’re done.

Prices are currently around $35 for a pack of two.

Kemeco Solar Post Light

Kemeco are another brand that have opted for a traditional, old-fashioned aesthetic, in this instance modeling their solar lamp on an authentic gas street light from previous eras.

Kemeco market this product as a premium lamp for discerning garden lovers who want to ensure that they’re lighting their backyard with style. Part of the classic street light design involves frosted glass, causing a charming, warm glow to filter through in an attractive pattern. The brightness also extends to around 150 lumens, making it one of the brighter offerings on our list.

Unlike some solar lights on the market, the Kemeco Post Light comes with a simple on/off switch for when you’d rather leave it dormant.

Kemeco also back their design with a 3 year warranty.

Installation is simple, with the light coming as a basic two piece consisting of the lamp itself and a base. The top-heavy nature of the lamp means you might find it better to screw the base into a solid foundation. Alternatively, you can mount the lamp on a pole if you’re really keen on mimicking a Victorian street light, though these are sold separately.

The lamp itself, available in traditional black or a more contemporary white, comes at a premium price, currently just shy of $100.

Vont Solar Lights

This pair of Vont lights are a great choice for those looking to showcase impressive landscapes, rock gardens, or flower beds. With a sharp, modern, tapered look and optional spotlight effect, they work equally well as general lighting for garden spaces or for providing location-specific spot beams.

The 120 degree tilt means they’re versatile, with 16 bright LED bulbs providing enough illumination to see clearly. They’re also designed to last a lifetime, according to the manufacturer, with a lifetime warranty included and plenty of heat, water, and frost resistance built in.

Vont’s solar lights are priced in the same region as AloftSun’s flagship models, coming in at $29.99 for a pair.

Brightech Ambiance Pro Solar Non-Hanging String Lights

For those looking for some fairy-light ambiance, Brightech offer an attractive set of string bulbs, stretching to either 27 feet or 48 feet depending on what you opt for.

These shatterproof plastic bulbs aren’t as bright as some of the ground-based offerings elsewhere on this list, but provide a charming atmosphere and soft, glowing mood to garden soirees and backyard chilling on a balmy summer’s eve.

A plastic ring above each bulb means they can be strung via any type of cord, or you can hang them using the durable wire that connects them.

Unfortunately, you can’t hook multiple Brightech strings together, and each set of lights needs to be attached to its own dedicated solar panel included with each purchase.

The popular 27 foot sets, sporting 12 bulbs, are currently priced at $34.99. 48 foot sets retail for around $59.99.

Hampton Bay Solar Landscape Path Lights

Finally, for those who wish to illuminate a whole length of backyard or garden path, Hampton Bay offer one of the most affordable multi-light sets on the market.

Basic, functional, discrete, and effective, these lights are made to keep pathways, steps, and driveways well lit throughout the night. They’re designed with few frills, no motion sensor technology, and no variable brightness settings, but offer dependable brightness and extremely quick installation.

All you need to do is stake these 10 bulbs out in whichever pattern you deem best, and let the solar panels do the rest. They even come designed with a ‘cracked glass’ effect, which allows them to cast an attractive pattern on the ground and nearby plants, rather than just a basic, unadorned glow.

Home Depot are currently selling these packs for around $115, a great deal when you consider that each set includes 10 separate lights.

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