The best outdoor solar lanterns give your exterior living space a decorative touch and illuminate the way without requiring rather unattractive and dangerous wires. Make your garden cosy and warm with new decorative lanterns, or add intricate garden lights to spruce up your outdoor landscape.
We know all about the best garden accessories, and with solar lights becoming a more efficient method of lighting your garden, you’ll want the best decorative lights to ensure the most comfortable atmosphere for your guests, especially as the nights get darker earlier. Whether you’re hosting a garden party or BBQ, we recommend placing lighting on fences or alongside fire pits or chimineas to have your garden glowing.
Another sun-powered option to consider is solar floor lamps if you are looking for something that sits on the table or hangs up. Or you could opt for garden candles, too, for a scented atmospheric glow.
Best solar lanterns for the garden at a glance
• Best colourful solar lantern: Handcrafted Garden Solar Peacock Lantern – View on Etsy
• Best creative solar lantern: Cylindrical LED Solar Lantern Outdoor – View on Mano Mano
• Best hanging solar lantern set: 3 White Tyvek Moroccan Hanging Solar Lanterns – View on Lights4fun
So without further ado, here is our pick of the best outdoor solar lanterns to give your exterior living space a decorative touch.
The best solar lanterns
Best colourful solar lantern
www.etsy.com
This colourful Handcrafted Peacock hanging garden lantern will certainly be a talking point for any garden visitor. Make your garden more homely with this outdoor light, which will cast colourful shadows on your patio when hung overhead.
Pros
- A colourful hanging garden lantern
- Casts colorful lights
Cons
- Potential issues with the solar panel, according to a review
Best bronze hanging solar lantern
With a bronze finish, diamond pattern and twinkling micro LEDs, this lantern will impress wherever it is in your garden. It'll charge even in low light and automatically switches on and off, so it's one you'll want to hang on to. It hangs at 33cm so you can hang from branches or even pop it on your garden table.
Pros
- Bronze finish with a diamond pattern
- Twinkling micro LEDs
- Auto switch on/off at dusk/dawn
Cons
- Safer on the ground or table
Best creative solar lantern
www.manomano.co.uk
This stunning solar lantern will cast off trees, creating a beautiful atmosphere in your outdoor space. It is freestanding and works best when placed on the ground rather than hanging up for the best image projection.
Pros
- Beautiful design with leaves
- Solar garden light is IP44 waterproof
- Warm lighting
Cons
- Do not expose the decorative solar lantern to strong rain or soak it in water to prevent damage.
Best hanging solar lantern set
www.lights4fun.co.uk
Give some life to a bare tree branch or pergola with a group of these lanterns with a diameter of 20cm. In a set of three and made from a breathable Tyvek material, these water-resistant staples can be reused and enjoyed year after year. Plus, they have up to six hours of illumination time, so you can make the most of your garden lanterns lit up with flashing LED bulbs.
Pros
- A set of three lanterns
- Chic design
- Hanging for trees, pergolas and more
- Water-resistant
Cons
- Designed for use throughout the summer months
Best hanging solar lantern for rattan decor
www.glow.co.uk
Snap up this decorative lantern and add a pop of wow to your garden. These hanging lanterns look great in a group and would look fab lighting up your path or driveway.
Pros
- Create the perfect ambient light display in bushes, trees, parasols or gazebos
- Automatically lights at night
- One AA rechargeable battery is included.
Cons
- Hooks are quite flimsy
Best value solar lantern
www.lewiss.co.uk
With a realistic flickering flame in the electric candle inside, a pair of these table lanterns would look great on your patio or decking tables. This modern table lantern is the ultimate accompaniment for candlelit dinners and a garden bargain.
Pros
- Comes with a realistic flickering flame in the electric candle inside.
- Ideal for patio or decking tables.
- Good value
Cons
- Not the brightest
Best holographic solar hanging lantern
AmazonThis stunning shooting star effect design beautifully projects a holographic 3D light effect throughout the night. Place it onto your table or attach a hanging accessory to add to this lantern. The Cole & Bright range also has two other hanging lights with this star effect, so you can place them all over the garden.
Pros
- A holographic light with a beautiful 3D effect
- Ideal size for a small coffee table
Cons
- Very lightweight so not great for bad weather
Best giant hanging solar lantern
Whether used solo as a focal point of your garden design or to dot the steps up to a deck, this lantern will cast intricate patterns wherever it's placed. With a Middle Eastern pattern, this garden lantern has delicate cut-outs and is made from weather-resistant materials. At a huge 41cm, this giant solar lantern can be a centrepiece of its own, hanging or freestanding.
Pros
- Large statement piece
- Middle Eastern pattern
- Weather resistant materials
Cons
- Reviews say it is fragile and not always well packaged - make sure to check when delivered.
Best traditional solar lanterns
Dine in style with these outdoor solar lanterns illuminating your meal. The lantern comes with an integrated photocell sensor to detect light, so it will automatically turn on at dusk and off at dawn. It is the perfect decoration for your garden, terrace, courtyard, pathway, porch, lawn and more.
Pros
- Comes with an integrated photocell sensor to detect light and turns on automatically.
- Set of one or two
- IP44 waterproof
Cons
- Gold sheen, not jet black
Best hanging ball light solar lanterns
Hang these shimmering crackle glass globes on your tree to create an elegant enchanted garden. The unique crackle glass globe design makes it possible to create beautiful fractal patterns and a glow that creates a welcoming ambience.
Pros
- Shimmering crackle glass globes
- Elegant and chic
- 4 pack
- Waterproof
Cons
- Check for faults, as some reviews say one globe works less efficiently
FAQs solar lanterns for the garden
Where can I hang lanterns in my garden?
Many solar garden lanterns will already come with hanging hooks or needles so that you can simply attach them to a tree, bush, or pergola. Some garden floor lanterns work best on the floor, especially if they’re big enough to make a scene on their own. Garden lanterns also look good on an outdoor dining table or side table as a centrepiece, if you’re struggling to find a space to work with them.
Don’t have hooks but want to hang your garden lantern? You can always attach outdoor hooks such as gutter hooks – S-shaped hooks you can purchase at most supply shops – or adhesive hooks, so you don’t have to do any drilling.
How do solar lights work?
The word ‘solar’ literally means relating to or determined by the sun, so as the name states, solar lights work with the sun. Without getting too technological, solar panels on lights soak up solar energy with light from the sun and store them, then when the sun goes down and it gets darker, the panels release this energy – this is why many solar lights are automatic.
Many solar lights and lanterns for your garden will have a small solar panel on either the top of them or as an attachment. All you need to do is ensure this panel is placed in a space where sunlight can reach it strongly, and then your lights should brighten up as much as possible.
Why have my solar lights stopped working?
As mentioned above, your solar panel must be in the light of the sun. Most of the time when your solar lights aren’t working is because they haven’t charged up enough in the sun. Make sure there are no bushes or branches shading the panel, and your lights should work. Some solar lights have an on/off button so make sure it’s in the ‘on’ position before you put it out in the sun and don’t make the mistake of assuming that solar lights will work instantly either – you’ll have to charge them in the light for a day before they work at full power.
If there’s still a problem with your garden solar lights, you may need to check the battery and get it replaced. Some solar light packs may even come with a spare battery just in case this happens.
Will my solar lights work in winter or the shade?
Yes, they will thankfully! Even when there’s a cloudy day or winter has hit, the solar panels are charged by light. There are fewer daylight hours in the winter, but they will still be able to charge up with the amount of light from the darker seasons. It’s worse to take your solar lights down completely, as keeping them in a dark room or cupboard for an extended period will damage the batteries.
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Angie Kenny is production editor of Modern Gardens magazine. She loves spending time in her garden with her husband Alan and their three cats Rupert, Darcy and Frankie.