The Best Outdoor Lights We've Ever Tested

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The Best Outdoor Lights We've Ever Tested

Whether you’re aiming to illuminate your entryway, enhance your security system, or simply throw an outdoor birthday bash, lights can transform any outdoor space. However, finding the right ones is much easier said than done.

To determine which lights are worth purchasing, we evaluated 62 options based on ease of setup, special features, design, brightness, and durability. We also tapped two experts in the field: Amber Scott Freda, owner of Amber Freda Home & Garden Design, and Geoff Kohl, senior director of marketing at the Security Industry Association. Using their insights and our test results, we compiled a list of the top 10 outdoor lights.

The lights feature dusk to dawn sensors and can be adjusted directionally.

They are not motion activated.

Earning perfect scores for durability, brightness, features, design, and ease of setup, the Sansi Outdoor Integrated LED Flood Lights reign are our favorite outdoor lights. Unlike other units, this one was super easy to operate—you only have to flip a switch to power it on. With three LED lights on either side and a 320-degree angle, you can adjust the lights to face any direction. They effectively illuminated our entire backyard in testing, which measures 50 by 80 feet.

Although the lights lack a motion sensor, they do feature a daylight sensor, ensuring they turn off automatically when the sun rises. This makes them an ideal choice for lighting dark outdoor areas throughout the night. The lights boast an IP65 waterproof rating and remained in pristine condition after enduring rain and heavy winds. Even after six months of use, we’ve noticed no depreciation in quality or intensity. While the brightness is not adjustable, we found the 5000K color temperature lights (white with a tint of yellow) to be brighter than others we’ve tested.

The installation process is incredibly simple, with no electrician needed.

The included hardware isn’t ideal for all surfaces, and rotating the lights may be a bit tedious.

If you’re in search of bright lights at an inexpensive price, we recommend the Beams MB360XT LED Spotlight. We were amazed by how easy it was to install this wireless, battery-powered light: No calibration was required, and the mounting process was very intuitive. That said, we found that adjusting the direction of the lights was a bit tedious. To rotate them, we had to completely remove the light, rotate it a few degrees, and then reinstall it. Additionally, the included hardware was not suitable for the area where we were mounting the device, as the screws did not appear to be strong or long enough for our surface. Once positioned to our liking, however, the lights felt completely secure.

Featuring a motion sensor, the spotlight turns off automatically after a set amount of time without motion. Once triggered, we observed that the light stayed on for approximately 25 seconds after the last detected movement. We appreciate that the unit provides adequate illumination without being too bright or blinding.

The manufacturer notes that if activated eight to 10 times a day, the light can last for up to a year on a single battery. So far, this is true: After six months of use, we haven’t had to change the battery once. It’s worth noting that since the lights are motion-activated, they cannot be manually powered on and off. Even so, the motion sensor was sensitive enough to activate when we were about 30 feet away from the light, so we think this pick is particularly well-suited for security purposes.

The sleek, wireless design is visually appealing and easy to mount.

They aren’t as bright as wired alternatives.

Serving as both a decorative light and a security feature, the Better Homes & Gardens Solar Wall Mount LED Light is a double threat (Better Homes & Gardens is owned by Real Simple's parent company Dotdash Meredith). It features dusk-to-dawn technology and 120-degree motion sensors; it emits a continuous, low yellow light at dusk, and after sensing movement, it brightens to a higher intensity for 20 seconds before returning to energy-conserving mode.

The motion activation proved highly effective in our testing, as the light adequately detected all movement within the 25-foot range. The solar panel is also adjustable, ensuring that your device receives optimal sunlight. Since the light is solar powered, we noticed that it wasn’t as bright as wired alternatives, and there were no options to adjust the intensity. Nevertheless, the unit still illuminated our space to our standards.

We found the setup process to be much easier than that of the wired lights we tested. There were only two screws to install, and the light attached effortlessly to the bracket. We were impressed that it endured frequent storms with no visible damage—a true testament to its durability. It has maintained its effectiveness throughout six months of use, working so well that we practically forgot it was there. We also appreciate the light’s sleek appearance; the metal and glass vessel blends seamlessly into any decor, whether you opt to display it by your front door or on your back patio.

The dual features can provide both cozy, warm lighting and brighter security lighting.

The duration that the security light stays on after activation is not adjustable.

Coated with an opaque water glass finish, this flickering flame lantern will add a rustic, old-school feel to your porch. The light features two modes, each with a different brightness—the warm, flickering flame mode activates when the sun sets, and the white integrated security lighting triggers when motion is detected. With different degrees of brightness for different purposes, this light can be used to cultivate a cozy nighttime vibe while still providing ample security when needed. The security light stays on for a few minutes when triggered, though we wish we could have adjusted the amount of time it remains lit after activation. It’s also worth noting that the brightness is not manually adjustable, but we didn’t find this to be an issue.

Installing this light was a breeze—it took longer to remove our previous lighting unit than it did to assemble this one. The operation proved equally simple. All we had to do was power on the light switch, and the light did the rest. In addition to its intuitive setup and operation, the light also proved to be durable in our testing. It held up perfectly throughout six months of use, withstanding heavy rain, snow, and hail with no visible damage.

The lights offer dusk-to-dawn, motion, and manual controls.

They aren’t fully waterproof, so they may not hold up well if exposed to harsh weather conditions.

Motion sensor lights are ideal for convenience and security, illuminating when you’re engaging in nightly tasks and deterring potential intruders at night. This light boasts three modes: The auto mode activates when movement is detected, the dusk-to-dawn mode turns the lights on overnight, and the on-time mode allows for manual control. It also features three knobs for adjustment: The lux knob adjusts light intensity, the time knob adjusts the length of delay time, and the range knob adjusts the detection distance. We appreciated these features in our testing, as they allowed for a more customized lighting experience.

With a dual head able to detect movement within 180 degrees and 360-degree rotation capabilities, the lights can be angled to meet your preferences. The motion sensor can detect movement within 70 feet and provides roughly 30 feet of illumination, making it ideal for larger yards and driveways. That said, we discovered that the motion sensor was almost too sensitive, triggering on and off with every passing car. This led us to opt for the dusk-to-dawn or manual modes to avoid unnecessary activations. We also liked the warm light, which we found to be less harsh than the bright white light typically associated with motion activation.

After six months of use, these lights are working as well as they were on day one. Just keep in mind that the lights aren’t waterproof, so you may want to mount them beneath an awning or in another somewhat shielded area.

They feature three brightness settings.

There are limited angle adjustment capabilities.

We are big fans of the Lerekam Solar Spotlights’ adjustable brightness options, which allow us to customize our illumination. This unit comes equipped with three brightness settings—low light, medium light, and high light—which you can adjust by continuously pushing the button until you achieve your desired level. We typically kept them turned to the brightest setting, which we found suitable for our needs. You can charge the lights via sunlight when the weather is nice or use the included USB charger if it’s cloudy. We appreciate having this option, as many solar-operated lights depend on the weather for charging.

While they don’t have motion sensors, the lights’ dusk-to-dawn technology turns them on as soon as they detect darkness. The versatile lights can be either mounted on the wall using screws or stuck into the ground using stakes, making them suitable for any outdoor layout. While we don’t think they necessarily blend in with their environment, we found the lights to be relatively small and non-intrusive in our yard. We were a bit disappointed by the lights’ limited angle rotation capabilities, though. When we placed them in the ground, they couldn’t rotate to an extreme enough angle to illuminate tree tops and high windows. We would have liked it if the mounting bracket allowed for more angle adjustment.

These lights endured six months of daily use with no changes in quality—they are just as powerful as they were the day we installed them. The ball part of the bracket did break off the mounting stake over time, so you may need to order a new bracket at some point. However, we are still impressed by how well these lights held up in the harsh winter months.

The smartphone app allows for color customization and scheduling.

The app may be overwhelming for those seeking a simple lighting unit.

While fancy fixtures and wired string lights can be tedious to set up, these effective bulbs take outdoor lighting back to the basics. The installation process was the same as that of any other light bulb, taking only about three minutes to screw in each one. While these lights assemble like any old bulb, they stand out for their customization capabilities.

Using the corresponding smartphone app, you can create schedules based on your routine, adjust the brightness, and toggle between millions of colors, even when you’re on the go. For those who prefer a more basic color palette, this pick features a tunable white spectrum, enabling you to adjust between warmer tones and cooler ones. If the touchscreen isn’t your speed, you can connect the lights to Amazon Alexa or Google Home to control them using voice activation. After six months of use, the lights are still exceeding our expectations.

The lights effectively illuminated our 10 by 5-foot area, providing adequate light without being overly bright. With their extensive range of color and brightness settings, these bulbs can significantly enhance outdoor gatherings and infuse a festive touch during the holidays. While the broad array of options might be unnecessary for those seeking a more minimalist unit, these versatile lights will add a pop of color to any space. Overall, we think these are a great set-it-and-forget-it choice.

The colors are adjustable and can sync to music.

They are too dim to light up an outdoor space.

The party experience extends beyond just color—equipped with an integrated microphone, the lights can sync up with your favorite tunes and dance. All of these advanced features, in addition to the convenient timer, are easily adjustable via the smartphone app or voice activation with Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Throughout six months of use, we’ve had no troubles with the app. You do need Wi-Fi for these features to work, though, which could pose issues if your backyard is large and the lights aren’t close to a router.

Upon arrival, the lights were already strung with bulbs, requiring minimal effort from us—just hanging them and connecting to the app. While the bulbs set a vibrant atmosphere, they fell short in terms of brightness during testing. Even on the brightest setting, we found them to be dimmer than other string lights we’ve tried. Additionally, their heavy weight posed a challenge when we tried to place them in higher locations. While not the most functional pick on our list, we do believe these lights are perfect for party hosts seeking a more decorative unit.

These lights offer adjustable brightness, timer, and motion sensitivity.

They aren’t as suitable for ambient backyard lighting.

While regular lights rely on a direct charging source, solar lights, like these mounted ones from Maxsa, conserve energy by harnessing sunlight for power. Equipped with a detached solar panel, you’ll never have to worry about connecting them to an outlet.

These small yet mighty solar lights deliver impressive illumination, producing a bright and clear beam. Their two adjustable heads allow them to cover an expansive area, and we found the motion activation to be accurate and quick in our testing. The lights also offer brightness adjustment, time adjustment, and motor sensitivity adjustment, which could be beneficial for those living on high-traffic streets and not wanting constant bursts of illumination.

Though the lights may not have an extravagant appearance, we feel that the minimalist design gives them an upscale look. They were also easy to install, requiring only a power drill and the included hardware. As wall-mounted lights, they may not be as suitable for general backyard lighting, so those seeking ambiance may want to explore other options. That said, we feel this pick will provide adequate security when placed on the front or side of the house or garage.

The camera and motion-activated phone notifications provide adequate home security.

This is one of the most expensive models we tested.

Smart lights are renowned for their technological capabilities, and considering this Ring Cam is classified as a flood light, we were amazed by the array of special features it offers. The unit comprises two LED floodlights and a security camera equipped with high-definition video quality and color night vision. The camera facilitates two-way verbal communication and allows you to create different motion zones, with control over motion sensitivity in three settings: home, away, and disarm. We particularly enjoyed using the app's sliding scale to adjust motion sensitivity, making it suitable for individuals living in various environments. Those who reside in high-traffic areas may prefer to lower the sensitivity to avoid constant notifications as cars pass, while those in more isolated regions may prefer more frequent alerts.

The brightness of the floodlights impressed us in our testing, providing ample visibility without being overly bright. The sliding brightness scale on the app enables you to tailor the illumination to your needs, while the two adjustable lights can be pointed downward to illuminate only the area beneath or angled outward to cover a larger space. By connecting to the Ring app, you can view the footage from anywhere, even receiving notifications of movement within specific areas. You can also control the unit using voice control via Amazon Alexa. Whether at home or on vacation, the secure camera offers peace of mind, knowing who and what is nearby.

The lights remained unscathed during inclement weather conditions, and the camera consistently delivered high-quality footage throughout six months of use, unaffected by rain damage. While this unit comes with a higher price tag than most other lights we tested, if you’re in search of a device that serves both lighting and security purposes, we think it’s well worth the splurge.

Our top pick is the Sansi Outdoor Integrated LED Flood Light for its effective dusk-to-dawn technology, intuitive operation, and adjustable direction. If you’re seeking a less-expensive choice, the Beams MB360XT 200 Lumen Wireless Battery Operated Powered Motion Sensing LED Spotlight impressed us with its easy installation process and sensitive motion sensor.

We tested 62 lighting units, assessing them based on ease of setup, special features, design, brightness, and durability. Initially, we determined where we wanted to position the light in our house or yard. Using a timer, we evaluated how long it took us to install the unit, noting whether an electrician was needed. For smart lights with accompanying apps, we set a new timer to gauge the setup and app connection time. After sunset, we turned on the lighting and measured how far the light was cast from the unit using a measuring tape.

Throughout the testing period, we considered the brightness of the light for our needs and whether there were options to adjust its intensity. We also noted whether the light produced was a warmer (yellow) or cooler (white) hue and assessed its capability to change colors. Next, we evaluated how well the lights endured inclement weather conditions. If the light allowed scheduling, we observed its accuracy in following the schedule.

For motion-sensor lighting, we measured the furthest distance at which someone could activate the motion sensor. We assessed the sensitivity of the motion sensor, considering whether animals, people, or nearby traffic could trigger the lights, and whether this sensitivity was adjustable. When triggered, we noted how long the motion sensor stayed on before turning off and checked whether this duration was adjustable. We also evaluated the size of the detection range. For battery-powered lights, we considered the battery lifespan before needing replacement and the time required to charge fully.

To gather long-term insights, we evaluated the lights’ performance and durability after three months and six months of use. Using this data, we compiled a list of the best outdoor lights.

Freda says that outdoor lights are typically categorized as either high- or low-voltage. Low-voltage lighting operates at around 12 volts, while high-voltage lighting can reach up to 120 volts.

According to Freda, high-voltage lighting includes fixtures such as wall sconces, pendant lights, floodlights, or fence post lights. “As the name sounds, they give off the most light, and they are also usually best installed by an electrician since the risk of injury to a layperson is much greater,” she says.

On the other hand, Freda notes that low-voltage lighting encompasses landscape fixtures staked into soil, string lights, and holiday lighting. These light sources tend to provide a more ambient, low-intensity illumination and can typically be installed by a homeowner without professional assistance.

According to Freda, the voltage you choose should depend on your needs. “Lighting that is intended for specific tasks, like cooking or home security, is probably best served using high-voltage fixtures,” she says. “Lighting that is meant to be more decorative and subtle or used to highlight focal points in the garden can often work perfectly well as low-voltage fixtures."

Most outdoor lights are either battery powered or solar powered. “Solar lighting is usually seen in landscape lighting or string lights, while battery-operated lighting is usually going to be string lights for a location where no electrical outlet is present," Freda says.

She points out that solar lighting can be used in sunny locations where no electrical outlet is present, allowing for extra versatility in terms of placement. Since these lights harness sunlight for power, these lights require less energy than battery-powered ones, potentially reducing your energy bill. “Solar lighting tends to be easier and less expensive to install than other types of lighting,” she adds.

It’s worth noting, however, that solar lights are typically less bright than battery-powered counterparts and often come with a clunky exterior. “Some people dislike the way the bulky solar panel looks on the backs of up lights, so they might choose low-voltage lights instead,” Freda says.

Freda says that landscape lighting is often programmable to activate at certain times or under certain circumstances, with two common functions being dusk-to-dawn lighting and motion-activated lighting.

Dusk-to-dawn lighting is triggered by sundown, primarily used to keep lights on overnight. Aside from enhancing outdoor security and providing exterior illumination, this feature conserves energy by remaining off when the sun’s out. This is distinct from motion-activated lighting, which activates when movement is detected.

“Motion-activated lighting would typically be used in floodlights or wall sconces that are meant to come on automatically whenever there is movement detected in the area, which can be particularly helpful in areas where cameras are set up as part of a home security system,” Freda says.

Some lighting units have only one of these capabilities, while others offer the choice to choose between both settings. When deciding on the best lighting system for your needs, be sure to consider your goals.

LEPOWER Solar Security Lights Outdoor: We were amazed at how easily we could install these security lights, and they provided adequate brightness to our space, as well. However, the lights had limited adjustability options, and there was no manual way to turn them on and off.

URPOWER Solar Lights Outdoor, 40 LED Motion Sensor Security Lights: These affordable lights held up impressively well after frequent rain, appearing as good as new after the testing period. They do lack advanced features, though, making them less suitable for those seeking a high-tech lighting system.

When installing outdoor lights, it’s important to consider their purpose. Freda suggests that task lighting, such as the type used for illuminating outdoor kitchens, is most effective when placed directly over the designated area. She emphasizes that security lighting is best placed overhead, where it can illuminate potential intruders visible through windows or captured on camera. Kohl agrees, recommending the placement of motion-activated lighting and security cameras on the exterior of the house.

Regarding ambient landscape lighting, there is much more leeway in terms of location. “Landscape lighting usually comes as either path lighting, to illuminate a path, or up lighting, which can be adjusted to point up at certain key features, such as a waterfall in a pond or an especially beautiful tree, plant, or piece of art,” Freda says.

Freda recommends using 4.5-watt LED bulbs for landscape lighting, equivalent to a 20-watt halogen bulb. She notes that their output is comparable to that of a standard flashlight or softly lit lamp. “I find this intensity doesn’t get any complaints from people about being too bright while at the same time providing just enough ambient light to really make a landscape sparkle,” she says.

Motion-sensor lighting is ideal for security, as it can help you detect and identify potential intruders nearby. Kohl recommends combining motion-activated lighting and security cameras for the ultimate protection, much like the Ring Floodlight Cam we tested. He says that utilizing motion-triggered lighting and a camera together gives homeowners a twofold benefit.

“First, today’s systems often let homeowners access their cameras in real-time via an app to determine if what tripped the light was a deer, a returning family member, or something else,” he says. “Second, most residential camera systems are designed to be configured to record to off-site cloud storage systems and to send alerts, so you can get notified of activity and then watch the recorded footage, even if you’re far away.”

Rgb Led Tape This article was written by Jamie Fischer, a writer for Real Simple. To come up with this list, we tested 62 outdoor lights over six months, evaluating them on their ease of setup, special features, design, brightness, and durability. For additional advice, we tapped two experts: Amber Scott Freda, owner of Amber Freda Home & Garden Design, and Geoff Kohl, Senior Director of Marketing at the Security Industry Association.

The Best Outdoor Lights We&#39;ve Ever Tested

The Best Outdoor Lights We've Ever Tested