Best Solar Pathway Lights in 2023

Solar pathway lights are a great addition to any garden. These solar lights not only allow you to see where you’re going at night but also add a little bit of style to your path, walkway, driveway, patio, or decking.

In this guide, we will go through the best solar pathways lights in 2023 for value, quality, design, brightness, and battery life. 

We will also answer some of our customer’s most common questions and we’ll give you some quick tips on how to get the most out of your solar path lights.

So, let’s get straight to it!

Click here to jump to the best-rated solar pathway lights list for 2023.

What are solar pathway lights?

Solar pathway lights are lights that use solar energy to illuminate a path or a driveway while adding an element of style to the outdoor space. These lights use a solar panel to absorb solar energy, which is then converted into electricity to power the lights at night.

Solar pathway lights are also commonly known as walkway lights, sidewalk lights, or driveway lights and they can last up to 12 hours depending on the time of the year, the size of the solar panel, and the quality of the construction.

All in all, solar lights are a great way of illuminating your outdoor space, while adding a modern look to your property, and, most importantly, they can save you money on energy bills.

How to choose the best solar pathway lights?

If you’re on the lookout for solar sidewalk lights, you need to consider several factors to choose the best light for your outdoor space.

The factors below will help you choose the best pathway lights for your garden:

Brightness

Brightness is a key aspect of any solar pathway light. The function of these lights is to illuminate paths and driveways, therefore good brightness levels are extremely important. 

Brightness is measured in lumens (Lm), which means a higher number of lumens corresponds to a bigger amount of light, or brightness.

High-quality solar pathway lights usually range from 50 lumens to 300 lumens. If you’re using these lights for security reasons, then it is recommended to go for a light that has between 150 and 300 lumens. 

However, if you just want to add a lighting accent to your garden, then a reduced amount of lumens will be enough in most cases.

Battery Life

Solar pathway lights come with an in-built rechargeable battery that is used to store the energy absorbed by the solar panel. 

The battery life of a solar path light corresponds to the amount of time that it takes to charge the batteries. This impacts the amount of time that the lights will stay on.

On average, most solar garden lights have a battery life of between 6 and 8 hours. You can improve the battery life of your driveway lights by choosing NiMH rechargeable batteries over standard Ni-Cd batteries.

Number of Lights

The number of lights will determine the total radius of illumination that you will get from your solar path lighting. This means that a higher number of lights will usually cover a bigger area of your outdoor space.

If you have a big garden or exterior space, it is recommended to get a set of several solar pathway lights to cover a vast area of your garden or patio.

Solar Panel

The solar panel of any pathway light is the ‘brain’ of the light. This means that the better the quality of the solar panel is, the better the results you will get in terms of brightness, lighting duration, and product life.

As a rule of thumb, solar walkway lights on the higher end use higher-quality solar panels. So, if you’re willing to spend more money on a better quality product, you will likely get a solar light that will give you much better results than cheaply made alternatives from Amazon or eBay.

Style

You can have the most potent solar pathway lights in the world, but if they don’t fit with the style of your property, then they will look out of place. A key factor to choose the best solar pathway light for your property is to pick a solar light with a style and design that complements your property.

Of course, style is subjective so it will also vastly depend on your taste. So, don’t be afraid to put your personality into your garden by choosing bold solar sidewalk lights!

Protection (IP Rating)

The IP rating of solar path lights determines the protection level of the lights against water, dust, and foreign objects. This rating system was created by the International Electrotechnical Commission to give people a better idea about the suitability of any lighting fixture for outdoor use.

The minimum IP rating for solar lights to be waterproof and weatherproof is IP44.

However, you should aim for at least a rating of IP55 if you intend to use your lights outside all year. Most high-end solar pathway lights have a rating of IP65. All the solar lights in our ‘best solar pathway lights’ list have this rating.

Best Solar Pathway Lights to Buy in 2023

You can find below the best solar pathway lights to buy in 2023:

• Anti-Bug Solar Path Light IP65
• Outdoor Solar Pathway Landscape Light
• Solar Path Fence Light
• Outdoor Security Solar Pathway Light
• Solar Ground Path Light for the Garden
• Solar Pathway Light for the Deck
• Solar LED Garden Spotlights
• 200 Colored Solar Path Lights
• 100 Bright Solar Fairy Lights for Pathways
• Flower Stake Solar Sidewalk Lights

Anti-Bug Solar Path Light IP65

If you want an all-around solar pathway light, then this anti-bug solar light is a great choice. 

This solar light has an IP65 rating, which means it is extremely well protected against adverse weather conditions. So, you’ll be able to use this solar pathway light even in winter.

In addition, this high-quality lamp comes with an anti-bug system, which emits waves at a certain frequency to keep bugs away from your property.

All in all, this product has incredible performance with up to 10 hours of battery life. Moreover, the solar panel is constructed with high-quality materials, which means this pathway light will likely last many years to come.

All these attributes make this light the obvious choice for the best solar pathway light on the list.

Best for All-round Solar Light

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: 1 white light and 1 anti-bug purple light
• Rated power: 0.12 (W)
• Solar panel: 0.2W amorphous silicon panel
• Battery: NI-MH AA600mAh 1.2V rechargeable battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 10h

Reasons to buy

• High protection level against rain and snow
• Anti-bug feature to keep bugs away from your pathways
• Potent solar panel
• Excellent battery life rating
• It comes with the more efficient Ni-MH rechargeable batteries

Reasons to avoid

• Slightly on the expensive side

Outdoor Solar Pathway Landscape Light

If you’re not bothered about bugs flying around in your garden, then the outdoor solar pathway landscape light is a great solution for your outdoor space.

This walkway solar light has not only a unique style but is also well protected against rain and snow due to its high IP rating. 

In addition, each solar light features 10 SMD 2835 lamp beads that exude a beautiful warm white light. This light is perfect if you want to add a cozy atmosphere to your property.

As for the battery life, you get a decent 6 to 8-hour long battery life with these solar pathway lights. A great thing about this light is that it comes with a 1-year warranty. Moreover, you can buy a pack of 4 lights, which will save you some money on each light.

Best for Style

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: 1 warm white light (SMD 2835 lamp beads)
• Brightness: 20 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 6-8h

Reasons to buy

• Unique design
• Great for use in a large area
• High protection level against weather conditions
• Pack 4 lights option is available
• 1-Year warranty

Reasons to avoid

• Slightly on the expensive side
• Battery life rating could be better

Solar Path Fence Light

If you have fences in your exterior area, then the solar path fence light will be a good match for your property. 

This solar-powered pathway light can be applied on both fences and walls to illuminate paths, walkways, and driveways. Its high brightness levels also make this lighting fixture a great choice for security.

For those looking for extremely bright lights, this solar light won’t disappoint you. Its motion sensor feature saves energy when the light is not needed, and the power that is stored is then used to give a great light output when movement is detected.

The battery life is around 10 to 12 hours, making this solar light one of the best in the market for battery duration. 

Best for Brightness, Battery Life

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: 1 bright white light
• Brightness: 500 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 10-12h

Reasons to buy

• High protection level against rain
• Great for use on fences or walls
• It comes with a motion sensor
• Offers a great battery life
• Offers a high value for money with multiple lights

Reasons to avoid

• Simple design
• Limited application (only fences or walls)

Outdoor Security Solar Pathway Light

The outdoor security solar pathway light was designed to provide maximum security to your property.

This solar lighting device uses 80 LEDs to provide great levels of brightness. In addition, it comes with a motion sensor feature that allows the light to move in any direction within a 150° angle when movement is detected.

When it comes to battery life, you will get a decent 6 to 8-hour lighting duration, which should be enough to light up your outdoor space during most of the night-time. 

While battery duration could be better, this solar pathway light is still one of the best outdoor security lights available.

Best for Security

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: 80 LEDs
• Brightness: 400 lumens
• Material: ABS
• Lighting area: 269ft
• Solar panel power: 0.5W, 5.5v
• Battery: Lithium battery 3.7v, 2000MAH
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 6-8h

Reasons to buy

• Waterproof and weatherproof
• 150° motion sensor movement angle
• High brightness levels
• It uses a high-quality lithium battery

Reasons to avoid

• Battery life could be better
• Limited application (only fences or walls)

Solar Ground Path Light for the Garden

 If your property has a large garden area, then this solar path light will be a great addition to your outdoor space. 

The solar ground path light has an easy application. All you need to do is to bury each stake light in your garden and it will illuminate your exterior area at night.

Additionally, the light’s smart design adds a modern feel to your garden and its waterproof rating allows you to use these lights all year round. 

As for the battery life, you can expect between 7 and 10 hours of lighting duration. The best feature of these lights is that you can buy several lights in bulk for a good value, which is great if you want to illuminate a vast area.

Best for Design

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: 8 LEDs
• Brightness: 100 lumens
• Materials: stainless steel and ABS
• Battery: 600ma Ni-MH rechargeable battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 7-10h

Reasons to buy

• Highly durable materials
• Great value when you buy lights in bulk
• Good battery life
• Great design for gardens and lawns

Reasons to avoid

• The stake lights can easily get too buried, making them less efficient
• Limited application (only suitable for gardens)

Solar Pathway Light for the Deck

The solar pathway light for the deck will illuminate your decking at night, whilst lighting up surrounding paths in your exterior area.

This solar-powered light was designed to provide your outdoor space with a stylish and modern look. Due to its easy application, you can use this outdoor light on a variety of surfaces, including decks, walls, fences, and steps.

The highlight of these lights is that they are color-changing. This means that you can pick any color you like or just the standard white light. This is therefore a great option if you want to add some color and sparkle to your outdoor area.

In terms of battery quality, you will get 8 to 10 hours of battery life, which is about average for high-end solar lights. You can also expect high brightness levels of around 400 lumens.

Best for Decking

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: cold white, warm white, and color
• Brightness: 200 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Solar panel: 2V / 30mAh amorphous silicon
• Battery: 600mAh AAA Ni-MH battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 8-10h

Reasons to buy

• Color-changing feature
• Great value when you buy 4 lights
• Good battery life
• Lights are suitable for multiple surfaces

Reasons to avoid

• These lights can only be used on certain surfaces, such as walls, fences, decks, or steps
• The number of lumens could be higher

Solar LED Garden Spotlights

Solar LED garden spotlights illuminate pathways and driveways with high levels of brightness and lighting output.

Solar spotlights can be placed alongside pathways or in the middle of your garden to light up your whole outdoor space.

The best feature of these path lights is their strong lighting output, which will be useful if you want to add another security layer to your property. In addition, this type of light will highlight the features of your house and garden and, most importantly, it will make your property look modern.

Both the solar panel and the lighting system are built with high-quality weatherproof materials so you can expect these lights to last many years to come. You’ll also get a decent battery life of between 7 and 8 hours.

If you’re looking for a modern and bold solution for your exterior space, then these solar path spotlights won’t let you down.

Best for Lighting output

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: bright white
• Brightness: 400 lumens
• Materials: ABS and aluminum 
• Battery: 600mAh AAA Ni-MH battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 7-8h

Reasons to buy

• Great lighting output
• High protection level against rain
• High brightness levels
• Good value when you buy a set of 4 lights

Reasons to avoid

• Only suitable for gardens and grounds
• Battery life could be better
• Bold design

200 Colored Solar Path Lights

The 200-colored solar path lights are an affordable solution to add a colorful atmosphere to your garden or patio. If you like to throw BBQs or garden parties, then these solar lights will be the ideal alternative for you.

These pathway lights come with 200 LEDs that can be used to light up large spaces. A great feature of these lights is their high IP rating, which means that they are well protected against water and dust.

The biggest reason to buy the 200 colored solar lights is their great value. At only $19.99, you can buy a set of 200 lights. If you have an extremely large property, you can buy 400 lights for less than $50.

The quality, features, and design all make these lights one of the best-rated solar path lights in the market. The downfall of these lights is their poor battery life of only about 6 to 7 hours.

Best for Value

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: red, green, blue, and yellow
• Brightness: 190 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Battery: NI-MH AA600mAh 1.2V rechargeable battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 6-7 hours

Reasons to buy

• Great value
• Decent brightness levels for this price point
• The lights come with 8 different lighting modes
• Lights come in RGB colors

Reasons to avoid

• Poor battery life
• If your garden doesn’t have any surfaces, these lights require garden hooks to be installed

100 Bright White Solar Fairy Lights for Pathways

 

If you’re looking for an easy solution for your garden, then the 100 bright white solar fairy lights for pathways are perfect for your outdoor space. 

These string lights are not only great value but are also easy to install. All you need is garden hook stakes, also known as shepherd’s hooks, and then you can easily install these lights alongside any paths or walkways in your garden.

With 100 LEDs, these lights are perfect for smaller areas. The color of these lights is bright white so you can expect your garden to look bright and shiny! 

The only reason to avoid these lights is their poor battery life of only about 6 hours. This can be a problem if you intend to use these solar path lights during wintertime when there are reduced amounts of sunlight.

Best for Installation

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: bright white
• Brightness: 200 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Battery: NI-MH AA600mAh 1.2V rechargeable battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 6h

Reasons to buy

• Good value
• High brightness levels
• Easy installation

Reasons to avoid

• Poor battery life
• If your garden doesn’t have any surfaces, these lights require garden hooks to be installed

Flower Stake Solar Sidewalk Lights

Flower stake solar sidewalk lights for paths add colorful lighting accents to your garden. Though these lights are not the best solar path lights in terms of brightness or lighting output, they can be a great feature for your outdoor space.

Available in 5 different colors, these sidewalk lights look like real roses during the day and they light up at night time to illuminate pathways. They are extremely easy to install and they can last up to 6 hours.

Each set of flower stake solar lights comes with 2 waterproof flowers in red, blue, yellow, pink, or white. Though their battery life isn’t great, these lights are one of the best on our list for value.

Best for Garden Features

Specifications

• Protection level: IP65
• Light source: red, pink, blue, yellow, white
• Brightness: 50 lumens
• Materials: ABS
• Battery: 1.2V rechargeable battery
• Voltage: 1.2 (V)
• Battery life: 6h

Reasons to buy

• Good value
• Easy installation
• Great to add lighting accents to your garden

Reasons to avoid

• Poor battery life
• Only suitable for gardens
• Low brightness levels

Top 10 Best Solar Pathway Lights Overview

Solar Pathway Light	Number of Lights	IP Rating	Battery Life	Color	Warranty
Anti-Bug Solar Path Light IP65	1	IP65	10h	white, purple	1 year
Outdoor Solar Pathway Landscape Light	1	IP65	6-8h	warm white	1 year
Solar Path Fence Light	1	IP65	10-12h	bright white	1 year
Outdoor Security Solar Pathway Light	1	IP65	6-8h	bright white	1 year
Solar Ground Path Light for the Garden	1	IP65	7-10h	white	6 months
Solar Pathway Light for the Deck	4	IP65	8-10h	cold white, warm white, color	6 months
Solar LED Garden Spotlights	4	IP65	7-8h	bright white	6 months
200 Colored Solar Path Lights	200	IP65	6-7h	red, green, blue, yellow	60 days
100 Bright White Solar Fairy Lights for Pathways	100	IP65	6h	bright white	60 days
Flower Stake Solar Sidewalk Lights	2	IP65	6h	red, pink, blue, yellow, white	60 days

Choose the Right Solar Light for Your Outdoor Space

If you’ve checked our list of the best-rated solar pathway lights and you’re still unsure which light is best for you, read on.

The key to choosing the best solar light for your outdoor space is to consider how it will fit in with your property, garden, and any other exterior areas. You can also look at the solar path lights’ specifications to find the highest quality lights. 

Important tech specs include the IP rating, brightness (number of lumens), number of lights, battery life, solar panel quality, and the design of the lighting fixture.

Click here to jump to how to choose the best solar pathway lights for your property.

But, what other factors do you need to consider before you buy solar lights?

Purpose

Before you order the better-looking solar pathway light, you need to consider the purpose of your lights. 

Do you just want to add a lighting accent to your garden? Or do you need to improve the security of your outdoor space?

Asking yourself these questions will help you to determine the type of pathway or walkway light that you need for your property. If you’re looking for an outdoor security light, you should aim for a solar light with high brightness levels (a high number of lumens).

On the other hand, if you’re more interested in the decorative element of lighting, you can try different options, such as color-changing lights, solar string lights, or even flower stake lights.

Warranty

While the warranty is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of solar pathway lights, it gives you a guarantee. It assures you that the solar pathway light that you buy is of good quality and doesn't contain manufacturing defects.

If for some reason, the solar light that you buy doesn’t work properly, you can use the manufacturer’s warranty to replace the faulty item with a working light.

Most solar path lights have a 1-year warranty. This is a good guarantee because it will allow you to test your lights during all seasons of the year, including winter when solar lights are less likely to work efficiently.

Pack Size

The pack size of your solar path lights is an important aspect to consider before you buy solar lights.

If you want to illuminate a large area, then you will likely need several lights to cover the whole space. Some solar lights will include a pack of several lights, whereas some lights only include 1 item.

In most cases, you will also be able to save money on multiple light packs as solar lights tend to be better value when you buy in bulk.

Materials

Most solar landscape lights share similar materials. This is because the construction of solar panels requires very specific materials for the solar lights to work correctly.

Therefore, the only materials that will vary are parts of the solar lights that are exposed. These materials are usually either ABS plastic, stainless steel, or metal bronze. 

The best high-quality pathway lights usually also have plexiglass or tempered glass, which adds a luxury feel to the lighting fixture. You should always avoid solar lights that have opaque glass as it will decrease the brightness of the light.

Light Color

The color of the light bulb is a key feature of any solar sidewalk light. Most standard lights come with either cold white or bright white colors but you can also find some multi-color solar pathway lights in the market.

If your goal is to add high brightness to your garden, then cold white or bright white solar lights won’t disappoint you.

On the other hand, if you prefer to add color and character to your outdoor space, you can opt for colored solar lights. You can easily find solar lights that come in red, green, yellow, and blue. 

However, you need to be particularly careful about the bulb color that you choose as certain colors are more likely to attract bugs to your property. You can read our article about outdoor lights that don’t attract bugs. 

Light Bulb

Last but not least, the light bulb of your solar walkway light is a spec that you shouldn’t overlook. 

Most solar lights will have one of these bulb types: LED, incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent. LED bulbs are considered to be the most efficient bulbs for solar lights due to their modern technology, longevity, and low cost.

About 95% of solar path lights use LED bulbs so you will rarely come across lights that use alternative bulbs.

Common Questions about Solar Pathway Lights

How do solar path lights work?

Solar-powered path lights use solar panels to absorb energy from the sun. During the day, the photovoltaic cells in the solar panel absorb solar energy. This energy is then converted into electricity, also known as electrical power.

The electrical power charges the rechargeable batteries inside the solar panel, which are activated at night in the absence of sunlight. This absence of light is detected by a controller within the solar panel, which is called a photoresistor.

This smart system allows solar pathway lights to light up automatically at night and therefore they require little to no maintenance.

Read more: How do solar garden lights work?

Do solar pathway lights need batteries?

All solar lights, including solar pathway lights, require rechargeable batteries to work properly. Solar walkway lights need batteries to store electrical energy, which can be used to power the lights at night without a supply of electricity.

Solar sidewalk lights require special batteries, such as rechargeable batteries, to work properly. Almost all solar lights will use either a NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) rechargeable battery or a NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeable battery.

You can’t use regular batteries in solar path lights because they are designed to be disposed of once they run out of power.  

Read more: Do solar lights need batteries?

How often do I need to replace solar batteries?

For optimum illumination, you should replace your solar light batteries at least once a year. If you use Ni-Cd batteries, then it is recommended that your batteries are replaced once every 6 months for best results.

On average, a rechargeable solar battery will last between 1 and 2 years. This will depend considerably on the brand, quality, and the type of battery that you use in your solar lights. 

You can also expect to see a decline in the brightness and performance of your lights during that time frame. 

Consequently, if you notice that your solar lights have considerably diminished in brightness and overall performance, it probably means that you need to replace your solar light batteries.

Do solar path lights work in winter?

Solar path lights work in winter as long as they get enough sunlight during the day. 

Another key aspect that will determine how well solar lights work in winter is the quality and power of the solar panel, and the batteries used.

Solar walkway lights that use potent solar panels will likely work and charge even on cloudy days to give a decent amount of light output at night. This is why it is fundamental to consider the quality of the solar panel when you browse solar pathway lights for your garden.

Read more: Do solar lights work in winter?

How long do solar sidewalk lights last?

On average, solar sidewalk lights last between 1 and 2 years before you need to replace the rechargeable batteries inside the solar light’s panel. This is the equivalent of 300 to 600 continuous charges. 

The exact amount of time that your solar pathway lights will last depends on the batteries that you use for your solar garden lights.

If you use NiMH rechargeable batteries, you can expect your driveway lights to last over 2 years. This is because NiMH batteries have a high storage capacity, which means that they can power your solar lights for longer periods, consequently requiring fewer charges. 

Read more: How long do solar lights last?

How far apart do you space solar pathway lights?

Solar pathway lights should be placed 5 to 8 feet apart. This distance is enough to illuminate paths and driveways efficiently. 

Spacing your pathway lights 5 to 8 feet apart will generally ensure your garden and walkways remain well-lit and bright.

If your solar lights have a reduced amount of lumens, you should space them closer together to allow a decent lighting output. On the contrary, if your outdoor lights are extremely bright, you can space them further apart.

The exact distance between your solar walkway lights will depend on the amount of lumens (brightness) emitted by your lights.

Read more: How far apart should you place pathway lights?

Learn more about Solar Lights

If this blog post has answered your question or if you would like to learn more about all things related to solar lights and outside lights, please visit our outdoor lighting blog.

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