The best solar garden lights
No wiring, no electricity bill: a garden that glows after dark. Here's what's worth putting in.
Solar lights have come a long way. The good ones now run most of the night in summer, and they switch themselves on at dusk, so they're a set-and-forget way to light a path or make a patio feel special.
Pick by the job: stake lights for paths, flat discs for lawns you mow over, flickering torches for atmosphere and a motion-sensor light for a dark back door.
What matters
- Where it gets sun: the panel needs daylight to charge.
- Warm white for atmosphere, cool white for seeing.
- IP65 means it shrugs off rain.
- Expect shorter nights in winter, when there's less sun.
#1 of 5
Best overall
GIGALUMI Solar Path Lights (6-pack, warm white)
£20–£30 Price range
Warm white stake lights whose clear shades throw a rippled pattern on the ground, so a plain path or border looks lovely after dark. They switch on at dusk and off at dawn by themselves.
What owners say: Owners find them good quality and value, like the pattern they cast across the garden, and say they survive British weather.
A closer look: Push the stakes in where they get sun for most of the day: a path lined by a hedge on the south side may need them moved to the other edge. If the ground is hard, make a hole with a screwdriver first.
- 6 stake lights
- Warm white (3000K)
- Rippled light pattern
- Up to 8 hours a night
- Automatic dusk-to-dawn
Best for: Paths and borders
- In the pack
- 6
- Style
- Stake path lights
- Light
- Warm white
- Runs for
- Up to 8 hrs
- Weatherproofing
- IP44
- Motion sensor
- No
#2 of 5
Best budget
Torchtree Solar Ground Lights (8-pack)
Under £10 Price range
Flat disc lights that sit low in a lawn edge, border or between paving, out of the way of feet. Eight of them for about the price of a takeaway.
What owners say: Owners find them bright and good quality, lighting paths well through dark evenings, and good for pots and borders.
Heads up: The maker suggests charging them in the sun for a day or two before the first use, so plant them on a sunny weekend.
A closer look: Set them into the soil so the top sits just proud of the grass. Wipe the solar panels now and then: dirt and leaves cut the charge more than cloud does.
- 8 disc lights, 8 LEDs each
- 600mAh batteries
- 8–10 hours a night
- IP65 waterproof
- Up to 40 lumens
Best for: Lawns and patios
- In the pack
- 8
- Style
- Flat disc lights
- Light
- Bright white
- Runs for
- 8–10 hrs
- Weatherproofing
- IP65
- Motion sensor
- No
#3 of 5
Best for atmosphere
Geemoo Solar Flame Torch Lights (6-pack)
£10–£20 Price range
Flickering flame lights that look like little garden torches, with none of the fire risk: lovely along a patio edge for summer evenings, or round a firepit area.
What owners say: Owners find them brilliant value and easy to put together, and love the realistic flame-like glow.
A closer look: In winter they'll run for fewer hours, as with all solar lights, because there's less daylight to charge them. Put them in the sunniest part of the garden to get the longest glow.
- 6 flickering flame torches
- Warm white
- Up to 10 hours in summer
- IP65 waterproof
- Automatic dusk-to-dawn
Best for: Patios and evenings outside
- In the pack
- 6
- Style
- Flame torches
- Light
- Warm white, flickering
- Runs for
- Up to 10 hrs (summer)
- Weatherproofing
- IP65
- Motion sensor
- No
#4 of 5
Best security light
Vanranger Solar Motion Sensor Wall Lights (4-pack)
£10–£20 Price range
Bright wall lights with a motion sensor, for a side passage, back door or shed where you need proper light to find the keys. Three modes, including a dim glow that brightens when someone walks past.
What owners say: Owners find them bright, easy to install and good at lighting front doors and gardens.
A closer look: Mount them where the panel faces south for the most sun, around head height or a little above. The sensor picks up movement at about 3 to 5 metres, so aim it at the path, not the road.
- 4 wall lights, 248 LEDs
- Motion sensor, 120° detection
- 3 lighting modes
- IP65 waterproof
- 1200mAh battery each
Best for: Doors, passages and sheds
- In the pack
- 4
- Style
- Wall lights
- Light
- Cool white
- Runs for
- All night (dim mode)
- Weatherproofing
- IP65
- Motion sensor
- Yes
#5 of 5
btfarm Solar Ground Lights (10-pack, cool white)
£10–£20 Price range
Ten discs in stainless steel, enough to edge a long driveway or both sides of a path. A spiral stake screws in without tools.
What owners say: Owners find them well worth the price, easy to put in, and good at lighting steps and bedding plants.
A closer look: Push the switch on each light to ON before putting it in the ground, as the maker says, or it won't charge. Space them a stride or two apart for an even line of light.
- 10 disc lights, 8 LEDs each
- 600mAh batteries
- 8–10 hours a night
- IP65 waterproof
- Stainless steel
Best for: Long paths and drives
- In the pack
- 10
- Style
- Flat disc lights
- Light
- Cool white
- Runs for
- 8–10 hrs
- Weatherproofing
- IP65
- Motion sensor
- No
How they compare
| Feature | #1GIGALUMI 6-pack | #2Torchtree 8-pack | #3Geemoo flame 6-pack | #4Vanranger 4-pack | #5btfarm 10-pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Best for atmosphere | Best security light | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.9 |
| Price | £20–£30 Price range | Under £10 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | £10–£20 Price range |
| In the pack | 6 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Style | Stake path lights | Flat disc lights | Flame torches | Wall lights | Flat disc lights |
| Light | Warm white | Bright white | Warm white, flickering | Cool white | Cool white |
| Runs for | Up to 8 hrs | 8–10 hrs | Up to 10 hrs (summer) | All night (dim mode) | 8–10 hrs |
| Weatherproofing | IP44 | IP65 | IP65 | IP65 | IP65 |
| Motion sensor | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Best for | Paths and borders | Lawns and patios | Patios and evenings outside | Doors, passages and sheds | Long paths and drives |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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