7 Best Outdoor Lights (2025), Including Solar Lights

Here are some elements to keep in mind when you go shopping for outdoor lights.

Power: For most outdoor lighting, you must run a cable to a power outlet, so you will want an external plug. If you do not have an outdoor socket, it is generally a fairly cheap and fast job for an electrician to install a raincoat. Just know that large food adapters and clumsy caps will not go into outdoor sockets, so you will probably also want a kind of badly test box. I like the big DRI-Box ($ 42) Because it has a lot of space and marks an IP55 note. I also used the smallest Masterplug’s weathering electric box ($ 45)And that’s good. If an external socket is not possible, consider running a cable inside, but it can be delicate and messy if you have to pierce a wall. Solar energy lights are a good alternative. You can even consider using a Portable power plant in a hangar or other dependence. Whatever you go, always connect the lighting and connect it via the application before installing it in outdoor areas.

Photography: Simon Hill

Control: Most of the intelligent backyard lighting connects via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and are controlled by an application on your phone. You need a Decent Wi-Fi signal Or to be in the Bluetooth range. Although it may seem desirable for simplicity to have lighting directly connected to Wi-Fi or to use Bluetooth, there are advantages to systems with dedicated centers. With Philips Hue, for example, the lights are much faster to connect and react to controls using the HUE hub than via Bluetooth in the application. Hubs can also allow better group control and greater range. Most Smart lighting Maybe controlled by smart voice assistants, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Siri, but be sure to check the compatibility before buying.

Lumens: The lighting light is measured in lumens. To give you an idea, a standard bulb of 60 Watts takes approximately 800 lumens.

Color: RGB (red, green, blue) is standard and mixes these three to make other colors. RGBW includes an appropriate white alongside red, green and blue, which offers greater flexibility and is important if you want high quality white light. The color temperature is measured in Kelvins (K) and listed as a beach (for example, 1200k at 6500k). This range dictates how hot or cooled your lighting can be. The reds and oranges are at the lower end of the scale, and the Blues are at the upper end.

IP note: IP means Ingress protection and determines the way a device is resistant to water and dust, giving you a clear indication of the way it is weather resistant. We have a IP notation explanator This focuses on phones, but all devices, including outer lights, use the same IP scale. We have listed the IP ratings for each light that we recommend. Although an IP44 note may be durable enough for a wall light that has only to face the rain, you will want IP65 or more for a light on the ground which can be overwhelmed or covered with snow.