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Solar path lights can help you enjoy outdoor activities well past sunset without adding to your electricity bill. We wanted to know how illuminating these lights were, so we researched more than 50 solar path lights and tested the top ones in our own yards.
The models we tried out encompass several styles, and we found a favorite: Beau Jardin Color-Changing Solar Pathway Lights. While all the products on our list scored well in our tests, the Beau Jardin set stood out for its real glass shades, long-lasting illumination in various selectable colors, and classic style that complements any landscape.
Keep reading for our top tips and recommendations when shopping for outdoor solar lights, and find out how the following products earned a spot in our lineup of the best solar path lights for most users.
- BEST OVERALL: Beau Jardin Color-Changing Solar Pathway Lights
↓ Jump to Review - BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Maggift Solar-Powered Pathway Lights
↓ Jump to Review - BEST DUSK-TO-DAWN: Gigalumi Warm White Solar Pathway Lights
↓ Jump to Review - BEST FOR COLOR: Osord Color-Changing Solar Pathway Lights
↓ Jump to Review - BEST FLICKERING FLAME: Dynaming Flickering Flame Solar Torch Lights
↓ Jump to Review - BEST PATTERN DESIGN: Anytalk Sunflower Solar Pathway Lights
↓ Jump to Review - BEST TALL LIGHTS: Alfiot Solar Pathway Lights
↓ Jump to Review - BEST TORCHES: Aityvert Flickering Flame Solar Torch Lights
↓ Jump to Review - BEST FOR STEPS: Audles Solar Step Lights
↓ Jump to Review
| Testing Stats | |
| Products tested | 11 |
| Time spent testing | 45 minutes per set |
| Tests performed | 3 to 4 |
| Price range | $30 to $60 |
Our Top Picks
The solar path lights in our lineup feature various designs. Some are more utilitarian, while others are more decorative, boasting chic profiles and casting pretty patterns of light on the ground. Brightness and maximum illumination time vary between models, too.
Best Overall
Beau Jardin Color-Changing Solar Pathway Lights
Our Ratings: Installation 4/5; Light Quality 5/5; Appearance 5/5; Durability 4.5/5; Value 5/5
Product Specs
- Number of lights in set: 8
- Materials: Metal, glass
- Lumens: 10
What We Like
- High-quality materials
- Textured glass creates an attractive light pattern
- Turns on at dusk and off at dawn
What We Don’t Like
- Spikes may stick in ground when light is lifted
Made from rust-resistant steel and featuring thick glass light shades in an attractive diamond pattern, the Beau Jardin solar pathway lights earned our top spot in the lineup due to their long-lasting walkway illumination.
Assembly was simple: We attached the ground spikes to the steel posts, turned on the on/off switches beneath the twist-off tops, and then reattached the tops. The batteries were already in place. We then inserted the lights in the ground and waited. It was early, and the day was sunny, so the solar chargers would have plenty of time to reach a full charge before nightfall.
When dusk fell, the lights flickered to life, emitting a bright white glow and casting an attractive mandela-like pattern on the ground. (We also had the option to choose from four other colors in addition to white.) The Beau Jardin lights were still shining the next morning, shutting off only at dawn, making them true dusk-to-dawn lights. Over the next few weeks, the lights withstood rain and wind and occasionally served as bird perches. The Beau Jardin lights lit up throughout the 3-week testing phase, even after cloudy days. We found them to be beautiful, durable, and high quality.
Get the Beau Jardin solar path lights at Amazon.
Best Bang For The Buck
Maggift Solar-Powered Pathway Lights
Our Ratings: Installation 5/5; Light Quality 3.5/5; Appearance 5/5; Durability 5/5; Value 4/5
Product Specs
- Number of lights in set: 6
- Materials: Plastic
- Lumens: 6
What We Like
- Affordable price point
- Clear plastic shades look like glass
- Stay lit all night
What We Don’t Like
- At 6 lumens, these are not as bright as other options
You don’t have to spend big bucks to enjoy the ambience of solar path lights. The Maggift solar path lights are an affordable option to higher-priced lights, and they light up just as well.
Rather than utilizing metal and glass, the Maggift lights are made from plastic—but their plastic housing is thick and durable, and their see-through plastic shades are as clear as glass. Without actually handling them, you might not even know they’re made of plastic. We took extra caution when inserting them in the ground to ensure the plastic posts didn’t break; the ground was hard when we tested these lights, but none cracked.
When dusk fell, the Maggift lights came on, emitting a soft white glow that was enough to illuminate the sidewalk so that we could see it clearly. At just 6 lumens, these are not as bright as some of the other sets we tested, but they were still lit when the sun rose, and they stood up well to wind and rain.
Get the Maggift solar path lights at Amazon.
Best Dusk-to-Dawn
Gigalumi Warm White Solar Pathway Lights
Our Ratings: Installation 5/5; Light Quality 4/5; Appearance 5/5; Durability 4.5/5; Value 4.5/5
Product Specs
- Number of lights in set: 8
- Materials: Metal, glass
- Lumens: 10
What We Like
- Striking bronze color
- Attractive light pattern
- Dusk-to-dawn illumination
What We Don’t Like
- More lumens would help provide greater light spread
We found the deep bronze metal color of Gigalumi’s solar pathway lights to be the perfect complement to their clear glass shades, and we liked how they looked both during the day and at night. The multifaceted design of the glass shades illuminates the ground in a starburst pattern, with dozens of tiny points of light radiating outward in a circle.
Perhaps best of all, these are true dusk-to-dawn lights; they were still shining bright when the sun rose in the morning.
The Gigalumi solar lights are made well, but two of them succumbed during a wind storm that tore off a section of a downspout and tossed it right on the lights. The force broke the glass shades right off the metal posts, but we feel that any of the other solar path lights would have suffered the same fate had the downspout struck them. The remainder of the Gigalumi lights held up well and continued to shine night after night.
These lights are well made, and if you’re looking for long illumination, they won’t disappoint.
Get the Gigalumi solar path lights at Amazon or Gigalumi.
Best for Color
Osord Color-Changing Solar Pathway Lights
Our Ratings: Installation 5/5; Light Quality 5/5; Appearance 5/5; Durability 5/5; Value 4/5
Product Specs
- Number of lights in set: 4
- Materials: Plastic
- Lumens: 150
What We Like
- Color selection is easy to use and customize
- Provides bright, clear colors
- Large illumination area with 150 lumens per light
What We Don’t Like
- Relatively short illumination (under 6 hours)
With their bright-colored lights, Osord’s solar pathway lights are showstoppers. They offer 150 lumens of brightness, so they’re capable of illuminating a relatively large area. We found that they cast their widest glow when the bulbs were turned to white, which was bright enough to see clearly about 3 feet away from the front of the light. Unlike some of the lights that shone in a circular pattern, the Osord lights are made to shine in a fanned-out pattern.
The posts and light shades are made from heavy-duty plastic, which is substantial and seems quite durable. We changed the color of the lights by pressing a button on the back underside of the head, which allowed us to scroll through seven shades: white, red, blue, green, purple, cyan, and yellow. Cyan and blue were nearly identical, however.
The Osord lights were among the first to run out of battery power—they’d all gone dark before the 6-hour check, and they behaved the same way on subsequent nights. Still, they’re a colorful option for someone who wants to extend outdoor entertaining a few hours after dark.
Get the Osord solar path lights at Amazon.
Best Flickering Flame
Dynaming Flickering Flame Solar Torch Lights
Our Ratings: Installation 5/5; Light Quality 4.8/5; Appearance 5/5; Durability 4.3/5; Value 4.8/5
Product Specs
- Number of lights in set: 6
- Materials: Plastic
- Lumens: Not listed
What We Like
- Realistic flame effect
- Choice of solid or flickering effect
- Can be hung like little solar lanterns
- All-night illumination
What We Don’t Like
- Not as durable as some
If you’re a fan of outdoor campfires, you might fall in love with these flickering solar landscape lights. We certainly did. The lights let us choose between a solid, warm yellowish light and a flickering light, and we chose flickering every time. We were surprised at how realistic the flame looked, very much like a gas yard light we once had—alluring and almost hypnotic.
Installation was straightforward but not as user-friendly as we would have liked. To set the lights up, we had to remove the cage, pull the battery protection strip, and then reinstall the cage. That’s pretty typical, but the opaque inner sleeves had a tendency to fall out during the process. Once we put them together, it was smooth sailing.
These pathway solar lights offered a perk none of the others did: We were able to remove the ground stakes and hang the lights via an attached handle, similar to hanging string lights. We really liked this feature because it allowed us to illuminate the walkway while keeping the lights out of our puppy’s curious reach. Another perk was that the Dynaming lights came on at dusk, flickered throughout the night, and were still going strong at dawn. If you’re looking for a flame effect, these landscape path lights will not disappoint.
Get the Dynaming solar path lights at Amazon.
Best Pattern Design
Anytalk Sunflower Solar Pathway Lights
Our Ratings: Installation 5/5; Light Quality 4.5/5; Appearance 5/5; Durability 5/5; Value 4.8/5
Product Specs
- Number of lights in set: 6
- Materials: Metal, plastic
- Lumens: Not listed
What We Like
- Visually appealing sunflower and butterfly designs
- Durable steel stakes and laser-cut cones
- Easy to assemble
What We Don’t Like
- Slightly higher price point
If you’re looking for a decorative floral effect from your outdoor solar lighting, it doesn’t get any better than this. Anytalk’s solar path lights turn sidewalks and patios into delightful silhouettes of sunflowers and butterflies.
The set of six lights is easy to assemble. Each light features durable steel stakes and laser-cut metal cones fitted with LED dusk-to-dawn toppers that snap into the cones’ tops. These outdoor path lights are made to last, too—during testing, they weathered a rain shower and kept shining. While they don’t offer a wide illumination path, their decorative effect is spectacular.
We could make out the sunflower designs on grass and nearby foliage, but we found the best decorative effect when we used these as solar patio lights. The flower and butterfly shapes were clear and defined on our concrete patio. These solar yard lights are a bit pricier than standard outdoor path lighting, but if you want to create a magical effect, these are the ones to purchase.
Get the Anytalk solar path lights at Amazon.
Best Tall Lights
Alfiot Solar Pathway Lights
Our Ratings: Installation 5/5; Light Quality 4.8/5; Appearance 5/5; Durability 4.5/5; Value 4.5/5
Product Specs
- Number of lights in set: 8
- Materials: Plastic
- Lumens: Not listed
What We Like
- Durable plastic construction
- Taller height for better visibility
- Pleasing warm white illumination
What We Don’t Like
- Height discrepancies are more apparent due to size
For lighting up walkways or general solar landscape lighting, this eight-pack set of solar lights from Alfiot is hard to beat. The lights came preassembled, so all we had to do was attach the ground stakes. They’re made from durable plastic, and the clear shades look like glass.
If you’re looking to position lights among ground cover or low-growing bushes, you’ll likely need taller solar outdoor pathway lighting, and the lights in this set are a stately 24 inches high. We tried out several locations, and in each one, the Alfiot lights cast a pleasing, warm glow on the surrounding area. They came through our watering test with flying colors.
The only issue we had—and it was partially due to the hard clay-based soil in our yard—was that it was a bit challenging to get each of the lights perfectly straight because their taller height made any vertical discrepancy more noticeable. We feel these lights are best suited for softer soils, which will make them easier to adjust during installation.
Get the Alfiot solar path lights at Amazon.
Best Torches
Aityvert Flickering Flame Solar Torch Lights
Our Ratings: Installation 5/5;Light Quality 5/5; Appearance 5/5; Durability 4/5; Value 4.5/5
Product Specs
- Number of lights in set: 4
- Materials: Heavy-duty plastic
- Lumens: 35
What We Like
- Realistic-looking flames add a touch of drama
- Bright lights effectively illuminate an area
- Contemporary design works well for parties
What We Don’t Like
- Top-heavy construction; may topple in high winds
We’d seen this type of flickering solar light advertised before but didn’t hold out much hope that they’d closely mimic the real thing. We were wrong.
These tiki-style solar lights look very much like flames. They add ambience without the need to burn oil or kerosene, so there’s no smoke or fumes. Each light features several small LEDs that generate 35 lumens of flickering intensity. The lights are constructed from heavy-duty plastic, but they’re well made and designed to last.
As soon as the sun went down, the Aityvert torches sprang to life, flickering and illuminating the ground around them. Considering how much light they generate, we figured they’d be the first to go out, but they hung in there with the other long-lasting lights and didn’t extinguish until dawn. All this being said, these lights are top-heavy, so all four toppled in high winds, which was disappointing. But the rain didn’t faze them.
Get the Aityvert solar path lights at Amazon.
Best For Steps
Audles Solar Step Lights
Our Ratings: Installation 4.5/5; Light Quality 5/5; Appearance 4.5/5; Durability 5/5; Value 5/5
Product Specs
- Number of lights in set: 6
- Materials: Plastic
- Lumens: 80
What We Like
- Specially designed to illuminate steps and stairs
- Choice of installation options
- Bright, clear, and safe lighting
What We Don’t Like
- May need multiple sets for more than 3 steps
Most solar walkway lights are installed in the ground next to a sidewalk or patio, but they don’t safely illuminate steps and stairs. The Audles step lights offer a brilliant solution. These little wedge-shaped lights attach to the inner corner where the step tread meets the riser. The set comes with stick-on pads, which we used to attach the lights to our concrete steps, but they can also be installed on wood steps via fasteners (also included).
We installed them late afternoon on a cloudy day, so we weren’t expecting them to light up the first night, but they did. And wow, they were bright! They clearly lit up the steps so that we were able to see where we were going. That first night, they only stayed on for about 3 hours, but on subsequent nights, they stayed on until dawn the next morning.
The Audles lights are well made and durable. They withstood our water tests and turned on faithfully every evening at dusk. These are great solar exterior lighting picks for steps and stairs. While we used them on both sides of wide steps, if you have a narrow stairway, you might be able to use them on just one side and still safely illuminate the steps.
Get the Audles solar path lights at Amazon.
ALSO TESTED
We’re big fans of solar lights and have tested them in prior years. We didn’t include the JSOT 4-Pack Bright Solar Pathway Lights in this year’s top picks, but they fared well in former tests and are still fan favorites. Users can choose from soft warm or cool white illumination, although the cool white setting shortens the battery life from 6 to just 5 hours. This set of four solar lights for outside use casts light downward only, so it won’t shine in your eyes. Another one of our former favorites from Plow and Hearth has since gone out of stock as of publication time.
Jump to Our Top Picks
How We Tested the Best Solar Path Lights
Solar lights don’t have many functions, but buyers want to know they’re getting well-made lights that won’t rust or die after a rain shower. Path lights come in a wide range of styles, and their main purpose is to illuminate a walkway or highlight an area of a nocturnal landscape.
When selecting lights to include in our testing pool, we leaned heavily on consumer ratings, but we also looked for lights made with high-quality materials, such as real glass shades and metal spikes. We chose path lights likely to appeal to a broad range of people as well.
We tested each set of lights for 3 weeks, noting their quality, luminosity, and battery life. We paid special attention to how they performed after being exposed to rain (or after we placed them in the path of a sprinkler). We awarded points based on a rubric: The better a set of path lights performed on a test or assessment, the more points it earned. Lights earned extra points for providing an extra feature, such as casting exciting light patterns on the ground or featuring color-changing LED bulbs.
What to Consider Before Choosing Solar Path Lights
Solar lights for yard use operate in a straightforward manner. They serve as relatively inexpensive DIY-friendly lighting, especially considering they don’t draw any electricity. They also provide a measure of security. Models vary in terms of design, the quality of the materials used to make them, and whether they offer additional functionality such as remote control operation or a flickering effect. However, if you’re looking for smart outdoor lighting, you’ll probably need to install wired lights for enough power to connect to a wireless network.
Charge
Solar lighting for outdoors requires ample sunlight, usually 6 to 8 hours for a full charge. Once charged, the battery will power the light for 3 to 8 hours, depending on whether the light runs continuously or turns on only when it detects motion. Dusk-to-dawn solar lights require large-capacity batteries.
Most options on the market have LED (light-emitting diode) lights, which tend to hold a longer and brighter charge than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. You can typically find the fully charged runtime among the specs provided by the manufacturer.
Color
The light produced by a solar path lighting system differs depending on the product. Both the brightness and the color temperature can be different between products, and some solar path lights have multiple brightness and color temperature levels, allowing the user to choose the ideal setting.
Measured on a kelvin (K) scale, light color temperature refers to the color the light produces. It ranges between 3000K (warm white) and 6500K (daylight).
Solar-powered sets typically emit white or amber-colored light, though colored lights in hues like red, green, and blue are another playful option to consider. Of the available options, amber lights tend to use less energy and last longer than their white-light counterparts.
Brightness
Brightness is measured in lumens and generally ranges from just 2 lumens to over 50 lumens for a path light. To better understand this, 2 lumens will produce a very dim glow, enough to softly illuminate a pathway at night, while 50 lumens can provide a more powerful light that will illuminate a larger area. Not all manufacturers list lumens.
The average path lights are well suited for illuminating walkways or as solar lights for garden use, but they’re not as bright as solar flood lights. When using low-lumen lights, consider installing several lights in a more tightly packed formation to provide a soft glow along the pathway. Alternatively, brighter lights can be spaced further apart for a dramatic illumination effect.
Quality
Perhaps the most significant factor to consider is the quality of the materials used in making the lights. Solar path lights will be exposed to the elements for months or years on end. Over time, plastic light housings may turn yellow or crack, while metal housings typically last longer.
Products with ultraviolet-protective coatings are less likely to bleach in the sun over time. Shoppers will also want to ensure that any exposed wires on the lights are robust enough to resist nibbling from garden critters.
Design
Solar path lights are available in a wide variety of styles for patio, walkway, or backyard lighting.
- Craftsman designs feature dark metal cages with clear or fogged glass panels for a classic and sophisticated look.
- Victorian-era lights offer a more intricate take on the craftsman style, with delicate and ornate designs to add a touch of antique glamor.
- Contemporary design ideas can range anywhere from ethereal-looking orbs, which are common in string lights, to geometric shapes that add a layer of architectural interest to a pathway.
No matter where you want to incorporate solar lighting, there’s a light on the market to suit your taste. For a more high-tech lighting solution, consider opting for motion-activated lights or ones that glow in a flickering pattern like candles.
FAQs
Solar lights are becoming more popular, and it’s no wonder: Their solar cells and batteries are getting stronger, so they’re capable of providing brighter illumination for a longer period of time. Those hunting for the best solar path lights out there will likely have some questions.
The brightest lights in our lineup are the Osord solar path lights at 150 lumens per light. If you’re looking for bright lights specially designed to provide ample illumination along stairways to ensure safety, you might also consider the Audles solar path lights.
It all depends on the look you’re going for. If you want soft illumination, go for a low number (2.4 to 7 lumens). For intense brightness, look for lights with more than 30 lumens.
In most cases, yes. If the lights are relatively dim, putting them closer together will cast more light on the walkway. Bright solar path lights can be located farther apart.
Yes, depending on how much sunlight they receive during the day. However, in northern climes, the illumination period at night may be shorter.
Meet the Tester
Glenda Taylor is a product tester and writer specializing in the construction, remodeling, and real estate industries. She tests a wide range of power tools as well as other home improvement, household, and lawn-and-garden products.
Additional research provided by Andréana Lefton.
