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When it comes to landscape lighting, both style and function are key. led underground light
Whether you’re lighting a sidewalk or putting the spotlight on stately trees, having the right lighting can go a long way toward creating an enjoyable outdoor space. However, choosing the right combination of style and function can be challenging.
Plenty of landscape lighting options exist, including solar and electric options. To find the best landscape lighting options, we tested a variety of products and considered factors such as type of power, size, material, and installation. We also consulted Lindsey Hyland, founder of Urban Organic Yield, Kelsey Lindenberger, president of Blue Island Landscape Lighting and Irrigation, and Kate Diaz, co-owner of Swanky Den, for additional insight.
We’ve tested 72 outdoor lighting products since 2022, considering factors such as power, size, material, and installation. To learn more about how we tested landscape lighting, check out our testing process below.
These lights are simple to operate and offer a warm, inviting glow that’s just right for illuminating a path or sidewalk.
You’ll want to bring these lights indoors when temperatures dip below freezing.
It can be challenging to find lighting options that work well for a path, and we like this Hampton Bay set for several reasons. Assembling them was a cinch, taking just five minutes to put together the set of four lights.
Operating them is super simple, too, since there are no controls to muddle with. Simply place these staked lights into the ground and let them charge via sunlight. They’ll light up at dusk and turn off when dawn arrives. Once lit, they provide just the right amount of warm-hued light along a sidewalk—not too bright but not too dim, either. On cloudy days, the light doesn’t shine quite as brightly, but it’s still plenty adequate.
The stakes are about 31 inches tall and adjust to fit multiple types of paths and landscaping needs. They’re not marked as water resistant and no water-protection rating is given. However, we didn’t observe any wear and tear after receiving rain and low overnight temperatures followed by high heat and humidity. Keep in mind that you’ll need to move the lights indoors if the temperature dips below freezing, which can be an inconvenience for those in especially cold climates.
Overall, these path lights give off a welcoming, cozy glow that’s just right for illuminating a path.
Product Details: Power Type: Solar | Dimensions: 4.61 x 31.61 x 3.6 in. | Water-Protection Rating: Not listed
These lights are easy to install and allow you to choose from three different brightness levels.
While the light is slightly adjustable, the range of motion is a bit limited and these do not have motion-sensing capabilities.
These solar-powered lights offer water-resistant illumination in spotlight form. They’re a handy pick for focusing light on key areas, such as an old oak tree or a showy display of your favorite flowers. We positioned two of them to light up a gated area measuring about 10 by 10 feet, then used a few more lights to illuminate trees. Adjusting brightness levels is as easy as the press of a button, making it a snap to toggle between settings.
Installing them involved only four steps: attaching the mounting bracket, driving the stake into the soil, attaching the light and bracket to the stake, then adjusting the brightness level to one of three options. In fact, choosing where to place the lights was the hardest part of the process!
Though powered by the sun, the lights come with a USB port for charging them up on particularly cloudy days. There’s no motion sensor, but they automatically switch on and off thanks to the light sensor. While the lights are adjustable, the range of motion is a bit limited, which could mean the lights won’t fully illuminate tall areas such as a stately tree.
Product Details: Power Type: Solar | Dimensions: 3.2 x 4.8 x 1.8 in. | Water-Protection Rating: IP65
These lights can withstand rain and even worked after we stashed them in the freezer, so they’re a durable option.
It’s challenging to toggle between lighting modes at first.
It can be important to have motion-sensing landscape lights, say, when you’re expecting company after dusk and want to be sure your guests have a clear path to your door. Those with pets may also appreciate this solar-powered spotlight, since its cold white bulb will make it easy to keep an eye on Fido during his nighttime zoomies in the yard.
With three lighting modes, you’ll be able to choose whether you’d like the light to stay on or stay off until motion is detected. You can also set the lights to stay on medium-bright light, then flip to high if motion is detected. While it was a bit tricky at first to toggle between the modes, we got the hang of it after a few tries.
The lights also have a rating of IP68, which is especially good for areas with heavy rain. The no-frills design won’t bring much to the table in terms of aesthetics. However, the spotlights easily illuminated a pathway and held up to our tests, which included a stay in the freezer to see whether they still worked—and they did! With an expected lifespan of at least 40,000 hours, we felt these motion-sensing lights deserved a top spot on our list.
Product Details: Power Type: Solar | Dimensions: 4.33 x 5.43 x 11.81 in. | Water-Protection Rating: IP68
Controlling brightness, color, and motion-sensing capabilities with the app is easy, plus you can even sync the lights to music thanks to their smart home integration and built-in mic.
Installation will take some time.
When you plan to use outdoor lighting frequently, it makes sense to invest in a more permanent lighting option. These strip lights from Govee come in a pack of two, with each strip light measuring just under 33 feet in length. You can connect up to three sets together for lighting larger areas.
Because they’re designed to be a long-term option, you’ll need to spend a significant amount of time installing them using the included brackets, adhesive, and mounting points. It took just over two hours to hang the lights along the soffit, but once that was done, using the lights was a breeze.
You can control the color, type, and brightness of the lights by using the app. There are plenty of customization options available, so it can take a while to navigate them all, but it’s worth the end result. Plus, you can turn them on and off from the comfort of the sofa—no venturing outside in frigid weather to flip them on or off each day.
The strip lighting can be activated by motion, and you control how sensitive (or not) you want it to be. Want to sync the lights with music? It’s no problem, since these integrate with smart home features and have a built-in mic.
Product Details: Power Type: Corded electric | Dimensions: 32.8 ft. per roll | Water-Protection Rating: IP65
Assembling the lights is a simple process, and they turn on automatically once it’s dark outside.
This light has a simple design with no options for choosing various lighting modes.
If you’re looking for in-ground lights, these are a solid pick. You’ll need to assemble three pieces together for each light, but it’s a quick process. Once assembled, you just flip the switch to turn the light on or off. And once you’ve turned on the switch, the lights will pop on when it gets dark out, which saves you from having to remember to do it manually.
Overall, the design is nice and simple, which means this light doesn’t have additional lighting modes to choose from. The silver base catches the eye easily, which is something to keep in mind if you’re someone who prefers an in-ground light to blend in rather than visually stand out.
These offer a dim light, which works nicely when the lights are positioned closer together for lighting a sidewalk. You can expect these lights to power on for up to eight hours after charging in the sunlight. They kept out water during our testing process, which matches with their IP65 rating.
Product Details: Power Type: Solar | Dimensions: 5.2 x 4.72 x 4.92 in. | Water-Protection Rating: IP65
The lights offer illumination throughout the night after they’ve charged for 8 to 12 hours and are perfectly sized for deck stairs.
The brightness isn’t adjustable and there’s no off switch.
There’s nothing like enjoying a mild evening outside on a deck. And if you welcome guests over under the stars, having the railing or deck stairs lit up offers a warm glow—not to mention a little extra safety in the form of tripping prevention.
They’re meant to be fastened to the deck or railing via screw, which may not appeal to everyone. The included double-sided adhesive can help you get the lights into just the right position before deciding where to permanently install them. Installation wasn’t particularly hard, but the instructions could have been clearer. Once positioned, remove the tab and allow the lights to charge for up to 12 hours. After the sun sets, the lights come on automatically and provide light throughout the night.
The warm, white light offers the right amount of ambience for entertaining. However, you won’t be able to adjust the brightness or otherwise customize the look of the lights. There’s also no off switch, which means they could disturb your sleep if you position them just outside a bedroom window with no curtain.
Product Details: Power Type: Solar | Dimensions: 1.77 x 1.85 x 3.46 in. | Water-Protection Rating: IP44
Ultimately, we chose the Hampton Bay Clermont Light Set as the best path-lighting option because it’s simple to use and gives a warm glow that makes sidewalks feel more inviting.
If you’re after spotlights, the Lerekam Solar Spot Lights are the way to go since installation is a breeze, you can choose from three brightness levels, and you can charge them via USB on cloudy days.
We’ve been testing outdoor lighting since 2022. In that time, we’ve run 72 products through five tests, adding up to over 10,080 hours of insight.
In total, we tested 15 different types of lights: bulb, smart, solar, pathway, sconce, spotlight, lantern, garden, deck, string, floodlight, strip light, motion-sensing, pendant, and security lights. We chose what products to test by researching best sellers on Amazon and Home Depot, making sure to include various lighting options like garden, solar, pathway, and flood lights in our product lineup.
We evaluated the lights to determine whether installation was easy and whether the lights were simple to use once installed. We also evaluated the look, noting whether the lights blended into the outdoor environment, and, if motion-sensing, how well that feature worked. We observed other features and how well they worked, such as timers and brightness-level adjustment.
Plenty of styles exist within the realm of landscape and outdoor lighting, so you’ll be able to choose which best suits your style and needs. “First, consider the overall look of your home and garden. Are you going for a more formal look or a more relaxed atmosphere?” Diaz says.
Beyond aesthetics, you’ll also have to choose whether you prefer a solar option or one that needs to be wired and plugged in. You may want to consider the new outdoor smart lighting solutions that can add personalized aesthetic touches to landscape lighting.
You’ll also get to choose from spotlights or path lights when shopping for the perfect landscape lighting option.
Many people looking to illuminate a tree may automatically reach for one bright spotlight. However, Kelsey Lindenberger, president, Blue Island Landscape Lighting and Irrigation, notes that a single light is often not enough to capture “the full beauty and unique characteristics of a tree.” She says, “Proper lighting involves placing fixtures at various angles and positions around the tree, rather than just one at the trunk.” In this case, you may want to go with multiple spotlights that are a bit less bright rather than one bright spotlight.
Path lights, on the other hand, will light up a sidewalk or pathway through a yard or garden. Whether you choose path lights depends on the ambiance you’d like to create. Keep in mind that path lights could create a “runway-like effect,” according to Lindenberger. Some people may not mind this style of lighting, while others may shy away from it. Lindenberger tends to recommend downlighting or ambient lighting to “subtly frame walkways and enhance the overall aesthetic.”
For this article, we primarily focused on in-ground lighting options, with the exception of the stair lights and the Govee smart lights. But there are other outdoor lighting options worth checking into, such as string lights or mounted lights and outdoor safety floodlights.
There are different ways to install landscape lighting, depending on the style and type of power you choose. Low voltage lighting can be a DIY project but know that it may require a bit of electrical savvy, as you’ll be connecting cables and dealing with a transformer.
“Installation is usually pretty simple. Most landscape lighting fixtures come with all the necessary hardware and instructions,” Diaz says. “If you're not comfortable working with electrical wiring, you may want to hire a professional electrician to handle the installation for you.”
When you’re shopping for landscape lighting, you’ll come across the letters “IP” paired with a couple of numbers, known as the Ingress Protection (IP) rating. According to Lindenberger, the IP rating is “a standard measure of how well a fixture is protected against solids and liquids.” She explains, “The first number indicates protection against solids like dust, while the second refers to protection from liquids such as water.”
Lindenberger provides some examples of IP ratings commonly seen in landscape lighting options. IP44-rated lights resist splashes of water, so they’re a good option for spaces with little exposure to water from rain or sprinkler systems. An IP65 rating will keep out dust and will protect against jets of water, such as a sprinkler system along a pathway to the backyard patio. If you’re after lights that will stand up to heavy downpours, you may want to opt for IP67. After some underwater lighting? Reach for an IP68 rating, which will allow you to submerse the lights in ponds or water fountains.
It’s important to understand the water protection rating for a few reasons. According to Lindenberger, “The water protection rating ensures that the lighting fixtures can withstand the environmental conditions they’re exposed to, which protects against electrical shorts, corrosion, and premature failure. Choosing the right rating can save money in the long run and maintain the safety and aesthetics of your landscape.”
Though we appreciated the quick, easy setup, automatic on/off feature, durability, and warm glow of the Tonulax Solar Garden Lights, the brightness wasn’t adjustable and was more suited for decorative purposes rather than illumination.
The Better Homes & Gardens Corbyn Solar Powered Landscape Walkway Light is elegantly designed, comes with an automatic on/off feature, and holds up to extreme heat. Because it only illuminated a small area, didn’t allow for brightness adjustment, and cost more than others, it didn’t make it to the top of our list.
Setting up and operating the Philips Hue Outdoor Pathway Kit via its app was easy and intuitive, plus it came with impressive brightness and range of illumination. However, the cost was high for a single unit and the bulb inside of it isn’t replaceable.
There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to how bright your landscape lights should be as it really depends on what you’re using them for and your particular preferences. If you’re planning to use your landscape lighting to illuminate a path for safety purposes, you’ll want to opt for at least 100 to 200 lumens in order to ensure adequate visibility.
If you’re looking for landscape lighting to enhance an aesthetic feature in your yard, like a flowerbed or garden, you can get away with something between 50 to 300 lumens. Keep in mind that if you’re using landscape lights near your windows, you might want to opt for less bright bulbs in order to avoid light pollution leaking into your home.
The number of landscape lights you need depends on a few factors including the size of your yard and how much you want to illuminate your space. Layering your landscape lighting close together requires more individual lights but offers brighter results. If you don’t want to light up your entire lawn, you can get away with spacing your landscape lights further apart. This will require fewer individual lights, saving you some money, and leads to a subtler and warmer aesthetic.
According to Diaz, most types of landscape lighting you install yourself likely won’t require you to get a license. However, she recommends contacting a professional if installation requires any wiring or electrical work. It’s also worth noting that a high-voltage option will require an electrician.
This article was written by Brittany VanDerBill, a freelance writer for Better Homes & Gardens. To find the best options, she evaluated testing insights, keeping in mind the type of power, installation, lighting type, and more. She also consulted Lindsey Hyland, founder of UrbanOrganic Yield, Kelsey Lindenberger, president, Blue Island Landscape Lighting and Irrigation, and Kate Diaz, co-owner of Swanky Den.
low voltage exterior lighting Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.