Twinkling fairy lights and flickering flames bring a warm and inviting ambience to your garden, and with the new solar lights technology, you will have sun-powered lighting that will last late into the evening. Solar garden lights come in all shapes and sizes - from lanterns to floor lamps and work as long as they’re positioned correctly in the sun to be charged up in the daylight.
Hosting outside is a lovely way to make the most of the warmer months; good garden lighting is needed to create a good atmosphere. Whether you want to light up the fire pit area, driveway, patio or garden pergola - we have selected the best solar lights for your alfresco gatherings.
Nowadays, there are so many options to choose from, with lights with dawn-to-dusk sensors controllable via Bluetooth or your smartphone, along with motion sensors and timers.
Best solar lights for gardens at a glance:
• Best overall: 15 Drop Bulb Solar Festoon Lights - View now on lights4fun
• Best stylish solar lanterns: Rustic Solar Lantern Set - View now on Sarah Raven
• Best solar post toppers: Fence Post Solar Light Caps - View now on PowerBee
Scroll down for Modern Gardens Magazine writer Jill Morgan's expert advice on what to look out for to bring your garden to life at night and her top solar lighting picks.
Best solar lights for gardens
Best overall
www.lights4fun.co.uk
Perfect for a patio swag or hanging along a fence, these warm white festoon lights feature 15 LED bulbs each with a 20cm drop along a 4.2m length of cable. Choose from 8 lighting effects, including static or flashing to instantly get the party started. IP44-rated, these lights are best stored away over winter.
Pros
- Ambient Lighting: Ideal for outdoor settings
- Solar Powered: Energy-efficient with 8 hours of light
- Offers 8 different effects
Cons
- Brighter colours reduce runtime.
Best for shape
www.thesolarcentre.co.uk
Formed from tough PE plastic, these sculptural lamps feature a high-powered rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a hidden solar cell. They can be set to gently cycle through seven colours or remain static on a single colour or one of two white settings. Weather and waterproof with a IP67 rating, they can be left outside year-round.
Pros
- Unique feature
- Tough PE plastic
- High-powered rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Seven colours
Cons
- Some may prefer a construction from a different material
Best stylish solar lanterns
www.sarahraven.com
Full of vintage vibes and rustic charm, this striking set includes one hanging and two stake-mounted lanterns for low-fuss, versatile garden lighting. Perfect for nestling among plants or a group of statement planters, the rust-finished banded metal lanterns enclose a vintage-style filament bulb with LED.
Pros
- Vintage look with rust finish
- Includes hanging and stake lanterns
Cons
- May not be as strong as others
Best solar post toppers
www.powerbee.co.uk
These neat solar lights are a practical way to create a reassuring glow around the perimeter of your plot, and are easy to install atop standard square 10cm x 10cm fence posts. The built-in sensor automatically activates when dusk falls, but you can override it via an off switch. They won’t be as bright in winter sunlight levels as in summer, but at this price we can’t complain.
Pros
- Three lumens for good coverage.
- On/off at dusk and dawn.
- Suitable for outdoor use and all-weather
Cons
- Only static ON setting
Best hassle-free shade
www.next.co.uk
In on-trend all-weather rattan, this pendant scores highly in both style and practicality. Casting a warm welcoming light, the eight bright white LEDs last for 6-8 hours when fully charged. The powerful solar panel is mounted on a plastic clip for easy fixing and has a 3m extension cable with a handy hook, so it’s easy to hang from a gazebo, pergola or parasol. Fitted with an on/off switch, the pendant charges during the day and automatically comes on at dusk.
Pros
- Features eight warm white LEDs for good illumination.
Efficient 5V 190MA solar panel with 6-8 hours of working time. - Comes with a 3-meter extension cable and plastic clip for a simple setup.
Cons
- Provides 6-8 hours of light, which may not be sufficient for all-night use.
Best stylish solar post light
www.thesolarcentre.co.uk
This stylish solar post light is made from extremely tough high-sheen acrylic plastic and casts a warm white beam of light. Standing at 60cm tall (8cm diameter) it looks super-smart set into a patio or nestled among plants. Rated IP55, it’s weather resistant and is fitted with a long-lasting LiFePO4 battery, providing up to 10 hours of light when fully charged. Stake or screw in place and position the wired solar panel within 3m.
Pros
- Offers 120 lumens with a super bright SMD bulb.
- Up to 10 hours of light from a full charge.
- Features a power-saving mode for extended runtime.
Cons
- Requires setting up the solar panel and light separately.
Best chic pendant
www.nordicnest.com
With built-in solar cells cased in white frosted glass, this uber-smart LED pendant oozes understated elegance. Great for lighting an outdoor lounge or dining area, when fully charged it provides light for up to 20 hours.
A built-in sensor activates the lamp when light levels fall or alternatively use the on/off switch to conserve power.
Pros
- Provides up to 20 hours of light when fully charged.
- Integrated solar panel for cable-free lighting.
- Includes an on/off switch and an auto function
Cons
- Needs to be placed in full sunshine for charging
Best solar spotlight
www.limelace.co.uk
This robust spotlight with auto sensor has a large solar panel and swivelling head to highlight garden features with precision. The powder-coated aluminium housing is extremely weatherproof at IP65 rated and can be screwed or spiked into the ground.
Pros
- Includes a solar panel for energy-efficient charging
- Equipped with a sensor for automatic activation at dusk
- Adjustable light cone for targeted illumination
Cons
- Provides 7 hours of light after an 8-hour charge.
Solar lights for gardens FAQs
How do solar lights work?
A solar light is essentially made of a solar panel with a battery inside to store the sun’s captured energy. This is then used to power a single or series of LEDs (light emitting diodes) for as long as the energy reserves last, or until the circuit is broken by an on/off switch or light-level sensor (aka photoresistor).
The performance of a solar light depends on the quality and nature of the PV (photovoltaic) cells in the panel, so how efficiently these capture and convert the sun’s rays into energy. It also depends on the size and power of the battery, so how effectively that energy is stored. There are various types of solar panel and battery available, each with their own capabilities and limitations, and it’s the quality of these that govern the performance, lifespan and overall cost of the product.
Which solar panel is best?
Long summer days and winter nights mean that daylight levels in the UK fluctuate across the seasons, plus there’s the changeable weather to factor in too, which impacts on a solar light’s performance. Some types of solar panels perform better in cloudy or low light conditions than others. There are essentially three types to choose from:
• Monocrystalline solar panels have a single silicon solar cell fixed to a robust base plate. Rigid and heavy, they are highly efficient at converting bright sunlight into energy but are expensive to produce and less effective in dull and cloudy conditions.
• Polycrystalline solar panels are heavy, rigid and feature a collection of silicon solar cells bonded to a base board. Often made from offcuts of monocrystalline panels, they are more affordable and almost as efficient as capturing and converting the sun’s rays into usable energy. As with any rigid crystalline panel, finding the best position to absorb the maximum amount of sunlight is crucial. These panels are often found in functional products such as security lights and budget-friendly product designs.
• Amorphous panels are made from a non-crystalline silicon bonded on to a thin substrate, making them flexible, lightweight and easy to manipulate into intricate shapes and designs. Efficient at absorbing sunlight even when light levels are low, coupled with a high-performing battery, these panels will provide bright light year-round, even in shadier areas.
What about the battery?
All solar lights come with a rechargeable battery to store the energy gathered by the solar panel, using it to power the lights. After repeatedly draining and recharging, these will need replacing – roughly every two years – to keep the lights performing at their best. This is easily done, and the general rule is to replace the battery type and voltage like with like. Don’t be tempted to upgrade the battery power as this can shorten the life of the product.
Lithium-ion, lead acid, LiFePO4 and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries are the types most often used in domestic solar lights. If you’re looking for long-lasting products, then lithium-ion and LiFePO4 batteries have
a lengthy lifespan of around five years.
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, particularly 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.
Will my solar lights work in winter or in the shade?
Yes, they will. Even when there’s a cloudy day or on cold winter days, 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.
Why have my solar lights stopped working?
Solar panels must be in the light of the sun, and 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 mode 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 you find that there is still a problem with your solar garden 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.
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Ellen Kinsey is a senior health and wellness product writer for Modern Gardens, and has been contributing to publications across Bauer Media since 2020. Specialising in sustainable living and health, she lives and breathes all things natural health, cooking and outdoors.